> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upscyatra.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2026: Marks, Papers & Stages

> Complete breakdown of UPSC Civil Services Examination stages — Prelims, Mains, and Interview — with marks, duration, and qualifying criteria.

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is structured across three sequential stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Personality Test (Interview). Each stage eliminates candidates, so only those who clear each gate move to the next. Understanding the exact marks, duration, and qualifying thresholds at every stage is non-negotiable — it shapes how you allocate your time, choose your optional subject, and build your answer-writing strategy. Here is a complete breakdown of every paper, every mark, and every rule you need to know.

## The Three Stages at a Glance

<Steps>
  <Step title="Stage 1: Preliminary Examination">
    An objective, multiple-choice screening test. Marks from this stage do **not** count toward your final merit — Prelims only determines who qualifies for Mains.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stage 2: Main Examination">
    A written examination of nine papers, of which seven are merit-ranked. This stage carries **1,750 marks** toward your final score.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stage 3: Personality Test (Interview)">
    A structured interview conducted by a UPSC board, carrying **275 marks**. Combined with Mains, this determines your final rank and service allocation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

The Prelims consists of two objective papers held on the same day. Both papers use printed booklets with OMR answer sheets. **Only GS Paper I determines your Mains cutoff** — CSAT Paper II is purely qualifying.

### GS Paper I

| Attribute               | Details                                            |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Number of Questions** | 100                                                |
| **Maximum Marks**       | 200                                                |
| **Duration**            | 2 hours                                            |
| **Negative Marking**    | −0.66 marks per wrong answer                       |
| **Role**                | Determines Mains cutoff; marks count for screening |

<Warning>
  Each wrong answer in GS Paper I costs you **0.66 marks** (one-third of 2 marks). Avoid blind guessing — a wrong answer on an unattempted question costs nothing, but a wrong answer on a guessed question swings your net score by nearly a mark.
</Warning>

### CSAT Paper II

| Attribute                | Details                                                      |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Number of Questions**  | 80                                                           |
| **Maximum Marks**        | 200                                                          |
| **Duration**             | 2 hours                                                      |
| **Negative Marking**     | −0.83 marks per wrong answer                                 |
| **Qualifying Threshold** | 33% (66 marks out of 200)                                    |
| **Role**                 | Qualifying only — marks do **not** count toward Mains cutoff |

<Info>
  CSAT is qualifying in nature. You only need to score 33% (66 out of 200 marks) to clear this paper. Your rank in the Prelims cutoff is determined entirely by your GS Paper I performance.
</Info>

***

## Stage 2: Main Examination

The Mains is a conventional written examination spread over five to six days. It consists of **nine papers** in total — two qualifying papers (Paper A and Paper B) and seven papers that are counted for merit. The total **merit marks are 1,750**.

### Paper Structure

| Paper         | Subject                                                          | Marks | Nature                |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | --------------------- |
| **Paper A**   | Compulsory Indian Language                                       | 300   | Qualifying (min. 25%) |
| **Paper B**   | Compulsory English                                               | 300   | Qualifying (min. 25%) |
| **Paper I**   | Essay                                                            | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper II**  | General Studies I (History, Geography, Society)                  | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper III** | General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, IR)                | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper IV**  | General Studies III (Technology, Economy, Environment, Security) | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper V**   | General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)                 | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper VI**  | Optional Subject — Paper I                                       | 250   | Merit                 |
| **Paper VII** | Optional Subject — Paper II                                      | 250   | Merit                 |

<Info>
  **Papers A and B are qualifying.** You must score at least **25% (75 marks out of 300)** in each. If you fail to qualify either paper, your remaining Mains papers will not be evaluated — regardless of how well you performed on them.
</Info>

### Mains Merit Summary

| Component                            | Marks               |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------- |
| Essay (Paper I)                      | 250                 |
| GS Papers I–IV (Papers II–V)         | 4 × 250 = **1,000** |
| Optional Papers I–II (Papers VI–VII) | 2 × 250 = **500**   |
| **Mains Total (Merit)**              | **1,750**           |

<Tip>
  Your optional subject contributes **500 out of 1,750 Mains marks** — roughly 28.5% of your written score. Choose your optional carefully, weighing both your genuine interest and the availability of quality study material.
</Tip>

***

## Stage 3: Personality Test (Interview)

Candidates who qualify the Mains are called for the Personality Test, conducted at the UPSC headquarters in New Delhi. A board of UPSC members assesses you on mental alertness, critical assimilation, clarity of exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, and intellectual and moral integrity.

| Attribute         | Details                                                                 |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Maximum Marks** | 275                                                                     |
| **Duration**      | Typically 20–30 minutes                                                 |
| **Format**        | Unstructured conversation based on your Detailed Application Form (DAF) |

***

## Final Merit and Service Allocation

Your **final rank** is calculated on a combined total of **2,025 marks** — the sum of your Mains merit score and your Interview score.

| Component                        | Marks     |
| -------------------------------- | --------- |
| Mains Examination (merit papers) | 1,750     |
| Personality Test (Interview)     | 275       |
| **Grand Total**                  | **2,025** |

Based on your final rank and your service preference order submitted in the DAF, UPSC allocates services including **IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service)**, and over two dozen other Central Services. Higher-ranked candidates have first pick of the more sought-after services.

<Note>
  The UPSC exam pattern has remained largely stable over the years, but always cross-check the official notification for any year-specific changes at [upsc.gov.in](https://upsc.gov.in).
</Note>