UPSC Civil Services Mains is the second and most important stage in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Consisting of nine papers, the exam is held at a stretch of five days. The UPSC Civil Services Mains examination is scheduled from 08th January and will be held over a course of five days till 17th January.
The UPSC Mains examination is a descriptive type exam and is held for the candidates who clear the Preliminary examination. As the Prelims round is qualifying in nature, the selection, as well as the final rank, is pretty much determined by your performance in the UPSC Mains.
In this article, we will discuss the UPSC Mains Exam Pattern, UPSC Mains Syllabus, UPSC Mains exam dates, results, cut off, and more. Let’s get started:
UPSC Mains consists of 9 papers including two language papers, an essay exam, two optional papers, and four General Studies papers. The list of nine papers is given below:
Paper |
Subject |
Duration |
Total marks |
Paper A |
Compulsory Indian language |
3 hours |
300 |
Paper B |
English |
3 hours |
300 |
Paper I |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper-II |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper III |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper IV |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper V |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper VI |
3 hours |
250 |
|
Paper VII |
3 hours |
250 |
Check out further details about the UPSC Mains Exam Pattern here
While the syllabus of Prelims is just a sneak-peek of what is actually asked in the exam, the syllabus of UPSC Mains is extremely well defined by the commission. It is extremely important for aspirants to go through the entire syllabus many times before actually beginning the preparation of the exam. It is the syllabus of UPSC Mains that sets the tune for the Prelims exam as well. You can click on the links mentioned above to check out the syllabus of each of the papers in detail or simply click here to read the UPSC Mains Syllabus.
The UPSC Mains 2020 is scheduled to happen from 08 January 2021 to 17th January 2021. Here is the full schedule:
Tentative Date/Day |
Forenoon Session 9.00 A.M. to 12.00 Noon |
Afternoon Session 2.00 P.M. to 5.00 P.M. |
January 08, 2021 (Friday) |
Paper‐I Essay |
No Paper |
January 09, 2021 (Saturday) |
Paper‐II General Studies‐I |
Paper‐III General Studies‐II |
January 10, 2020 (Sunday) |
Paper‐IV General Studies‐III |
Paper‐V General Studies‐IV |
January 16, 2021 (Saturday) |
Paper‐A Indian Language |
Paper‐B English |
January 17, 2021 (Sunday) |
Paper VI: Optional Paper-1 |
Paper VII: Optional Paper-2 |
Consisting of 7 papers of 250 marks each, the total marks for UPSC Mains is 1750. The result of the qualified candidates is released in a PDF containing the roll numbers of the qualified candidates. Next, they are called for the last and final round which is the Personality Test or Interview which consists of 275 marks. You can check out more about the UPSC Mains Result here.
It is indeed a great feeling to see your roll number in the “holy PDF” as many aspirants call it! To make your dream come true, it is imperative to have expert guidance with you throughout your preparation journey. You can check out our mains-specific subject courses that will allow you to put your best foot forward! Check out our courses here or get in touch with our expert counselors who can help you with the most suitable course.
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