The UPSC CSE Main examination is subjective in nature. Each paper will be of 3 hours duration, and the answers must be written on paper. The Main examination consists of one essay paper, four General Studies papers and two papers on one optional subject. Also, there are two qualifying papers, English language and regional language. The marks obtained by candidates for the papers I-VII will only be counted for merit ranking.
In Paper I, i.e., essay, the candidate is required to write answers on multiple topics. There are two sections with four essay topics each. One essay from each section must be chosen. The UPSC notification 2022 mentions that the candidates are expected to keep a keen eye on the essay subject to arrange their ideas in order and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
Paper-II of mains is General Studies-I. This paper deals with Indian heritage and culture, history, world physical geography and society. Paper III is General Studies-II, which consists of governance, constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations. Similarly, Paper-IV, i.e., General Studies-III, deals with technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management. The last paper, i.e., General Studies-IV, deals with ethics, integrity, and aptitude.
Paper V, i.e., General studies -IV, includes questions to test candidates’ approach and attitude towards probity, moral values, integrity, problem-solving etc. The questions may have a case study approach to determine these aspects. Paper VI and VII are optional subject papers. The candidate can choose an optional subject from the list of optional subjects mentioned by UPSC. Each optional paper carries a maximum mark of 250.
Weightage of Subjects in UPSC CSE Main Examination
The Main examination of UPSC CSE has 11 important subjects. These subjects have to be given more importance while practising answer writing. The weightage of each subject is given below.
Economy & Agriculture
Economy and agriculture are the most important subjects for UPSC Mains as these subjects carry a weightage of around 80 marks. In the 2020 Mains, 8 questions were asked from economics and agriculture. The total questions asked from the economy in GS 3 of 2020 carried 85 marks. The candidates must focus on the chapters mentioned below.
- Growth, poverty and developmental issues
- Employment
- Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
- Government budgeting
- Agriculture
- LPG reforms, industrial policies and impact on the economy
- Infrastructure
- Investment models
- Intellectual Property Rights(IPRs)
The number of economy questions and total marks in the past 3 years are given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 8 | 100 |
| 2020 | 8 | 85 |
| 2019 | 9 | 105 |
Indian History
Indian history is an important area from which a major share of questions come in UPSC Mains. It is a very vast subject, and it is important to prioritise certain areas for the Mains of UPSC CSE. The subject of Indian history comprises the following topics
- Ancient India
- Mediaeval India
- Modern India
- Topics related to modern Indian history
- Prominent leaders of modern India
- India since independence
- Culture
- World history
The number of Indian history questions and total marks in the past 3 years are given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 6 | 75 |
| 2020 | 6 | 75 |
| 2019 | 5 | 60 |
Polity and Constitution
Indian polity is an important topic in the UPSC Mains GS 2 paper of the Civil Services Examination. The weightage of polity and Constitution for UPSC mains ranges between 90 and 130. Important topics of polity and Constitution are given below
- Indian Constitution
- Union and the states
- Separation of powers
- Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
- Parliament and state legislatures
- Structure, organisation and functioning of the executive and the Judiciary
- Representation of the People Act.
- Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various
- Constitutional bodies.
- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
The number of polity questions in the past 3 years is given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2019 | 12 |
Geography
Geography questions are a part of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-I. Geography is a vast subject; the questions are categorised under physical geography, climate, resources, urbanisation and industrial location. The number of geography questions in the past 3 years and respective marks are given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 8 | 95 |
| 2020 | 8 | 100 |
| 2019 | 8 | 100 |
International Relations
International relations is a key topic in the General Studies Paper-2 in the UPSC Mains exam. Every year, questions worth 50 marks are asked on this topic, making it highly important for securing good marks in this paper. The number of international relations questions in the past 3 years and respective marks are given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 4 | 50 |
| 2020 | 3 | 30 |
| 2019 | 4 | 50 |
Security
Security is an important topic in UPSC Mains GS 3 of the Civil Services Examination (CSE). Questions worth 50 marks are asked every year on this subject. Some important topics of this subject are,
- Development and spread of extremism
- Internal security
- Challenges to internal security
- Border security challenges and terrorism
- Security forces and agencies
The number of security questions in the past 3 years and respective marks are given in the table below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 3 | 40 |
| 2020 | 4 | 50 |
| 2019 | 4 | 50 |
Indian Society
Indian society is an important part of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1. Many questions that are asked in the Mains GS-I paper of the UPSC CSE are directly related to Indian society. The section covers the following topics.
- Indian society and diversity of India.
- Role of women and women’s organisation
- Population and associated issues
- Poverty and developmental issues
- Problems of urbanisation
- Effects of globalisation on Indian society
- Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.
The below table gives an idea of the number of questions asked and weightage given to Indian society in the mains of UPSC CSE.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 6 | 75 |
| 2020 | 6 | 75 |
| 2019 | 6 | 75 |
Social Justice
Social justice is an important topic in the UPSC Mains GS 2 paper of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The weightage of social justice for UPSC CSE Mains ranges between 60 and 80 marks. Some important topics of social justice are given below.
- Government policies and interventions for development
- Development processes and the development industry
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections
- Issues relating to health, education and human resources
- Poverty and hunger
A picture of the weightage of social justice for UPSC CSE can be obtained from the below table, which shows the number of questions and marks from the past three years’ papers.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 4 | 55 |
| 2020 | 6 | 80 |
| 2019 | 5 | 65 |
Science and Technology
Every year science and technology covers around 50 marks in the UPSC CSE mains. The candidates must focus on topics like scientific developments and their applications and effects in everyday life, achievements of Indians in science and technology, IT, space, computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to IPRs. The weightage of science and technology in the past 3 years is given below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 3 | 40 |
| 2020 | 3 | 35 |
| 2019 | 2 | 25 |
Environment and Disaster Management
The weightage of environment and disaster management in UPSC Mains is around 40 marks. The candidates must read topics like conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment etc. The weightage of environment and disaster management in the past 3 years is given below.
| Year | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| 2021 | 3 | 35 |
| 2020 | 4 | 50 |
| 2019 | 4 | 50 |
Governance
Every year, 3 to 5 questions are asked on the topic of governance. The below table gives an idea of the number of questions asked from governance.
| Year | No. of Questions |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 6 |
The aspirants must go through the previous years’ questions to get a clear idea of the types of questions asked in the examination in each subject. The previous questions help to analyse the syllabus for UPSC and the trend of the question paper. Solving previous years’ question papers gives you an idea of your level of preparation. It also helps the candidate to understand the exam pattern better.
