6 questions about Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination
The UPSC Civil Services Examination recruits for 24+ services including IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service), and IRAS, IRTS, and others. IAS officers serve as District Collectors/Magistrates, Divisional Commissioners, and Secretaries to the Government. The exam is conducted once a year in three stages.
General category: 6 attempts. OBC: 9 attempts. SC/ST: Unlimited attempts until the upper age limit (37 years). Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD): Unlimited for SC/ST, 9 for others until age 42. An attempt is counted if you appear for even one paper of the Prelims exam.
CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is Paper II of the Prelims. It tests comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision-making, problem-solving, basic numeracy, and data interpretation. It is qualifying in nature — you need to score 33% (66 out of 200) to qualify. CSAT marks do NOT count towards the Prelims cutoff.
Start with NCERT textbooks (Classes 6-12) for History, Geography, Polity, Economy, and Science. Read the daily newspaper (The Hindu or Indian Express). Solve previous year prelims papers (last 10 years). Choose an optional subject early based on interest and scoring potential. Give mock tests regularly from the first month.
Current affairs are critical across all stages. In Prelims, 30-40% questions are directly from current events. In Mains, every GS paper requires current affairs integration. The interview also tests awareness of recent developments. Cover at least 12 months of current affairs before the exam. Focus on government schemes, bills, international relations, science developments, and environmental issues.
No, coaching is not mandatory. Many toppers have cleared without coaching. What matters is consistent self-study, quality sources (NCERTs, standard references, newspapers), test practice, and answer writing. Online platforms like RankRacer provide MCQ practice, current affairs analysis, and AI tutoring that can supplement or replace traditional coaching.