By Jyothi Swaroop Makena
24th July, 2023
UPSC Mains is the second stage of the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. It is a critical phase of the selection process and evaluates the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of various subjects.
The UPSC Mains syllabus covers an extensive range of subjects and topics. This examination comprises nine descriptive papers designed to assess the candidates’ knowledge, comprehension, and application of the subject matter.
UPSC Mains consists of 9 papers including two language papers, an essay exam, two optional papers, and four General Studies papers.
The 9 papers are Indian language, English, Essay, General Studies I, General Studies II, General Studies III, General Studies IV, Optional I & Optional II.
– Only seven of these nine papers will be considered while preparing the merit list. – Additionally, there will be one optional subject, and candidates can choose any subject from the list of 48 optional subjects. The optional subject has two papers, and each carries 250 marks. – Three hours of time duration will be given to each paper.
To maximize their chances of success, candidates are strongly recommended to begin their preparation well ahead of time. It is crucial for them to dedicate sufficient time to thoroughly grasp the exam syllabus and hone their answer writing skills by practicing responses to a variety of questions.