Examius
🇮🇳 India · Civil Services
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) Syllabus
India's premier exam for IAS, IPS, and IFS officer recruitment, conducted by the UPSC.. The complete UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) outline — 7 subjects, 35 chapters and 137 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
6 chapters · 28 topics · 38 sub-topics
General Studies II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations6 chapters · 26 topics · 26 sub-topics
General Studies III: Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, Security & Disaster Management6 chapters · 28 topics · 31 sub-topics
General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude5 chapters · 16 topics · 14 sub-topics
General Studies (Prelims): Current Affairs and Core GS5 chapters · 16 topics
CSAT (Prelims Paper-II): Aptitude and Reasoning4 chapters · 13 topics · 14 sub-topics
Essay Paper (Mains)3 chapters · 10 topics · 2 sub-topics
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) flashcard decks
354 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- General Studies I: Indian Heritage, History, Geography & Society — 52 cards
- General Studies II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations — 50 cards
- General Studies III: Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, Security & Disaster Management — 51 cards
- General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude — 50 cards
- General Studies (Prelims): Current Affairs and Core GS — 50 cards
- CSAT (Prelims Paper-II): Aptitude and Reasoning — 51 cards
- Essay Paper (Mains) — 50 cards
How to work through the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: General Studies I: Indian Heritage, History, Geography & Society carries 28 topics while Essay Paper (Mains) carries 10. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE).
The ~130 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus?
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) covers 7 subjects: General Studies I: Indian Heritage, History, Geography & Society, General Studies II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations, General Studies III: Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, Security & Disaster Management, General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude, General Studies (Prelims): Current Affairs and Core GS, CSAT (Prelims Paper-II): Aptitude and Reasoning and Essay Paper (Mains). Together they contain 35 chapters and 137 named topics.
How much do you have to study for UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE)?
The full UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) outline breaks down into 35 chapters, 137 topics and 125 sub-topics. General Studies I: Indian Heritage, History, Geography & Society is the largest single subject with 28 topics across 6 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus?
Roughly 130 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 6 weeks.
Are there UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) flashcards?
Yes — 354 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in India and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
Related Civil Services syllabuses
State Public Service Commission exams for state administrative and allied officer posts.
UPSC Civil Services Examination syllabusExamination conducted by UPSC to recruit IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services officers.
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) syllabusNational-level exam to recruit IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A/B central services officers.
AJKPSC Test syllabusStudy hierarchy for the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission combined competitive examination covering compulsory subjects for Grade-17+ regional government posts.
ASI Police Test syllabusComprehensive study hierarchy for Pakistan's Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) police recruitment test, covering academic and police professional subjects per the PPSC/provincial police syllabus.
BPSC Test syllabusStudy hierarchy for the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined Competitive Examination covering compulsory subjects for provincial civil service posts in Balochistan.
CSS Accounting and Auditing syllabusFPSC CSS optional subject (200 marks) covering financial accounting, cost and management accounting, auditing principles, and business taxation.
CSS Business Administration syllabusA comprehensive CSS optional-subject study hierarchy for Business Administration covering management, organizational behaviour, HR, finance, operations/supply chain, and marketing per the FPSC syllabus.
CSS Compulsory Papers syllabusComplete study hierarchy for the six FPSC CSS compulsory papers: English Essay, Precis and Composition, General Science and Ability, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and Islamic Studies.
Browse all 45 Civil Services syllabuses → · All India exams →