UPSC Exam 2025, Prelims, Mains, Interview

UPSC Exam 2025 cycle will begin on January 22, 2024. Go through to know the complete information about the UPSC 2025 Exam!

UPSC Exam 2025 date has been released by UPSC. The UPSC 2025 Exam notification will be released on January  22nd, 2025. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Service Examination (CSE) to recruit candidates for central service. This exam is popularly known as the IAS exam and is attempted by lakhs of students every year. 

IAS is one of the most sought-after careers currently in India. Candidates are selected for serving as an IAS or other officer based on their score in the UPSC 2025 Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

UPSC Exam 2025 Overview

The UPSC 2025 Exam is conducted in three stages: prelims, mains and interview. Prelims is basically to filter out the majority of candidates, while the marks of Mains, along with that of Personality Interview is considered for calculating final rankings. The details about the stages of examination, syllabus, books, strategy etc can be found here.

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UPSC 2025 Exam Highlights
Particular Detail
Name of Exam  UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025
Authority  Union Public Service Commission
Frequency Annual
Posts Group A and Group B Officers
Popular Services IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS
Application Mode Online
Mode of Exam OMR/Pen and Paper Based
Selection Process
  1. Prelims
  2. Mains
  3. Personality Test
Age Limit 21 to 32 years (Relaxable)
Number of Attempts 6 (Relaxable)
Starting Salary INR 56,100/Month (7th Pay Commission)
Official Website upsc.gov.in

UPSC Exam 2025 Notification and Calendar

The official notification for the UPSC 2025 will be released on January 22, 2025, marking the beginning of the application process. Below is the important schedule you need to keep in mind:

Event Date
UPSC 2025 Notification January 22, 2025
Start of Online Application January 22, 2025
Last Date for Application February 12, 2025
UPSC Prelims 2025 Exam May 25, 2025
Admit Card Release April 2025 (Tentative)
UPSC Mains 2025 Exam September 20, 2025

This UPSC 2025 notification will include all critical details such as exam dates, eligibility, application process, and syllabus. 

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If you’re planning to prepare for the UPSC 2025 Exam, this calendar will be a valuable resource.  The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. It’s a highly competitive exam that requires rigorous preparation to crack the examination.

UPSC Exam 2025 Online Application

The procedure for filing the form of UPSC 2025 Exam has undergone change in recent times. It is now a requirement to register oneself on the OTR application before proceeding with filling the form.

Filling the OTR

  • Step 1: Candidate has to visit UPSC’s official website for filling OTR.
  • Step 2: A new candidate has to click on the “New Registration” tab to register oneself on the portal.
  • Step 3: A candidate will be required to fill personal details such as name, parent’s name, address etc.
  • Step 4: Upon successful registration, a candidate will receive a notification of his/her successful registration.
  • Step 5: To apply for any exam of the UPSC, the candidate can directly apply from the OTR portal.

Part 1: Registration

  1. Visit Website: Go to the UPSC portal and click on the 2025 Exam Notification.
  2. Log In: Use your OTR ID, email, or phone number.
  3. Access Form: Navigate to Latest Notification > Civil Services Exam > Part 1 Registration.
  4. Fill Details: Complete the form with personal info, education, category, and ID details.
  5. Select Preferences: Choose exam centers, optional subject, and language paper.
  6. Submit & Save: Review and submit the form. Save the Registration ID for Part 2.

Part 2: Application Completion

  1. Log In: Use registration ID and DOB to access Part 2.
  2. Pay Fees: Complete payment via card, UPI, or Net Banking (if applicable).
  3. Upload Documents: Upload photo, signature, and ID as per UPSC format.
  4. Select Center: Confirm your preferred exam center.
  5. Declaration & Submission: Agree to the terms and submit.
  6. Confirmation: Receive a confirmation email/SMS and download the PDF copy for reference.

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UPSC Exam 2025 Prelims Pattern

The UPSC Prelims is the first stage of the UPSC 2025 Exam and consists of two objective-type papers: General Studies I and General Studies II (or CSAT). These papers are conducted on the same day in two sessions in offline mode (pen-paper).

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IAS aspirants can check the UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern in the given below table:

Type General Studies Paper 1  GS Paper II- (CSAT)
Questions 100 Objective Types MCQ’s 80 Objective Type MCQ’s
Marks 200 Marks 200 Marks
Negative Marking +2 Marks/Question and -0.66 Negative Marks/Question +2.5 Marks/Question /Question and -0.83 Negative Marks/Question
Duration Of Exam 2 Hours 2 Hours
Qualifying Marks Cut-Off List Minimum 33%
Languages English and Hindi English and Hindi.
Presence Mandatory Mandatory.

UPSC 2025 Exam Mains Pattern

  • Descriptive: The UPSC Mains exam pattern includes nine theory-based papers, all of which are descriptive in nature. 
  • Among these nine papers, seven will be considered for creating the merit list. 
  • Optional Subject: As part of the UPSC Mains, candidates will need to choose one optional subject for the examination. 
  • Evaluation: Essay,’General Studies and Optional Subject’ of all the candidates would be done simultaneously along with evaluation of their qualifying papers on ‘Indian Languages’ and ‘English.

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  • Minimum Qualifying Standards of 25%: However,  the papers on ‘Essay’, General Studies, and Optional Subject of only such candidates will be taken cognizance who attain 25% marks in ‘Indian Language’ and 25% in English as minimum qualifying standards in these qualifying papers. 

UPSC Exam 2025 Mains Pattern
Total Number of Papers Qualifying Papers: 2

Compulsory Papers: 7

Language of Papers English

Hindi

Descriptive paper: Candidates can appear for language paper in 22 languages mentioned in schedule 8 of the Indian constitution.

Subjects Compulsory Indian language

English

Essay

General Studies I

General Studies II

General Studies III

General Studies IV

Optional I

Optional II

Marks Part A and B: 300 each

General studies and optional paper: 250 each

Maximum Marks 1750
Exam Duration 3 hours for each paper
Medium of Examination Part A and Part B: Respective Languages

General Studies: Medium chosen by the candidate.

Optional: English, Hindi or the language of the literature.

UPSC Exam 2025 Personality Interview

Candidates who successfully clear the Mains stage of the UPSC 2025 Exam with the required cut-off marks move on to the final stage, which is the Personality Test or Interview round conducted by the UPSC Board Members.

Total Interview Marks 275
Interview Location Dholpur House, New Delhi
Interview Medium English, Hindi, or any other regional language chosen by the candidates.
Dress Code Formal attire or any other dress that is presentable.
Eligibility Candidates qualifying the UPSC Mains

Eligibility Criteria for the UPSC Exam 2025

The UPSC 2025 Exam has kept very low eligibility criteria for candidates to appear. This is the reason why lakhs of candidates apply for the exam, compared to specific services such as Engineering Service. For a candidate to appear for the IAS Exam, he/she has to majorly fulfil two types of criteria: age criteria and educational criteria. In addition, there are limits imposed on the number of attempts a candidate can give, the physical qualifications and citizenship criteria. The minimum qualification for IAS is as follows:

Age Criteria for UPSC Exam 2025

The UPSC 2025 Exam age limit for the candidates belonging to the General category is 21 to 32 years. 

For being eligible for UPSC 2025 Exam, candidates must be at least 21 years old and not more than 32 years old as of August 1, 2025.

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However, there are age limit relaxation for candidates belonging to certain categories:

Category of Candidates Age Relaxation
Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes 5 years
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 3 years
Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations 3 years
Ex-servicemen (Commissioned Officers, Emergency Commissioned Officers and Short Service Commissioned Officers) with at least five years of service 5 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)

(a) blindness and low vision; 

(b) deaf and low hearing;

(c) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; 

(d) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; and

(e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness

10 years

Nationality Criteria for UPSC 2025 Exam 

There is a citizenship qualification for Grade-A Services such as IAS, IPS and IFS in UPSC 2025 Exam.

Service  Citizenship Requirements
IAS A Citizen of India
IPS A Citizen of India
IFS A Citizen of India or a Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, for permanently settling in India.
Other Services
  • A citizen of India, or
  • A citizen of Nepal, or
  • A citizen of Bhutan, or
  • A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 for settling permanently, or
  • A Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, for permanently settling in India.

Candidates who are citizens of Nepal, citizens of Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee or a Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, for permanently settling in India, must furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India for getting appointed, even though they are eligible to write exam without it.

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Educational Criteria for UPSC Exam 2025

  • Minimum Qualification for IAS: As a minimum qualification for IAS, a candidate must have graduated from a recognized university or have an equivalent qualification.
  • Eligibility Criteria for Final Year Graduates: Candidates who are in their final year of graduation or awaiting results can also appear for the UPSC Prelims Examination. However, they are required to have passed their final year examination while applying for the UPSC 2025 Exam Mains.
  • Eligibility of Professional and Technical Qualifications: Candidates who possess professional and technical qualifications recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees are also eligible for UPSC 2025 Exam .
  • Eligibility for Medical Students: Medical students, who will not completed their internship, despite passing the final year of MBBS, can also apply for IAS Exam. However, they are required to submit a course completion certificate from the concerned authority along with their Mains Exam application.

Attempts and Age Limit for UPSC Exam 2025

The UPSC imposes a limit on the number of times a candidate can appear for the UPSC 2025 Exam. This number varies according to the category of the candidate.

Category  Number of Attempts Maximum Age (Years)
General and EWS 6 32
OBC  9 35
PwBD 9 42
SC and ST Unlimited 37
Ex-Servicemen 9 37
Disabled Defence Services Personnel 9 35
General/OBC/EWS PwBD candidates 9 See below Description
SC/ST categories PwBD candidates Unlimited See below Description

Medical Criteria for UPSC Exam 2025

Candidates aspiring to clear UPSC 2025 Exam have to maintain certain physical fitness and capabilities. Without minimum standards, they may not be considered for the service.

Candidates are required to pass a medical fitness examination to assess their physical capabilities to become civil servants. 

For being appointed as IPS officers for districts, Indian Railway services and the police services of Pondicherry, candidates need to have necessary weight, height, and chest measurements.

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The medical test for assessing the physical fitness will be conducted at the following hospital in Delhi:

  • Safdarjung Hospital
  • Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
  • Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
  • BR Ambedkar Hospital
  • Sucheta Kriplani Hospital
  • Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital

UPSC Exam Syllabus 2025 For Prelims and Mains

The UPSC 2025 Exam Syllabus is an essential aspect that aspirants need to understand thoroughly when preparing for UPSC exams. The syllabus is comprehensive and includes subjects like General Studies, Essay Writing, Indian History, Indian Polity, Economy, Geography, Environment, Science & Technology, Current Affairs, and more.

Moreover, the UPSC Syllabus also includes optional subjects that candidates can choose based on their interests and expertise. The detailed syllabus for UPSC prelims and Mains is given below.

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UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus 2025

UPSC 2025 Exam prelims will be in MCQ format. Candidates will have to attempt two papers: General Studies and CSAT. The marks scored in only General Studies paper will be considered for qualification for mains. The candidates have to secure a fixed cutoff of 66.66 marks in the CSAT paper.

UPSC 2025 Prelims Exam Syllabus For GS Paper I (General Studies)

Candidates have to study subjects such as polity, history, economy etc as part of General Studies. The detailed prelims General Studies syllabus for UPSC 2025 Exam is as below.

  • Current Affairs: Current events of national and international importance.
  • History (Including Art and Culture) : History of India (Ancient, Medieval, and Modern) and Indian National Movement.
  • Geography : Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
  • Polity and Governance: Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economy: Basic Economic Concepts, Growth, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Trade, Demographics, Economic Organisations, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
  • Environment and Ecology: General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
  • Science and Technology: General Science and Current affairs related to scientific developments.

UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus For CSAT (GS Paper II) 2025

Comprehension, reasoning and numerical abilities make up the syllabus of the CSAT paper in UPSC 2025 Exam. The detailed CSAT syllabus is given below.

  • Comprehension: Reading Comprehension, Antonyms and Synonyms, Grammar, Vocabulary.
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills: Active and Passive Voice, Direct and Indirect Speech, Speaking, Listening, and Writing Skills.
  • Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability: Analogies, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Venn Diagrams, Series, Analytical Reasoning, Syllogism.
  • Decision-making and Problem Solving: Decision Making, Problem-Solving, Decision Analysis, Data Sufficiency.
  • General Mental Ability: Number series, Letter series , Mixed Patterns, Word Patterns.
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level); 

Also Read: How to Prepare for Prelims?

UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus 2025

The Mains syllabus of UPSC 2025 Exam consists of nine papers. There are two language papers (qualifying), one essay paper, four General Studies Papers and two optional papers. The details of the syllabus are given below. 

UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus 2025

UPSC 2025 Exam Mains includes two qualifying papers: Paper A: Indian Language and Paper B: English. Each paper has a weightage of 300 marks. The minimum qualifying mark is 25% (75 marks) in these language papers. The marks scored in these papers will not be considered for merit rank calculation. The details of the syllabus are provided below.

  • Compulsory Indian Language: Comprehension, Precis Writing, Usage and Vocabulary, Short Essays, and Translation.
  • English Language: Comprehension, Precis Writing, Usage and Vocabulary, Short Essays.
  • Essay: General Topics
  • General Studies I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
  • General Studies II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations
  • General Studies III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
  • General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
  • The syllabus of Optional Paper I and Optional Paper II will have graduate-level topics.

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Optional Subjects For UPSC Mains Examination 2025

Candidates writing UPSC 2025 Exam mains have to select one of the optional subjects from the list below.

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. (Total 23 Languages)

Also Read: UPSC Mains Optional Syllabus

UPSC Exam Booklist 2025

The UPSC 2025 Exam requires extensive knowledge and clarity of concepts. This is the reason why candidates have doubts when it comes to selecting the books for preparation. Following are some of the core books that are vital for IAS Preparation, both prelims and mains.

Subject Books
Polity
  • Indian Polity by M Laxmikant
  • NCERT IX to XII
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
History
  • NCERT VI – X
  • NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval)
  • NCERT XII (Modern Indian History)
  • India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra
  • Ancient India by R.S Sharma
Geography
  • Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong
  • NCERT VI – X 
  • Geography of India by Majid Husain
  • World Geography by Majid Husain
  • NCERT XI, XII 
Environment and Ecology
  • Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach Bharucha
  • Environment and Ecology – Biodiversity, Climate Change and Disaster Management by Majid Hussain
Disaster management
  • Disaster Management for UPSC Exam by K Mounika
Internal Security
  • Challenges to the Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar
  • Internal Security and Disaster Management by R N Sharma
International Relation
  • NCERT XII
  • Current Affairs
Science and Technology
  • Current Affairs 
  • NCERT XI and XII
Ethics
  • Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar
Economy
  • NCERT XI
  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Art and Culture 
  • Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
  • NCERT XI

Also Read: UPSC Prelims Question Paper

UPSC Exam Test Series For Prelims and Mains 2025

Test series are of utmost importance for any candidate preparing seriously for the exam. Attempting test series will help them get used to the rigorous challenge they are likely to encounter during the actual exam. Test series will also help in managing time effectively and address any weakness in their preparation. 

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UPSC Exam Admit card 2025

An admit card is an official document that contains the name of the candidate, their photograph and signature, roll number, parents’ details, location of the exam centre and examination session, etc. 

A candidate has to carry the admit card in order to attend the UPSC 2025 Exam. UPSC releases admit cards for each stage of the examination – prelims, mains and interview. Without an admit card, a candidate is not allowed to attend the examination.

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UPSC Exam Preparation Tips 2025

Candidates preparing for UPSC 2025 Exam require certain planning to increase their chances of qualification. Through systematic planning, dedication and hard-work, UPSC 2025 preparation can be simplified:

  • Optimal Utilization of Resources: IAS Exam preparation requires dedication and hard work. A comprehensive strategy can help you in utilisation of resources in order to maximize your chances of success in the UPSC IAS Exam.
  • Understanding of the Syllabus: The first step of the strategy should be to familiarize yourself with the syllabus and format of the exam. Develop a plan to consult exam resources, such as previous papers, in order to gain a basic understanding of the question patterns, topics covered and how marks are allocated.
  • Making a Time-table: Make a timeline to cover the syllabus in an organized manner. This should consider your own strengths and weaknesses and involve breaking the syllabus into manageable chunks. Professionals, such as a mentor or coaching centre, can be consulted for advice.
  • Practice PYQs: Complete existing question papers and create a bank of mock paper topics. Regularly attempt past exam paper questions and review areas of weakness in order to improve your score.
  • Mock Tests: Time management is essential, and developing a personalized time management strategy is key to IAS Exam success. Always practice mock exams on time and analyse the time taken to complete each section.
  • Update Current Affairs: Read newspapers and journals regularly in order to keep abreast of current developments, both in India and around the world. Knowledge of current events is important, particularly understanding their relevance to IAS Exam topics.
  • Familial Support: Remain motivated during your preparation period by increasing your knowledge of the topics in which you are weak. Set realistic goals, taking into account your time constraints, and actively seek support from family and friends to help you reach them.

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UPSC Exam PYQs

Analysis of PYQs gives an idea about the types of questions asked in the exam. A closer look at PYQs will help candidates predict the themes that are most likely to be repeated again in UPSC 2025 Exam, both prelims as well as mains. Solving PYQs can also help candidates answer the questions correctly in case the themes are repeated. The following table contains links of PYQs for UPSC Exam:

UPSC Exam Result 2025

UPSC releases exam results after each stage of the exam, i.e after prelims, mains and final result. Candidates appearing for UPSC 2025 Exam can check their result on the official website of UPSC.

UPSC Exam Cut-off 2025

The Union Public Service Commission will publish the UPSC Cutoff marks for the Civil Service Preliminary, Mains, and Final rounds on its official website, upsc.gov.in, along with the UPSC Final Result 2024. 

Candidates who will appeared in the exam and are preparing for UPSC 2025 Exam can check the cut off marks from previous years. 

UPSC Exam Marksheet 2025

UPSC releases the marksheet of candidates who will appeared for the prelims, mains and interview. The marksheet is released only after the final results are announced. Candidates can check their marks by accessing their marksheet in UPSC’s official website through following steps:

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UPSC Exam 2025 FAQs

No. UPSC mandates candidates to have a minimum educational qualification of graduation for being eligible for the exam. Candidates in their final year of graduation can also apply.

Candidates applying for UPSC 2025 must have completed a minimum age of 21 years on August 1st 2025.

UPSC Prelims 2025 admit card will be released a few weeks before the exam.

UPSC prelims 2025 will be held on May 25, 2025.

Candidates can select any test series that has been developed keeping in mind UPSC question paper format. There are many good quality test series available in the market.

PYQs help candidates understand the demand of the exam and the types of questions that may be asked. Careful analysis of PYQs can also help in predicting repeated themes.

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Download October 2024 Current Affairs.   Srijan 2025 Program (Prelims+Mains) !     Current Affairs Plus By Sumit Sir   UPSC Prelims2025 Test Series.    IDMP – Self Study Program 2025.

 

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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