UPSC Exam Pattern 2025 For IAS Prelims, Mains, Interview

UPSC Exam Pattern 2025: The UPSC Civil Services selection process has three mains stages. As per the exam pattern, the UPSC recruitment involves three main phases in the exam – Prelims, Mains, and the Interview and candidates must clear each stage to be selected. The UPSC Exam Pattern for 2025 is expected to follow a structure similar to the 2024 pattern.

This is why understanding everything about this exam is crucial. The UPSC Exam Pattern 2025 provides a blueprint for candidates, outlining the structure, subjects, number of questions, and marking scheme for each stage. With thorough knowledge of the exam pattern, candidates can strategize their preparation effectively for the desired outcome. 

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What is the UPSC Exam Pattern 2025?

The UPSC exam mainly consists of three stages, and candidates must clear each separately to be selected for the post of civil servant. The first stage is known as the UPSC Prelims, with two papers that have multiple-choice questions worth 200 marks each. Those who pass this move on to the UPSC Mains, which has nine descriptive-type papers worth 1750 marks. 

Finally, those selected for the third stage will need to appear for a personality test, also known as UPSC Interview which adds 275 marks to the final score, totaling up to 2025 marks. Here is an overview of the UPSC exam pattern as per the latest notification:

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2025

The UPSC Prelims is a screening exam that filters candidates for the next stage, known as the Mains. It consists of two papers, both having objective-type questions. The first paper tests candidates on general studies, while the second paper focuses on aptitude. Each paper is worth 200 marks, making a total of 400 marks. 

Both papers are conducted on the same day in two shifts. To clear this stage, candidates must pass the CSAT paper with 33% marks and reach the UPSC cut off for the GS paper. Here is a detailed UPSC exam pattern for the prelims exam:

UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2025

The UPSC Mains examination, the second stage after clearing the Prelims, presents a rigorous test of analytical and articulation skills for candidates through 9 descriptive papers. In this stage, each of the nine papers will have a three-hour time frame to be completed as per the UPSC exam pattern. 

While two language papers are considered qualifying, assessing proficiency in Indian languages and English, the remaining seven papers contribute to the final merit list. The qualifying papers require a minimum score of 25%, while candidates must secure at least 10% in each of the merit papers to be considered for the overall cut-off. 

The total score of 1750 marks from the merit papers determines the candidates’ final ranking in the results. The UPSC exam pattern of this stage is as follows:

UPSC Exam Pattern 2025 for Optional Papers

As per UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2025, candidates can choose any optional subject from a list of 48 options provided by the commission in the official notification. This allows candidates to select a subject they feel confident in for two optional papers, Paper VI and Paper VII, each carrying 250 marks. 

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The question paper in the optional subject usually consists of graduation or higher-level topics; therefore, candidates must be cautious in selecting the optional from the given list:

Also Read: Complete List of UPSC Optional Subjects

UPSC Interview Pattern 2025

In the UPSC examination’s final stage, known as the UPSC interview or personality test, candidates undergo a critical evaluation to determine their suitability for civil services. The objective of this phase is to assess the candidate’s character and aptitude under a panel of highly experienced professionals, including ex-bureaucrats, academicians, and specialists. 

The UPSC interview typically lasts between 20 and 30 minutes and is worth 275 marks. Here, candidates are scrutinized on multiple parameters, ranging from mental alertness and clarity of thought to critical thinking, leadership qualities, and integrity. The questions posed during the interview cover a broad spectrum, encompassing current affairs, socio-economic issues, and opinion-based questions. 

UPSC Negative Marking 2025

In the Negative Marking system based on the UPSC exam pattern, candidates face penalties for incorrect answers in the Prelims exam. This negative marking only applies to the Prelims stage and not the Mains stage, since the Mains stage has descriptive questions. As per the UPSC negative marking rules, 1/3rd of marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

Therefore, in the General Studies Paper, comprising 100 questions, each wrong answer incurs a deduction of 0.66 marks. Similarly, in the CSAT Paper, consisting of 80 questions, candidates lose 0.83 marks for every incorrect response. Candidates must strategize their approach to minimize errors to avoid unnecessary negative markings and leave unknown questions unattempted since they do not have a negative marking.

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