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UPSC mains subjects list consist of both compulsory subjects and optional subject. Know more about UPSC mains subjects here!
UPSC mains subjects list has been divided into nine papers. Out of these nine papers, two are language papers, one is an essay paper, two are optional papers and four are General Studies (GS) papers. GS papers contain the majority of UPSC mains subjects list, including polity, history, geography, etc.
To answer questions asked from the UPSC mains subjects list, a candidate has to possess critical thinking and knowledge depth. In addition to these, they must be able to express their thoughts in meaningful words.
To know more about UPSC mains subjects list, candidates are advised to go through this article. It will help them develop a better understanding of the examination pattern.
UPSC mains exam consists of nine descriptive papers. Marks scored in only seven of these papers are considered for preparing the merit list. The other two are qualifying in nature. Details about UPSC mains exam can be found below:
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services (Main) Exam |
| Eligibility | Qualify Prelims |
| UPSC Mains Exam Date 2024 | 20th to 28th September |
| Exam Format | Descriptive Paper |
| Number of Papers | 9 |
| Duration | 3 hrs each |
| Qualifying Papers | Paper A (Indian Language)
Paper B (English) |
| Qualifying Marks for Language Papers | 75 Marks |
| Papers used for Calculating Merit |
|
| Total Marks | 250 X 7 = 1750 |
| Cutoff marks | Varies (741 for General in 2023) |
The General Studies, Essay and Optional form the papers which will be considered to determine the merit list. In the rest of the papers, a candidate has to secure only the qualifying marks. The overview of UPSC mains subjects list is given below.
| Paper Number | Paper Name | Nature of Paper | Key Topics | Marks |
| Paper A | Indian Language | Qualifying | Compulsory Indian Language from 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. | 300 |
| Paper B | English | Qualifying | English Language | 300 |
| Paper 1 | Essay | Considered for Merit Calculation | – | 250 |
| Paper 2 | General Studies 1 | Considered for Merit Calculation | Geography
History Indian Heritage and Culture Social Issues |
250 |
| Paper 3 | General Studies 2 | Considered for Merit Calculation | Polity and Governance
Constitution Social Justice International Relations |
250 |
| Paper 4 | General Studies 3 | Considered for Merit Calculation | Economy and Growth
Science and Technology Environment and Ecology Disaster Management Internal Security |
250 |
| Paper 5 | General Studies 4 | Considered for Merit Calculation | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude | 250 |
| Paper 6 | Optional Paper 1 | Considered for Merit Calculation | – | 250 |
| Paper 7 | Optional Paper 2 | Considered for Merit Calculation | – | 250 |
The detailed UPSC mains subjects list for language, essay and general studies can be found in the table below.
| Paper | Key Subjects |
| Paper A: Indian Language |
|
| Paper B: English |
|
| Essay | Candidates have to write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the two sections. This paper assesses candidates’ ability to articulate and express their thoughts in a structured manner. |
| General Studies 1 |
|
| General Studies 2 |
|
| General Studies 3 |
|
| General Studies 4 | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude |
UPSC mains optional consists of two papers, each worth 250 marks. The marks obtained in the optional paper will be considered for the merit list and serve as key determining factors for the candidates’ overall rank
There are a total 48 optional subjects provided by the UPSC including 23 literature subjects. The UPSC mains subjects list for optional is given below.
| Anthropology | Political Science and International Relations | Public Administration | Sociology |
| History | Physics | Chemistry | Zoology |
| Botany | Medical Science | Statistics | Philosophy |
| Psychology | Law | Geography | Geology |
| Literature Language | Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science | Agriculture | Economics |
| Civil Engineering | Commerce and Accountancy | Mechanical Engineering | Mathematics |
| Management | Electrical Engineering |
Available Literature Languages:
Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Kannada, Manipuri, Marathi, Santhali, Sanskrit, Maithili, Malayalam, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
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| Must Read | |
| NCERT Notes For UPSC | UPSC Daily Current Affairs |
| UPSC Blogs | UPSC Daily Editorials |
| Daily Current Affairs Quiz | Daily Main Answer Writing |
| UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers | UPSC Test Series 2024 |
For each language paper, the minimum marks is 75. In other papers, the minimum marks is 25 each.
No. Some subjects such as geography, polity and history hold more weightage compared to subjects such as environment and social justice.
Yes. UPSC has not explicitly mentioned current affairs but questions can be asked based on current affairs.
Yes. Essay is a vital component of UPSC mains subject and carries 250 marks.
The subject list of UPC mains is given in UPC syllabus documents, which can be downloaded from the official website.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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