UPSC Syllabus 2023: Preliminary and Main Exam Syllabus (IAS)
A large number of aspirants prepare every year for the UPSC examinations. Some important exams include UPSC Civil Services exam, USC IES exam, UPSC IFS exam, etc. Whatever exam one is preparing for, the main thing is to know its complete syllabus. And when it comes to UPSC exams, it becomes even very important that the candidates familiarize completely themselves with the syllabus. Preparation for an exam without the knowledge of syllabus cannot be imagined. This post provides the aspiring candidates the detailed information about the UPSC syllabus 2023 is provided.
Syllabus of some important exams conducted by UPSC
Details of the UPSC Syllabus 2023 for certain important exams are given below. Check these syllabus carefully and prepare for your exams accordingly.
Civil Services Examination
Civil services exam is one of the most prestigious examinations conducted in the country. The exam is held in two rounds- preliminary and main and the syllabi for both these exams are pretty vast. See the details below.
Exam Pattern
Preliminary Exam
| Paper | Duration | Maximum marks |
| Paper I | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | 2 hours | 200 |
Main Exam
| Paper | Topics | Maximum marks |
| Qualifying Papers | ||
| Paper A | Any Indian language as opted by the candidate | 300 |
| Paper B | English | 300 |
| Papers for Merit | ||
| Paper I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper II | General Studies I | 250 |
| Paper III | General Studies II | 250 |
| Paper IV | General Studies III | 250 |
| Paper V | General Studies IV | 250 |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject- Paper I | 250 |
| Paper VII | Optional Subject- Paper II | 250 |
| Sub total | ——— | 1750 |
| Personality Test | ——— | 275 |
| Grand total | ——— | 2025 |
Optional Subjects
| Agriculture | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | Anthropology | Botany |
| Chemistry | Civil Engineering | Commerce and Accountancy | Economics |
| Electrical Engineering | Geography | Geology | History |
| Law | Management | Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Medical Science | Philosophy | Physics | Political Science and International Relations |
| Psychology | Public Administration | Sociology | Statistics |
| Zoology | Literature |
IAS Preliminary exam syllabus
Paper I: Current events of national and international importance, History of India and Indian National Movement, Indian and World Geography- Physical, Social, Economic, Geography of India and the World, General Science etc
Paper II: Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision making and problem solving, General mental ability, etc
UPSC IAS Main exam syllabus
Paper I
Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics.
Paper II (General Studies I)
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country, Effects of globalization on Indian society, Salient features of world’s physical geography, etc
Paper III (General Studies II)
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act, Issues relating to poverty and hunger, Important Aspects of Governance, Role of civil services in a democracy, India and its neighborhood, etc
Paper IV (General Studies III)
Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, Science and Technology, Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security, etc
Paper V (General Studies IV)
Ethics, Integrates and Aptitude: Ethics and Human Interface, Aptitude and foundational values for civil service, Probity in Governance, Case Studies, etc
Paper VI & Paper VII
There will be two papers from the optional subjects offered for appearing in the Civil Services exam. Important topics from some of the papers are listed below.
- Agriculture: Ecology and its relevance to man, Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic zones of the country, Soil- physical, chemical and biological properties, Enzymes and plant pigments, Major fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices and flower crops, Food production and consumption trends in India
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science: Animal Nutrition, Animal Physiology, Animal Reproduction, Livestock Production and Management, Genetics and Animal Breeding, Extension, Anatomy, Pharmacology and Hygiene, Animal Diseases, Veterinary Public Health, etc
- Anthropology: Meaning, Scope and development of Anthropology, Relationships with other disciplines, Main branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance, Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization, etc
- Botany: Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Cryptogams, Phanerogams, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Physiology and Biochemistry, etc
- Chemistry: Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Chemical Kinetics, Coordination Chemistry, Delocalized Covalent Bonding, Synthetic Uses of Reagents, etc
Engineering Services Examination
Most candidates with engineering degree prepare for the Indian Engineering Services (IES). The exam is held as preliminary and main exam, each comprising of two papers. Syllabus for all the papers for which the exam will be held is described below.
Exam Pattern
Preliminary Exam
| Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
Main exam
| Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
| Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper I | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | 3 hours | 300 |
Preliminary exam syllabus
Common to all disciplines
Paper I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude): Current issues, Engineering Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis, General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety, Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services, Ethics and values in Engineering profession etc
Civil Engineering
Paper II (Civil Engineering): Principles of Working Stress methods, Types of works, Types of stresses and strains, Lime & Cement Mortars and Concrete, Compressibility, consolidation and Shearing resistance, Global Positioning System, etc
Mechanical Engineering
Paper II (Mechanical Engineering): Basic Concepts and Properties of Fluids, Reciprocating and Rotary pumps, Design for static and dynamic loading, etc
Electrical Engineering
Paper II (Electrical Engineering): Matrix theory, Eigen values & Eigen vectors, Principles of measurement, accuracy, precision & standards, Single phase transformers, Semiconductor power diodes, etc
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
Paper II (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering): DC circuits-Ohm’s & Kirchhoff’s laws, Basics of semiconductors, Network graphs & matrices, Elements of programming languages, etc
Main exam syllabus
Civil Engineering
- Paper I (Civil Engineering): Building Materials, Solid Mechanics, Design of Steel Structures, Construction Practice, Planning and Management, etc
- Paper II (Civil Engineering): Environmental Engineering, Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Surveying and Geology
Mechanical Engineering
- Paper I (Mechanical Engineering): Fluid Mechanics, IC Engines, Refrigeration and Air conditioning, Renewable Sources of Energy, Power Plant Engineering, etc
- Paper II (Mechanical Engineering): Engineering Mechanics, Mechanisms & Machines, Manufacturing, Industrial and Maintenance Engineering, etc
Electrical Engineering
- Paper I (Electrical Engineering): Engineering Mathematics, Computer Fundamentals, Electrical and Electronic Measurements, etc
- Paper II (Electrical Engineering): Analog and Digital Electronics, Systems and Signal Processing, Electrical Machines, Power Electronics and Drives, etc
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
- Paper I (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering): Basic Electronics Engineering, Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation, Analog and Digital Circuits, Materials Science, etc
- Paper II (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering): Analog and Digital Communication Systems, Electro Magnetics, Computer Organization and Architecture, Advanced Communication Topics, etc
Any computer science related questions papers are there
superb information
I’m BCA student Any computer science related question papers are there IAS mains optional subject