One app for all your study abroad needs
The Union Public Service Commission conducts civil services exam annually. Candidates who are planning to appear in the exam next year should have detailed knowledge about the UPSC Prelims Exam pattern. It is known to all that candidates who score equal to or more than cut-off marks in prelims will get a chance to appear in the mains exam.
The UPSC is the conducting body of the Civil Services Exam that is why UPSC releases the exam pattern along with official notification. This government institute has the authority to make changes in the UPSC exam pattern for the Prelims and Mains exam if needed. UPSC changed the pattern in 2013 last time. In this blog, we have focused on the UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern that includes types of questions, marking system, and more.
| Important Aspect | UPSC Exam Details |
| Exam Conducting Body | UPSC |
| Mode of IAS exam | Offline |
| Number of times conducted | Once every year |
| Prescribed age limit | 21 – 32 years (upper age relaxation for reserved candidates) |
| IAS Exam – Prelims 2024 | Sunday, 26th May 2024 (Postponed to 16th June 2024) |
| IAS Exam – Mains 2024 | 20th September 2024 onwards (exams for five days) |
| IAS Exam Pattern | Prelims (MCQs), Mains (Descriptive papers) |
Table of Contents
UPSC Exam Pattern: Prelims 2024 ✍️
UPSC conducts the UPSC exam annually. The aim of this exam is to recruit skilled and knowledgeable IAS, IFS, IPS, and other top job roles. There are three stages of the UPSC exam; Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Prelims and Mains exams are written exams. To help candidates score well in the Prelims exam, we have mentioned the UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern below
| UPSC Exam Pattern For Prelims | ||||
| Paper | Type | No. of questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| General Studies I | Objective | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| General Studies II (CSAT) | Objective | 80 | 200 | 2 hours |
| Total marks for Prelims | 400 (where GS Paper II is qualifying in nature with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%) | |||
Also Read: UPSC Prelims History: Previous Year Questions
UPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims Paper 1
Below, we have mentioned the important points of exam pattern for Paper 1 of the Prelims exam.
- Candidates will face 100 questions that carry 2 marks each.
- Questions will be multiple choice questions.
- Total duration is 120 mins
- You need to score equal to or more than the cut off score.
- There is a negative marking system, so you need to answer carefully.
UPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims Paper 2
Below, we have mentioned the important points of the upsc exam pattern for Paper 2 of the Prelims exam.
- Candidates will face 80 questions that carry 2.5 marks each.
- Questions will be MCQ, so you will have 4 options to choose from.
- Total duration is 120 minutes.
- This paper is just qualifying in nature and marks of this paper won’t be added in the final score.
FAQs
The total marks in the prelims exam is 400 marks of two papers.
According to the UPSC Prelims exam, the candidates will face negative marking system. For every wrong answer, you’ll lose 1/3rd of 2 marks.
The Union Public Service Commission is the conducting body of this exam that holds the authority to make required changes in the exam pattern.
Related Blogs
This was all about the UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern. For more such informative blogs, check out our UPSC Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.