An overview of UPSC syllabus

 The saying goes that you should understand your enemy well before marching for the war. The same can be applied in the context of the UPSC exam. The UPSC syllabus has a very vast scope. From general knowledge to political science and reasoning, the IAS syllabus is designed to test the whole understanding of an aspirant. Knowing the overview of the UPSC syllabus can help you in creating an efficient strategy for your preparation. The UPSC exam is conducted on two levels. The first one is Prelims and the second is Mains. This blog comprises a summary view of the whole UPSC syllabus. 

Prelims syllabus

The first stage of the IAS selection process is its Prelim exam. Prelim encompasses objective-type questions or MCQs. The paper has a total marking of 200 with a given time of 120 minutes or 2 hours. The selection process is by scoring equal to or more than cut-off marks. The question papers of the IAS exam come in both English as well as in Hindi. The Prelims is conducted in two phases. 

Paper-I tests the general studies knowledge of the aspirants while the Paper-2 or CSAT is about comprehension and mental ability. You need to score at least 33% to clear the CSAT. 

Detailed Paper-I syllabus 

The UPSC syllabus of Paper-I covers the following points:

• It contains a huge weightage for current affairs. From national to international events, the aspirants can be asked about any influential or popular thing. 

• Next comes the History of our nation and all related incidental moments. It covers revolutions, movements, etc. 

• The geography of our nation, as well as the world, comprises more than 14% of the exam. However, the questions revolve around various aspects of geography like social, physiological, physical, and financial. 

• The Indian administration system and the government are some of the most crucial parts of the exam. It contains the hierarchical arrangement of our government, panchayat, political system, rights issues, etc. 

• Other topics include economic development and social welfare along with General science and ecology. 

Detailed Paper-2 syllabus 

The Paper-2 or CSAT syllabus comprises;

• English comprehension 

• Strong communication skills for showcasing efficient interactions

• Mental ability along with logical reasoning 

• Interpretation of data by using representations like charts, bar graphs, etc. 

• Problem-solving approach and process

• Basic mathematics till 10th standard

• English comprehension and understanding of language till 10th standard 

Main Syllabus 

The second phase of written exams is Mains. If a candidate clears his or her cut off of Prelims, then they appear for Mains. The exam is executed in two phases. The first one is the qualifying paper and the second is the merit exam. The Mains exam is taken in 9 phases. Candidates get 180 minutes to attempt all questions. The blind students get half an hour extra in the exam. The Mains exam can be written in English and Hindi. The total weightage of two exams is 300 marks while the rest are 250 marks. 

Detailed syllabus of Mains 

General Studies Paper No.	Topics covered
1	Indian culture and literature, Modern Indian History, Global History [18th century], Society structure, Geography
2	Indian constitution, functions of states and their responsibility, Hierarchy of power, Challenges of federal structure, dispute readdress, Ministries and their administration, Democracy, International policies
3	Economy, Agriculture, land reforms in India, Science and Technology, Disaster Management, Security forces
4	Ethics and Human Interface, attitude, aptitude, Emotional intelligence, Thinkers and philosophers, Values and ethics in public administration, Probity in Governance
5	Code of ethics, work culture, quality of service delivery, public funds,
6	Accountability and ethical governance, Corporate governance, laws and regulations
7	Transparency in government, conduction of administration and processes of right management
8	Effective management of funds and implementation of new skills
9	Public service, aptitude

The above mentioned table gives a distinguished look of the Mains syllabus. However, after the first four papers, the rest of the exams have a generalized syllabus. The topics overlap and that’s why candidates need to grasp all the above-mentioned topics. 

Conclusion 

Having an overview and understanding of the UPSC syllabus helps you in studying only the relevant topics. You can figure out topics with maximum weightage and can strategize your preparation according to it. It helps you in saving your precious time and focusing only on the crucial aspects of the IAS syllabus.