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.

  1. 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
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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
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UPSC Exam Syllabus 2023 For IAS Mains Optional Subjects

Agriculture – UPSC IAS Syllabus Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science – UPSC IAS Syllabus
Anthropology – UPSC IAS Syllabus Botany – UPSC IAS Syllabus
Chemistry – UPSC IAS Syllabus Civil Engineering – UPSC Syllabus
Commerce and Accountancy – UPSC IAS Syllabus Economics – UPSC IAS Syllabus
Electrical Engineering – UPSC IAS Syllabus Geography – UPSC IAS Syllabus
Geology – UPSC IAS Syllabus History – UPSC Syllabus
Law – UPSC IAS Syllabus Literature Assamese – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Bengali – UPSC IAS Syllabus Literature Bodo – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Dogri – UPSC IAS Syllabus Literature English – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Gujrati – UPSC Syllabus Literature Hindi – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Kannada – UPSC Syllabus Literature Kashmiri – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Konkani – UPSC Syllabus Management – UPSC Syllabus
Mathematics – UPSC Syllabus Mechanical Engineering –UPSC Syllabus
Medical Science – UPSC Syllabus Philosophy – UPSC Syllabus
Physics – UPSC Syllabus PSIR – IAS Syllabus
Psychology – UPSC IAS Syllabus Public Administration – UPSC Syllabus
Sociology – UPSC Syllabus Statistics – UPSC Syllabus
Zoology – UPSC Syllabus Literature Maithili – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Malayalam – UPSC Syllabus Literature Manipuri – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Marathi – UPSC Syllabus Literature Nepali – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Odia – UPSC Syllabus Literature Punjabi – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Sanskrit – UPSC Syllabus Literature Santhali – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Sindhi – UPSC Syllabus Literature Tamil – UPSC Syllabus
Literature Telugu – UPSC Syllabus Literature Urdu – UPSC Syllabus

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