UPSC Prelims

Monk welcomes you to ‘Prelims Specific preparation’ for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).

Prelims Specific Updates 🔔


Currently, there is no any prelims specific update.

Learn about UPSC Prelims Exam


What’s Prelims all about?

Basic Understanding of UPSC Prelims

If you preparaing for UPSC CSE, you’re probably came across different dailogues:

  • “Prelims marks don’t get counted in final list.”
  • “Prelims is just an eliminator, real game lies in mains!”
  • “Prelims difficulty is increasing day by day.”
  • “How to clear Prelims yaar? This is my fourth attempt!”

First two thoughts emphasizes on prelims more and other two thoughts talks about increasing difficulty in prelims exam. As a result many people can’t even qualifying prelims. Out of 10-11 lakh applicants, only around 30 thousand qualify the prelims and then write Mains exam.

“Prelims is just an eliminator. But if you don’t make it, you’re on same page a year before.”

-Prelims failed aspirant

About UPSC Prelims Paper

  • Both the question papers are objective (MCQs) format.
  • The General Studies Paper-2 of the Civil Services Prelims Exam is a qualifying paper with a minimum of 66 marks (fixed at 33%).
  • The UPSC Prelims question papers are set both in Hindi and English medium.

Note: It is compulsory for the candidate to appear in both the Papers of the Prelim Exam for the purpose of evaluation. Thus, a candidate will be disqualified in case he/she does not appear in both papers. (But remember, you’re attempt will be counted next year)

Prelims Paper Format

GS Paper Format

Max. Marks : 200 Marks
No. of Questions: 100 Questions
Duration : Two hours 
Nature : Objective (MCQs Type)
Negative Marking : Yes. (Minus 0.6666666667)

CSAT Paper Format

Max. Marks : 200 Marks
No. of Questions: 80 Questions
Duration : Two hours
Nature : Objective (MCQs Type)
Negative Marking : Yes. (Minus 0.83333333333)

Increasing difficulty in Prelims?

Why Prelims is more difficult than ever?

Why this is happening?

We live in age of information, and due to this many people including college students knows about UPSC CSE. Many working people who want to upgrade job profile. This result into many people chasing for too few jobs(around 1000 posts every year.) At the same time the number of vacancies is decreasing consistently.

  • It increases tough competition.
  • It forces UPSC to eliminate some candidates.

That’s why, UPSC is designing difficult prelims paper. In addition, the board mebers adds few uncertainty quetions format every year. Making it complex for old and new aspirants.

If you’re in exam hall and you face such difficulty, you lose your mind. You start panicking and as a consequence you attempt some wrong and you didn’t manage time effectively.

This kind of uncertainty of GS Paper 1 have impact on CSAT Paper. And as a result, many couldn’t even score 66 marks(qualifying paper).

Yes, you heard right!

Even if you all are well prepared, the only way to disqualify candidates is by setting up ‘Cut Off Marks’. It means, even if all candidates are equally capable of serving as civil servants, only some candidates who cross the cut off line will be given chance to write for mains exam.

Side note:

Treat your competitors with respect and have competitive spirit likes a good sport person! Winning not everything in life.

But that being said, many people clears prelims every year. Some people qualify by large margin and some toppers like Junaid Ahmad, Shrusthi Deshmukh qualified even with small margin.

Why should you equally prepare for the prelims exam? 

How to Prepare for Prelims?

How to prepare for Prelims Exam?

In order to qualify for the preliminary stage you need to score more than your competitor or score very high. This can be achieved by Studying smartly, solving PYQ, giving more Mock Tests, analysing it, going back to main sources, revising again and again!

Don’t worry, we’ll go forward step by step.

Strategy 1: Integrated Prelims preparation from beginning!

Strategy 2: Prelims Specific Preparation, 3 months before prelims! ==> GS Strategy + CSAT Strategy

UPSC Prelims Basics


Prelims Syllabus


Dissection of Prelims Syllabus


Prelims Booklist 📚


Prelims PYQs


Prelims PYQs Analysis

General Studies (GS)


Prelims Strategy?


Best Strategy for Prelims?


Areas that can boost Prelims Marks


Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)


CSAT Strategy


Most repeated questions in CSAT in UPSC Prelims.


Prelims Mocks & Exam Phase


Prelims last 100 day? What to do?


Can I clear prelims in 3 months?


Things to do before Prelims Exam?


Prelim D-Day Checklist


Psychological Mindset during Prelims Exam


What to do after Prelims Exam?

FAQs

What is UPSC Prelims exam pattern?

What are UPSC Prelims Subjects?

What is UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Date and Time?

What is UPSC CSE Application Registeation Date?

Will my attempt count if I filled in the form but didn’t give the exam?

No. 

What is the medium of the Prelims Exam?

The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. 

Is there a negative marking for the Prelims Exam?

Yes. ⅓ rd Negative Marking of the marks assigned to that question 

Is there similar negative marking in both the papers of the Prelims exam?

Yes. Its ⅓ rd a Negative Marking of assigned marks but in absolute terms -0.6666666667 marks in GS Paper 1 and -0.8333333333 marks in CSAT Paper 2

What happens if I mark two or three options?

As per UPSC, it will be treated as a wrong answer and there will be ⅓ rd Negative Marking.

What happens, if a question is left blank?

There will be no penalty for that question. You will be allotted Zero (No)marks.

What is the schedule of the CSAT Paper in the Prelims Exam? 

Generally, GS Paper is scheduled in the morning shift (from 9:30 am to 11:30 am) and CSAT paper is conducted in the Afternoon session (from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm) on the exam day.

FAQ Sources: UPSC CSE Official Notification

Read more

Book’s to Buy

Essential Books

10 Yearwise Solved Papers

A

By Disha Publication

Suggestion: Must Have

The Answer Writing Manual

A

By Disha Publication

Suggestion: Must Have

Books written by Toppers

Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing

A step-by-step Guide to help you ace the UPSC Mains Exam

By Anudeep Durishetty

Suggestion: Must Have

The Answer Writing Manual

For UPSC Civil Services & State PSC Examinations

By Shrusthi Deshmukh

Suggestion: Must Have

What I Wish I Had Known Before Starting UPSC Preparation

A step-by-step Guide to help you ace the UPSC Mains Exam

By Suyash Chavan

Suggestion: Must Have

HOW I TOPPED THE UPSC AND HOW YOU CAN TOO :

What It Really Takes to Crack the World’s Toughest Exam

By Gamini Singla

Suggestion: Must Have