The Notification for UPSC Civil Services 2019 is due to be published in February 2019. The UPSC Prelims is combined for the Civil Services and the Indian Forest Services. The pattern of the Prelims Examination is expected to be of the same pattern as 2018 as no major changes in the format of the examination has been announced by the UPSC. The Prelims Examination will consist of two papers which would be conducted within one day. The following information will be useful while applying for the Civil Services Prelims 2019.
Important Dates for UPSC Notification on IAS Prelims 2019
The following are the important dates to be kept in mind during the Civil Service Exam cycle for 2019:
- Date of UPSC 2019 notification for Civil Services (prelims) and IFoS (Prelims): 19 February 2019
- Last date for receipt of applications: 18 March 2019
- Date of Preliminary Examination: 02 June 2019
Preparation for UPSC 2019 would enter the final stages now as the examination date is quite close. Reacquainting with the UPSC Prelims 2019 Syllabus is needed as we enter this crucial phase of preparation. The table below gives the structure of the UPSC Prelims exam and the major topics covered in the examination.
| Paper | Number of Questions | Duration | Total Marks | Qualifying Marks | Topics | Date of Examination |
| UPSC CSE Prelims General Studies Paper I(General Awareness) | 100 | 2 hours | 200 | Prelims Cut-off marks declared by UPSC after evaluation | Current events of national and international importance | 02 June 2019 |
| History of India and Indian National Movement | ||||||
| Indian and World Geography | ||||||
| Indian Polity and Governance | ||||||
| Economic and Social Development | ||||||
| General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change)Covers only general awareness of the issues, no subject specialization required) | ||||||
| General Science | ||||||
| UPSC CSE Prelims General Studies Paper II(Civil Services Aptitude Test or CSAT) | 80 | 2 hours | 200 | 33% | Comprehension | 02 June 2019 |
| Interpersonal skills including communication skills | ||||||
| Logical reasoning and analytical ability | ||||||
| Decision making and problem solving | ||||||
| General mental ability | ||||||
| Basic numeracy (Class X level): Numbers and their relations, Orders of magnitude, etc. Data interpretation |
Important points to remember for IAS Prelims Examination 2019
- Both the papers in prelims consist of objective type questions with four alternative answers, out of which only one is correct.
- There is negative marking for incorrect answers in the UPSC Prelims exam. One third of the marks allotted to the question will be deducted in case of an incorrect answer for that question.
- If a candidate answers with two options as an answer to one question, it is counted as a wrong answer and becomes liable for negative marking. However, there is no penalty for leaving a question unanswered.
- For people with Locomotor disability and Cerebral palsy affecting the dominant extremity, 20 minutes of extra time over the two hour limit will be allowed. The candidate should be able to prove above 40% impairment to avail this concession.
- Question papers for both the papers will be set in Hindi and English.
- Both papers are compulsory, and candidates have to secure at least 33% in Prelims paper II to be eligible to move on to UPSC Mains 2019.
The prelims examination centres will be located in about 70 cities across the country. The UPSC allots centres based on a first come first serve basis as all the centres except four have a ceiling on the number of candidates they can handle. Once the ceiling is reached for one centre, the allotment for that centre is frozen and candidates have to choose from the remaining centres. The UPSC may also change examination centres based on their discretion but no requests from candidates for change of examination centre is entertained.
The admit card for UPSC Prelims 2019 will be released three weeks before the UPSC 2019 prelims date. Candidates should go through the previous years’ papers and also make sure of their eligibility before applying for the examination and prepare well by refreshing their knowledge on UPSC current affairs and related topics in the syllabus. You can check the following links for more information UPSC 2019 Civil Services Examination.
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