UPSC Civil Services 2026 Exam Pattern: Questions, Marks, Duration & Negative Marking
UPSC Civil Services 2026 exam pattern — number of questions, marks per question, duration, negative marking scheme, section-wise split, and tips to maximise your score within the time limit.
Reviewed by: StudyRoadmap Editorial · Last verified: 2026-04-24
UPSC Civil Services 2026 exam pattern
Preliminary: 2 papers (GS I + CSAT), 200 marks each, 2 hours each. Main: 9 papers (Essay, GS I-IV, Optional I-II, Language), 250-300 marks each, 3 hours each. Interview: 275 marks.
Subjects in this exam
- GS1 (History/Geography/Polity): 10 topics
- GS2 (Governance/IR): 4 topics
- Essay Writing: 1 topics
- Optional Subject: 1 topics