UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 for Paper 1 & 2 - Download PDF here

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 for Paper 1 & 2 - Download PDF here

Edited By Meghana Mohana Krishnan | Updated on May 27, 2024 04:20 PM IST | #UPSC CSE
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The Commission mentioned the UPSC IAS 2024 prelims syllabus in the official notification. The IAS preliminary exam syllabus can be downloaded from upsc.gov.in. Candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS exam must check the detailed prelims syllabus. With the help of the UPSC IAS 2024 exam syllabus, candidates can make an effective preparation strategy for the exam.

Applicants can also check important topics and chapters from where the questions will be asked in the UPSC IAS prelims exam. Along with the syllabus, candidates can also check the previous year's UPSC question papers for their preparations. The IAS prelims syllabus pdf comprises topics asked in GS paper 1 and GS paper 2. Applicants can also download the UPSC prelims syllabus in Hindi here.

UPSC IAS 2024 prelims exam will be conducted on June 16, 2024 in offline mode. For more details about the UPSC IAS prelims syllabus, candidates can check the article given below.

Also read: Information about category-wise career exams

UPSC Prelims Syllabus for Papers 1 & 2

Paper

UPSC syllabus

General Studies Paper 1

  • Current events of national and international importance

  • History of India and the Indian National Movement

  • Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India and the World

  • Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

  • Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

  • General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization

  • General Science.

CSAT Paper 2

  • Comprehension

  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills;

  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability;

  • Decision-making and problem-solving;

  • General mental ability;

  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);

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UPSC IAS Exam Pattern 2024

Union Public Service Commission released the IAS 2024 exam pattern in the official notification. Along with the exam pattern, candidates must also check the UPSC prelims IAS syllabus for their preparations. With the help of the UPSC 2024 prelims syllabus, candidates can make their preparation strategy to score well in the exam. For more details, candidates can check the tale below.

IAS Prelims 2024 Exam Pattern

Paper

Number of questions

Maximum marks

Duration

GS Paper (Prelims Paper 1)

100

200

2 hours

CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper 2)

80

200

2 hours

Also read: UPSC Mock Tests Series for UPSC

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2024 - Important Points

  • Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.

  • The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type in both papers

  • It is compulsory to appear for both UPSC IAS prelims GS papers.

UPSC Prelims Preparation Tips 2024

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the selection process of IAS 2024?

The IAS selection 2024 process comprises the prelims exam, mains exam and personal interview.

2. What are the details required to download the admit card of IAS 2024?

Candidates can download UPSC IAS 2024 admit card through their registration number and date of birth.

3. How will UPSC result 2024 be released?

The UPSC IAS result 2024 will be released in PDF form having details of all the qualified candidates.

4. Can I challenge the UPSC IAS answer key 2024?

No, candidates are not allowed to challenge UPSC IAS answer key 2024.

5. What are the 7 papers of UPSC 2024?

There are 9 papers in UPSC out of which 2 papers are qualifying in nature. The IAS 2024 Prelims exam consists of GS 1 and GS 2. The UPSC Mains 2024 paper consists of Paper A – Compulsory Indian Language Paper , Paper B – English Language Paper , Paper I – Essay , Paper II - Paper V – General Studies, Paper VI – Paper VII – Optional Paper II.


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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello!
IRAS (Indian Railway Accounts Service) officers can be posted in both cities and rural areas since Indian Railways has offices and operations nationwide. They typically work in divisional offices, zonal offices, workshops, and production units. Transfers do happen but are usually not very frequent and depend on government policies and organizational needs.

Hope this helps!

To become an IAS officer, you must clear the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and then undergo training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). While any bachelor's degree is acceptable, choosing a degree that aligns with the UPSC syllabus, particularly in humanities and social sciences, can be advantageous.

UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE):

This is the primary exam for becoming an IAS officer, involving three stages: Preliminary, Main, and Personality Test (Interview).

Any Bachelor's Degree:

A graduate degree from a recognized university is the basic requirement to be eligible for the CSE.

Beneficial Degrees:

Degrees in humanities and social sciences, such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), can be helpful due to the syllabus overlap with subjects like History, Political Science, Sociology, and Economics.

Optional Subject:

You can choose an optional subject in the Mains exam, and a BA degree can provide a wide range of options.

Hope it helps!!

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.

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.

After 10th for IAS

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!!

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