Ankuron ACS Academy// prelims.syllabus
Prelims syllabus.
The cut-off is set on Paper I alone; Paper II (CSAT) only has to be passed, at 33%.
Paper I: General Studies Paper I
200 marks · 2 hours · Objective, multiple choice The Prelims cut-off is decided on this paper alone.
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and the Indian National Movement
- Indian and World Geography — physical, social and economic
- Indian Polity and Governance — Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
- Economic and Social Development — sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives
- Environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change
- General Science
Paper II: General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
200 marks · 2 hours · Objective, multiple choice Qualifying — the minimum is 33%. You must sit both papers to be evaluated at all.
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy and data interpretation (Class X level)
// mains.syllabus
Mains syllabus.
UPSC says the General Studies papers are set so that a well-educated person can answer them without specialised study — they test understanding and the ability to take a view, not memory.
Paper A: Indian Language
300 marks · 3 hours · Written, qualifying — qualifying. Matriculation standard; 25% needed, or the other papers are not evaluated. Marks do not count for ranking. Any Eighth Schedule language, Assamese and Bodo included.
- Comprehension of passages
- Précis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays
- Translation from English to the Indian language and back
Paper B: English
300 marks · 3 hours · Written, qualifying — qualifying. Matriculation standard; 25% needed. Marks do not count for ranking.
- Comprehension of passages
- Précis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays
Paper I: Essay
250 marks · 3 hours · Written
- Essays on multiple topics — kept closely to the subject, ideas arranged in order, written concisely
Paper II: General Studies-I
250 marks · 3 hours · Written — Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
- Indian culture — art forms, literature and architecture, ancient to modern
- Modern Indian history from the mid-eighteenth century; the freedom struggle; post-independence consolidation
- World history from the 18th century — industrial revolution, world wars, colonisation and decolonisation, political philosophies
- Indian society and its diversity; women, population, poverty, urbanisation; globalisation; communalism, regionalism, secularism
- World physical geography; distribution of natural resources and location of industry; geophysical phenomena
Paper III: General Studies-II
250 marks · 3 hours · Written — Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
- The Constitution, federal structure, separation of powers, Parliament and state legislatures, executive and judiciary
- Constitutional, statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies; the Representation of the People Act
- Government policies, welfare schemes, NGOs and SHGs; health, education, poverty and hunger
- Governance, transparency, e-governance, citizen's charters; the role of civil services in a democracy
- India and its neighbourhood; bilateral, regional and global groupings; the Indian diaspora; international institutions
Paper IV: General Studies-III
250 marks · 3 hours · Written — Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
- The Indian economy — planning, growth, inclusive growth, budgeting, liberalisation, infrastructure, investment models
- Agriculture — cropping patterns, irrigation, subsidies and MSP, PDS and food security, food processing, land reforms
- Science and technology — IT, space, computers, robotics, nano- and bio-technology, intellectual property
- Conservation, pollution, environmental impact assessment; disaster management
- Internal security — extremism, external and non-state actors, cyber security, money laundering, border areas, security forces
Paper V: General Studies-IV
250 marks · 3 hours · Written — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude.
- Ethics and human interface; human values; attitude; emotional intelligence
- Aptitude and foundational values for the civil service
- Moral thinkers and philosophers of India and the world
- Public service values, ethical dilemmas, probity in governance, RTI, codes of conduct
- Case studies on all of the above
Papers VI and VII: Optional Subject
500 marks · 3 hours each · Written, two papers 250 marks each. Set at roughly honours-degree level — bachelor's level for engineering, medical science and law.
// optional.subjects
The optional subjects.
Choose one; it is two papers, 500 of the 1,750 counted Mains marks.
Agriculture · Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science · Anthropology · Botany · Chemistry · Civil Engineering · Commerce and Accountancy · Economics · Electrical Engineering · Geography · Geology · History · Law · Management · Mathematics · Mechanical Engineering · Medical Science · Philosophy · Physics · Political Science and International Relations · Psychology · Public Administration · Sociology · Statistics · Zoology.
Or the literature of one language: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
Each optional's detailed syllabus is in Section III of the notice, linked below. Assamese and Bodo literature are both on the list, and the Mains may be answered in either language.
// keep_reading
Where to go from here.
- Marks, negative marking, eligibility and the CSE-2025 cut-offs — the UPSC exam pattern.
- UPSC Civil Services coaching at Zoo Road, Guwahati — with help choosing an optional you can actually score in.
- The APSC syllabus — much of GS-I to GS-IV is shared, and APSC adds a paper on Assam.
Official sources
// admissions_open
Pick your optional with us.
Free demo every Saturday, 11:00 am, at the Zoo Road campus. No registration fee.