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UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2025: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually. This year the Preliminary exam is going to be held on May 25, 2025. All the candidates who have filled out the application form are in the final stages of their preparation right now. In order to be exam ready, candidates must now be doing last minute revision, giving mock tests, revising notes, etc. While giving mock tests, candidates analyse their capabilities and level of understanding of the question paper according to the exam pattern. There is also the trend of negative marking in the UPSC Prelims exam. So students must be cautious about their choices while marking the answers. Here's detailed information about the exam pattern, negative marking, new trends, revision strategies, etc.
Overview of UPSC Prelims Exam 2025
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| UPSC Prelims Exam Date | May 25, 2025 |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Exam Pattern | Exam is conducted in 2 shifts: Shift 1: General Studies Paper I Shift 2: General Studies Paper II (CSAT) |
| Question Type | MCQ based |
| Total Marks | 400 |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd for each incorrect answer |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2025: General Studies (GS) Paper I
The General Studies (GS) Paper I is a crucial part of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. It serves as the primary screening test for candidates aspiring to join the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS), and other prestigious civil services.
The GS Paper assesses candidates on a wide range of subjects, including current affairs, Indian history, geography, polity, economics, environment, science and technology, and general knowledge. The objective-type paper consists of 100 questions, each carrying 2 marks, making the total marks 200.
- Total Questions: 100
- Maximum Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Negative Marking: 1/3rd marks deducted for each wrong answer
UPSC CSAT Exam Pattern 2025
The General Studies Paper II, also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), is the second paper of the UPSC Preliminary Examination. This paper is designed to test the candidate’s aptitude and analytical skills, rather than factual knowledge. It plays a qualifying role in the prelims stage.
The CSAT paper evaluates the candidate’s abilities in areas such as comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision-making, general mental ability, basic numeracy, and data interpretation.
- Total Questions: 80
- Maximum Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Negative Marking: 1/3rd marks deducted for each wrong answer
- Qualifying Marks: 33% (i.e., 66 marks out of 200)
UPSC Prelims Total Marks and Duration
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 consists of two objective-type papers — General Studies (Paper I) and General Studies Paper II (CSAT). Both papers are conducted on the same day in separate sessions. While GS Paper I marks are used to shortlist candidates for the Mains exam, Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying in nature and requires a minimum of 33% marks. Candidates must manage their time effectively in both papers to attempt the maximum number of questions accurately.
| Paper | Total Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| General Studies (I) | 100 | 200 marks | 2 hours |
| General Studies (II) – CSAT | 80 | 200 marks | 2 hours |
UPSC Prelims Marking Scheme 2025
The UPSC Prelims 2025 marking scheme awards 2 marks for each correct answer in GS Paper I and 2.5 marks for each correct answer in CSAT (Paper II). One-third of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for every incorrect answer as part of the negative marking policy.
Negative Marking in UPSC Prelims 2025
In UPSC Prelims 2025, negative marking of one-third (1/3rd) marks applies to both GS Paper I and CSAT for each incorrect answer. No marks are deducted for unanswered questions.
Qualifying Marks for UPSC Prelims 2025
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 comprises two papers: General Studies Paper I (GS Paper I) and General Studies Paper II (CSAT). Understanding the qualifying criteria for each is crucial for aspirants aiming to progress to the Mains stage.
General Studies Paper I (GS Paper I)
- Purpose: Determines merit ranking for selection to the Mains examination.
- Qualifying Marks: The cutoff marks for GS Paper I are not fixed and vary each year based on factors such as the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the paper, and the performance of candidates. For instance, in previous years, the cutoff for the General category has ranged between 75 to 95 marks out of 200.
General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
- Purpose: Qualifying in nature; assesses aptitude, logical reasoning, and comprehension skills.
Qualifying Marks: Candidates must score at least 33%, which equates to 66 marks out of 200, to qualify. This criterion is uniform across all categories, including General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, and PwBD.
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