Raah UPSC · your exam notebook
Stages Calculator Prelims Mains Cut-offs Journey Planner

The whole UPSC
syllabus, on paper.

stages · marks · qualifying rules · syllabus — one notebook

No coaching-brochure noise. Just the architecture of the exam: what's screening, what's merit, what counts toward your final rank, and what doesn't.

400
Prelims marks
doesn't count! ✗
1750
Mains merit marks
275
Interview marks
2025
Final rank, out of
this is the real number
three stages

How the exam is built

Preliminary Exam

GS-I 200 · CSAT 200 · same day

Two MCQ papers. GS-I sets the cutoff; CSAT only needs to be cleared, never maximised.

GS-I
200 mk
CSAT
33% min
counts toward rank: 0
One-third negative marking per wrong answer. Clearing CSAT doesn't help your merit — only GS-I ranks you.

Main Examination

7 merit papers + 2 qualifying language papers
Indian Language qualifying300
English qualifying300
Essay merit250
GS I – IV merit1000
Optional I & II merit500
Mains merit total1750
Optional subject alone is ~29% of Mains merit — your highest-leverage choice.

Personality Test

275 marks · no fixed syllabus

The Board reads your Detailed Application Form — not a textbook.

mental alertness logical exposition balance of judgement integrity leadership
Prep surface: home state, education, work history, hobbies, optional subject, current affairs as opinion — not fact recall.
do the maths

Add it up yourself

Essay150
GS Paper I100
GS Paper II100
GS Paper III100
GS Paper IV100
Optional Paper I130
Optional Paper II130
Interview160
final total
970
/ 2025
400 Prelims marks never enter this circle.
Final rank = Mains merit (1750) + Interview (275).
UPSC CSE 2027 · screening stage

Prelims syllabus, clearly

GS Paper I 200 mk · merit for cutoff
  • Current events of national and international importance
  • History of India and the Indian National Movement
  • Indian and World Geography — physical, social, economic
  • Indian Polity & Governance — Constitution, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
  • Economic & Social Development — sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics
  • Environmental ecology, biodiversity & climate change (non-specialist level)
  • General Science
GS Paper II · CSAT 200 mk · qualifying at 33%
  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy — numbers, orders of magnitude (Class X level)
  • Data interpretation — charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency (Class X level)
only GS-I decides your Prelims cutoff — CSAT just needs a pass
always visible, nothing hidden

Mains syllabus, clearly

GS-I 250 mk · Heritage, History, Geography & Society
  • Indian Culture — salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
  • Modern Indian History from the mid-18th century to the present — significant events, personalities, issues
  • The Freedom Struggle — its stages and important contributors from different parts of the country
  • Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the country
  • History of the World from the 18th century — Industrial Revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies (Communism, Capitalism, Socialism) and their effects on society
  • Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India
  • Role of Women and Women's Organizations, population issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization — problems and remedies
  • Effects of Globalization on Indian society
  • Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism
  • Salient features of World's Physical Geography
  • Distribution of key natural resources across the world (incl. South Asia & the Indian sub-continent); factors behind the location of primary, secondary & tertiary industries
  • Important geophysical phenomena — earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity, cyclones; changes in critical geographical features (water-bodies, ice-caps, flora & fauna) and their effects
GS-II 250 mk · Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & IR
  • Indian Constitution — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions & basic structure
  • Functions & responsibilities of the Union and the States; federal-structure issues; devolution of powers & finances to local levels
  • Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
  • Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
  • Parliament & State Legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges
  • Structure, organization & functioning of the Executive and Judiciary; Ministries & Departments; pressure groups and formal/informal associations
  • Salient features of the Representation of the People's Act
  • Appointment to various Constitutional posts; powers, functions & responsibilities of Constitutional Bodies
  • Statutory, Regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
  • Government policies & interventions for development across sectors, and issues from their design & implementation
  • Development processes & the development industry — role of NGOs, SHGs, donors, charities and other stakeholders
  • Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections by Centre & States, their performance, and related mechanisms, laws, institutions & bodies
  • Development & management of social-sector services — health, education, human resources
  • Issues relating to poverty and hunger
  • Governance, transparency & accountability; e-governance — applications, models, successes & limits; Citizens' Charters
  • Role of Civil Services in a democracy
  • India and its neighbourhood — relations
  • Bilateral, regional & global groupings and agreements involving or affecting India
  • Effect of developed & developing countries' policies on India's interests; the Indian diaspora
  • Important international institutions, agencies and fora — their structure & mandate
GS-III 250 mk · Tech, Economy, Environment & Security
  • Indian Economy — planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
  • Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it
  • Government Budgeting
  • Major crops & cropping patterns, irrigation systems, storage/transport/marketing of produce, e-technology for farmers
  • Farm subsidies & MSP; PDS — objectives, functioning, limitations; buffer stocks & food security; technology missions; economics of animal-rearing
  • Food processing & related industries — scope, location, supply chain management
  • Land Reforms in India
  • Effects of Liberalization on the economy; changes in industrial policy & their effects on industrial growth
  • Infrastructure — energy, ports, roads, airports, railways etc.
  • Investment Models
  • Science & Technology — developments, applications and effects in everyday life
  • Achievements of Indians in S&T; indigenization of technology and developing new technology
  • Awareness in IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Conservation, environmental pollution & degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Disaster and Disaster Management
  • Linkages between development and the spread of extremism
  • Role of external state & non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security
  • Internal security challenges via communication networks, media & social networking; basics of cybersecurity; money laundering & its prevention
  • Security challenges & management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
  • Various security forces & agencies and their mandate
GS-IV 250 mk · Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
  • Attitude & approach to integrity, probity in public life, and a problem-solving approach to conflicts in society (case-study based)
  • Ethics & Human Interface — essence, determinants & consequences of ethics; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private & public relationships. Human values from great leaders, reformers, administrators; role of family, society & education
  • Attitude — content, structure, function; influence on thought & behaviour; moral & political attitudes; social influence & persuasion
  • Aptitude & foundational values for civil service — integrity, impartiality, non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication, empathy, tolerance, compassion
  • Emotional Intelligence — concepts and application in administration & governance
  • Contributions of moral thinkers & philosophers from India and the world
  • Public/Civil Service values & ethics — status & problems, ethical dilemmas, laws/rules/conscience as sources of guidance, accountability, corporate governance
  • Probity in Governance — public service concept, transparency, RTI, codes of ethics/conduct, Citizens' Charters, work culture, use of public funds, corruption challenges
  • Case studies on the above issues
tap a topic to check it off as you cover it
how the bar has moved

Cut-off trends

Cut-offs move every year with paper difficulty, vacancies and how the batch performs — treat these as a range to expect, not a target to just clear.

Prelims cut-off out of 200 (GS-I) · 2018–2025
Category20182019202020212022202320242025
General989892.5187.5488.2275.4187.9892.66
EWS—9077.5580.1482.8368.0285.9289.34
OBC96.6695.3489.1289.1287.5474.7587.2892.00
SC848274.8475.4174.0859.2579.0384.00
ST83.3477.3468.7170.7169.3547.8274.2382.66
Mains cut-off out of 1750 (written total) · 2019–2025
Category2019202020212022202320242025
General751736745748741729739
OBC718736707714712702717
SC706680700699694685700
ST699682700706692684694
EWS696687713715706696706
2023 was the hardest recent year across every category — don't panic if a paper feels tough
start to finish

The full journey

1
Notification & application
2
Prelims exam
3
Prelims result
4
Mains documents
5
Mains written exam
6
Mains result
7
Personality test
8
Final result & rank
9
Service & cadre allocation
daily command center

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    psst — this notebook is unofficial. Always double-check dates and rules against upsc.gov.in before you plan around them.

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