UPSC Syllabus 2024: IAS Prelims and Mains Exam Syllabus

UPSC Syllabus 2024: Check the latest UPSC IAS Syllabus. Get the complete UPSC 

IAS Syllabus for Prelims & Mains 2024 exam preparation in detail

UPSC Syllabus 2024: UPSC has recently released its UPSC Exam Calendar 2024 and as per the calendar the UPSC IAS prelim is scheduled to be conducted tentatively on May 26, 2024 and for which notification will be released on February 14, 2024. It is high time for beginners to start preparing for the 2024 exams.

UPSC Syllabus 2024: Overview

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the recruitment body that selects candidates for various Group A and B services. 

UPSC Syllabus serves as a blueprint for the exams for IAS Officers, IPS Officers, etc. UPSC Syllabus outlines the topics and subjects for the candidates that can be asked in the examination.

UPSC Syllabus 2024: Exam Pattern

The UPSC Syllabus exam pattern has been divided into two stages, i.e., Prelims and Mains, followed by Interviews.

UPSC IAS Prelims Syllabus 2024

The UPSC IAS Prelims Paper is an objective type paper consisting of two papers i.e. General Studies I and General Studies II (CSAT)

UPSC IAS Prelims General Studies I

The UPSC IAS Prelims syllabus of General Studies (GS) Paper I consists of subjects such as History, Economy, Polity, Geography, Science and Tech, Current Affairs and more. The GS Paper I aims to check the knowledge of candidates on various aspects of the world.

UPSC IAS Prelims General Studies II

The UPSC IAS Prelims syllabus of General Studies (GS) Paper II generally known as CSAT consists of subjects such as Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and more. The CSAT paper is generally focused to check the candidates, comprehension skills and thinking ability. The CSAT paper is also qualifying in nature in which candidates need to score a minimum of 33% marks.

UPSC IAS Mains Syllabus 2024

The Mains paper is a written examination which consists of 9 papers which include an essay, general studies paper and an optional subject.

UPSC IAS Mains Essay 2024 

The UPSC IAS Essay is also known as Paper I where candidates are required to write an essay on the given topic. The candidates will be asked to write and organise their thoughts in an orderly manner. The more score will be given to candidates who have written in a precise and effective form,

UPSC IAS Mains General Studies 2024

The UPSC IAS Mains General Studies consists of 4 papers on General Studies i.e. General Studies I, General Studies II, General Studies III, General Studies IV. The topics which are covered in each paper are listed below:

• GS Paper I consists of Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
• GS Paper II consists of Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
• GS Paper III consists of Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
• GS Paper IV consists of Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

UPSC IAS Mains Optional Subjects

Candidates can choose one optional subject from a list provided by the UPSC. The syllabus for optional subjects varies depending on the subject chosen. There will be two paper from the optional chosen. Candidates can find the list of optional subjects provided by UPSC:

• Agriculture
• Animal Husbandry and 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

UPSC IAS English paper

The UPSC IAS Main English paper includes a variety of topics that assess the candidates’ comprehension, analytical, and writing skills. The topics include essay writing, precise writing, literary comprehension etc.

UPSC IAS Mains Language Paper

The candidates need to select one of the languages mentioned in the Indian Schedule. This paper is qualifying in nature. The list of languages is given below

• Assamese
• Bengali
• English
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Maithili
• Malayalam
• Manipuri
• Marathi
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Sindhi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

UPSC IAS Interview 2024

The UPSC IAS exam’s final phase is the interview. The UPSC announces the final results after the conclusion of the interview phase. There is no defined syllabus for the interview, the questions majorly consist of current issues and personality checks

UPSC preparation strategy for beginners 

Once you understand the UPSC Exam Pattern, it is time to make a study plan so that maximum time can be utilised for preparation. We have written a dedicated article on some of the best tips after talking to many experts so that it will be helpful for you in making an effective plan. Read here about the preparation strategy for beginners

NCERT Books for UPSC

NCERT books are considered the backbone of a candidate’s UPSC preparation. These books are published by the government of India and are widely recognized for their quality and accuracy. NCERT books hold immense significance in the field of UPSC preparation. These books are designed by experts in respective subjects, ensuring a comprehensive and well-structured approach to learning. The content provided in NCERT books is aligned with the UPSC syllabus, making them an invaluable resource for aspirants. Moreover, the language used in NCERT books is reader-friendly, simplifying complex topics and aiding in better comprehension. Check out our article on which NCERT Books to refer for UPSC preparation

UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Analysis 2023

Before starting preparation for UPSC IAS 2024, it is good to go through the exam analysis of the previous so that you can have a better understanding of the difficulty level that is being asked in the previous year’s exam

UPSC IAS Previous Year Cut Off Marks

Read out our article on cut off marks released by UPSC for different categories, checking the cut off marks will give you an idea that what approximate marks you need to maintain while preparing and giving a mock to be on the safer side and crack UPSC IAS on the first attempt.

UPSC IAS Previous Year Question Paper

There are various benefits of practicing UPSC’s previous year’s question paper including familiarity with the difficulty level, nature and level of questions asked, and important topics which are repeatedly asked over the past years as well as checking where your preparation stands. Solving the UPSC question paper pdf with solutions will help you to prepare the strategy based on the latest trend, curriculum, and actual exam format and help you to understand the difficulty level and topics from which questions are often asked in the exam.