If you are one of the lakhs of candidates who have applied for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023, you must be wondering how to prepare for the second and most crucial stage of the exam – the UPSC Mains. The UPSC Mains exam is not only a test of your knowledge and understanding of various subjects, but also a test of your writing skills, analytical skills, and personality. It is the stage that determines whether you will get a chance to appear for the final stage – the UPSC Interview or Personality Test.
In this blog post, we will provide you with a complete guide on how to ace the UPSC Mains 2023 exam. We will cover the latest updates about the exam, the exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme, and some tips and tricks to prepare for each paper of the exam. So, without further ado, let us begin.
Latest Updates about UPSC 2023
The UPSC Notification 2023 was released on February 1, 2023. The Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam 2022 is scheduled for May 28, 2023. After the declaration of the Prelims exam, the eligible candidates who have cleared the Prelims have to fill DAF-I to appear in UPSC Mains. The UPSC CSE Mains exam is scheduled from September 15, 2023. The IAS Interview 2023 dates are yet to be notified.
All the updates related to UPSC 2023 exam will be notified here for candidates’ reference.
Detailed Application Form-II (DAF II) will be released post the Civil Services Mains Result. This UPSC DAF has to be filled by the candidates who qualify the personality test.
UPSC Mains Exam Pattern for the IAS exam 2023
The UPSC Mains exam consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying papers and seven are merit-based papers. The qualifying papers are Indian language paper and English language paper, each carrying 300 marks. The merit-based papers are essay paper, four general studies papers, and one optional paper, each carrying 250 marks. The total marks for the written exam are 1750.
The table below shows the details of each paper:
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Indian Language (Qualifying) | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper B | English Language (Qualifying) | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper I | Essay | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Studies I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | General Studies III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject Paper I | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VII | Optional Subject Paper II | 250 | 3 hours |
The candidates have to choose one optional subject from the list of 26 subjects offered by the UPSC. The optional subject can be from any stream such as humanities, science, engineering, commerce, etc.
The candidates have to write their answers in either English or Hindi language. However, they can write their answers in any of the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution for Indian language paper.
The candidates have to follow the word limit prescribed by the UPSC for each paper. The word limit for essay paper is 1200 words per essay, for general studies papers is 250 words per question, and for optional papers is 150 words per question.
The candidates have to write their answers in a clear and legible handwriting. They have to use black or blue ballpoint pen only. They have to avoid using any symbols or abbreviations that are not commonly understood.
The candidates have to attempt all the questions in each paper. There is negative marking for wrong answers in objective-type questions in general studies papers.
UPSC Mains Syllabus – IAS exam 2023
The UPSC Mains syllabus covers a wide range of topics from various disciplines. The syllabus is divided into four parts: qualifying papers, essay paper, general studies papers, and optional paper.
Qualifying Papers
The qualifying papers are designed to test the candidates’ proficiency in Indian language and English language. The candidates have to choose one Indian language from the list of languages given by the UPSC. The languages are:
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
The syllabus for Indian language paper is as follows:
| Section | Topic | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A | Comprehension of given passages | 75 |
| B | Precis Writing | 25 |
| C | Usage and Vocabulary | 25 |
| D | Short Essay | 50 |
| E | Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa | 25 |
The syllabus for English language paper is as follows:
| Section | Topic | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A | Comprehension of given passages | 75 |
| B | Precis Writing | 25 |
| C | Usage and Vocabulary | 25 |
| D | Short Essay | 50 |
The candidates have to score at least 25% marks in each paper to qualify. The marks obtained in these papers are not counted for the final ranking.
Essay Paper
The essay paper is designed to test the candidates’ ability to write on a given topic in a coherent and effective manner. The candidates have to write two essays, one from each section, in about 1200 words each. The sections are:
| Section A | Section B |
|---|---|
| Topics related to current issues, social issues, economic issues, political issues, etc. | Topics related to philosophical issues, ethical issues, literary issues, cultural issues, etc. |
The candidates have to choose one topic from each section. The topics are given in the form of a statement, a quote, or a question. The candidates have to analyze the topic, present their arguments, and support them with relevant facts and examples.
The candidates have to write their essays in a clear and concise manner. They have to avoid any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or factual inaccuracies. They have to use simple and lucid language and avoid any jargon or complex words.
The candidates have to write their essays in a logical and coherent manner. They have to follow a proper structure of introduction, body, and conclusion. They have to use appropriate transitions and connectors to link their paragraphs and sentences.
The candidates have to write their essays in an original and creative manner. They have to avoid any plagiarism or copying from any source. They have to express their own views and opinions on the topic and not merely reproduce the views of others.
The candidates have to write their essays in an objective and balanced manner. They have to consider different perspectives and dimensions of the topic and not be biased or prejudiced towards any side. They have to acknowledge the merits and demerits of different arguments and not be dogmatic or assertive.
The candidates have to write their essays in an interesting and engaging manner. They have to use relevant examples, anecdotes, quotations, statistics, etc. to illustrate their points and make their essays lively and appealing.
The essay paper carries 250 marks and is evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
| Criteria | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content (Relevance, depth, analysis, facts) | 125 |
| Expression (Language, style, grammar, clarity) | 125 |
General Studies Papers
The general studies papers are designed to test the candidates’ knowledge and understanding of various subjects that are relevant for the civil services. The subjects are:
- Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society (Paper II)
- Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations (Paper III)
- Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management (Paper IV)
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (Paper V)
The syllabus for each paper is given below:
General Studies Paper II
The syllabus for this paper is as follows:
| Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. | – Indian art forms: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance, theatre, etc. |
- Indian literature: classical languages (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit), regional languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam), modern languages (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, etc.), genres (poetry, drama, novel, etc.), themes (religion, philosophy, society, etc.), authors (Kalidasa, Valmiki, Tulsidas, Tagore, Premchand, etc.)
- Indian architecture: styles (Indus Valley Civilization, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Colonial, Modern
Important Dates
All the updates related to UPSC 2023 exam will be notified here for candidates’ reference.
Detailed Application Form-II (DAF II) will be released post the Civil Services Mains Result. This UPSC DAF has to be filled by the candidates who qualify the personality test.
The dates of the UPSC Mains 2023 are:
| Date | 9 AM – 12 PM | 2 PM – 5 PM |
|---|---|---|
| 15 September 2023 | Essay Paper (Tentative exam) | – |
| To be notified | General Studies-I (Tentative exam) | General Studies-II (Tentative exam) |
| To be notified | General Studies-III (Tentative exam) | General Studies-IV (Tentative exam) |
| To be notified | Indian Language Paper (Tentative exam) | English Language Paper (Tentative exam) |
| To be notified | Optional Paper-I (Tentative exam) | Optional Paper-II (Tentative exam) |
The dates of the UPSC Mains 2022 were:
| Date | 9 AM – 12 PM | 2 PM – 5 PM |
|---|---|---|
| 16 September 2022 | Essay Paper | – |
| 17 September 2022 | General Studies-I | General Studies-II |
| 18 January 2022 | General Studies-III | General Studies-IV |
| 24 January 2022 | Indian Language Paper | English Language Paper |
| 25 January 2022 | Optional Paper-I | Optional Paper-II |
UPSC Mains Exam Pattern for the IAS exam 2023
The UPSC Mains exam consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying papers and seven are merit-based papers. The qualifying papers are Indian language paper and English language paper, each carrying 300 marks. The merit-based papers are essay paper, four general studies papers, and one optional paper, each carrying 250 marks. The total marks for the written exam are 1750.
The table below shows the details of each paper:
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Indian Language (Qualifying) | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper B | English Language (Qualifying) | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper I | Essay | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Studies I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | General Studies III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 | < |
Conclusion
We hope this blog post has given you a clear idea of what to expect from the UPSC Mains 2023 exam and how to prepare for it effectively. The UPSC Mains exam is a challenging but rewarding stage of the Civil Services Examination. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and smart strategy to crack it. However, with proper guidance, practice, and revision, you can achieve your dream of becoming a civil servant.If you found this blog post helpful, please share it with your friends and fellow aspirants. You can also follow our blog for more updates and tips on UPSC preparation. We wish you all the best for your UPSC Mains 2023 exam. Keep learning and keep growing!
