Civil Services Main Examination consists of written examination and interview (personality test).
Civil Services Main Examination consists of following papers divided into 2 categories – qualifying & papers to be counted for merit.
| Qualifying Papers |
| Paper-A |
One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages
included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution
|
| Paper-B |
English |
| Papers to be Counted for Merit |
| Paper-I |
Essay |
| Paper-II |
General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) |
250 |
| Paper-III |
General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) |
250 |
| Paper-IV |
Genera Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment,
Security and Disaster Management) |
250 |
| Paper-V |
General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) |
250 |
| Paper-VI |
Optional Subject – Paper 1 |
250 |
| Paper-VII |
Optional Subject – Paper 2 |
250 |
| Sub Total (Written Test) |
1750 |
| Personality Test |
275 |
| Grand Total |
2025 |
Important Points
- The papers on Indian languages and English (Paper A and paper B) will be of qualifying nature and the marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
- The papers on Indian languages and English (Paper A and paper B) will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard.
- The papers on Essay, General Studies and Optional Subject of only such candidates will be taken cognizance who attain 25% marks in ‘Indian Language’ and 25% in ‘English’ as minimum qualifying standards in these qualifying papers.
- Marks obtained by the candidates for the Paper I-VII only will be counted for merit ranking.
- The question papers for the main examination will be of conventional (essay) type and each paper will be of 3 hour duration.
- Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except the Qualifying Language Papers, Paper-A and Paper-B, in any one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India or in English.
- The question papers (other than the literature of language papers) will be set in Hindi and English only.
- Compensatory time of twenty minutes per hour shall be permitted for the Blind candidates and the candidates with locomotor disability and cerebral palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment) in both the Civil Services (Preliminary) as well as in the Civil Services (Main) Examination.
