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UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Syllabus
National-level exam to recruit IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A/B central services officers.. The complete UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) outline — 7 subjects, 32 chapters and 105 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 (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.
4 chapters · 15 topics · 35 sub-topics
General Studies Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture5 chapters · 18 topics · 34 sub-topics
General Studies Paper III — Geography and Disaster Management5 chapters · 15 topics · 27 sub-topics
General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment5 chapters · 17 topics · 29 sub-topics
General Studies Paper V — Current Affairs, Security and International Relations4 chapters · 13 topics · 18 sub-topics
General Studies Paper VI — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Mains GS-IV)4 chapters · 12 topics · 19 sub-topics
Compulsory and Optional Papers — Language, Essay and Specialisation5 chapters · 15 topics · 16 sub-topics
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) flashcard decks
357 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- General Studies Paper I — Polity, Governance & Social Justice — 51 cards
- General Studies Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture — 52 cards
- General Studies Paper III — Geography and Disaster Management — 52 cards
- General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment — 51 cards
- General Studies Paper V — Current Affairs, Security and International Relations — 50 cards
- General Studies Paper VI — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Mains GS-IV) — 50 cards
- Compulsory and Optional Papers — Language, Essay and Specialisation — 51 cards
How to work through the UPSC Civil Services Examination (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 Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture carries 18 topics while General Studies Paper VI — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Mains GS-IV) carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).
The ~115 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 (CSE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) syllabus?
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) covers 7 subjects: General Studies Paper I — Polity, Governance & Social Justice, General Studies Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture, General Studies Paper III — Geography and Disaster Management, General Studies Paper IV — Economy, Science, Technology and Environment, General Studies Paper V — Current Affairs, Security and International Relations, General Studies Paper VI — Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Mains GS-IV) and Compulsory and Optional Papers — Language, Essay and Specialisation. Together they contain 32 chapters and 105 named topics.
How much do you have to study for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE)?
The full UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) outline breaks down into 32 chapters, 105 topics and 178 sub-topics. General Studies Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture is the largest single subject with 18 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) syllabus?
Roughly 115 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 5 weeks.
Are there UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) flashcards?
Yes — 357 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 Examination (CSE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the UPSC Civil Services Examination (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.
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