UPSC Exam 2024 - Notification, Exam Pattern & Dates, Syllabus & Result

UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 Results Out!! The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the Civil Services preliminary exam result 2023 on 12 June 2023. The Prelims 2023 exam was conducted on May 28th, 2023. Aspirants can check roll number-wise results on the UPSC Prelims Results.

Union Public Service Commission releases exam notices of the various recruitment examinations every year. There is a vast array of services for which UPSC Exams are held. One such coveted examination conducted by the Commission is UPSC Civil Services Examination. 

The Civil Services Examination recruits candidates for Group A and Group B services and posts. 

This article ensures that whoever seeks detailed information about UPSC Exam, its syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility, cut-off, result etc.; finds all the information here. 

Before we begin with Civil Services Examination dissection, let’s understand the different types of examinations, UPSC recruits for.

Download the latest UPSC Exam Notification 2023 from the linked article.

List of UPSC Exams

Apart from Civil Services Examination, the recruitment process for multiple other posts and services are done through the following UPSC Exams:

Let us first learn about the Civil Services Examination, which is famously called the UPSC Exam or the IAS Exam. 

UPSC Exam – Civil Services/IAS 

This is one of the most coveted examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. It is an annual examination conducted in the three stages:

• UPSC Exam Preliminary Stage
• UPSC Exam Mains Stage
• UPSC Exam Interview Stage

The UPSC Exam dates for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are updated and can be checked below:

1. UPSC 2024
2. UPSC 2023
3. UPSC 2022
4. UPSC 2021

Let us understand the UPSC Civil Services Exam application process of the Civil Services 2024. 

1. The notification is yet to be out
   
2. The application is open for all males, females and transgender based on the eligibility criteria. 
3. To sit for UPSC CSE, one has to apply online through the official website.
4. One photo ID Card from the list of cards given below must be in a candidate’s possession while filling the UPSC Exam application:
   1. Aadhaar Card
   2. Voter Card
   3. PAN Card
   4. Passport
   5. Driving Licence
   6. Any other Photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government
5. One can also withdraw the UPSC CSE application form during the window as notified by the Commission. 
6. One can make use of UPSC Exam Facilitation Counter for any guidance/information/clarification regarding their applications, candidature etc. The counter is set up at Gate C of the UPSC campus. 
7. The UPSC Exam application is released first for the Preliminary stage, and then after prelims result, the Commission releases UPSC Detailed Application Form for successful candidates to apply for the Mains stage. 

UPSC Exam Stages

There are three stages:

Prelims

• It is the screening test. 
• It contains two papers:
  • GS-I
  • CSAT
• GS 1 has 100 questions with 2 marks each. 
• CSAT has 80 questions with 2.5 marks each. 
• The candidate has to attain a minimum of 66 marks in CSAT and only then does his/her GS 1 paper gets evaluated. 
• The cut-off is decided based on the GS 1 paper of the prelims. 

Every detail about the UPSC Prelims Examination can be found in the linked article. 

Mains

• It is the subjective stage of the UPSC Exam. 
• It has nine theory papers.
  • 4 General Studies Papers
  • 2 Optional Papers
  • 2 Language Papers
  • 1 Essay Paper
• Out of these nine papers, language papers are of qualifying nature. 
• The candidate has to select one optional subject from the list of 48 subjects. 
• One can select any one official language of India as the medium of writing this exam. 

Check the following links that can answer all your doubts related to the main stage of the UPSC Exam:

1. UPSC Mains Syllabus
2. UPSC Mains GS 1 Strategy
3. UPSC Mains GS 2 Strategy
4. UPSC Mains GS 3 Strategy
5. UPSC Mains GS 4 Strategy
6. UPSC Exam Optional Subjects
7. UPSC Exam Compulsory Language Papers

Interview

It is a personality test which is the last stage of the UPSC Exam. Those candidates who clear the main stage are summoned for the UPSC Exam interview. Usually, the number of candidates taking the interview is thrice the number of actual UPSC Exam Vacancy. 

Though this is the last stage of the UPSC Examination, one must be prepared for it since day 1. To get familiar with UPSC Interview Questions and the format, visit the linked article. 

UPSC Exam Posts – CSE

Before one applies for the examination, one should know the range of posts and services included in the UPSC Exam of Civil Services. Along with Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Foreign Service, the UPSC CSE Exam recruits for the following Group A & B Services:

Read separately about UPSC Posts in the linked article. 

UPSC Exam Syllabus

UPSC Civil Services Syllabus comprises the list of topics asked in the preliminary examination and main examination. 

Segregated under various headers, the UPSC Exam syllabus is the prime tool to understand the examination format. 

Download the latest copy of the syllabus of UPSC in the linked article. 

UPSC Exam Eligibility

This is the basic UPSC eligibility criteria based on the general category. To learn about the reservation and age relaxation given to various other categories, check the linked article. 

Any update in the UPSC Exam Dates will be reflected in the linked article. 

UPSC Exam Study Material

It is not a hidden fact that lakhs of candidates aim to crack the Civil Services Examination. However, another fact is that there are only a limited number of seats announced every year. Hence, getting hands on the best UPSC Exam notes is important. 

BYJU’S has introduced various initiatives that help candidates from all over the country to understand the core concepts asked in the UPSC Exam:

• UPSC Notes PDF
• NCERT Notes for UPSC
• UPSC Question Papers
• Topic-wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF
• IAS Questions & Answers

UPSC Exam Recommended Books

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam is one of the most prestigious and challenging examinations in India. With its vast syllabus and intense competition, proper guidance and study resources are essential to crack the UPSC exam. While there is no single book that can guarantee success, there are several recommended books for UPSC exam, including NCERT textbooks, that can serve as invaluable companions in your preparation journey. These books cover a wide range of subjects and provide comprehensive knowledge, analysis and practice materials for each stage of the UPSC exam.

UPSC Exam Current Affairs Preparation

Current Affairs has become one of the most important sections of the UPSC Exam. Over the years, the importance of events of national and international importance has increased. To compete with the current trend, there is a list of initiatives that comes to the candidate’s rescue to prepare for the upcoming UPSC Exam:

Apart from the Civil Services Examination, UPSC conducts other recruitment examinations also. Learn briefly about these UPSC Exams below.

Other UPSC Exams

Apart from the UPSC Civil Services Exam, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts other significant examinations that offer individuals diverse opportunities to serve the nation and pursue rewarding careers. These include the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Exam, Combined Defense Services (CDS) Exam, National Defense Academy (NDA) Exam, , Engineering Services Examination (ESE) and others.

The brief overview of the above-given UPSC Exams is mentioned so that the candidates can make the correct decision in selecting which examination they can sit for. 

UPSC Exam – Central Armed Police Forces Exam

• This examination recruits for Assistant Commandants (ACs) (Group A) in the Central Armed Police Forces, which are:
  • Border Security Force (BSF)
  • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
  • Central Industrial Security Force(CISF)
  • Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and 
  • Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
• Every year, UPSC releases vacancies to be filled for each CAPF. 
• There are 159 vacancies in 2021. 
• An Indian, Nepal, Bhutan national can sit for the examination. 
• Males & Females candidates can apply. 
• The minimum age required is 20, while the maximum age is 25. The date of consideration is 1st August (of the exam year).
• Stages to clear to get selected in the CAPF exam are:
  • Paper I and Paper II
  • Physical Efficiency Test
  • Interview

If you want to learn about the syllabus, reservation, exam dates for the UPSC CAPF Exam, visit the linked article. 

UPSC Exam – SO-Steno (GD-B-GD-I) LDCE

• SO stands for Section Officers; GD-B stands for Grade B, and GD-I stands for Grade-I 
• It recruits candidates to fill the vacancies with Section Officers in various services under nine categories. 

If you wish to learn about these categories and eligibility conditions to sit for SO-Steno UPSC Exam, visit the official website (upsc.gov.in/examinations/).

UPSC Exam – CISF AC(EXE) LDCE

• AC stands for Assistant Commandants; EXE is executive, and LDCE is Limited Departmental Competitive Examination. 
• Through this examination, candidates are recruited in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• Departmental candidates of CISF can take this examination. 

Learn about the eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus of the CISF AC UPSC Exam, in the linked article. 

UPSC Exam – Indian Forest Service Examination

• This exam recruits for an All-India Service, called Indian Forest Service (IFoS).
• The exam pattern of the IFoS exam is similar to that of the IAS Exam.

Candidates can learn about the eligibility and exam pattern of the UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam from the linked article. 

Combined Medical Services Examination

• The examination is held to recruit candidates for the following posts:
  • Junior Scale Posts in Central Health Service
  • Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in the Railways.
  • Assistant Medical Officer in Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service
  • General Duty Medical Officer in New Delhi Municipal Council
  • General Duty Medical Officer Gr-II in East Delhi Municipal Corporation,
  • North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation

Visit the official website of the Commission to know about the current recruitment process of the exam. 

Engineering Services Examination

• This exam recruits candidates for:
  • Group A Services/Posts in Civil Engineering
  • Group A/B Services/Posts in Mechanical Engineering
  • Group A/B Services/Posts in Electrical Engineering
  • Group A/B Services/Posts in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

Mostly, candidates want to know the difference between IAS and IES. Refer to the linked article to understand the comparison drawn between the two services. 

Indian Economic Service – Indian Statistical Service Examination

• A candidate between 21 and 30 can sit for IES-ISS examination. 
• There are two parts of the examination:
  • Written Exam
  • Viva Voce

Learn the scheme of the examination from the official notification available on the official website. 

Combined Defence Services Examination

• The exam recruits candidates for the following courses:
  • Indian Military Academy, Dehradun 151 (DE) Course 
  • Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala—Course 
  • Air Force Academy, Hyderabad—(Pre-Flying) Training Course
  • Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras)—114th SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course
  • Officers Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 28th SSC Women (NT) (UPSC) Course

Everything from the exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, exam dates of the CDS Exam is covered in the linked article. 

Combined Geo-Scientist Examination

• This UPSC Exam recruits for:
  • Chemist, Group A in the Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines
  • Scientist ‘B’(Hydrogeology), (Chemical) (Geophysics) Group ‘A’ in the Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources.

Learn the scheme of the examination from the official notification available on the official website. 

National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination

• This UPSC Exam recruits candidates in:
  • Defence
  • Naval Academy

The entire scheme of the NDA Exam is covered in the linked article. 

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