Hi All,
This is a UPSC-IAS civil services exam guide for beginners, which will also be helpful for state civil services exams (UPPCS, UKPCS and other state level exams.)
UPSC-IAS civil services exam guide for beginners
Eligibility:
- Anyone with a university degree or equivalent can apply for the civil services examination. There is no minimum mark restriction.
- Age limit: 21 to 32 years on August 1 of the year of notification. A candidate can appear in the examination six times.
- The upper-age limit can be relaxed in eligible cases.
- Upper age limit relaxation
- Non creamy OBC: 35 years and 9 attempts
- SC/ST: 37 years, unlimited attempts
- Upper age limit relaxation
Stages of Exam:
Stage1- Prelims
- Multiple choice Question (MCQ) Test.
- Two papers:
- General Studies
- Aptitude – Qualifying (33%)
- Question paper is set in English and Hindi
- Only General Studies marks are counted. 1/3 negative marking for wrong attempt.
- If you apply online but remain absent in prelims then the attempt is not counted.
- You should score at least 25 per cent marks in each of these papers to be qualified for the Mains.
Stage2- Mains
- When you clear prelims, you’ll have to fill up a new separate (online) form called “Detailed Application form” (DAF).
- In this online DAF-form, your optional subject will be pre-selected from prelim form, hence you can’t change.
- Along with DAF-you’ll have to give proof of graduation, caste, PH.
- Mains contains Nine Descriptive Papers; including one optional subject(two papers.)
- Two papers of these nine are of language: one for English and another for an Indian language of your choice. It is mandatory to qualify these papers but marks are not counted for final merit list.
- The core of the civil services examination lies in the remaining seven papers, each with 250 marks. The remaining seven papers are:
- Paper – I: Essay
- Paper – II: General Studies I (Indian heritage and culture, history and geography of the world and society).
- Paper – III: General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations).
- Paper – IV: General Studies III (Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management).
- Paper – V: General Studies IV (Ethics, integrity and aptitude).
- Paper – VI: Optional Subject – Paper 1.
- Paper – VII: Optional Subject – Paper 2.
- For papers VI and VII, you may choose one optional subject from a list of 48 (25 subjects and literature of 23 languages).
Stage3- Interview/Personality Test
- Those who clear Main exam get to appear for Interview
- Is held at New Delhi and taken by various boards headed by members and Chairman of UPSC.
- It is of 275 marks.
The total marks scored Stage 2 and the marks in the Stage 3(personality test of 275 marks) put together decide the rank in the exam.
State Civil Services (PCS Exam)
Stages of Exam:
- State Civil Exams of all the states follow the same process and procedure.
- Some part of the syllabus may vary but most of the syllabus is same. Thus reference material is also the same.
- The only difference is the state specific questions that are different for each state.
- Generally there is no limit on the number of attempts and maximum age limit is 40 years with relaxation for different categories.
How to start:
- For beginners:
STEP 1
- Read NCERTs class 6th to 10th – History+ Geography+ Civics(political science)+ Environment
- One newspaper: IE or the Hindu(English)
For NCERTs summary and PDFs click here
OR
One monthly magazine Eg PD or Chronicle
- Try to make your own notes
- Have a schedule with fixed time table and target. One day for revision in a week.
- How to check your progress: By attempting mocks/quizzes
We have uploaded many quizzes at our website and we also provide UPSC level MCQs Daily (you might find it difficult at early stage of prep).
- How to cover the syllabus? (after step 1)
STEP 2
- History
- Ancient : NCERT class 11th RS Sharma
- Medieval : NCERT (RS Sharma)
- Modern: Bipan Chandra
- Geography
- NCERT- Class 11th and 12th including Human Geography
- GC Leong
- Rajtanil video (Mrunal)
- Polity
- Laxmikanth
- Government policy : IYB /CA notes
- International bodies: CA/ wiki
- Economics
- NCERT (class 11th and 12th)
- Mrunal videos
- Science
- NCERT (class 6thto 10nth)
- Environment: Shankar IAS notes
- Current Affairs
- State specific questions
- No need to fret/get scared
- Just follow the state specific book egs For Uttarakhand – Winsar/Arihant
For UPSC Daily answer writing click here
For UPPCS answer writing click here
For complete UKPCS preparation click here
Contact us for:-
- IAS coaching in Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
- UKPCS/UPPCS/UPPSC Mains coaching in Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
- Current Affairs classes in Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
- For getting detailed feedback on your answers and improve answer writing
- Phone Number:–9997453844