Scheme and subjects
for the Preliminary and Main Examinations
A. Preliminary Examination
The examination will consist of two papers.
Paper I General
Studies |
150 marks |
Paper II One subject to be
selected from the list of optional subjects set out in Para 2 below |
300 marks |
Total : |
450 marks |
2. List of optional subjects for Preliminary
Examination.
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
Indian History
Law |
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology |
Note (i) Both the question papers will be of
the
objective type
(multiple choice questions).
(ii) The question papers will be set both in
Hindi and English.
(iii) The course content of the syllabi for the
optional subjects will be of the degree level. Details of the syllabi
are indicated in Part A of Section III.
(iv) Each paper will be of two hours duration. Blind
candidates will, however, be allowed an extra time of twenty minutes at
each paper.
B. Main Examination
The written examination will consist of the following
papers :
Paper I |
One of the Indian languages to be selected by the
candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Scheduled to the
Constitution. |
300 marks |
Paper II |
English |
300 marks |
Paper III |
Essay |
200 marks |
Papers IV and V |
General Studies |
300 marks for each paper |
Papers VI, VII, VIII and IX |
Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the
optional subjects set out in para 2 below. Each subject will have two
papers. |
300 marks for each paper |
Interview Test will
carry 300 marks.
Note (i) The papers on Indian Languages and
English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of
qualifying nature; the marks obtained in these papers will not be
counted for ranking.
(ii) The papers on Essay, General Studies and
Optional Subjects of only such candidates will be evaluated as attain
such minimum standard as may be fixed by the Commission in their
discretion for the qualifying papers on Indian Language and English.
(iii) The paper-I on Indian Languages will not,
however, be compulsory for candidates hailing from the North-Eastern
States of Arunachanl Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
and also for candidates hailing from the State of Sikkim.
(iv) For the Language papers, the script to be used
by the candidates will be as under :–
Language |
Script |
Assamese |
Assamese |
Bengali |
Bengali |
Gujarati |
Gujarati |
Hindi |
Devanagari |
Kannada |
Kannada |
Kashmiri |
Persian |
Konkani |
Devanagari |
Malayam |
Malayalam |
Manipuri |
Bengali |
Marathi |
Devanagari |
Nepali |
Devanagari |
Oriya |
Oriya |
Punjabi |
Gurmukhi |
Sanskrit |
Devanagari |
Sindhi |
Devanagari or Arabic |
Tamil |
Tamil |
Telugu |
Telugu |
Urdu |
Persian |
2. List of optional subjects for Main Examination
Literature of one of the following languages :
Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, English, French,
German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri,
Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Sindhi,
Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
Note (i)
Candidates will not be
allowed to offer the following combinations of subjects
:–
(a) Political Science & International Relations and
Public Administration;
(b) Commerce & Accountancy and Management;
(c) Anthropology and Sociology;
(d) Mathematics and Statistics;
(e) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry &
Veterinary Science.
(f) Management and Public Administration;
(g) Of the Engineering subjects, viz., Civil
Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering–not more
than one subject.
(h) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and
Medical Science.
(ii) The question papers for the examination will be of
conventional (essay) type.
(iii) Each paper will be of
three hours
duration. Blind candidates will, however be allowed an extra time of
thirty minutes at each paper.
(iv) Candidates will have the option to answer all the
question papers, except the language papers viz. Papers I and II above in
any one of the languages
in cluded in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution or in English.
(v) Candidates exercising the option to answer papers
III to IX in any one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to
the Constitution may, if they so desire, give English version within
brackets of only the description of the technical terms, if any, in
addition to the version in the language opted by them.
Candidates should, however, note that if they misuse the
above rule, a deduction will be made on this account from the total marks
otherwise accruing to them and in extreme cases, their script(s) will not
be valued for being in an unauthorised medium.
(vi) The question papers other than language papers will
be set both in Hindi and English.
(vii) The details of the syllabi are set out in Part B
of Section III
General Instructions (Preliminary as well as Main
Examination)
(i) Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In
no circumstances, they will be allowed the help of a scribe to write the
answers for them. However, blind candidates will be allowed to write the
examination with the help of a scribe.
Note (1) : The eligibility conditions of a scribe,
his/her conduct inside the examination hall and the manner in which and
extent to which he/she can help the blind candidate in writing the Civil
Services Examination shall be governed by the instructions issued by the
UPSC in this regard. Violation of all or any of the said instructions shall
entail the cancellation of the candidature of the blind candidate in
addition to any other action that the UPSC may take against the scribe.
Note (2) : For purpose of these rules the candidate
shall be deemed to be a blind candidate if the percentage of visual
impairment is 40% or more. The criteria for determining the percentage of
visual impairment shall be as follows :
All with corrections
Percentage
Better eye Worse eye
Category 0
6/9-6/18 6/24 to 6/36 20%
Category I
6/18-6/36 6/60 to nil 40%
Category II
6/60-4/60 3/60 to nil 75%
or field of
vision 10-20º
Category III
3/60-1/60 F.C. at 1 ft 100%
or field of to nil
vision 10º
Category IV FC. at 1
ft F.C. at 1 ft 100%
to nil field of to nil field of
vision 100º vision 100º
One eyed
6/6 F.C. at 1 ft 30%
person to nil
Note (3) :For availing of the concession admissible
to a blind candidate, the candidate concerned shall produce a certificate in
the prescribed proforma from a Medical Board constituted by the
Central/State Governments alongwith his application for the Main
Examination.
Note (4) : The concession admissible to blind
candidates shall not be admissible to those suffering from Myopia.
(ii) The Commission have discretion to fix qualifying
marks in any or all the subjects of the examination.
(iii) If a candidate’s handwriting is not easily legible,
a deduction will be made on this account from the total marks otherwise
accruing to him.
(iv) Marks will not be allotted for mere superficial
knowledge.
(v) Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact
expression combined with due economy of words in all subjects of the
examination.
(vi) In the question papers, wherever required, SI units
will be used.
(vii) Candidates should use only international form of
Indian numerals (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc.) while answering question papers.
(viii) Candidates will be allowed the use of Scientific
(Non-Programmable type) calculators at the conventional (Essay) type
examination of UPSC. Programmable type calculators will however not be
allowed and the use of such calculators shall tantamount to resorting to
unfair means by the candidates. Loaning or interchanging of calculators in
the Examination Hall is not permitted.
It is also important to note that candidates are not
permitted to use calculators for answering objective type papers (Test
Booklets). They should not therefore bring the same inside the Examination
Hall.
C. Interview test
The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have
before them a record of his career. He will be asked questions on matters of
general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal
suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of
competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental
calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not
only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interst in
current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness,
critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of
judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and
leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
2. The technique of the interview is not that of a strict
cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purposive
conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the
candidate.
3. The interview test is not intended to be a test either
of the specialised or general knowledge of the candidates which has been
already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have
taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic
study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and
outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of thought
and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well educated
youth.
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