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IPS Syllabus 2020 - Check Latest IPS Syllabus Subject Wise for Prelims & Mains Exam
Updated on Aug 27, 2020 10:58 AM IST | #UPSC CSE
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UPSC CSE Exam Date : 25 May' 2025 - 25 May' 2025
IPS Syllabus 2020 - The Indian Police Services (IPS) is conducted by UPSC. IPS is not a different exam but it is a post that comes under the UPSC IAS exam recruitment. Candidates who top UPSC IAS, are recruited to various posts like IAS, IPS, IFS etc, one such is IPS. The posts in IPS are of Additional Director General of Police or Special Commissioner of Police/ Inspector-General of Police/Joint Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police etc. The IPS syllabus 2020 is prescribed by UPSC. In this article, candidates can check all the details related to the IPS 2020 syllabus along with the best books and preparation tips. To know more about the IPS exam 2020 and the syllabus, please refer to the detailed article here. UPSC IAS is conducted in three stages - Preliminary, Mains and Personality Test/Interview. Apart from the syllabus, this article also consists of best books and syllabus and as well as preparation tips etc.
IPS Syllabus 2020 for Preliminary Exam
Syllabus of Paper 1 (General Studies – 1)
Latest events and current affairs related to national and international relevance.
History of India, especially the British-era, Freedom struggle and the Indian National Movement.
Indian and the World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Political System, Civil Rights.
Economic and Social Development – Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, Inclusion, Sustainable Development and Poverty etc.
General issues related to Environmental Ecology, Climate Change and Biodiversity
Syllabus for Paper 2 (CSAT/General Studies – 2)
Comprehension
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving skills
Interpersonal skills that include communication skills
General mental ability
Basic questions related to numbers and their relations, which will be of class 10 level as well as data interpretation questions
Paper A – Modern Indian Languages (300 Marks)
Comprehension of given passages
Precise Writing
Vocabulary
Short Essay
Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa (22 Indian Languages)
UPSC CSE Preparation Strategy and Best Books
UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
Download EBook(Assamese, Gujarati, Dogra, Telugu, Sindhi, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu, Sindhi, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Malayalam, Konkani, Maithili, Nepali, Telugu, Sindhi, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Oriya, Santali, Manipuri, Tamil, Punjabi, Sanskrit)
Paper B – English (300 Marks)
It will test the candidate’s ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and how clearly and correctly they express their ideas, it will be conducted in English.
Comprehension of given passages
Precise Writing
Usage and Vocabulary
Short Essay
The marks in the subjects and papers that will be counted for final merit list and final ranking of the candidate are as follows:
Paper 1, Paper 2 GS, Paper 3 GS 2, Paper 4 GS 3, Paper 4 GS 3, Paper 5 GS 4, Paper 4 Optional Paper 1, Paper 7 Optional Paper 2, these papers will consist of a total of 1750 marks.
IPS Syllabus 2020 for Mains Exam
The mains papers will be of the following subjects:
Paper 1 - Essay
Paper 2 General Studies 1 - History and Geography of the World and Society, Indian Heritage and Culture
Paper 3 General Studies 2 - Constitution,Governance, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
Paper 4 General Studies 3 - BioDiversity, Economic Development, Environment, Security and Disaster Management, Technology
Paper 5 General Studies 4 - Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Also read Syllabus of Optional subjects
IPS Syllabus for Mains Exam 2020 - Optional Subjects
For the mains exam stage candidates will also have to choose one optional subject from the given list of optional subjects, the list of optional subjects are mentioned below:
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
- Botany
- Mathematics
- Management
- Medical Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Public Administration
- Geography
- Law, History
- Zoology,
- Statistics
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Economics
- Geology
Literature Optional Subjects
Candidates can also choose literature as an optional subject. The list of literature subjects are as follows:
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Marathi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu and English.
The last and final stage is the IPS Interview, in this stage stage candidates face board members who analyse and judge the mental calibre, intellectual knowledge, social traits and interest in current affairs of the candidate. In order to qualify the exam candidates need to score and qualify the interview as well. All the questions asked during the interview will be on the basis of the DAF (Detailed Application Form) filled by the candidateThe IPS interview consists of 275 marks.
The board members judge the candidate on the basis of the following things:
Candidate's Mental Alertness
Critical Powers of Assimilation
Clear and Logical exposition on real life cases as put up the Board members
Balance of Judgement
Variety and Depth of interest on various elements related to social, economic and international matters
Ability for social cohesion
Leadership qualities
Intellectual and Moral integrity
Social traits and interest in current affairs
IPS Preparation Tips 2020
Always refer to the official UPSC CSE syllabus. Stick to the exam pattern and the marking scheme.
Prepare your IAS study plan around the official syllabus and don't run helter-skelter in search for notes and study materials. Not everything is related to the UPSC exam so study wisely.
Solve UPSC CSE previous year question papers for better preparation and to understand the question pattern and for practising.
Refer the best and selected books of UPSC IAS. Keep the list of your books precise and don't add anything referred to by everyone.
More UPSC IAS Articles:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is there a separate IPS syllabus?
No, there is no separate IPS syllabus released. The syllabus for IPS is same as of UPSC CSE. It is mentioned in the official notification PDF. Candidate's who qualify the UPSC CSE exam are recruited to the post of IPS on the basis of their rank.
2. How many papers are there in the IPS exam?
There are two papers in the Preliminary stage. 5 GS papers in the Mains stage and 2 papers in mains for optional subject. The preliminary stage is of objective type while the mains papers is of conventional, essay type.
3. Is there negative marking in the IPS exam?
Yes there is negative marking in the preliminary stage but not in the mains stage.
4. From where can I check the details syllabus of IPS?
You can check the details syllabus from the official website as well as from this article.
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5 min ⋆ Mar 10, 2025 05:03 AM ISTQuestions related to UPSC CSE
Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?
Hello!!
That's a great goal—and your background as a research scholar can actually be a big asset in preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), which is the path to becoming an IAS officer.
Step-by-Step Guide to Become an IAS Officer:
1. Understand the Exam Structure
The UPSC CSE has three stages:
Prelims: Objective (GS Paper + CSAT)
Mains: Descriptive (9 papers)
Interview: Personality Test
2. Check Eligibility
Age: 21 to 32 (for General category)
Degree: Any graduate degree (you already qualify)
3. Choose Your Optional Subject
Choose something you’re comfortable with (can be from your research field if it's available).
Popular optionals: Sociology, Geography, PSIR, Anthropology, etc.
4. Build a Study Plan
Since you're a research scholar, time management is key.
Daily 4–6 hours of focused study can work if you're consistent.
Focus on:
NCERTs (6th–12th)
Standard books (like Laxmikanth for Polity, Spectrum for History)
Current Affairs (The Hindu, Indian Express, or PIB + Monthly compilations)
5. Join a Test Series (Optional but Helpful)
For Prelims and Mains: to build speed, writing skills, and clarity.
6. Practice Answer Writing
Mains is all about articulation. Practice with previous year questions and mock tests.
7. Appear for the Exam
Notification comes out around February.
Prelims is in May/June, Mains in September, and Interview early next year.
How to Align This With Your Research Schedule:
Create a realistic time-table that includes 2–3 hours on weekdays, and more on weekends.
Use your research experience for deeper understanding and essay writing.
NITYAM MAHUR 12 April,2025
If your goal is to become an IAS officer, choose a degree that supports UPSC preparation and also provides a good backup:
BA in Political Science, History, Geography, or Economics is ideal for IAS.
BSc or BCom is fine too, but you'll need to study humanities separately for UPSC.
For backup, pick a subject with good job prospects like BBA or Computer Science.
KCET is required only if you're planning professional courses like Engineering or Agriculture. It's not needed for BA or general degrees.
Rubina Naseer 04 April,2025
Hello aspirant,
For becoming IAS , you have to first complete your graduation from any background from any recognised university or college. If you are in your final year, then also you are eligible. After that you have to give an entrance exam name UPSC . If you will clear this exam then according to your marks you may get the IAS position.
To know about UPSC entrance exam, kindly go through the given link:
https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse
All the best!!
Sakshi Sharma 31 March,2025
Hello Rishika,
You can take any stream for becoming IAS. As per the eligibility criteria of UPSC IAS , student have to graduate from any stream from any recognised university or college. So it's doesn't matter from which stream you choose. But if you really want to become IAS, then humanities , arts related subject helps you alot.
To know more, kindly go through the given link:
https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse
Good luck!
Sakshi Sharma 31 March,2025
Greetings! Here's a detailed response to your query
To start your prep for IAS exams without any coaching and free of cost here are some pointers you can follow :-
1.Understand the exam- To get started with IAS prep, first grab the official UPSC syllabus for both the first exam (Prelims) and the main exam (Mains) from their website. Understand what you need to study and how important each topic is.
Next, learn how the exam is set up. There are three parts: a multiple-choice test (Prelims), a written exam with long answers (Mains), and an interview. Know how many papers are in each, how you get marks, and how much time you get.
Finally, look at old exam papers from the last 5 to 10 years. This will give you an idea of how tough the exam is, what kinds of questions they ask, and which topics you should really focus on.
2.Build a strong foundation-Begin your IAS study with NCERT books from classes 6 to 12 for subjects like History, Geography, Civics, Economics, and Science. These will give you a basic understanding. Once you know the basics well, switch to standard books for each subject. You can find lists of recommended books online from people who've cleared the exam. Some popular ones are mentioned for Polity, Economy, Modern History, and Geography.
3.Stay updated with current affairs- To stay updated for IAS, read a good national newspaper every day (like The Hindu or Indian Express) and jot down important news from India and the world. Also, read magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra to understand social and economic topics deeply. Check websites like PIB and those of research groups for info on government plans and reports.
4.Utilize free online resources-For IAS prep help, check out websites like BYJU'S, ClearIAS, and Mrunal. They have free study stuff. Also, watch YouTube channels by teachers and ex-IAS officers for tips and lessons. Join online groups to ask questions and learn from others preparing for the exam.
5.Mock tests and self assessment-Take free practice tests online for both Prelims and Mains to see how ready you are and what you need to work on. After each test, check what you did wrong and focus on fixing those things. Remember to study regularly, believe in yourself, and take breaks so you don't get too tired. Consistency is more important than studying for many hours at once.
I hope this helps . Financial problems can never stop one from dreaming and achieving things in their life. Stay motivated!!!
SUKRITI GUPTA 04 April,2025
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