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UPSC Civil Services Examination Syllabus
Examination conducted by UPSC to recruit IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services officers.. The complete UPSC Civil Services Examination outline — 8 subjects, 37 chapters and 139 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
UPSC Civil Services Examination subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
5 chapters · 20 topics · 42 sub-topics
Indian and World History, and Art and Culture6 chapters · 23 topics · 27 sub-topics
Indian and World Geography4 chapters · 15 topics · 20 sub-topics
Indian Economy and Economic Development5 chapters · 19 topics · 24 sub-topics
Science, Technology and Environment5 chapters · 18 topics · 26 sub-topics
Social Justice, Society and International Relations4 chapters · 15 topics · 16 sub-topics
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude5 chapters · 17 topics · 20 sub-topics
Current Affairs and CSAT Aptitude3 chapters · 12 topics · 10 sub-topics
UPSC Civil Services Examination flashcard decks
404 question-and-answer cards across 8 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance — 51 cards
- Indian and World History, and Art and Culture — 51 cards
- Indian and World Geography — 50 cards
- Indian Economy and Economic Development — 50 cards
- Science, Technology and Environment — 51 cards
- Social Justice, Society and International Relations — 51 cards
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude — 50 cards
- Current Affairs and CSAT Aptitude — 50 cards
How to work through the UPSC Civil Services Examination 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: Indian and World History, and Art and Culture carries 23 topics while Current Affairs and CSAT Aptitude carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for UPSC Civil Services Examination.
The ~140 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 Examination syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the UPSC Civil Services Examination syllabus?
UPSC Civil Services Examination covers 8 subjects: Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance, Indian and World History, and Art and Culture, Indian and World Geography, Indian Economy and Economic Development, Science, Technology and Environment, Social Justice, Society and International Relations, Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude and Current Affairs and CSAT Aptitude. Together they contain 37 chapters and 139 named topics.
How big is the UPSC Civil Services Examination syllabus?
The full UPSC Civil Services Examination outline breaks down into 37 chapters, 139 topics and 185 sub-topics. Indian and World History, and Art and Culture is the largest single subject with 23 topics across 6 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole UPSC Civil Services Examination syllabus?
Roughly 140 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 7 weeks.
Are there UPSC Civil Services Examination flashcards?
Yes — 404 question-and-answer flashcards across 8 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 Examination syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the UPSC Civil Services Examination 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.
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