Syllabus
UPSC Civil Services Examination – Official Syllabus
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is a nationwide competitive examination for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ Central Services.
Structure of the Civil Services Examination
- Stage I – Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Objective type)
- Stage II – Civil Services Main Examination (Written descriptive)
- Stage III – Personality Test (Interview)
Stage I – Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is a screening test for selection of candidates for the Main Examination.
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and Indian National Movement
- Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
- Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives
- Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change (general issues)
- General Science
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (Class X level)
- Data interpretation
Note: Paper II is qualifying in nature with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
Stage II – Main Examination
The Main Examination is designed to assess the candidate’s overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding.
- Paper A – Indian Language (300 Marks)
- Paper B – English (300 Marks)
- Essays on multiple topics of national and international relevance
- Assessment of clarity of thought, coherence, and expression
- Indian Heritage and Culture
- History and Geography of the World and Society
- Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
- Indian Economy, Agriculture, Science & Technology
- Environment, Disaster Management, Internal Security
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
- Case studies on ethical issues
- One optional subject selected by the candidate
- Two papers of 250 marks each
Stage III – Personality Test (Interview)
- Total Marks: 275
- Assessment of mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation
- Clear and logical exposition
- Balance of judgement and social traits
- Leadership qualities and moral integrity
MPPSC State Service Examination – Complete Syllabus
The State Service Examination conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) is a competitive examination for recruitment to various Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts in the administrative services of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Structure of MPPSC State Service Examination
- Stage I – Preliminary Examination (Objective type)
- Stage II – Main Examination (Written descriptive)
- Stage III – Interview (Personality Test)
Stage I – Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is a screening test for selection of candidates for the Main Examination.
- Indian History, Culture and Literature
- History of Madhya Pradesh and Indian National Movement
- Geography of India and Madhya Pradesh
- Indian Polity and Governance
- Indian Economy and Economy of Madhya Pradesh
- General Science and Environment
- Current Affairs of National and Madhya Pradesh Importance
- General Mental Ability
- Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability
- Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
- General Hindi (Grammar & Usage)
- General English (Basic comprehension)
Stage II – Main Examination
The Main Examination is designed to assess the candidate’s academic depth, analytical ability, and understanding of administrative issues related to Madhya Pradesh and India.
- Indian History and Culture
- History of Madhya Pradesh
- Indian National Movement
- Indian Constitution and Political System
- Public Administration and Governance
- Social Justice and Welfare Schemes
- Science & Technology
- Indian Economy and Planning
- Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
- Case Studies on Ethical Issues
- Philosophy, Psychology and Public Ethics
- Essay
- Grammar and Vocabulary
- Comprehension and Precis
- Essay writing
- Official and informal letters
Stage III – Interview (Personality Test)
- Total Marks: 175
- Assessment of personality traits and leadership qualities
- Knowledge of Madhya Pradesh administration and society
- Decision-making ability and ethical integrity
NDA & Naval Academy Examination – Complete Syllabus
The National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy.
Structure of the NDA Examination
- Written Examination (Objective type)
- SSB Interview (Intelligence & Personality Test)
Written Examination
The written examination consists of two objective-type papers. Both papers are conducted on the same day.
- Algebra
- Matrices and Determinants
- Trigonometry
- Analytical Geometry (2D & 3D)
- Differential Calculus
- Integral Calculus
- Differential Equations
- Vector Algebra
- Statistics and Probability
- English (200 Marks)
- Grammar and Usage
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Spotting Errors & Sentence Improvement
- General Knowledge (400 Marks)
- Physics
- Chemistry
- General Science
- History (Freedom Movement emphasis)
- Geography (Physical & Indian)
- Current Events
SSB Interview (Intelligence & Personality Test)
Candidates who qualify the written examination are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview conducted in two stages.
- Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test
- Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT)
- Psychological Tests (TAT, WAT, SRT, SD)
- Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks
- Personal Interview
- Conference
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination – Complete Syllabus
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
Structure of the CDS Examination
- Written Examination (Objective type)
- SSB Interview (Intelligence & Personality Test)
Written Examination
The written examination consists of objective-type papers. The number of papers varies according to the academy applied for.
| Academy | Papers | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| IMA / INA / AFA | English, General Knowledge, Mathematics | 300 |
| OTA | English, General Knowledge | 200 |
Paper I – English (100 Marks)
- Grammar and Usage
- Vocabulary
- Sentence Improvement
- Spotting Errors
- Ordering of Words and Sentences
- Comprehension Passages
- Synonyms and Antonyms
Paper II – General Knowledge (100 Marks)
- Current Affairs: National & International events
- History: Ancient, Medieval, Modern (Freedom Movement focus)
- Geography: Physical, Indian & World Geography
- Polity: Constitution, Governance, Political System
- Economy: Basic economic concepts
- General Science: Physics, Chemistry, Biology (up to Class X level)
- Defence & Security Awareness
Paper III – Elementary Mathematics (100 Marks)
(For IMA, INA and AFA only)
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Trigonometry
- Geometry
- Mensuration
- Statistics
SSB Interview (Intelligence & Personality Test)
Candidates who qualify the written examination are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview.
- Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test
- Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT)
- Psychological Tests (TAT, WAT, SRT, SD)
- Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks
- Personal Interview
- Conference
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) – Complete Syllabus
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts various competitive examinations such as SSC CGL, CHSL, CPO, MTS, GD Constable, etc., for recruitment to Group ‘B’ and Group ‘C’ posts in various Ministries, Departments and Organisations of the Government of India.
SSC Examination Structure (General Pattern)
- Tier I – Computer Based Test (Objective)
- Tier II – Computer Based Test (Advanced / Descriptive / Skill based)
- Physical Test / Skill Test (wherever applicable)
Tier I – Common Syllabus (Applicable to CGL, CHSL, CPO, MTS, GD)
Tier I is a screening stage and tests basic aptitude, reasoning, awareness and language skills.
- Analogies
- Similarities and Differences
- Space Visualization
- Problem Solving
- Judgement and Decision Making
- Visual Memory
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Number System
- LCM and HCF
- Percentage
- Ratio and Proportion
- Average
- Profit and Loss
- Simple & Compound Interest
- Time and Work
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Mensuration
- Algebra
- Geometry and Trigonometry (basic)
- Data Interpretation
- History
- Geography
- Indian Polity
- Indian Economy
- General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
- Current Affairs (National & International)
- Static GK
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Sentence Structure
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Comprehension Passages
- Error Detection
- Fill in the Blanks
Tier II – Advanced / Post-Specific Papers
Tier II varies according to the examination and post applied for.
| Exam | Tier II / Further Stages |
|---|---|
| SSC CGL | Advanced Quantitative Aptitude, English, Statistics, General Studies (Finance & Economics) |
| SSC CHSL | Descriptive Paper + Skill Test (Typing/Data Entry) |
| SSC CPO | Paper II (English) + Physical Endurance Test |
| SSC MTS | CBT + Physical Efficiency Test (for Havaldar) |
| SSC GD | CBT + Physical Standard Test + Medical Examination |
Skill Test / Physical Test (Where Applicable)
- Typing Test (CHSL, CGL – certain posts)
- Data Entry Skill Test
- Physical Efficiency Test (CPO, GD, MTS – Havaldar)
- Medical Examination
CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) – Complete Recruitment Syllabus
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India’s largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), responsible for internal security, counter-insurgency, law & order, and anti-terrorism operations. Recruitment to CRPF is conducted through UPSC and SSC at different ranks.
CRPF Recruitment Examinations
- Assistant Commandant (AC) – through UPSC CAPF Examination
- Sub-Inspector (SI) / Head Constable – through SSC & CRPF recruitment
- Constable (GD / Tradesman / Technical) – through SSC GD / CRPF notifications
CRPF Assistant Commandant (UPSC CAPF – AC)
Officer-level recruitment for CRPF conducted by UPSC.
- General Mental Ability
- Current Events of National & International Importance
- Indian Polity and Constitution
- Indian Economy
- History of India
- Indian and World Geography
- General Science
- Internal Security, Terrorism & Border Management
- Essay on security, social, political and economic issues
- Comprehension passages
- Precis writing
- Report writing
CRPF Sub-Inspector / Head Constable (SSC / Departmental)
- General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Quantitative Aptitude
- General Awareness
- English / Hindi Language
- Physical Standard Test (Height, Chest, Weight)
- Physical Efficiency Test (Running, Long Jump, High Jump)
CRPF Constable (GD / Tradesman / Technical)
- General Intelligence & Reasoning
- General Knowledge & Awareness
- Elementary Mathematics
- Hindi / English
- Physical Efficiency Test (PET)
- Physical Standard Test (PST)
- Medical Examination
Interview / Personality Test (Officer Level)
- Leadership and command ability
- Decision-making under stress
- Knowledge of internal security challenges
- Ethical integrity and discipline