Exam · Govt Service · Live
UPSC CSE
Conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and a range of other Group 'A' and Group 'B' Central Services and posts. Figures below describe the CSE 2026 cycle (Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE); the structure has been stable across recent cycles.
- Volume
- 9.3 lakh candidates a year
- Geography
- India
- Syllabus topics
- 314
- Bank
- 14,000+ solved PYQs
- Access
- Exam Pro · ₹99/mo · 3-day trial · includes Explore Pro
Four instruments, one subscription.
- Syllabus map
- Previous year questions, where the bank exists
- Mock tests and weak-area diagnostics
- Five explanations on every question
- Explore Pro included with Exam Pro
How the paper is built.
- Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination
- Civil Services (Main) Examination — Written
- Interview / Personality Test
Negative marking applies ONLY to the two objective Preliminary papers; the Main Examination is entirely descriptive and has no negative marking. In Prelims, each question has four alternatives; for every wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted as a penalty. Marking more than one answer is treated as wrong and attracts the same penalty even if one of the marked answers is correct. A question left blank attracts no penalty. Because all questions in a paper carry equal marks, this works out to: GS Paper I — +2 for a correct answer, −0.667 for a wrong answer (200 marks / 100 questions); CSAT Paper II — +2.5 for a correct answer, −0.833 for a wrong answer (200 marks / 80 questions). The per-question values are arithmetic derivations from the official 'all items carry equal marks' statement, not verbatim notification text; the one-third rule itself is verbatim.
You need to be right on more than 25% of the questions you guess for guessing to add marks — and since a blind pick from four options is exactly 25%, random guessing in Prelims is expected-value-neutral and only starts paying once you can eliminate at least one option.
The calendar, and who can sit it.
- Qualification
- A degree from any University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or from an institution established by an Act of Parliament or deemed a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or an equivalent qualification. Candidates awaiting results, or who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination, may apply — but must produce proof of passing before the Interview/Personality Test. Professional and technical qualifications recognised by Government as equivalent are also accepted; MBBS/BDS/Veterinary candidates must show completion of internship by the interview stage.
- Age
- 21 to 32
- Attempts
- General and EWS: 6 attempts. OBC (eligible for reservation): 9 attempts. SC/ST: unlimited (within the age limit). PwBD: 9 attempts if General/EWS/OBC, unlimited if SC/ST. Appearing in even one paper of the Preliminary Examination counts as an attempt, and a later disqualification or cancellation of candidature does not restore it.
- Nationality
- For IAS, IFS and IPS the candidate must be a citizen of India. For the other services a candidate may also be a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam intending to settle permanently — in these cases a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India is required.
UPSC CSE preparation FAQs
How do I start preparing for UPSC in JupiteX?
Select UPSC in Exam Mode and open Learn. Choose a General Studies paper, then a subject, field and chapter. Open a question and read its explanations. After studying, open Drill for a practice set; return to Today to see your activity and available next steps.
How is the UPSC syllabus organised in JupiteX?
UPSC Learn groups the material under General Studies papers. Within a paper, choose a subject, explore its fields and open a chapter to see its questions. This gives you a route into the material without needing to invent a prompt or search for every concept separately.
Where should I continue my UPSC preparation each day?
Open Today and look for Continue Learning to return to an in-progress chapter. The same screen brings together practice activity, current affairs and weak areas. If you have not started a chapter yet, open Learn from the menu and choose your first subject.
What should I do if I do not understand a UPSC explanation?
Open the question's reader and compare the available AI responses. Each approaches the same question through a different reasoning style. Read another response, then explain the concept in your own words before moving to the next question. You do not need to write a new prompt.
How do I create a UPSC practice set in JupiteX?
Open Drill, choose the set length and select Timed or Open book mode. Adjust the GS Paper mix to decide which papers to practise, then start the set. Use Open book when you want time to understand explanations and Timed when you want practice with a clock.
How does JupiteX help me work on weak UPSC topics?
After you have attempted graded questions, check Weak areas on Today. Select a listed topic to open a drill focused on it. The You screen also shows performance by paper and can offer a recovery plan when there is enough practice data.
Where can I study UPSC current affairs in JupiteX?
Open Pulse from the UPSC menu and choose a story. Its detail page brings together the news brief and available AI responses, with related Prelims or Mains practice where provided. You can also open current-affairs stories directly from Today.
How do I use the UPSC PYQ Vault?
Open PYQ Vault and search for a topic or phrase. Read a question, draft your response and select reveal answer when a model answer is available. Check each entry's attribution: the current vault includes assembled Mains practice material and should not be treated as a complete archive of official papers.
Where do I take UPSC mock tests in JupiteX?
Open Mock Papers from the UPSC menu, or use the full mock paper option inside Drill. Choose an available paper, read its brief and start the test. Review the report after submission before choosing another paper or returning to topic practice.
How do I know which UPSC topics need revision?
Look for Due for review on Today and open it to see the topics currently scheduled for revision. Select a topic to practise it again. This review list is separate from browsing Learn, so you can revisit earlier work without searching through the syllabus yourself.
Can I save UPSC questions to revisit later?
Yes. Open a Learn question and use its bookmark control. Return to Saved in the UPSC menu to find your saved material. This is useful for explanations you want to revisit or questions you want to discuss alongside your other study resources.
Where can I track my UPSC preparation in JupiteX?
Open You to see your recorded activity, questions attempted, streak and accuracy, including a breakdown by paper. Use the weaker-paper section to decide what to practise next. Today provides a shorter overview when you just want to begin your next session.