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UPSC CSE Syllabus
UPSC Civil Services Examination. The complete UPSC CSE outline — 6 subjects, 18 chapters and 56 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
UPSC 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.
UPSC CSE flashcard decks
311 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the UPSC 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: Indian Polity and Governance carries 11 topics while Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude carries 7. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for UPSC CSE.
The ~40 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 CSE syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the UPSC CSE syllabus?
UPSC CSE covers 6 subjects: Indian Polity and Governance, Indian and World Geography, Indian Economy, Science and Technology, History of India and Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. Together they contain 18 chapters and 56 named topics.
How much do you have to study for UPSC CSE?
The full UPSC CSE outline breaks down into 18 chapters, 56 topics and 0 sub-topics. Indian Polity and Governance is the largest single subject with 11 topics across 3 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole UPSC CSE syllabus?
Roughly 40 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 2 weeks.
Are there UPSC CSE flashcards?
Yes — 311 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 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 CSE syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the UPSC 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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