UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2025 for Prelims, Mains, and Interview
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is held in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and the Interview round. Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for the Prelims, but only a few thousand qualify for the Mains.
If you’re planning to prepare for the upcoming UPSC CSE, it’s very important to first understand the latest UPSC CSE exam pattern. This will help you know the subjects, number of papers, types of questions, exam duration, and marking scheme for each stage.
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2025
The UPSC Civil Services Exam follows a well-structured selection process to recruit candidates for top government posts. It is conducted in three main stages – the Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. Each stage is designed to test different abilities such as general knowledge, analytical skills, subject understanding, and personality traits, ensuring that only the most capable candidates move forward in the selection.
According to the official UPSC notification, the exam pattern includes two written stages:
- Stage I – Civil Services Preliminary Examination
- Stage II – Civil Services Mains Examination
The final round is the Interview (Personality Test), where shortlisted candidates are evaluated for their suitability for public service roles.
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern for Prelims 2025
The UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination and acts as a screening test. It includes two objective-type papers:
- General Studies Paper 1: This paper tests your knowledge of subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, and Current Affairs.
- General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT): Also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test, this paper checks your logical reasoning, analytical ability, basic numeracy, and comprehension skills.
Both papers are qualifying in nature, but only marks from GS Paper 1 are considered for the cutoff. The CSAT is qualifying with 33% minimum marks required. Based on Prelims performance, only a limited number of candidates are selected for the next stage, the Mains exam.
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern for Mains 2025
The UPSC Mains 2025 is the most crucial stage of the exam. It is a written, descriptive test that evaluates your in-depth subject knowledge, writing clarity, and critical thinking.
The Mains consists of 9 papers:
2 qualifying papers:
- One Indian Language
- English Language
7 merit-based papers:
- Essay
- General Studies I, II, III, IV
- 2 Optional Subject Papers
The marks scored in the 7 main papers and the Interview (Personality Test) together decide your final ranking in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. This stage demands a deeper understanding of national and international issues and the ability to express your views clearly and convincingly.
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UPSC CSE Exam Pattern for Mains 2025 |
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| Paper Name | Time Duration | Total Marks | Nature of Paper |
| Paper A – Compulsory Indian Language Paper | 3 hours | 300 | Qualifying in nature |
| Paper B – English Language Paper | 3 hours | 300 | |
| Paper I – Essay | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper II – General Studies I | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Paper III – General Studies II | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Paper IV – General Studies III | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Paper V – General Studies IV | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Paper VI – Optional Paper I | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Paper VII – Optional Paper II | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Total | – | 1750 | – |
| Interview/ Personality Test | – | 275 | – |
| Grand Total | – | 2025 | – |
UPSC Exam Pattern 2025 for Interview (Personality Test)
The final stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 is the Interview, also known as the Personality Test. This round is designed to assess the candidate’s overall personality, decision-making ability, and leadership qualities, traits essential for a career in public service.
A panel of experts evaluates candidates on various attributes such as:
- Mental alertness and clarity of thought
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Balanced judgment and problem-solving skills
- Leadership, integrity, and social awareness
The number of candidates called for the interview is usually about twice the number of total vacancies available for that year.
Interview Round Details
- Duration: Generally lasts 20 to 30 minutes
- Panel Composition: Senior bureaucrats, academicians, and subject experts
- Venue: Conducted at the UPSC Office in New Delhi
This round plays a key role in deciding the final merit list and helps determine whether the candidate is well-suited for the diverse and demanding roles in civil services.
Negative Marking in UPSC Prelims & Mains 2025
Understanding the negative marking system is crucial for every UPSC aspirant, especially during the Prelims stage. While UPSC Mains has no negative marking since it’s a descriptive paper, the Prelims exam follows strict rules on wrong answers.
Is There Negative Marking in UPSC Mains?
No, there is no negative marking in the UPSC Mains 2025. Since all papers are descriptive in nature, your answers are evaluated based on content quality, structure, and clarity. You are encouraged to express your ideas thoughtfully without fear of penalty for incorrect information, though accuracy and relevance do matter.
Negative Marking in UPSC Prelims 2025
The UPSC Prelims includes two objective-type papers – General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT (Paper 2). Both papers follow a negative marking scheme to discourage guessing.
Here’s how it works:
- Penalty for Incorrect Answers: For every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted.
- Multiple Answers: If you mark more than one option, even if one of them is correct, it will be treated as a wrong answer and penalized accordingly.
- No Penalty for Unattempted Questions: Leaving a question blank will not result in any negative marking.
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2025 FAQs
How many stages are there in the UPSC CSE 2025?
The exam has three stages: Prelims, Mains, and the Interview (Personality Test).
Is there negative marking in UPSC Prelims 2025?
Yes, 1/3rd of the marks are deducted for every incorrect answer in Prelims.
Are marks from CSAT considered in the UPSC Prelims cutoff?
No, CSAT is only qualifying in nature. Only GS Paper 1 marks are counted for cutoff.
How many papers are there in UPSC Mains 2025?
There are 9 papers in total, 2 qualifying and 7 merit-based papers.
What is the weight of the UPSC Interview in the final merit?
The Interview carries 275 marks, contributing to the final score out of 2025 marks.