Examinations Conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) - UPSC All Exams List

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts various examinations at All-India level annually. This article will provide you with a list of exams under UPSC that take place annually and are taken up by lakhs of aspirants.

What are the exams conducted by UPSC?/Which exams are conducted by UPSC?

Below given is the list of examinations conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC):

Civil Services Examination

The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India that includes the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. It is conducted in three stages:

1. Preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (general studies and aptitude test)
2. Main examination consisting of nine papers of conventional (essay) type
3. Personality test (interview)

Important Dates: Civil Services Examination (ESE)

All the above-mentioned details will be given in the UPSC CSE Notification.

Plan of Examination

Preliminary Examination

The CSE preliminary examination comprises of two papers for 200 marks each and they are:

1. General Studies Paper I
2. General Studies Paper II or CSAT Paper

To sit for the Prelims examination, candidates have to apply for it through the UPSC Apply Online portal details of which are given in the linked article.

Mains Examination

The CSE Mains Exam is a written examination which consists of the 9 papers:

1. Paper A (Indian Language) = 300 Marks
2. Paper B (English) = 300 Marks
3. Essay Paper = 250 Marks
4. General Studies Paper I
5. General Studies Paper II
6. General Studies Paper III
7. General Studies Paper IV
8. Optional Paper I
9. Optional Paper II

One subject is to be picked for optional subjects and will have two papers (Paper I and Paper II) for 250 marks each.

Interview for Personality

Candidates who clear the first two stages will be called for the interview by the commission and the maximum allotted marks for the interview round is 275 marks.

To know more about civil services exam, check the linked article.

Engineering Services Examination

The Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is held by the UPSC in combined three stages for the recruitment of the Indian Engineering Services.

The Government of Indian recruits posts in the bureaucracy through the competitive exam which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A large number of candidates applies for this exam and the IES Officers are selected by the Union Government on the recommendation made by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Indian Engineering Services or IES is a service that meets the technical and managerial functions of the Government of India.

Important Dates: Engineering Services Examination (ESE)

Check the difference between UPSC IES and IAS in the linked article.

Plan of examination

Combined Medical Services Examination

The “Combined Medical Services” Examination or the CMS Exam is held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of Medical Officers in various organizations functioning under the Government of India like Indian Railways, the Indian Ordnance Factories etc.

UPSC releases the notification for the examination generally in the month of March and the examination is conducted in June. Those who qualify in the written examination are recruited after an interview (100 marks) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Important Dates: Combined Medical Services (CMS) Examination

Plan of Examination

Paper I

Maximum Marks: 250

Paper II

Maximum Marks: 250

Combined Defence Services Examination

The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is conducted twice in a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of candidates into the Indian Air Force Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Officers Training.

The UPSC releases notification for this examination in the month of October and June and the examinations are held in February and November respectively. Only Unmarried graduates can take the exam. Candidates who successfully clear the exam are recruited into respective academies after an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB).

Important Dates: Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination

Plan of Examination

Indian Military Academy / Air Force Academy / Indian Naval Academy

All the papers are of objective type from UPSC CDS syllabus

Officers’ Training Academy

All the papers are of objective from UPSC CDS Entrance Exam Syllabus

National Defence Academy Examination

The Union Public Service Commission conducts National Defence Academy Examination to select candidates for Nation Defence Academy (NDA). The UPSC holds written examination followed by extensive interview by the SSB that covers general aptitude, psychological testing, team skills along with physical and social skills and medical tests.

Important Dates: National Defence Academy (NDA) Examination

Scheme of NDA Entrance Examination

The subjects of the written examination, the time allowed and the maximum marks allotted to each subject will be as follows:

Indian Naval Academy Examination

UPSC holds the Indian Naval Academy Examination for the entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA)/ Naval Academy (10+2) and Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE), twice a year.

UPSC conducts Indian Naval Academy Examination for the admission to Indian Naval Academy (INA) as graduate officer-trainees of the Indian Navy through a written examination following which the Services Selection Board (SS) conducts a 5-day testing that includes general aptitude, psychological testing, medical tests, team skills along with physical and social skills and interview.

Important Dates: Indian Naval Academy (NDA) Examination

Plan of Examination

Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) Examination

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) and selects candidates to the undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineer in Jamalpur, after a rigorous selection process.

Important Dates: Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) Examination

 Plan of Examination

Written Examination

Interview

Interview for Personality test of selected candidates: 200 marks

Indian Forest Service Examination

Indian Forest Service or IFoS is one of the Civil Services of India and belongs to the All India Services group, the other two All India Services being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).

The IFoS Preliminary Examination is conducted combined with the Civil Services Examination along with IAS, IPS, IFS and among others. While the IFoS Mains exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission as a separate exam.

 Important Dates: Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Examination

Plan of Examination

Preliminary Examination

The IFoS preliminary examination comprises of two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.

Mains Examination

The IFoS Mains Exam is a written examination which consists of the following papers:

Paper 1- General English 300 Marks

Paper 2-General Knowledge 300 Marks

Papers III, IV, V and VI.

Any two subjects to be selected from the below-given list of the optional subjects. Each subject will have two papers for 200 marks for each paper.

Interview for Personality

Candidates who clear the first two stages will be called for the interview by the commission and the maximum allotted marks for the interview round is 300 marks.

List of optional subjects

(i) Agriculture

(ii.) Agricultural Engineering

(iii) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science

(iv) Botany

(v) Chemistry

(vi) Chemical Engineering

(vii) Civil Engineering

(viii) Forestry

(ix) Geology

(x) Mathematics

(xi) Mechanical Engineering

(xii) Physics

(xiii) Statistics

(xiv) Zoology

The following combination of subjects is not allowed

(a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engg.

(b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.

(c) Agriculture and ·Forestry.

(d) Chemistry and Chemical Engg.

(e) Mathematics and Statistics.

(f) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering- not more than one

Indian Economic Service Examination/Indian Statistical Service Examination

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Indian Economic Service Examination to recruit candidates for The Indian Economic Service (IES), which is one of the administrative civil services under Grade ‘A^’ of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India.

Important Dates: Indian Forest Service (IES/ISS) Examination

 Scheme of Indian Economic Service Examination

Indian Economic Services examination is conducted by the UPSC in two parts one is written examination and the second part is interview round called as Viva Voce.

Part I-Written examination carries a maximum of 1000 marks in the subjects as given below:

Part II-Viva Voce: Candidates who clear the written examination will be summoned for the Viva Voce (Interview round by the Commission, carrying a maximum of 200 marks.

Scheme of Indian Statistical Services Examination

To get details about the recruitment process, aspirants can download the UPSC notification 2021 for reference:

UPSC Notification 2021:-Download PDF Here

Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination

The Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection to the post of Geophysicist, Geologist, and Chemical Group ‘A’ in GSI and Junior Hydro-geologist (Scientist Group ‘B’) and Central Ground Water Board of Group ‘A’.

Important Dates: Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination

 Scheme of Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination

Part I:  Written examination

Part II:  Interview / Personality

Below given is the subjects for the UPSC Geologist written examination for selection to the post of Geologist, Geophysicist and Chemical Group ‘A’ in GSI and Junior Hydro-geologist ( Scientist ‘B’ ), Group ‘A’ for Central Ground Water Board.

2) Interview/Personality Test: The Test carries 200 marks.  The candidate will be interviewed by a Board of competent and unbiased observers who will have before them a record of their career.

Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant) Examination

The Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination is conducted by the UPSC for the recruitment of candidates as Assistant Commandants (Group A) in the Central Armed Police composing of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Important Dates: CAPF Examination

Plan of CAPF Examination

UPSC recruits candidates for the CAPF (AC) exam on the basis of Written Exam, which has two papers, the physical and medical standards Tests and Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Interview/Personality Test.

Paper-I

General Ability and Intelligence: 250 marks
the questions in this paper will be of Objective (Multiple Answer) type and the questions will be set in English as well as Hindi.

Paper-II

General Studies, Essay and Comprehension: 200 marks.
In paper II candidate should write Precis Writing, Comprehension Components, and other communications/language skills in English medium only, while they have the option to write Essay Component in English or Hindi.

Interview/Personality Test

The Interview/Personality Test will carry 150 Marks
Candidates who are short-listed for Interview/Personality Test, including those shortlisted for Interview/Personality Test provisionally will be issued a Detailed Application Form (DAF) in which among other things, they will be required to indicate their preference of Forces

Final Selection/Merit: The merit list will be drawn on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in the Written Exam and Interview/Personality Test.

These are the major examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission in order fill the vacancies in the central services of the Government of India.