UPSC, HCS, RAS, GPSC and UPPCS Syllabus: Exam Pattern and Comparison

This page sets out the official syllabus and examination pattern of five civil services examinations in one place: the UPSC Civil Services Examination, HCS (Haryana), RAS (Rajasthan), GPSC (Gujarat) and UPPCS (Uttar Pradesh). Each exam's section covers its stages, every Prelims and Mains paper, the interview and the state-specific topics. A comparison after the five sections shows what they share and where they differ.

How this page was prepared. Every syllabus is taken from the conducting commission's own notice, advertisement or gazette notification, and the topic lists keep the commission's wording. Each section names its documents and links to them. Anything that could not be checked against an official document is marked Not independently verified. Commissions revise their schemes, so always confirm with the latest official notice before you apply.

Last verified: 11 November 2026.

Quick Facts

ExamConducting bodyStagesMarks counted for final meritSyllabus followed hereUPSC CSE | Union Public Service Commission | Prelims (2 papers, screening) → Mains (9 papers, 7 counted) → Personality Test | 2,025 (Mains 1,750 + interview 275) | Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, 4 February 2026
HCS | Haryana Public Service Commission | Prelims (2 papers, screening) → Mains (6 papers) → Personality Test | 675 (Mains 600 + interview 75) | Haryana Amendment Rules of 29 December 2025, syllabus notification of 7 January 2026, Advt. No. 22/2026
RAS | Rajasthan Public Service Commission | Prelims (1 paper, screening) → Mains (4 papers) → Interview | 900 (Mains 800 + interview 100) | Scheme and syllabus of 9 January 2026, Advt. No. 02/Exam/RAS&RTS/RPSC/EP-I/2026-27
GPSC | Gujarat Public Service Commission | Prelims (1 paper, screening) → Mains (7 papers, 5 counted) → Personality Test | 1,400 (Mains 1,250 + interview 150) | Advt. No. 05/2026-27 and the Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2025
UPPCS | Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission | Prelims (2 papers, screening) → Mains (8 papers) → Interview | 1,600 (Mains 1,500 + interview 100) | Advt. No. A-1/E-1/2026, 25 June 2026

1. UPSC Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE)

UPSC CSE Exam Overview

Conducting body: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), New Delhi.
Latest official basis: Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 4 February 2026 (Civil Services Examination, 2026). It follows the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2026, published by the Department of Personnel & Training in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 4 February 2026. The syllabus is in Appendix I of the notice.
Services and posts filled (CSE 2026 notice):
- Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Foreign Service
- Indian Police Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Corporate Law Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Defence Estates Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Information Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Postal Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Management Service (Traffic), Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Management Service (Personnel), Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Management Service (Accounts), Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes), Group 'A'
- Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), Group 'A'
- Indian Trade Service, Group 'A' (Grade III)
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group 'B' (Section Officer's Grade)
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS), Group 'B'
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS), Group 'B'
- Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group 'B'
- Pondicherry Police Service (PONDIPS), Group 'B'
Vacancies (CSE 2026): about 933, including 33 reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability. The notice says the final number may change.
Stages: two successive stages.
1. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination: objective type, a screening test for the Main Examination.
2. Civil Services (Main) Examination: a written examination and an Interview/Personality Test.
Eligibility (CSE 2026 notice): a graduate degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification. Age at least 21 and under 32 on 1 August 2026 (born not earlier than 2 August 1994 and not later than 1 August 2005), with upper age relaxations for listed categories. Six attempts for general candidates, with more for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates.

UPSC CSE Examination Pattern

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

The number of questions is printed on the 2026 question booklets, which say all questions carry equal marks. The notice itself does not fix the number of questions.
More than one answer to a question counts as a wrong answer. A question left blank carries no penalty.
Candidates must appear in both papers. A candidate who misses either paper is disqualified.
The question papers are set in Hindi and English.
Calculators are not allowed in objective type papers.
About twelve to thirteen times the number of vacancies are admitted to the Main Examination.

Stage 2: Main Examination (written)

Papers A and B are of Matriculation or equivalent standard. Their marks are not counted for ranking.
Papers I to VII of a candidate are taken into account only if the candidate gets 25% in Paper A and 25% in Paper B.
Paper A is not compulsory for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. It is also not compulsory for candidates with benchmark disability (hearing impairment sub-category only) who were exempted from second or third language courses by their Board or University.
The Commission may fix qualifying marks in any or all of Papers I to VII.
Question papers (other than literature papers) are set in Hindi and English. Candidates may answer Papers I to VII in English or in any one language of the Eighth Schedule. A candidate who writes Papers I to V in an Indian language may still write the Optional papers in English.
Scientific (non-programmable) calculators are allowed in conventional (essay) type papers.

Stage 2: Interview / Personality Test

PartMarksQualifying or countedInterview / Personality Test | 275 | Counted for merit. No minimum qualifying marks.

About twice as many candidates as vacancies are called for the Interview/Personality Test.

Total marks and final merit

ComponentMarksWritten examination (Papers I to VII) | 1750
Interview / Personality Test | 275
Grand total | 2025

The final ranking is based on marks in the Main Examination (written Papers I to VII plus the Interview/Personality Test). Preliminary Examination marks are not counted.
Services are allotted by rank and the preferences the candidate gives.
Tie-breaking (CSE 2026 notice): if final marks are equal, the candidate with more marks in the compulsory papers (Essay, General Studies I to IV) and the Personality Test together ranks higher. If still equal, the candidate with more marks in the compulsory papers alone ranks higher. If still equal, the candidate senior in age ranks higher. Any remaining tie is resolved at the Commission's discretion.

UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Studies Paper I (200 marks, two hours)

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, etc.
Economic and Social Development: Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.
General Science.

General Studies Paper II (CSAT) (200 marks, two hours)

Comprehension.
Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
Decision making and problem solving.
General mental ability.
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level).

Notes from the notice:

Paper II is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
The questions are of multiple choice, objective type.
It is mandatory to appear in both papers for the purpose of evaluation.
"CSAT" (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is the common name for Paper II. The notice calls it General Studies Paper-II.

UPSC CSE Mains Examination Syllabus

The notice opens the Main Examination syllabus with these points:

The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.
The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate's general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate's basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers.
The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) is broadly of the honours degree level, i.e. a level higher than the bachelors' degree and lower than the masters' degree. In the case of Engineering, Medical Science and Law, the level corresponds to the bachelors' degree.

Paper A: Indian Language (qualifying, 300 marks)

The aim of the paper is to test the candidates' ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language concerned.

The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:

Comprehension of given passages.
Precis Writing.
Usage and Vocabulary.
Short Essays.
Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.

Languages (Eighth Schedule) and scripts:

Assamese (Assamese), Bengali (Bengali), Gujarati (Gujarati), Hindi (Devanagari), Kannada (Kannada), Kashmiri (Persian), Konkani (Devanagari), Malayalam (Malayalam), Manipuri (Bengali or Meitei Mayek), Marathi (Devanagari), Nepali (Devanagari), Odia (Odia), Punjabi (Gurumukhi), Sanskrit (Devanagari), Sindhi (Devanagari or Arabic), Tamil (Tamil), Telugu (Telugu), Urdu (Persian), Bodo (Devanagari), Dogri (Devanagari), Maithili (Devanagari), Santhali (Devanagari or Olchiki).
- For Santhali, the question paper is printed in Devanagari; candidates may answer in Devanagari or Olchiki.
- For Manipuri, the question paper is printed in Bengali script; candidates may answer in Bengali or Meitei Mayek script.

Paper B: English (qualifying, 300 marks)

The aim of the paper is the same as for Paper A. The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:

Comprehension of given passages.
Precis Writing.
Usage and Vocabulary.
Short Essays.

Notes from the notice:

The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translation is involved).

Paper I: Essay (250 marks)

Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay, to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

Paper II: General Studies I (250 marks)

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.

Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present: significant events, personalities, issues.
The Freedom Struggle: its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.: their forms and effect on the society.
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Effects of globalization on Indian society.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Salient features of world's physical geography.
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location; changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Paper III: General Studies II (250 marks)

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.

Indian Constitution: historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
Parliament and State legislatures: structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary: Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Development processes and the development industry: the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance: applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
India and its neighborhood: relations.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.
Important International institutions, agencies and fora: their structure, mandate.

Paper IV: General Studies III (250 marks)

Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.

Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government Budgeting.
Major crops; cropping patterns in various parts of the country; different types of irrigation and irrigation systems; storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System: objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Food processing and related industries in India: scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land reforms in India.
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Investment models.
Science and Technology: developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Disaster and disaster management.
Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper V: General Studies IV (250 marks)

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude.

This paper will include questions to test the candidates' attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered:

Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values: lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
Emotional intelligence: concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen's Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Case Studies on above issues.

Papers VI and VII: Optional Subject Papers 1 and 2 (250 marks each)

Candidates choose any one optional subject from the official list (see "UPSC CSE Optional Subjects" below). Each subject has two papers.
The detailed syllabus of each subject is in the notice, Appendix I, Section III, Part B. It is not reproduced here.

UPSC CSE Optional Subjects

Candidates choose one subject from this official list (CSE 2026 notice, Appendix I, Section II (B), para 2):

Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Management
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

Rules from the notice:

The full two-paper syllabus of every subject above is in the official notice: Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (PDF), Appendix I, Section III, Part B.
The optional subject, the medium of the Main Examination, the medium for the optional papers and the compulsory Indian language are chosen in the Exam Specific Form. No request to change them is entertained after the form is submitted.
In the literature papers, a candidate may be required to answer some or all of the questions in the language concerned. Other questions are answered in the medium chosen for the Essay, General Studies and Optional papers. The scripts are those listed for Paper A.

UPSC CSE Interview / Personality Test

Marks: 275, with no minimum qualifying marks. The marks are added to the written marks for the final ranking.
Who is called: candidates who reach the minimum qualifying marks the Commission fixes for the written part of the Main Examination; about twice the number of vacancies.

What the notice says it assesses:

The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of the candidate's career. The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the Interview/Personality Test is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs.
Some of the qualities to be judged are:
- mental alertness;
- critical powers of assimilation;
- clear and logical exposition;
- balance of judgement;
- variety and depth of interest;
- ability for social cohesion and leadership;
- intellectual and moral integrity.
The technique of the Interview/Personality Test is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
The Interview/Personality Test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own State or Country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth.

UPSC CSE State-Specific General Knowledge

None. The Civil Services Examination is a national examination for All India Services and Central Services, so its syllabus has no section on the general knowledge of any one State.
The only State-linked elements in the official scheme are:
- Main Examination, Paper A: the candidate chooses one Indian language of the Eighth Schedule. It is not compulsory for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
- Interview/Personality Test: candidates are expected to take an interest in events "both within and outside their own State or Country".
The General Studies papers refer to India and the States as a whole (for example, "Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States" in General Studies II, and "Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States"), not to any particular State.

UPSC CSE Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

Latest applicable syllabus (as of 11 November 2026): Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE of 4 February 2026. The CSE 2027 notice is not out yet. UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (as on 20 May 2026) lists the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2027 for notification on 13 January 2027 (applications by 2 February 2027, examination on 23 May 2027) and the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2027 from 20 August 2027. The calendar says these dates may change.
Syllabus unchanged from CSE 2025: a comparison of Appendix I of the CSE 2026 notice with the CSE 2025 notice (22 January 2025) shows the same Preliminary syllabus, Main Examination scheme, language papers, Essay, General Studies I to IV and Interview text. In the optional subject syllabi, the 2026 notice only corrects spellings (for example "phosphorus", "Genetically", "herd immunity"); no topic was added or removed. Source: both notices on upsc.gov.in.
Tie-breaking principle added (CSE 2026 notice, 4 February 2026): Appendix I, Section I, para 4.3 now sets how equal final marks are resolved (see the pattern section above). The CSE 2025 notice did not contain it.
New restrictions for candidates already allocated a service (CSE 2026 notice, 4 February 2026): para 3(V)(3) sets conditions for a candidate allocated to the Indian Police Service or a Central Service Group 'A' through CSE 2026 to sit CSE 2027, and bars such candidates from CSE 2028 onwards unless they resign. Candidates allocated a service through CSE 2025 or earlier get a one-time chance at CSE 2026 or CSE 2027 without resigning. The number of attempts is now also subject to Rule 12 of the CSE Rules, 2026. These rules were not in the CSE 2025 notice.
Face authentication (CSE 2026 notice, 4 February 2026): all candidates must undergo face authentication at the examination venue. This was not in the CSE 2025 notice.
CSE 2026 progress: the Preliminary Examination was held on 24 May 2026; its result was published on 15 June 2026. The Main Examination written result (roll numbers) was published on 5 November 2026. Source: the CSE 2026 pages on upsc.gov.in.
Layout of this section: the topic lists keep the Commission's wording. Punctuation and layout are lightly normalised (dashes that introduce lists shown as colons, UPSC's numbering shown as bullets), and a few typographical slips in the notice are corrected (for example "mobilization, of resources", "scope' and significance", "Ethics in-human actions", "weaker-sections").

UPSC CSE Official Sources and Verification

Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, Civil Services Examination, 2026 (English PDF, 159 pages): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CSP-2026-Engl-060226Rev.pdf. The full notice, including the plan of examination, the scheme, the syllabus of every paper and every optional subject (Appendix I). HTTP 200 on 11 November 2026.
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 page: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/Civil%20Services%20%28Preliminary%29%20Examination%2C%202026. Notification date, examination date, question papers and result. HTTP 200.
Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 page: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/Civil%20Services%20%28Main%29%20Examination%2C%202026. Time table, question papers and written result. HTTP 200.
Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 written result (roll list, 5 November 2026): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/WR-CSM-2026-Engl-RollList-05112026.pdf. HTTP 200.
Annual Calendar 2027 (as on 20 May 2026): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Calendar-Year-2027-Engl-200526.pdf. Planned dates for CSE 2027. HTTP 200.
UPSC examination calendar page: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/exam-calendar. HTTP 200.
UPSC active examinations page: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/active-exams. HTTP 200.
UPSC forthcoming examinations page: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/forthcoming-exams. No CSE 2027 entry on 11 November 2026. HTTP 200.
Examination Notice, Civil Services Examination, 2025 (22 January 2025, English PDF): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CSP-2025-Engl-220125.pdf. Used only to compare with the 2026 notice. HTTP 200.
CSE 2026 Preliminary question booklets (General Studies Paper I and Paper II): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP_CSP_2026_GENERAL_STUDIES_PAPER-I_25052026.pdf and https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP_CSP_2026_GENERAL_STUDIES_PAPER-II_25052026.pdf. Their covers give 100 and 80 questions. HTTP 200.
UPSC home page: https://upsc.gov.in/ (HTTP 307 redirect to https://www.upsc.gov.in, which returns 200).

Last verified: 11 November 2026

Not independently verified: that the Preliminary papers will again have 100 (Paper I) and 80 (Paper II) questions in a later year. These numbers are printed on the covers of the official 2026 question booklets (checked on 11 November 2026), but the notice does not fix them.
Not independently verified: the dates for CSE 2027 come from the Annual Calendar 2027, which says they may change. The CSE 2027 notice and its syllabus were not published on 11 November 2026.

2. Haryana Civil Services (Executive Branch) and Allied Services Examination (HCS)

HCS Exam Overview

Conducting body: Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Panchkula.
Posts filled: HCS (Executive Branch) and other Allied Services. The latest advertisement (No. 22/2026, 30 January 2026) covered 102 posts: HCS (Executive Branch), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO), District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies (ARCS), District Food and Supplies Officer (DFSO), Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (AETO), Traffic Manager (TM), 'A' Class Tehsildar (Apprentice) and 'A' Class Naib Tehsildar (Apprentice). HCS (Executive Branch) posts are Group A; the Allied Services posts are Group B.
Stages: three successive stages: (A) Preliminary Examination (for screening only), (B) Main Written Examination, (C) Personality Test / Viva-voce.
Eligibility (Advertisement No. 22/2026): a degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Commerce, or an equivalent degree of a recognised University. Age 18 to 42 years on 1 January 2026 (18 to 27 years for DSP), with relaxations as listed in the advertisement and its corrigendum of 5 February 2026.

HCS Examination Pattern

The scheme below is from the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Amendment Rules, 2025 (notified 29 December 2025) and HPSC Advertisement No. 22/2026.

Stage A: Preliminary Examination (for screening only), total 200 marks

Each question has five options (A, B, C, D and E). A candidate not attempting a question must darken E. If no circle is darkened, 0.25 mark is deducted. More than one answer counts as a wrong answer.
A candidate who does not darken any of the five circles in more than 10% of questions is disqualified.
Candidates twelve times the number of advertised vacancies (including bracketed candidates) are admitted to the Main Examination, in order of merit in Paper I.
Preliminary marks are not counted towards final selection.

Stage B: Main Written Examination, total 600 marks

To be called for the Personality Test, a candidate needs 45% marks in the aggregate of all written papers and at least 33% each in English and Hindi. Where enough candidates with benchmark disabilities are not available, the Commission may lower the 45% limit to 35%.
Answers may be written in Hindi or English, except in the language papers. A General Studies paper may not be answered partly in Hindi and partly in English. Papers other than the Hindi language papers are set bilingually (English and Hindi).

Stage C: Personality Test / Viva-voce, 75 marks

StageTypeMarksQualifying or countedPersonality Test / Viva-voce | Interview by a Board | 75 | Counted

Candidates three times the number of advertised posts (including bracketed candidates) are called, in order of merit in the Main Written Examination.

Total marks for merit: 675 (Main Written Examination 600 + Personality Test 75).

Final merit basis: the merit list is prepared on the total marks in the Main Written Examination and the Personality Test / Viva-voce (out of 675), keeping in view the preference of services exercised by the candidates. If totals are equal, the candidate with higher marks in the Main Written Examination papers ranks higher; if those are also equal, the older candidate ranks higher.

HCS Preliminary Examination Syllabus

Source: Haryana Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Personnel Department notification No. 42/1/2018-5SII, 7 January 2026.

General Studies (Paper I)

General Science.
Current events of national and international importance.
History of India and Indian National Movement.
Indian and World Geography.
Indian Culture, Indian Polity and Indian Economy.
General Mental Ability.
Haryana-Economy and people. Social, economic and culture institutions and language of Haryana.

Notes in the gazette on the scope of these topics:

Questions on General Science will cover general appreciation and understanding of science including matters of everyday observation and experience, as may be expected of a well educated person who has not made a special study of any particular scientific discipline.
In current events, knowledge of significant national and international events will be tested.
In History of India, emphasis will be on broad general understanding of the subject in its social, economic and political aspects. Questions on the Indian National Movement will relate to the nature and character of the nineteenth century resurgence, growth of nationalism and attainment of Independence.
In Geography, emphasis will be on Geography of India. Questions on the Geography of India will relate to physical, social and economic Geography of the country, including the main features of Indian agricultural and natural resources.
Questions on Indian Polity and Economy will test knowledge on the country's political system and Constitution of India. Panchayati Raj, social systems and economic developments in India.
On general mental ability, the candidates will be tested on reasoning and analytical abilities.

Civil Services Aptitude Test (Paper II)

Comprehension.
Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
Decision making and problem solving.
General mental ability.
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, order of magnitude, etc.-Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X-level).

HCS Mains Examination Syllabus

Source: Haryana Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Personnel Department notification No. 42/1/2018-5SII, 7 January 2026. Under the rules, the Main Written Examination is of graduate level.

English and English Essay (Paper I)

The aim of the paper is to test the candidate's ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express his ideas clearly and correctly in English.

The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:

English
- (i) Precis Writing.
- (ii) Comprehension of given passages.
- (iii) Essay.
- (iv) Usage and Vocabulary.
- (v) General Grammar/Composition.
Essay
- Candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective, and exact expression.

Hindi and Hindi Essay (Paper II, in Devnagri script)

(i) Translation of English passage into Hindi.
(ii) Letter/Precis writing.
(iii) Explanation of Hindi passage (prose and poetry) in the same language.
(iv) Composition (idioms, correction etc.).
(v) Essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given.

General Studies-I (Paper III)

Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Effects of globalization on Indian society.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Salient features of world's physical geography.
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Related issues of Haryana.

General Studies-II (Paper IV)

Indian Constitution-historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
Parliament and State legislatures-structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
India and its neighborhood- relations.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.
Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Related issues of Haryana.

General Studies-III (Paper V)

Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government Budgeting.
Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land reforms in India.
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Investment models.
Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Disaster and disaster management.
Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
Related issues of Haryana.

General Studies-IV (Paper VI): Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

This paper will include questions to test the candidates' attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered:
- Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
- Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
- Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
- Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
- Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
- Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
- Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen's Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
- Case Studies on above issues.

HCS Optional Subjects

There is no optional subject under the current scheme. The Main Written Examination has six compulsory papers: English, Hindi and General Studies I to IV.
This follows the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Amendment Rules, 2025 (notification No. G.S.R. 20/Const./Art.309/2025, 29 December 2025), which substituted the Main Written Examination and Personality Test items of rule 11(1). The new syllabus (7 January 2026) superseded the syllabus notification of 9 February 2021, which had included a list of optional subjects for the Main Written Examination.
Under the earlier scheme (for example HPSC Advertisement No. 58/2023, 17 November 2023), the Main Written Examination had four papers: English (including English Essay) 100 marks, Hindi (including Hindi Essay) 100 marks, General Studies 200 marks and one optional subject 200 marks, chosen from 29 optional subjects.
The current scheme was first applied in the HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services Examination 2025 (Advertisement No. 22/2026).

HCS Interview / Personality Test

Marks: 75. Counted in the final merit (675 marks in all).
Who is called: candidates three times the number of advertised posts (including bracketed candidates), in order of merit in the Main Written Examination, who have 45% in the aggregate of the written papers and at least 33% each in English and Hindi.
What it assesses (Advertisement No. 22/2026):
- The candidate is interviewed by a Board and asked questions on matters of general interest. The object is to assess the candidate's suitability for a career in public service.
- The test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate: not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs.
- Qualities to be judged include mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, and intellectual and moral integrity.
- The technique is not a strict cross-examination but a natural though directed and purposive conversation, intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
- It is not a test of specialised or general knowledge already tested in the written papers. Candidates are expected to take an intelligent interest in their academic subjects and in events within and outside their own State or country, modern currents of thought and new discoveries.

HCS State-Specific General Knowledge

The official syllabus names Haryana in these papers:

Preliminary, General Studies (Paper I): "Haryana-Economy and people. Social, economic and culture institutions and language of Haryana."
Mains, General Studies-I (Paper III): "Related issues of Haryana."
Mains, General Studies-II (Paper IV): "Related issues of Haryana."
Mains, General Studies-III (Paper V): "Related issues of Haryana."

General Studies-IV, the language papers and the CSAT have no Haryana-specific item.

HCS Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

Main Written Examination restructured (29 December 2025): the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Amendment Rules, 2025 (G.S.R. 20/Const./Art.309/2025, Haryana Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 216-2025/Ext., 29 December 2025) made the Main Written Examination six papers of 100 marks each (English, Hindi, General Studies I to IV; 600 marks), with a 75-mark Personality Test, and final merit out of 675. It replaced the earlier four-paper Main Written Examination (English 100, Hindi 100, General Studies 200, one optional subject 200; see Advertisement No. 58/2023). The totals (600 written, 75 Personality Test, 675 in all) and the 45% aggregate and 33% English and Hindi thresholds are the same as before; the tie-break now compares marks in the Main Written Examination papers instead of the compulsory papers. Source: HPSC, "Haryana Civil Services (Ex. Br.) Amendment Rules, 2025 notified on 29.12.2025", posted 28 January 2026.
New syllabus (7 January 2026): Personnel Department notification No. 42/1/2018-5SII (Haryana Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 4-2026/Ext., 7 January 2026) notified the syllabi for the Preliminary and Main Written Examinations and superseded notification No. 42/1/2018-5SII of 9 February 2021. It adds General Studies I to IV in the Mains. The Preliminary syllabus (General Studies and CSAT) carries the same topics as the 2021 notification.
First cycle under the new scheme: HPSC Advertisement No. 22/2026 (30 January 2026), "HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services Examination 2025", 102 posts. The tentative schedule in the advertisement was: Preliminary 26 April 2026; Main 27 to 29 June 2026; Personality Test August/September 2026. HPSC's final result of 17 October 2026 records that the Personality Test was held from 3 to 8 October 2026 and recommends 101 candidates against the 102 posts. HPSC's marks list of 15 October 2026 (for 21 interviewed candidates whose marks had been withheld) has columns for English, Hindi and GS-I to GS-IV out of 100 each, a written total out of 600, interview marks out of 75 and a total out of 675.
Corrigendum (5 February 2026): added an age relaxation (up to 45 years) for employees of the Haryana Government or the High Court or courts subordinate to it with at least 4 years' service on or before 1 January 2026, subject to 3 chances; and updated the EWS certificate reference.
Next cycle: as of 11 November 2026, no newer HCS advertisement is listed on hpsc.gov.in (the latest advertisement listed is No. 25/2026, for another post). The amended rules and the 7 January 2026 syllabus remain the notified scheme. Check the next advertisement when it is published.
Gazette text note: the printed gazette page for General Studies-II has a stray line about gender balance in the middle of the welfare-schemes bullet. It is not syllabus text and is left out above.

HCS Official Sources and Verification

HPSC home page, https://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/ : the Commission's website (HTTP 200 on 11 November 2026).
HPSC Advertisement No. 22 of 2026, HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services, 30 January 2026, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Advt_22_2026_HCS_Ex_Br_30_01_2026_1.pdf : posts, eligibility, scheme of examination, negative marking, interview (HTTP 200).
HPSC Corrigendum for Advertisement No. 22 of 2026, 5 February 2026, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Corr_HCS_Ex_Br_2025_05_02_2026.pdf : age relaxation and EWS certificate changes (HTTP 200).
HPSC Announcement on the online portal for Advertisement No. 22 of 2026, 23 February 2026, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Ann_HCS_2025_23_02_2026.pdf : CGPA and transgender provisions in the application form (HTTP 200).
Haryana Civil Services (Ex. Br.) Amendment Rules, 2025, notified 29 December 2025 (HPSC copy of the gazette), https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Scheme_Pattern_HCS_2025_28_01_2026.pdf : Main Written Examination and Personality Test scheme (HTTP 200).
Syllabi for the Preliminary and Main Written Examination, notified 7 January 2026 (HPSC copy of the gazette), https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Syllabus_HCS_2025_28_01_2026.pdf : the current syllabus (HTTP 200).
Syllabus for HCS and Allied Services Examination (gazette of 9 February 2021, superseded), https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/HCS_Syllabus_1.pdf : the earlier syllabus with optional subjects, kept for history (HTTP 200).
HPSC Advertisement No. 58 of 2023, HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services, 17 November 2023, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Advt_58_2023_HCS_EX_BR_17_11_2023.pdf : the earlier four-paper Main Written Examination with one optional subject, kept for history (HTTP 200).
HPSC Roll No. wise marks of interviewed candidates whose marks were withheld, HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services Main Exam 2025, 15 October 2026, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/HCS_MARKS.pdf : shows the six-paper Mains and 675-mark total in use (HTTP 200).
HPSC Final Result (Allocation of Service), HCS (Ex. Br.) and Other Allied Services Examination 2025, 17 October 2026, https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/HCS_ALLOCATION_17_10_26.pdf : Personality Test dates and candidates recommended (HTTP 200).
HPSC Scheme / Pattern of Exam page, https://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/Examination/Scheme-Pattern-of-Exam : lists the amendment rules (HTTP 200).
HPSC Syllabus page, https://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/Examination/Syllabus : lists the 7 January 2026 syllabus (HTTP 200).
HPSC Advertisements and Instructions page, https://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/Instructions : lists Advertisement No. 22/2026 and later advertisements (HTTP 200).
Haryana e-Gazette, https://egazetteharyana.gov.in/ : the State's gazette portal (HTTP 200; the two notifications were read from HPSC's copies, not searched on this portal).

Last verified: 11 November 2026

Not independently verified: the number of questions in each Preliminary paper. The advertisement and the rules do not state it.
Not independently verified: the actual dates on which the 2025-cycle Preliminary and Main examinations were held. Only the tentative schedule in the advertisement was checked.
Not independently verified: the eligibility and age limits for the next cycle. Those above are from Advertisement No. 22/2026 and may change in the next advertisement.

3. Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination (RAS/RTS)

RAS Exam Overview

Conducting body: Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), Ajmer.
Posts and services: The examination fills posts in the Rajasthan State Services and the Rajasthan Subordinate Services. For non-scheduled areas it is held under the Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services (Direct Recruitment by Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 1999. For scheduled-area posts it is held under the Rajasthan Scheduled Area Subordinate, Ministerial and Class IV Services (Recruitment and Other Conditions of Service) Rules, 2014 (advertisement of 27 May 2026).
Current cycle: Advertisement No. 02/Exam/RAS&RTS/RPSC/EP-I/2026-27, dated 27 May 2026, invites applications for 607 posts: 192 in State Services and 415 in Subordinate Services. The State Services include the Rajasthan Administrative Service (57), the Rajasthan Police Service (26) and the Rajasthan Accounts Service (36). The Subordinate Services include the Rajasthan Tehsildar Service. The number of posts can change.
Stages: Preliminary Examination (objective, screening only), Main Examination (descriptive), then Personality and Viva-voce Examination (interview).
Eligibility (from the advertisement): A degree of any university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or of another educational institution established by an Act of Parliament or declared a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Government in consultation with the Commission. Candidates who have taken or are taking the final-year examination may apply, but must give proof of the qualification before the Main Examination. Age on 1 January 2027: at least 21 years and under 40 years. Because the previous advertisement (2024) counted age on 1 January 2025, the upper age limit gets one extra year of relaxation; the category relaxations are listed in the advertisement.
Proposed dates (RPSC press notes): Preliminary Examination on 6 December 2026 (moved from 29 November 2026). Main Examination on 1 and 2 May 2027.

RAS Examination Pattern

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (Scheme & Syllabus dated 9 January 2026)

The standard of the paper is that of a Bachelor's Degree Level.
The advertisement's answer-sheet rules: each question has five options (1 to 5). A candidate who does not attempt a question must darken option 5. If none of the five is darkened, 1/3 of the question's marks is deducted. A candidate who leaves all five circles blank in more than 10% of the questions is disqualified. 10 extra minutes are given to check the answer sheet.
Candidates admitted to the Main Examination: 15 times the total approximate number of vacancies, plus all candidates who secure the same marks as fixed by the Commission for the lower range.

Stage 2: Main Examination (Scheme & Syllabus dated 9 January 2026)

A candidate must take all four papers. The standard of General Hindi and General English is that of Sr. Secondary Level.
To be called for the interview, a candidate must obtain at least 10% marks in each paper and 15% in aggregate of all Main Examination papers. SC/ST candidates get a 5% relaxation in these minimums; ex-servicemen and persons with disabilities get relaxation in the minimum qualifying marks as provided in the Rajasthan Civil Services (Absorption of Ex-Servicemen) Rules, 1988 and the Rajasthan Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2018 (advertisement of 27 May 2026).
All papers are answered in Hindi or in English. No paper may be answered partly in Hindi and partly in English unless specifically allowed.

RPSC's Scheme of Examination for the Mains (9 January 2026) gives this unit-wise plan. RPSC says it "is only for general guidance" and the unit-wise distribution of marks and questions may vary.

PaperUnitQuestions x marksMarksWord limitI | Unit I | 8 x 5; 3 x 10 | 40 + 30 | 50; 150
I | Unit II | 6 x 5; 3 x 10 | 30 + 30 | 50; 150
I | Unit III | 14 x 5 | 70 | 50
II | Unit I | 7 x 5; 3 x 10 | 35 + 30 | 50; 150
II | Unit II | 14 x 5 | 70 | 50
II | Unit III | 7 x 5; 3 x 10 | 35 + 30 | 50; 150
III | Unit I | 11 x 5; 3 x 10 | 55 + 30 | 50; 150
III | Unit II | 6 x 5; 3 x 10 | 30 + 30 | 50; 150
III | Unit III | 11 x 5 | 55 | 50
IV | Unit I (General Hindi) | - | 90 | -
IV | Unit II (General English) | - | 70 | -
IV | Unit III (Essay) | - | 40 | about 600 words

Stage 3: Personality and Viva-voce Examination

StageTypeMarksQualifying or countedPersonality and viva-voce examination | Interview | 100 | Counted; added to the written test marks

Total marks and merit basis

Main Examination 800 + Interview 100 = 900 marks counted for the final order of merit. The Preliminary Examination (200 marks) is not counted.
Selection is through the competitive examination and the interview. The Commission recommends candidates in order of merit under rule 17 of the service rules. If needed, the Commission may use scaling, moderation or normalisation in evaluating answer books.

RAS Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Knowledge and General Science

History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition & Heritage of Rajasthan

Pre-historical sites of Rajasthan - from Palaeolithic to Chalcolithic and Bronze Age, Society and Culture of ancient Rajasthan.
Sources of Rajasthan History: Archaeological, Archival, Literary and Numismatic.
Political and Cultural achievements of prominent rulers of major dynasties - Cooperation and Resistance with central power, Administrative and Revenue System in Medieval Rajasthan.
Political and Social condition in 18th-19th Century, Peasant and Tribal movements in 20th century, Praja Mandal movements and Mass awakening, Integration of Rajasthan.
Architectural Tradition of Rajasthan - temples, forts, palaces, Monuments, man-made waterbodies, Various schools of paintings and handicrafts: Performing Art: Folk Dances & Drama. Music (Classical and Folk) & Instruments.
Language & Literature: Dialects of Rajasthani Language. Literature of Rajasthani language and Folk literature, Religious Life: Religious Communities, Saints and Sects in Rajasthan. Folk Deities of Rajasthan. Religious practices.
Social Life in Rajasthan: Fairs and festivals; Social customs and traditions; attires and ornaments.
Leading Personalities of Rajasthan.

Indian History

Ancient & Medieval Period:
- Cultural Foundations of India - Indus and Vedic Age; Religious ideas of 6th Century BC - Ajivakas, Buddhism and Jainism.
- Achievements of prominent rulers of major dynasties: Maurya, Kushan, Satavahan, Gupta, Chalukya, Pallava and Chola.
- Art and Architecture & scientific development in Ancient India.
- Indian Knowledge and Value System: Varna Ashram, Purushartha, Sanskara, Philosophy and Education System.
- Sultanate Period: Achievements of prominent dynasties, Political & Cultural achievements of Vijaynagar empire.
- Mughal Period: Administration and various policies; Marathas.
- Development of Art & Architecture, literature, Paintings and Music during medieval period.
- Religious movements and contribution of Bhakti & Sufi movement.
Modern Period (from early 19th century to 2000):
- British Imperialism and Resistance - Maratha, Mysore, Sikh. Revolt of 1857. British Political, Economic and Administrative policies. Emergence of Nationalism, Socio religious movements.
- The Freedom Struggle & Indian National Movement - Evolution, stages and major events. Revolutionary and various regional movements towards freedom and partition.
- Post Independent Nation Building (up to 2000), Reorganization of state, Institutional building during Nehruvian age, Planning & Economic reforms, development of Science and Technology.

Geography of World and India

World Geography:
- Physical Aspects: Mountains, Plateaus, Plains & Deserts.
- Major Rivers & Lakes.
- Natural Vegetation.
- Agriculture: Type, Distribution & important crops.
- Major Industrial Regions and Industries.
- Transport Network.
- Environmental Issues - Desertification, Deforestation, Climate Change & Global Warming, Ozone Layer Depletion.
Geography of India:
- Physiographic division.
- Climate.
- Major Rivers and Lakes.
- Irrigation.
- Agriculture: Important Crops.
- Minerals - Metallic and Non-Metallic.
- Major Industrial Regions and Important industries.

Geography of Rajasthan

Rajasthan: Location, Extent and Physiography.
Rivers and Lakes.
Climatic characteristics.
Natural Vegetation, Biodiversity & Conservation.
Soil.
Agriculture.
Livestock.
Irrigation.
Population-Growth, Density, Literacy, Sex-ratio.
Urbanization.
Tribes.
Minerals-Metallic & Non-Metallic.
Tourism.

Indian Constitution, Political System & Governance

Framing of the Constitution, Preamble, Citizenship, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy and fundamental Duties.
Union Government - Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
Union State Relations, Emergency provisions.
Urban and Rural local Government.
Election Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for women, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Niti Aayog.
Public Policy, Citizen Charter, Social Audit and Grievance Redressal system.
Lokpal, Central Vigilance Commission, Central Information Commission.

Political and Administrative System of Rajasthan

Governor, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the Rajasthan High Court, Subordinate Courts and other judicial bodies, Advocate General.
Chief Secretary, State Secretariate, Directorates of Various departments, Divisional Commissioner, District Collector/District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Sub-divisional Officer, Tehsildar.
Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Rajasthan State Election Commission, Rajasthan Information Commission, Rajasthan State Women Commission, Board of Revenue, Lokayukt.
Administration of Panchayati Raj and Municipalities in Rajasthan.

Economic Concepts and Indian Economy

Economic Growth and Development. Environmental Degradation and Sustainable Development.
Measurement of Development - Conventional Method, Human Development Index and Related Indices.
Role of Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Economic Development. Recent Budget of Government of India and Resource Mobilization.
Fiscal Federalism - Centre-State Financial Relations and Finance Commission.
Agricultural Development - Institutional and Technological Aspects. Reforms in Indian Agriculture. Challenges and Government Initiatives.
Industrial Growth, Pattern and Policy and Industrial Reforms. Economic Reforms - Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization.
Role of Service Sector in Economic Growth - Challenges and Opportunities. Energy, Transportation and Communication.
Skill Development and Employment Generation - Programmes and Policies. Social Justice and Empowerment.

Economy of Rajasthan

Macro Overview of Economy and State budget.
Current Status, Issues and Government Initiatives of Agriculture, Industry and Service Sector.
Infrastructure Development: Energy, Transportation and Communication.
Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and State Finance Commission.
Basic Social Services - Education and Health.
Major Welfare Schemes of Government of Rajasthan.

Science & Technology

Basics of Everyday Science.
Computers, Information and Communication Technology.
Defence and Space Technology with special reference to India.
Inheritance and variation; Genetic Engineering, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.
Human Health Care; Food and Nutrition; Diseases and Public Health Programs.
Environmental & Ecological Changes and their Impact assessment.
Biodiversity; Conservation of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development.
Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry with special reference to Rajasthan.
Key Government Programs & Policies related to Science & Technology in Rajasthan and India.
Recent Scientific & Technological advancements; Contribution of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Science & Technology.

Reasoning & Mental Ability

Reasoning (Deductive, Inductive, Abductive):
- Statement and Assumptions.
- Statement and Argument.
- Statements and Conclusion.
- Statement and Courses of Action.
- Analytical Reasoning/Critical Reasoning.
Mental Ability:
- Number/Letter sequences.
- Coding/Decoding.
- Problems related to Relations.
- Direction sense test.
- Logical Venn diagram.
- Ranking and Sitting Arrangement.
- Shapes and their sub sections.
Basic Numeracy:
- Ratio, Proportion and Partnership, Profit and Loss.
- Percentage.
- Simple and Compound Interest.
- Perimeter and Area of Plane figures.
- Data Analysis (Tables, Bar diagram, Line graph, Pie-chart).
- Mean (Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic), Median and Mode.
- Permutation and Combination.
- Probability (Simple Problems).

Current Affairs & Issues (with special reference to Rajasthan)

Important personalities, places, and contemporary issues of relevance.
Newly launched schemes, programs, and initiatives pertaining to welfare and development.
Major economic and political developments.
Significant events and achievements related to sports and games.
Major awards, publications and distinguished authors.
Rajasthan Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2022.

RAS Mains Examination Syllabus

Paper I: General Studies-I (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Unit I - HISTORY

Part A - History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition and Heritage of Rajasthan

Pre historic culture and various ancient historic sites and their importance; Political and cultural achievements of various rulers of Rajasthan (up to 18th century).
Revenue and administrative system and changing patterns.
19th and 20th century: Revolt of 1857, peasant and tribal movements, political awakening, mass movements and integration of Rajasthan.
Art and Culture: Performing and fine arts, handicraft, Architecture and monuments, Folk music and folk Dances, Folk Stories and Folk Lores.
Fairs and festivals.
Tribes and their Traditions.
Heritage: Major sites of Heritage and tourism in Rajasthan.
Rajasthani language and important literary work.
Religious beliefs, Saints and folk deities.

Part B - Indian History & Culture

Indian heritage: Fine Art, Performing Art, Architecture & Literature from Indus Civilization to British Era.
Religious Movements and philosophy in Ancient and Medieval India.
British Policies and their impact: Political, Economic and Administrative unification of the country.
Indian National Movement - its various stages & streams, important contributors.
Socio-religious reform movements in 19th and 20th century and Intellectual awakening.
Post Independent India - Accession of princely states & Linguistic reorganisation of the states. Development of science and technology. Women Empowerment and women reform movement.

Part C - History of Modern World (up to 1991 A.D.)

Renaissance and Reformation.
American War of Independence, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Russian Revolution.
Nazism in Germany and Fascism in Italy.
Impact of World Wars, World during Cold war.

Unit II - ECONOMICS

Part A - Indian Economy

Growth and development - concept and measurement. Income approach, HDI and other related indices. Climate change and Environmental degradation.
Agriculture: Productivity and Progress. Land reforms. Agriculture Finance. Agriculture marketing. Food Security. Food Processing. Major Policy initiatives.
Industry: Policy and Reforms. Globalization, liberalization and privatization. Industrial Finance. Micro, small and medium enterprises: Importance and Policy initiatives.
Service sector and infrastructure: Energy, Transportation and Communication.
International trade and Balance of payments. Foreign aid and investment.
Public Finance - Union Budget: Sources of Revenue and expenditure. Budget deficit and public debt. Fiscal Policy and reforms in India. Centre-state financial relations and Finance Commission.
Reserve Bank of India and Monetary Management. Banking and financial reforms.
Social sector: Health and Education, Poverty and Unemployment. Schemes for augmenting employability of labour in India. Welfare Schemes for weaker and marginalized sections of the society.

Part B - World Economy

Global economic Issues: Role of WTO, World bank and IMF.

Part C - Economy of Rajasthan

Economic growth indicators of Rajasthan - State Domestic Product, Per Capita Income and Inclusive Growth. Viksit Rajasthan 2047. Green Growth and Environmental Sustainability. Position of Rajasthan in the Achievements of Sustainable Goals.
State Budget - Fiscal Management and Budget Deficits.
Agricultural Growth: Production and Productivity. Water Resources and Irrigation. Animal Husbandry and Allied Activities. Agricultural Marketing. Government Schemes for Farmer's Welfare.
Rural Development and Rural Infrastructure. Panchayati Raj Institutions and State Finance Commission.
Institutional Framework of Industrial Development. Investment Promotion Policy. Importance Of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Policy Initiatives for Their Development. Petroleum And Oil Resources in The State.
Infrastructure Development - Power and Transportation. Public-Private Partnership Projects, Externally Aided State Projects.
Human Resource Development - Health and Education: Unemployment and Poverty. Employment Generation and Poverty Eradication Schemes.
Good Governance and digital transformation ensuring efficient public services.
Major Welfare Schemes of State Government For SC/ST/Backward Classes/Minorities/Disabled Persons, Destitute, Women, Children and Old Age People.

Unit III - SOCIOLOGY, MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING & AUDITING

Part A - Sociology

Sociological thought in Indian Society:
- Concept of Caste & Class, Changing dimensions of Caste and Class in Indian Society.
- Changes in Contemporary Indian Society and Culture: Secularisation, Urbanisation, Modernisation and Globalisation.
- Concepts related to Indian Social system: Doctrine of Karma, Dharma, Purushartha and Ashram system.
- Issues related to Family & Marriage, Elderly people and Disabled in present Indian Society. Impact of Cyber crime and Social Media on Indian Society.
- Challenges and Issues before Indian Society: Dowry, Divorce, Corruption, Poverty, Prostitution, Unemployment and Drug addiction.
- Problems related to weaker sections of Indian Society (with special reference to Rajasthan): Women, Marginalised groups, Dalits, SC&ST and their Welfare schemes.

Part B - Management

General Management: Concept of Management, Managerial skills and levels, Management Functions. MBO, Decision making: process, techniques and models.
Organizational behaviour: Nature and Scope, Perception, Motivation - Concepts and Theories, Group Dynamics and Team Building, Organizational Climate and Culture.
Marketing Management: Concept and Scope, Marketing mix: Product, Pricing, Promotion and Physical Distribution. Service and digital marketing.
Human Resource Management: Concept and Scope, Human Resource Planning, Recruitment, Selection, Placement and Training, Performance Appraisal System, Modern Trends in Human Resource Management.
Strategic Management: Concept and Scope, Business environment and SWOT analysis, Strategic Formulation and implementation, Strategic control and evaluation.

Part C - Accounting & Auditing

Theory Base of Accounting: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAPs) and Accounting Concepts.
Accounting Standards: Basic Knowledge of Accounting Standards.
Financial Statement of a Company; Techniques of analysis of Financial Statements; Cash Flow Statement; Basic knowledge of Responsibility and Social Accounting.
Computerised Accounting: Features and Software Packages.
Basic Knowledge of Goods and Services Tax.
Meaning & Objectives of Auditing, Audit Programme, Basic Knowledge of Social, Performance and Efficiency Audit; Elementary knowledge of Government Audit.

Paper II: General Studies-II (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Unit I - Administrative Ethics

Ethics and human Values: Lessons from lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators. Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Ethical concepts Rit and Rin-Inspiration from Karmavada. Concept of Duty, concept of Good and Virtue.
Ethics in private and public relationships. Philosophical basis of Integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship. Liberal Society: Transparency, media and bureaucracy.
Ethics of Bhagwad Geeta and its role in administration.
Gandhian Ethics.
Contribution of Moral thinkers, and Philosophers from India and World.
Ethical concerns, dilemmas and challenges in administration. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Versus Conscience in administrative decision making.
Basis of Ethical decision making: Social justice, humanitarian concerns, accountability in governance. Instrumental rationality versus value rationality.
Non-factual Case Studies on the above mentioned topics.

Unit II - General Science & Technology

Chemistry in Everyday Life; Atomic Structure; Metal, Non-Metal and Metalloids, Metallurgical Principles and Methods, Important Ores and Alloys; Acid, Base and Salts, Concept of pH and Buffers; Important Drugs (Synthetic and Natural), Antioxidants, Preservatives, Insecticides, Pesticides, Fungicides, Herbicides, Fertilizers, Binders and Sweeteners; Carbon & its Compounds and their Domestic, Industrial Applications; Fuels, Octane Rating; Radioactivity - Concepts and Applications; Green Chemistry and its Applications.
Physics in Everyday Life; Motion, Work, Power and Energy; Gravitation; Light and its Properties; Heat; Static and Current Electricity; Magnetism, Electro-Magnetism, Sound and Electro-Magnetic Waves, Application of Physics in Medical Diagnostics; Nuclear fission and Fusion; Radiation Safety.
The Cell; Plant Parts - their Functions and Uses; Plant Nutrition & Growth Regulators with special reference to Agriculture and Horticulture; Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in Plants. Basics of Human Physiology - Digestion, Respiration, Circulation, Excretion, Reproduction and Nervous System. Food and Nutrition; Immunity; Diseases; Public Health Initiatives; Beneficial & Harmful Microbes; Fermentation Technology; Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering - Basic Concepts and their Applications; Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Recent Advances - Vaccines, CRISPR, mRNA Technology, Artificial Organs.
Basic Computer Science; Networking; Analog and Digital Telecommunication; Frequency Spectrum; Mobile Telephony, Recent Developments in Information and Communication Technology - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Big Data; Cloud and Edge computing; Internet of things; Blockchain and Digital Currency; Virtual and Augmented Reality; OTT Platforms & social media.
Contribution of Indian Scientists in Science & Technology; Major Indian Scientific Institutions; Scientific and Technological Advancements - Robotics, Nanotechnology, Quantum Computing, etc.; Development of Science & Technology in India and Rajasthan; Government Policies related to Science and Technology; Digital India Initiatives; Cyber Security and Data Privacy.
Space and Defence Technology - Indian Space Programme; Satellites and their Applications; Various Launch Vehicles; Remote Sensing; Defence Research and Indigenous Technologies; Indian Missile Programme; Drone Technology; Chemical and Biological Weapons.

Unit III - Earth Science (Geography & Geology)

Part A - World

Interior of the Earth and Geological Time Scale.
Broad Physical Features: Mountains, Plateaus, Plains, Deserts - types and distribution.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes: Types, distribution and their impact.
Climate - Insolation, Atmospheric circulation, Humidity and Precipitation.
Major Environmental Issues.

Part B - India

Physiography of India.
Drainage pattern and important Rivers.
Climate: Monsoon, Climatic characteristics, Distribution of rainfall and Climatic regions.
Natural Resources: Types and uses of Water, Natural Vegetation, Soil, Minerals and Power Resources.
Population: Growth, Distribution and Density, Sex-ratio, Literacy, Urban and Rural Population.

Part C - Rajasthan

Physiography.
Important Rivers and Lakes.
Climatic Characteristics and their classification.
Natural Vegetation, Wildlife and Biodiversity.
Soil resources.
Agriculture - Major Crops: Production and Distribution.
Minerals Resources - Types, distribution and industrial uses.
Demographic Characteristics.
Tribes.
Concept of UNESCO Geo-parks and Geo-heritage sites: Potential in Rajasthan.
Tourism.

Paper III: General Studies-III (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Unit I - Indian Polity, Governance, India and International Affairs and Current Affairs

Origin, Structure, and Key Principles of the Constitution of India

Constituent Assembly, influences, Philosophical Bases, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and Fundamental Duties.
Basic Structure Doctrine, Amendment Process and major constitutional changes.
Recent Constitutional Developments and Judicial Pronouncements, Constitutional Morality and Transformative Constitutionalism.

Institutional Framework & Governance Mechanisms

President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, and Parliament.
Emerging trends in Federalism in India.
Supreme Court, High Courts, Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, Virtual Court, eCourts and e-Committee.

Dynamics of Indian Polity

Contemporary shifts in India's democracy marked by evolving party systems, assertive regionalism, and coalition realignments.
Shift from identity-based politics to issue-driven and inclusive politics with increasing gender participation, Socio-Political Implications of Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Mobilization.
Voting behaviour, electoral reforms, and the functioning of elections in India.
Contemporary Evolving Patterns in Indian Politics.
Internal Security: Threats, Security Forces and Agencies - Mandate, Roles, and Challenges in Internal Security Management.

State Policies and governance in Rajasthan

Patterns of political participation, leadership, and electoral behaviour.
Role of political parties and coalition politics in the state.
Panchayati Raj and Urban local Self-Government - Structure, Issues and Challenges.
New Dynamics and Challenges in Rajasthan's Politics.
Framing of Public Policy in Rajasthan: institutions, processes, stakeholders, and implementation bottlenecks.
Major E-Governance Initiatives: Achievements and Challenges.

India and International Affairs

Post-Cold War changes, USA's hegemony, multipolarity, Global political economy, International Terrorism.
Determinants and attributes of Indian Foreign Policy, India's relations with major powers and Neighbouring countries, Indian Diaspora and Cultural Diplomacy.
India's role in regional and global platforms - UN, WTO, EU, ASEAN, BRICS, G-20, QUAD, I2U2, AUKUS, DAKSHIN.
India's leadership in climate and green diplomacy (COP Summits, ISA, Mission LiFE).
Contemporary Strategic Initiatives in India's Foreign Policy.

Current Affairs & Issues

Important contemporary events, issues and prominent personalities.
Key public welfare schemes and government initiatives of Rajasthan.
Awards, major literary contributions, and key advancements in science, technology, and ICT.
Sports policies, key institutions, and significant sports events and achievements of India and Rajasthan.
Role of Yoga in health, wellness and stress management.

Unit II - Concepts, Issues and Dynamics of Public Administration

Public Administration: Theories and Principles
- Public Administration: Meaning, Nature, Scope and Significance. Evolution of Public Administration as a discipline. Its Role in developing and developed societies. New Public Administration, New Public Management, Good Governance, New Public Service.
- Theories and Approaches: Scientific Management, Human Relations, Behavioural, Structural-Functional, Ecological.
- Principles of Organisation: Hierarchy, Unity of Command, Span of Control, Delegation, Centralisation and Decentralisation, Coordination, Authority and Responsibility, Accountability.
- Administrative Behaviour: Leadership, Communication, Morale.
Union Government and Administrative Institutions
- Administrative Institutions: UPSC, Election Commission of India, C&AG, Finance Commission, Lokpal, NITI Aayog.
- Personnel Administration: Recruitment, Training, Promotion, Neutrality and Anonymity in Civil Services, Code of Conduct.
- Issues in Administration: Union-State Relations, Minister-Civil Servants Relations, Generalists-Specialists, Administrative Reforms, Social Audit.
- Control over Administration: Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
Comparative Public Administration
- Features of Administrative Systems of U.S.A., U.K., France and China.
State & District Administration
- State Administration: Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Secretariat, Chief Secretary, Role of Directorates. Police Administration, Revenue Board, State Election Commission, State Human Rights Commission, Lokayukta.
- District Administration: District Collector, Law and order Administration, Revenue Administration, Development Administration.

Unit III - Behavior and Law

Part A - Behavior

Intelligence: Cognitive intelligence, Social and Emotional intelligence, Cultural intelligence, Appreciative intelligence and Spiritual intelligence; Their importance and inculcation at workplace.
Leadership Profiles: Theories, Types and Styles; Their Challenges and Effectiveness at workplace. Leaders of tomorrow; Their opportunities and challenges.
Communication at workplace: Models and Networks of communication and their effectiveness; Barriers and Distortions of communication; Electronic & Destructive communication - Cyberslacking, Cyberloafing, Moonlighting etc.
Flourishing at work - Virtues & Strengths, RIASEC Model and Person-Fit-Environment.
Burnout, Stress and Coping at workplace: Occupational Stress; Sources & Coping styles; Personality and stress; Gender issues at workplace.

Part B - Law

Contemporary Legal Issues:
- The Right to Information Act, 2005:
  - Sections 1-20
- The Information Technology Act, 2000:
  - Section 1
  - Section 2 - Definitions: Communication device, Computer, Computer Network, Computer Resource, Computer System, Cyber Cafe, Cyber Security, Data, Digital Signature, Electronic Record, Electronic Signature, Information, Private Key, Public Key.
  - Sections 65, 66, 66(B-F), 67, 67 (A-C), 71-78
Intellectual Property Rights: Concepts, types and purpose.
Crimes against Women and Children:
- Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005:
  - Sections 1-29, 31
- Sexual Harassment at work place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013:
  - Sections 1-9, 11-20
- The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012:
  - Sections 1-15.
The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007:
- Sections 1-25
Important Land Laws in Rajasthan:
- Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955:
  - Section 1
  - Section 5 - Definition: Agricultural Year, Agriculture, Agriculturist, Assistant Collector, Board, Collector, Commissioner, Crops, Grove-Holder, Grove land, Holding, Ijara or Theka, Improvement, Land, Land Cultivated Personally, Land Holder, Land less person, Occupied land, Pasture Land, Rent, Revenue, Revenue Appellate Authority, Revenue Court, Revenue Officer, Sayar, Settlement, Sub-divisional officer, Sub-Tenant, Tehsildar, Tenant, Trespasser, Nalbat.
  - Sections 14-17A, 31-37, 38-54A, 206-232, 239-242
- Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956:
  - Section 1, 2
  - Section 3-Interpretation: Land Record Officer, Municipality, Nazul Land, Panchayat Circle, Revenue Appellate Authority, Settlement Officer, Village.
  - Sections 4-36, 40A, 74-87, 106-137, 142-183
The Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023:
- Section 1
- Section 2 - Definition: Child, Court, Document, Gender, Good faith, Government, Judge, Person, Public, Public Servant, Valuable Security.
- Sections 189-191, 194-197, 270, 294-296
The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023:
- Section 1
- Section 2 - Definition: Audio-Video electronic means, Bail, Bailable offence and Non-Bailable offence, Bail-Bond, Bond, Charge, Cognizable offence, Complaint, Electronic communication, Inquiry, Investigation, Non-cognizable offence, Sub division, Summons Case, Warrant Case.
- Sections 3(2)(a), (b), 14-17, 41-43, 126-129, 148-149, 152, 163-167, 173, 174, 187, 194-196

Paper IV: General Hindi and General English

Paper IV has three units: General Hindi, General English and Essay. RPSC gives the General Hindi unit in Hindi only; it is reproduced below in RPSC's words.

Unit I - सामान्य हिन्दी

सामान्य हिन्दीः कुल अंक 90, इस प्रश्न पत्र का उद्देश्य अभ्यर्थी की भाषा-विषयक क्षमता तथा उसके विचारों की सही, स्पष्ट एवं प्रभावपूर्ण अभिव्यक्ति की परख करना है।

भाग अ - (अंक 30)

उपसर्ग एवं प्रत्यय - शब्दों में से उपसर्ग एवं प्रत्यय पृथक् करना
समश्रुत भिन्नार्थक शब्द का वाक्यों में प्रयोग द्वारा अर्थ स्पष्ट करना
शब्द शुद्धि
वाक्य शुद्धि
मुहावरे - मुहावरों का प्रयोग से अर्थ स्पष्ट
कहावत/लोकोक्ति प्रयोग से अर्थ स्पष्ट
पारिभाषिक शब्दावली - प्रशासन से संबंधित अंग्रेजी शब्दों के समानार्थ हिन्दी पारिभाषिक शब्द

भाग ब - (अंक 30)

संक्षिप्तीकरण - गद्यावतरण का लगभग एक-तिहाई शब्दों में संक्षिप्तीकरण (गद्यावतरण की शब्द सीमा लगभग 150 शब्द)
पल्लवन - किसी सूक्ति, काव्य पंक्ति, प्रसिद्ध कथन आदि का भाव विस्तार (शब्द सीमा-लगभग 100 शब्द)
अनुवाद - दिए हुए अंग्रेजी अनुच्छेद का हिंदी में अनुवाद। (शब्द सीमा-लगभग 50 शब्द)

भाग स - (अंक 30)

पत्र-लेखन - सामान्य कार्यालयी पत्र, कार्यालय आदेश, अर्द्धशासकीय पत्र, अनुस्मारक, प्रतिवेदन (रिपोर्ट)
प्रारूप-लेखन - अधिसूचना, निविदा सूचना, परिपत्र, प्रेस विज्ञप्ति, कार्यालय ज्ञापन

Unit II - General English (Total marks 70)

Part A - Grammar & Usage (20 Marks)

Preposition.
The same word used as different part of speech.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms (application).
One Word Substitute (application).
Words often Confused or Misused (application).

Part B - Comprehension, Translation & Precis Writing (30 Marks)

Comprehension of an Unseen Passage (300 Words approximately)
- 05 Questions based on the passage and Precis Writing (of the same passage) approximately 100 words.
Translation of five sentences from Hindi to English.

Part C - Composition & Letter Writing (20 Marks)

Elaboration of a given theme (Any 1 out of 3, approximately 150 words).
Writing: Official Letter/Demi-Official/Official Memorandum/Report Writing (approximately 150 words).

Unit III - Essay (Total Marks 40)

There will be Six thematic areas in the Essay part of the question paper. Candidates will have to write one essay of about 600 words in either Hindi or English language as per their choice. The essay topics will be based on the following Six themes:

Language, Literature, and Cultural Heritage
Society, Governance, and Public Affairs
Science, Technology, Environment, and Sustainable Development
Economy, Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce
Current Affairs, Disasters, and National Development Initiatives
Tourism, Culture, and Contemporary Issues with reference to Rajasthan

Candidates may be required to write an essay on a range of topics arising from these thematic areas. They are expected to maintain strict relevance to the assigned subject, organize their ideas in a coherent manner, and present with precision and brevity. Credit will be accorded for clarity of thought, coherence of structure and effectiveness of expression.

RAS Optional Subjects

There are no optional subjects under the current scheme. The Main Examination has four compulsory papers: General Studies-I, II and III, and General Hindi and General English. A candidate must take all four (Mains Scheme & Syllabus, 9 January 2026).
The RAS/RTS Mains schemes on RPSC's Syllabus page for 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026 each have the same four papers (General Studies-I, II and III, and General Hindi and General English) and no optional subject. The 2013 scheme is the earliest RAS/RTS Mains scheme listed there.

RAS Interview / Personality Test

Marks: 100 (Personality and viva-voce examination, rule 15).
Who is called: Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written Main Examination, as fixed by the Commission at its discretion, subject to the minimum of 10% in each paper and 15% in aggregate (5% relaxation for SC/ST).
What it assesses: The Commission awards marks for character, personality, address and physique. Marks are also awarded for the candidate's knowledge of Rajasthani culture.
Preference: For selection to the Rajasthan Police Service, candidates holding the 'C' Certificate of N.C.C. are given preference.
Counting: The interview marks are added to the marks obtained in the written test (Main Examination).

Source: Advertisement No. 02/2026-27 dated 27 May 2026, Scheme of examination, head (2).

RAS State-Specific General Knowledge

Rajasthan topics in the current syllabus, by paper:

Prelims, General Knowledge and General Science
- History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition & Heritage of Rajasthan (whole section).
- Geography of Rajasthan (whole section).
- Political and Administrative System of Rajasthan (whole section).
- Economy of Rajasthan (whole section).
- Science & Technology: Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry with special reference to Rajasthan; Key Government Programs & Policies related to Science & Technology in Rajasthan and India.
- Current Affairs & Issues (with special reference to Rajasthan), including the Rajasthan Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2022.
Mains Paper I
- Unit I, Part A: History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition and Heritage of Rajasthan.
- Unit II, Part C: Economy of Rajasthan (including Viksit Rajasthan 2047, State Budget, and Petroleum and Oil Resources in the State).
- Unit III, Part A: Problems related to weaker sections of Indian Society (with special reference to Rajasthan).
Mains Paper II
- Unit II: Development of Science & Technology in India and Rajasthan.
- Unit III, Part C: Rajasthan (physiography, rivers and lakes, climate, vegetation and biodiversity, soils, agriculture, minerals, demography, tribes, UNESCO Geo-parks and Geo-heritage potential, tourism).
Mains Paper III
- Unit I: State Policies and governance in Rajasthan; Current Affairs (welfare schemes of Rajasthan; sports of India and Rajasthan).
- Unit II: State & District Administration.
- Unit III, Part B: Important Land Laws in Rajasthan (Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955; Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956).
Mains Paper IV
- Essay theme 6: Tourism, Culture, and Contemporary Issues with reference to Rajasthan.
Interview
- Marks are awarded for the candidate's knowledge of Rajasthani culture.

RAS Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

9 January 2026: new scheme and syllabus. RPSC published a new Scheme & Syllabus for the Preliminary and Main Examinations for examinations to be held in future (press note, 9 January 2026). It replaces the 2024 versions (Prelims syllabus of 17 September 2024; Mains syllabus and scheme of 4 December 2024).
Mains question pattern changed. The 2024 Mains scheme set questions by Part A/B/C (2, 5 and 10 marks; word limits 15, 50 and 100). The 2026 scheme sets them by unit (5 and 10 marks; word limits 50 and 150). Sources: Mains Schemes of 4 December 2024 and 9 January 2026.
Paper IV restructured. In 2024, General Hindi carried 120 marks (with a 20-mark essay of about 250 words in Hindi) and General English 80. In 2026, General Hindi carries 90, General English 70, and a separate Essay unit 40 marks (about 600 words, in Hindi or English, on six themes). Sources: Mains Syllabus of 4 December 2024 and 9 January 2026.
Paper III, Unit III changed. The 2024 unit "Sports and Yoga, Behavior and Law" is now "Behavior and Law". The Law part now lists Acts with specific sections, including the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. "Role of Yoga" and sports now sit under Unit I, Current Affairs & Issues. Sources: Mains Syllabus of 4 December 2024 and 9 January 2026.
Paper I, world history extended. Part C now covers the History of Modern World up to 1991 A.D. (up to 1950 A.D. in 2024).
Prelims revised. The 2026 Prelims syllabus adds the Rajasthan Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2022 under Current Affairs, now "with special reference to Rajasthan". Items in the 2024 Economy section such as "Stock Exchange and Share Market" and "e-Commerce" are no longer listed. The pattern (150 questions, 200 marks, 3 hours, 1/3 negative marking) is unchanged. Sources: Prelims Syllabus of 17 September 2024 and 9 January 2026.
27 May 2026: advertisement. Advertisement No. 02/2026-27 for 607 posts. Online applications ran from 4 June 2026 to 3 July 2026. The advertisement says the Preliminary and Main Examinations will be held on the syllabus released with the press note of 9 January 2026.
23 September 2026: edit and withdraw window. A press note opened online correction of application forms, for a fee of Rs 500, and online withdrawal of applications from 24 to 30 September 2026. It repeats the Preliminary Examination date of 6 December 2026.
Exam dates. Prelims proposed for 29 November 2026 (press note, 27 May 2026), then moved to 6 December 2026 for administrative reasons; Mains proposed for 1 and 2 May 2027 (press note, 2 July 2026).
Text note. The syllabus text above follows RPSC's English PDFs. Obvious typing slips in the PDFs are corrected (for example "Polices" to "Policies", "Barries" to "Barriers", "RAISEC" to "RIASEC", "Determinates" to "Determinants"), and dashes and spacing are made consistent. The General Hindi unit is RPSC's text in standard Unicode Devanagari.

RAS Official Sources and Verification

RPSC home page, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/ - the Commission's official website. (HTTP 200)
RPSC Syllabus listing, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/viewcommon?Slice=SL - all published schemes and syllabi. (HTTP 200)
RPSC Recruitment Advertisements listing, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/viewcommon?Slice=RA (HTTP 200)
RPSC Press Notes listing, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/viewcommon?Slice=PN (HTTP 200)
Syllabus for Raj. State and Sub. Services Comb. Comp. (Pre) Exam, English Version, dated 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/7D943B35-2D9E-4E50-BC3E-3726268AE18B.pdf - Prelims scheme and syllabus. (HTTP 200)
Syllabus for Raj. State and Sub. Services Comb. Comp. (Pre) Exam, Hindi Version, dated 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/72EB70FF-69B4-4E9E-A7EE-8D71543BCE34.pdf (HTTP 200)
Syllabus for Raj. State and Sub. Services Comb. Comp. (Mains) Exam, English Version, dated 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/238A2E0E-B0D0-49C2-8E5E-D299A915037F.pdf - Mains scheme and syllabus, Papers I to IV. (HTTP 200)
Syllabus for Raj. State and Sub. Services Comb. Comp. (Mains) Exam, Hindi Version, dated 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/AA44F830-0A8A-426A-B2F5-0B55C7A6DAB1.pdf (HTTP 200)
Scheme of Examination for the Mains, dated 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/C112D918-2998-45A0-BE42-3A7A82DFF032.pdf - unit-wise questions, marks and word limits. (HTTP 200)
Press note on the syllabus and scheme, 9 January 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/PressNotes/F71FD09A-D26D-40B8-BB0A-711A1857C0BD.pdf (HTTP 200)
Detailed Advertisement No. 02/2026-27, dated 27 May 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/RecruitmentAdvertisements/76C02A7D61A54708AFFCDD7A2A60DBB2.pdf - posts, eligibility, scheme, Mains qualifying marks, interview. (HTTP 200; scanned PDF)
Press note on exam dates, 27 May 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/PressNotes/A8762264-FEE7-4C5B-A276-5D5F0C97A041.pdf (HTTP 200)
Press note on revised exam dates (Pre and Mains), 2 July 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/PressNotes/43543618-7C06-4702-8550-2F5BFB11DF5A.pdf (HTTP 200)
Press note on online edit and withdrawal of applications, 23 September 2026, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/PressNotes/490A21A9-492A-49C9-9F96-565C621B53EE.pdf (HTTP 200)
Previous versions used for the changes above: Prelims Syllabus 2024 (17 September 2024), https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/68FB17B0-E0F3-4205-85A1-BEC20BEA21BE.pdf; Mains Syllabus 2024 (4 December 2024), https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/9B51F390-7253-4DE7-9FFD-BE4D8C2F6E2A.pdf; Mains Scheme 2024 (4 December 2024), https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/E5EDD47B-FD86-43B8-85C9-CFF2A304955E.pdf; Mains Schemes 2023, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/D8681157-9EBC-4A47-B35F-54333F99BB65.pdf; 2021, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/9366BA51-9658-486F-BBAC-A4069EE9F252.pdf; 2018, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/D15C3A6B-F979-4BF1-B808-DD57FDC76115.pdf; 2016, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/A8FCDB9B-C98A-49FE-92D7-AF36CDC7FE3A.pdf; and 2013, https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/DE28A514-526B-4D5E-A3DC-00941BC7C245.pdf. (all HTTP 200)

Last verified: 11 November 2026

Not independently verified: When optional subjects were last part of the RAS/RTS Main Examination. RPSC's Syllabus page lists RAS/RTS Mains schemes only from 2013, and every scheme listed (2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026) has four papers and no optional; earlier schemes are not on the page.
Not independently verified: The Hindi-version syllabus PDFs were not compared line by line with the English versions. This section follows the English versions, plus the General Hindi unit, which RPSC gives only in Hindi.
Not independently verified: The number of candidates called for interview; the advertisement leaves it to the Commission's discretion and gives no ratio.
Not independently verified: The advertisement is a scanned image. Its eligibility, age, scheme and interview text was read from the page images (text recognition, checked against the images of pages 1, 2 and 5), not from the PDF's own text.

4. Gujarat Administrative Service, Class-1, Gujarat Civil Service, Class-1 and Class-2 Examination (GPSC)

GPSC Exam Overview

The Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) holds one combined competitive examination for the Gujarat Administrative Service, Class-1, the Gujarat Civil Service, Class-1 and Class-2, and the Gujarat Municipal Chief Officer Service, Class-2.

The latest cycle is Advertisement No. 05/2026-27. Its Detailed Advertisement is dated 02-04-2026.

Governing rules: the Gujarat Administrative Service, Class 1, Gujarat Civil Service (Class 1 and Class II) and Gujarat State Municipal Chief Officers' Service (Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 2025. They were published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 41 of 3 March 2025 and supersede all earlier rules for this examination. The Amendment Rules, 2026 (General Administration Department notification of 6 February 2026) added posts to Schedule I.
Posts advertised: 71 at first.
- Class I: Gujarat Administrative Service (Junior Scale), 5; Deputy Superintendent of Police (Unarmed), 8.
- Class II: Government Labour Officer, 13; Assistant District Registrar (Co-operative Societies), 7; Superintendent, Prohibition and Excise, 11; Social Welfare Officer (Developing Castes), 11; Assistant Director, Food and Civil Supply, 6; Assistant Director of Information (Administration), 4; Chief Officer, 6.
- Three addenda raised the total: to 213 (02-04-2026), to 217 (15-04-2026) and to 218 (22-07-2026). The Commission's advertisement dashboard and the advertisement's detail page still show 213.
Eligibility:
- Education: a bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
- Age: at least 20 years and under 35 years on 16-04-2026, with relaxations for notified categories up to a maximum of 45 years.
Application: online, on https://gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in, from 02-04-2026 to 16-04-2026. The notice of 15-04-2026 extended the closing date to 18-04-2026 (23:59); age and the other conditions are still reckoned on 16-04-2026.
Stages:
1. The Preliminary Examination, a screening test.
2. The Main Examination: seven written papers, plus a Personality Test.

GPSC Examination Pattern

Preliminary Examination

The standard is that of a graduate.
No calculator is allowed.
The Preliminary Examination is for screening only: its marks are not counted for final merit.
About 15 times the total number of vacancies advertised are admitted to the Main Examination.
For the 2026-27 cycle, the paper was held on 07-06-2026 as a common General Studies paper for several advertisements (Advt. No. 9994/2026-27).

Main Examination (written)

Answer type: all papers are descriptive (conventional).
Multiple-choice parts:
- Paper I's Gujarati grammar (40 marks) is 20 multiple-choice questions.
- Paper II's grammar, vocabulary and usage (60 marks) is 30 multiple-choice questions.
- Both are answered on an OMR sheet. A wrong answer, more than one answer, or no option encoded costs 0.6 marks.
Papers IV to VI:
- 10 questions of 15 marks each, in 150 words.
- 5 questions of 20 marks each, in 200 words.
Paper VII:
- Part A: 8 case studies of 25 marks each, in 200 words.
- Part B: 5 questions of 10 marks each, in 150 words.
Language choice: the candidate chooses the language of answering for each of Papers III to VII on the Main Examination application. A notice of 12-08-2026 says the choice is final once the form is submitted, and answers written in any other language are not evaluated.
Absence: a candidate who misses any paper is not eligible.
Centres: Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar.

Personality Test

StageMarksMinimum qualifying marksPersonality Test | 150 | None

Total marks and merit basis

ComponentMarksMain Examination, Papers III to VII | 1,250
Personality Test | 150
Total for final merit | 1,400

The final merit list uses Papers III to VII and the Personality Test.
The Preliminary Examination and the two language papers (Papers I and II) do not count towards merit.
The advertisement says there is no waiting list for this examination.

GPSC Preliminary Examination Syllabus

Source: Syllabus of the Preliminary Examination, Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, published 16-04-2026. The English text is used.

General Studies (200 marks)

History and Culture

Indus valley civilisation, Vedic age, Jainism and Buddhism.
Contact with Central Asia and its consequences.
Major Dynasties of Ancient, Medieval and Modern India and Gujarat: Their rulers, Administration, Social, Religious and Economic conditions, etc.
The Bhakti Movement and Sufism.
The arrival of Europeans in India and their struggle for supremacy, Company rule in India, Establishment and expansion of British rule in India, Indian war of Independence - 1857 in India and Gujarat, Religious and social reform movements in India and Gujarat in the 19th century, India's freedom movement, Indian Revolutionaries in India and abroad.
National leaders and their contributions in various fields.
Post-Independence India and Gujarat.
Cultural heritage of India and Gujarat: Art forms, Literature, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dances, etc.
The Saintly tradition of India and Gujarat and its influence on psyche of people.
Life traditions of India and Gujarat, Fairs, Festivals, Food and Costumes, etc.
Museums of Gujarat, Library activities, Cultural-Religious and Literary importance, Gujarati Theatre: Plays, Songs and various Theatre groups, etc.
Life of Adivasi (Tribes): Festivals, Fairs, Costumes, Rituals, etc.
Gujarati Literature: Modes, Streams, Litterateurs, Literary work and Literary Organizations, Gujarati language and dialects, etc.
Pilgrimage and Tourist Places of Gujarat.

Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

Indian Constitution: Origin and Evolution, Features, Important provisions of the Constitution, Important Constitutional Amendments, Basic Structure, Matters related to the Federal Structure, etc.
Constitutional Authorities: Powers, Functions and Responsibilities. Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial bodies.
Local self-government institutions.
Judiciary in India: Structure and functions, judicial review, Public Interest Litigation, Landmark Judgments, etc.
India's Foreign Policy - International Relations - Important Institutions, Agencies, Various Organizations, their Structure and Functioning, etc.
Important Policies and Programmes of Central and State Government.

Reasoning and Mental Ability

Reasoning and Analytical Ability.
Decision Making and Problem Solving Ability.
General Mental Ability.
Basic Numerical Ability.
Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.).

Economy of India and Gujarat

Basic concepts and notions of Economics.
Indian Economy on the eve of Independence, Planning exercise in India; models and shift in focus over a period of time etc. New Economic Reforms, NITI Aayog, etc.
Agriculture sector: Major Crops, Cropping Patterns and Irrigation etc., Institutional Structure - Land Reforms in India; Technological change in agriculture, Pricing of agricultural inputs and outputs; Terms of trade between agriculture and industry; Agricultural Finance Policy; Marketing and Warehousing; Issues in Food Security and Public Distribution System, Green Revolution, Policies for Sustainable agriculture and Organic farming, etc.
Industrial policy; Public sector enterprises; Privatization and disinvestments; Growth and pattern of industrialization; Small-scale sector; Productivity in industrial sector; Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and industrialization, Foreign investment and competition policy, etc.
Infrastructure in Indian Economy: Infrastructure facilities; Water supply and Sanitation, Energy and Power, Science and Technology, Rural and Urban infrastructure facilities, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, Telecommunication, Social Impact Assessment, etc.
Trends and patterns in structure of population over a period of time: Growth rate, Gender, Rural-Urban migration, Literacy, Regional; Structure and trends of Poverty and Inequality; Unemployment: trends, structure and National Rural Employment Policies. Various indicators of development, etc.
Indian Public finance system: Indian tax system, Public expenditure, Public debt, Deficit and subsidies in the Indian economy, Centre-State financial relation, Recent fiscal and monetary policy issues and their impact, Goods and Service Tax (GST), etc.
Trend, composition, structure and direction of India's foreign trade. India's Balance of payments Situation in post reforms period, etc.
Economy of Gujarat: Social sector in Gujarat; Education, Health, and Nutrition. Gujarat's economy in recent decades, major problems of agriculture in relation to India and major states, forests, water resources, mining, industry and service sector. Policies for the development of economic and social infrastructure, etc.

Geography

General Geography: Earth in Solar system, Motion of the Earth, Concept of time, Season, Internal Structure of the Earth, Major landforms and their features. Atmosphere: structure and composition, Elements and factors of climate, Airmasses and Fronts, Atmospheric disturbances, Climate change. Oceans: Physical, Chemical and Biological characteristics, Hydrological Disasters, Marine and Continental resources, etc.
Physical Geography in relation to World, India and Gujarat: Major physical divisions, Earthquakes, landslides, Natural drainage, Seasonal Climate Regions, Atmospheric disturbance, Cyclone, Natural Vegetation: Parks and Sanctuaries. Major Soil types, Rocks and Minerals, etc.
Social Geography in relation to World, India and Gujarat: Distribution, Density, Growth, Sex-ratio, Literacy, Occupational Structure, SC and ST Population, Ethnic group, Linguistic group, Rural-Urban components, Urbanization and Migration, Metropolitan regions, etc.
Economic Geography: Major sectors of economy, Agriculture, Industry and Services: their salient features. Basic Industries: Agro, Mineral, Forest, Fuel and Manpower based Industries, Transport and Trade, etc.
Geography in the context of current trends.

Science and Technology

Science and Technology: Nature and Scope of Science & Technology, Relevance of Science & Technology to the day to day life, National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation; Various institutions involved in science, technology and innovation in India; their activities and contribution; Contribution of prominent Indian Scientists, etc.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Nature and Scope of ICT, ICT in day to day life, ICT and Industry, ICT and Governance, Various government schemes promoting the use of ICT, Netiquettes, Cyber Security, National Cyber Crime Policy, etc.
Technology in Space & Defence: Evolution & development of Indian Space Programme, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and other organisations, their activities and achievements; Various Satellite Programmes. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian missile program, etc.
Energy Requirement and Efficiency: India's existing energy needs and deficit, India's energy resources and dependence, Energy policy of India: Government Policies and Programmes, etc.
Nuclear Policy of India and its commitment to the world: India's Nuclear power programme, India's nuclear cooperation with other countries, Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and India, Nuclear weapons policy of India, Various treaties, conferences and summits on the non-proliferation and prohibition of nuclear weapons, etc.
Environmental Science: Issues and concerns related to environment and its legal aspects, Policies and treaties for the protection of environment at the national and the international level, Biodiversity, Climate change, International initiatives (Policies, Protocols) and India's commitment, Forest and Wildlife; Legal framework for Forest and Wildlife Conservation in India. Environmental Hazards, Pollution and related issues, Carbon emission, Global warming. National Action plans on Climate Change and Disaster management. Health & Environment, etc.
Nature, scope and use/application of Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and other Emerging Technologies; Ethical, Social and Legal issues. Government policies and their impact on human life, etc.
Various organizations related to science and technology, their functions, and contributions, etc.

General knowledge and Current Events of Regional, National and International Importance.

GPSC Mains Examination Syllabus

Source: Syllabus of the Main Examination, Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, published 31-07-2026. The Commission states that where the syllabus needs interpretation, the English version is final.

What the General Studies papers test, in the Commission's words:

"The main examination intends to test a candidate's thinking skills and depth of understanding rather than just memory or facts. The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper IV to Paper VII) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study."
"The questions will check general awareness on various topics which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. It will test basic understanding, analytical ability and decision-making on various issues. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful, logical and analytical answers."

Paper I: Gujarati Language (300 marks, qualifying)

The syllabus is printed in Gujarati:

નિબંધ: પાંચ પૈકી કોઈપણ એક. (આશરે ૨૫૦ થી ૩૦૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૪૦ ગુણ)
વિચાર વિસ્તાર (ત્રણ પૈકી કોઇપણ બે) કાવ્ય પંક્તિઓ કે ગદ્યસૂક્તિનો વિચાર વિસ્તાર. (આશરે ૧૦૦ થી ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
ઔપચારિક ઉદબોધન તૈયાર કરવા. (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
પ્રચાર માધ્યમો માટે નિવેદનો તૈયાર કરવા. (આશરે ૧૦૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
પત્ર લેખન. (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
ચર્ચાપત્ર. (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
અહેવાલ લેખન. (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
સંવાદ લેખન. (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
ભાષાંતર: અંગ્રેજીમાંથી ગુજરાતીમાં અનુવાદ-1 (૨૦ ગુણ)
ભાષાંતર: અંગ્રેજીમાંથી ગુજરાતીમાં અનુવાદ-2 (૨૦ ગુણ)
બેઠકની કાર્યવાહી નોંધ (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
અરજી લેખન (આશરે ૧૫૦ શબ્દોમાં) (૨૦ ગુણ)
ગુજરાતી વ્યાકરણ. (૪૦ ગુણ)

નોંધ: કુલ ૨૦ બહુવિકલ્પી પ્રશ્નો પુછવામાં આવશે. કોમ્પ્યુટરાઇઝ્ડ ખાસ પ્રકારની જવાબવહી (OMR Answer sheet) માં પ્રત્યેક ખોટા જવાબ તથા એક જ પ્રશ્ન માટે એકથી વધુ જવાબ અને એક પણ વિકલ્પ એનકોડ નહીં કરવાના કિસ્સામાં ૦.૬ (છ દશાંશ) ગુણ કાપવામાં આવશે.

In English: 20 multiple-choice questions are asked. On the OMR answer sheet, each wrong answer, more than one answer to a question, or no option encoded costs 0.6 marks.

Paper II: English Language (300 marks, qualifying)

Type of questionMarksESSAY (About 500 words): Choose any one topic from a list of five. | 80
PRECIS WRITING: A precis in about one-third of its length. | 70
READING COMPREHENSION: A reading passage to be given followed by short answer type questions. | 70
TRANSLATION: Translation of a short passage (of about 150 words) from Gujarati to English. | 20
ENGLISH GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY AND USAGE | 60

Note: "Total 30 multiple choice questions will be asked. In case of wrong answer, multiple answers for the same question and not encoding any option in OMR Answer Sheet, 0.6 (six tenths) marks will be deducted."

Paper III: Essay (250 marks)

"Attempt two essays, one from each of the two sections, in about 1000-1200 words each."
Objective: this paper is designed to test candidates':
- Ability to compose a well-argued piece of writing.
- Ability to express coherently and sequentially.
- Originality of thought and expression.

Paper IV: General Studies-I (250 marks)

(A) History

Indus valley civilisation, Vedic age, Jainism and Buddhism.
Important developments in Administration, Social, Religious and Economic conditions, etc. from Ancient to Modern India and Gujarat.
The Bhakti Movement.
Social reform movement in India and Gujarat in the 19th century.
Modern Indian history including Gujarat from about the middle of the 18th century until Independence: significant events, personalities, issues.
The freedom struggle: its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Mahagujarat Aandolan.

(B) Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage of India and Gujarat: Art forms, Literature, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dances, Theatre, etc. from Ancient to Modern times.
Life traditions of Gujarat, Fairs, Festivals, Food, Costumes, etc.
Pilgrimage, Heritage and Tourist places of Gujarat.
Gandhian thoughts and its relevance.
Cultural Landscape of Gujarat: Coastal, Tribal and other communities.

(C) Indian Society

Core characteristics and Diversity of Indian Society: Regional, linguistic, religious, social and cultural diversity in India. Key features of Indian society: Unity in diversity, Social division, family structures: Joint family, Nuclear family, Single parent family, Gender roles, Elderly etc.
Women, Society, and Development: Women: Changing role of women in Indian society, Issues, Strategies and Solutions. Role of gender in decision making at different levels.
Social Challenges: Measures for uplifting marginalized sections. Communalism, regionalism, and secularism: Causes, consequences, and policy responses.
Globalization and its impact: Influence of globalization on cultural, economic, and social life. Changing lifestyles, consumerism, and changing value system in a globalized world.
Gujarati Diaspora: Influence and Contributions: Migration patterns and the global presence of the Gujarati community. Socio-economic, political, and cultural contributions of the Gujarati diaspora.

Paper V: General Studies-II (250 marks)

(A) Indian Polity and Constitution

Indian Constitution: salient features, basic structure and important amendments.
Functions and duties of the Indian Union and the State Governments.
Issues and challenges pertaining to the Federal structure.
Distribution of powers between the Union and States: Issues and challenges.
Local self-government institutions.
Constitutional Authorities: Powers, Functions and Responsibilities.
Judiciary in India: Structure and functions, judicial review, Public Interest Litigation, Landmark Judgments.

(B) Governance and Social Justice

Role of Civil Services in Democracy.
Development processes: the role of civil society, SHG, NGOs, pressure groups and other stakeholders.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial authorities.
Good governance and e-governance: challenges and opportunities of e-governance; Transparency, accountability and responsiveness in governance; Citizen's Charter. RTI, Public Service Act and their implications, Concept of Social Audit and its importance.
Development and Social Sector Management: Challenges in health, education, and human resource development, Role of governance and policy-making in strengthening social sectors.
Poverty and Hunger: Poverty, inequality, and their developmental implications. Causes, consequences, and strategies to tackle poverty and hunger.

(C) Current Events of Regional, National and International Importance.

Paper VI: General Studies-III (250 marks)

(A) Science and Technology

Relevance of Science & Technology in day to day life.
General awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Defence, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, bio-technology and other emerging technologies. Issues relating to intellectual property rights, etc.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Role of ICT in governance, economy and society. Cybersecurity: data privacy and emerging threats.
Energy and Sustainability: India's energy needs, sources and efficiency measures. Renewable energy technologies and their impact. India's nuclear energy program and international commitment.

(B) Environmental Science and Disaster Management

Issues and concerns related to environment: pollution, climate change, global warming, etc., Environmental Impact Assessment.
International initiatives (Treaties, Protocols etc.) and India's commitment, Biodiversity, Forest and Wildlife in India and Gujarat.
Disaster Management in India and Gujarat: Types of disasters, Disaster Management framework, Role of technology, Community participation and capacity building, lessons learnt from major disasters, Challenges and future strategies.
Developmental Issue, Sustainable Development.

(C) Geography

Physical Features and Resources: India and Gujarat: Major landforms, climate, soil, rivers, vegetation, etc.
Distribution of key natural resources across India and Gujarat: Major resources: Land, soil, rocks, minerals, water and vegetation resources, etc. Factors responsible for the location of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sector industries in various parts of India and Gujarat, issues and problems, etc.
Demographic Dynamics of India and Gujarat: Population distribution, density, age-sex, composition, growth, Rural-urban composition, Race, Composition of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste, religion, language, literacy, education. Migration-urbanisation, population policies and issues, etc.
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity, cyclone, etc.

(D) Economy of India and Gujarat

Indian Economy & Economic Planning: Evolution of Indian economy since independence, major policy shifts, Economic planning and its evolution, role of NITI Aayog, Effects of liberalisation on the economy (post 1991 changes), changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Public Finance & Budgeting: Fiscal policy and Indian taxation system, Recent fiscal and monetary policy issues and their impact, Government budgeting, public expenditure and Public debt. Deficit financing.
Inclusive growth and associated issues/challenges.
Infrastructure & Economic Development: Role of infrastructure in economic growth: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure projects. Social Impact Assessment.
Agriculture & Rural Economy: Major crops, Cropping patterns, and irrigation. Land reforms and their socio-economic impact. Food security, Public Distribution System (PDS), and agricultural subsidies. Food processing and related industries in India. E-technology in agriculture and supply chain management. Policies for Sustainable agriculture, Organic farming, Cooperative sector in Gujarat etc.

Paper VII: General Studies-IV (250 marks)

"The nature and standard of questions in this paper will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study."

This paper is designed to test candidates':

Development of a positive character, responsible citizen, a compassionate and empathetic human being.
Ability to resolve moral and ethical dilemmas in personal and professional spaces.
Ability to take decision in difficult situation.

Topics

Ethics in Public and Personal Life: Understanding right and wrong in daily decision-making, How values shape actions in personal and professional life.
Honesty, Integrity, and Fairness: Being truthful and transparent in actions, Avoiding biases and treating all people fairly, Staying committed to principles even in difficult situations, Leading by example in personal and professional life.
Compassion and Empathy in Governance: Understanding the struggles of ordinary citizens, Sensitivity toward weaker and marginalized sections. Ensuring justice and dignity for all, Serving people with humility and kindness.
Moral Courage and Taking the Right Stand: Speaking up against corruption and wrongdoing, Handling pressure and resisting unethical influences, Making tough decisions for the greater good, Balancing duty and personal convictions.
Leadership and Responsibility in Public Service: Building trust through ethical leadership, Taking responsibility for actions and decisions, Ensuring that government institutions work for the people.
Transparency and Accountability: The importance of openness in government decision-making, Ensuring that public resources are used properly.
Ethical Challenges in Administration: Balancing rules with real-life situations, Resolving conflicts of interest in decision-making, Ensuring justice by handling power responsibly.
Case studies on above issues.

GPSC Optional Subjects

There is no optional subject.

The 2025 Rules (Gazette of 3 March 2025) set the Main Examination as the following papers:
- two qualifying language papers;
- an Essay;
- four General Studies papers.
The same scheme applied to Advertisement No. 240/2024-25 and to Advertisement No. 05/2026-27.

Not independently verified: when optional subjects were last part of this examination under the earlier rules.

GPSC Interview / Personality Test

Marks: 150. The Personality Test carries no minimum qualifying marks.
Who is called: candidates who qualify in the Main Examination, about three times the number of vacancies, after their documents are verified.
Place: Gandhinagar.
Post preferences: candidates give their order of preference for posts at the Personality Test stage.
Physical standards: candidates for Deputy Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Prohibition and Excise take a Physical Standard Test on the day of the Personality Test.
Merit: its 150 marks are added to the 1,250 marks of Papers III to VII, making the 1,400 marks for final merit.

The advertisement, the Rules and the Main Examination syllabus give the marks and the calling rules. They do not describe what the Personality Test assesses.

Not independently verified: what qualities the Personality Test assesses.

GPSC State-Specific General Knowledge

Gujarat topicPaperMajor dynasties of Gujarat: rulers, administration, social, religious and economic conditions | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
1857 in Gujarat; religious and social reform movements in Gujarat in the 19th century; post-Independence Gujarat | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Cultural heritage, saintly tradition and life traditions of Gujarat (fairs, festivals, food, costumes) | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Museums of Gujarat, library activities, Gujarati theatre | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Life of Adivasi (tribes) | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Gujarati literature, litterateurs, literary organisations, Gujarati language and dialects | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Pilgrimage and tourist places of Gujarat | Prelims General Studies (History and Culture)
Economy of Gujarat: social sector, agriculture, forests, water resources, mining, industry and services, infrastructure policies | Prelims General Studies (Economy of India and Gujarat)
Physical and social geography of Gujarat | Prelims General Studies (Geography)
Developments in administration and society in Gujarat from ancient to modern times; 19th-century social reform in Gujarat; modern history of Gujarat; Mahagujarat Aandolan | Mains Paper IV, General Studies-I (A)
Cultural heritage, life traditions, pilgrimage, heritage and tourist places of Gujarat; Gandhian thought; cultural landscape of Gujarat (coastal, tribal and other communities) | Mains Paper IV, General Studies-I (B)
Gujarati diaspora | Mains Paper IV, General Studies-I (C)
Public Service Act (the Gujarati version of the syllabus names Gujarat's Act on citizens' right to public services) | Mains Paper V, General Studies-II (B)
Biodiversity, forest and wildlife in Gujarat; disaster management in Gujarat | Mains Paper VI, General Studies-III (B)
Physical features, resources, industrial location and demography of Gujarat | Mains Paper VI, General Studies-III (C)
Cooperative sector in Gujarat | Mains Paper VI, General Studies-III (D)
Gujarati language and grammar | Mains Paper I, Gujarati Language
Translation from Gujarati to English | Mains Paper II, English Language

GPSC Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

New scheme of examination (2025 Rules). The Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2025, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 41 of 3 March 2025, superseded all earlier rules for this examination. They set the following scheme:

a 200-mark screening Preliminary Examination;
a Main Examination of two qualifying 300-mark language papers and five 250-mark merit papers;
a 150-mark Personality Test;
1,400 marks for merit.

Source: the Examination Rules attached to Advertisement No. 240/2024-25 and No. 05/2026-27 (ER-240-202425.pdf, ER-05-202627.pdf).

Amendment Rules, 2026. A General Administration Department notification of 6 February 2026 added posts to Schedule I of the 2025 Rules. The scheme of examination did not change. Source: ER-05-202627.pdf.

Syllabus documents for Advertisement No. 05/2026-27:

Preliminary Examination syllabus, published 16-04-2026 (SYP-5-202627.pdf).
Main Examination syllabus, published 31-07-2026 (SYM-5-202627.pdf).

Posts increased. Addenda raised the posts under Advertisement No. 05/2026-27 from 71 to 218:

02-04-2026 (ADA-05-202627.pdf): from 71 to 213, adding new posts;
15-04-2026 (INADE-5-202627.pdf): from 213 to 217 (District Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Class-1, 4 posts); it also extended the application date to 18-04-2026;
22-07-2026 (IMVA-05-202627-22072026.pdf): from 217 to 218 (one Social Welfare Officer, Class-2, under the Social Justice and Empowerment Department).

The Commission's advertisement dashboard and the advertisement's detail page still show 213 posts.

Preliminary Examination.

Held on 07-06-2026 as a common General Studies paper for several advertisements (Advt. No. 9994/2026-27; PAK-9994-2026-27.pdf).
Final answer key and the list of candidates eligible for the Main Examination published 30-07-2026 (FAK-05-202627.pdf; LECME-5-202627.pdf).

Main Examination application.

A notice of 06-08-2026 (INFDU-5-202627.pdf) says 6,099 candidates qualified for the Main Examination, and set 06-08-2026 to 27-08-2026 for the Main Examination form (https://gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in) and document upload (https://gpsc-iass.gujarat.gov.in).
A notice of 12-08-2026 (INM-5-202627.pdf) says the language chosen for each paper is final once the form is submitted.

Main Examination postponed. The Detailed Advertisement had given 5 to 10 October 2026 as the probable dates of the Main Examination. A notice of 27-08-2026 (IN-3456-27082026.pdf) says:

petitions challenging the Preliminary Examination's final answer key are pending before the Gujarat High Court;
the Main Examination will be held after the judgment.

As of 11 November 2026 no new Main Examination date was found on the Commission's site.

No newer advertisement. As of 11 November 2026 the Commission's advertisement dashboard shows no later advertisement for this examination than No. 05/2026-27.

GPSC Official Sources and Verification

Gujarat Public Service Commission, home page: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/
GPSC syllabus page (shows "Page under construction"): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/syllabus
GPSC downloads: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Downloads
GPSC advertisement dashboard: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/dashboard?stage=Advertisement
Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, detail page: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/AdvertisementDetail?no=2333&tab=
Detailed Advertisement No. 05/2026-27 (02-04-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/DA-5-202627.pdf
Same advertisement on OJAS: https://ojas.gujarat.gov.in/AdvtDetailFiles/GPSC_202627_5.pdf
Examination Rules (2025 Rules, as amended in 2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/ER-05-202627.pdf
Preliminary Examination syllabus (16-04-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/SYP-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination syllabus (31-07-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/SYM-5-202627.pdf
Addendum (02-04-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/ADA-05-202627.pdf
Addendum and date extension (15-04-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/INADE-5-202627.pdf
Addendum (22-07-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/IMVA-05-202627-22072026.pdf
Preliminary Examination question paper and provisional key (Advt. 9994/2026-27): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/PAK-9994-2026-27.pdf
Preliminary Examination final answer key: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/FAK-05-202627.pdf
List of candidates eligible for the Main Examination (30-07-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/LECME-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination form and document upload notice (06-08-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/INFDU-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination medium notice (12-08-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/INM-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination postponement notice (27-08-2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/IN-3456-27082026.pdf
Detailed Advertisement No. 240/2024-25: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/DA-240-202425.pdf
Examination Rules for Advertisement No. 240/2024-25: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/ER-240-202425.pdf
Online application portal: https://gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in/

Every link above returned HTTP 200 on 11 November 2026.

Last verified: 11 November 2026

Not independently verified: negative marking in the Preliminary Examination. The advertisement, the Rules and the syllabus do not state it; check the instructions on the question paper or the admit card.
Not independently verified: the scheme of examination before the 2025 Rules, and when optional subjects were dropped.
Not independently verified: what the Personality Test assesses. The official documents give only its marks and who is called.
Not independently verified: the new date of the Main Examination after the postponement of 27-08-2026.
Not independently verified: the post-by-post breakdown of the 218 posts after the addenda. Only the totals stated in each addendum were checked; the dashboard's 213 has not been updated for the last two addenda.
Not independently verified: a separate syllabus page on the Commission's site. https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/syllabus shows "Page under construction", so the syllabus here comes from the advertisement's syllabus PDFs.

5. UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Examination (UPPCS)

UPPCS Exam Overview

Conducting body: Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), Prayagraj.
Latest advertisement: Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026, dated 25 June 2026, for the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) (General/Special Recruitment) Examination-2026. About 500 vacancies, which may increase or decrease.
Posts it fills: posts of the Uttar Pradesh government in pay scales (6th Pay Commission) from Rs. 9300-34800 with Grade Pay Rs. 4600 (Rs. 4200 for Naib Tehsildar) to Rs. 15600-39100 with Grade Pay Rs. 5400. Examples named in the advertisement are Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Block Development Officer, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax), Treasury Officer/Accounts Officer, Superintendent Jail, District Basic Education Officer, Naib Tehsildar, Sub Registrar, Excise Inspector, Deputy Jailor and Principal, Government Intermediate College. The advertisement gives the full list.
Stages: three successive stages.
- Preliminary Examination (objective type, multiple choice).
- Main Examination (conventional type, written).
- Viva-Voce (Personality Test).
Eligibility (as stated in the advertisement): a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Some posts need a specific qualification. Age 21 to 40 years on 1 July 2026, with relaxations for listed categories.
Preliminary Examination date: 6 December 2026 (Sunday), in the Commission's Examination Calendar 2026. The calendar gives it as a proposed date (प्रस्तावित परीक्षा तिथि).

UPPCS Examination Pattern

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination. Two compulsory papers, answered on OMR sheets.

Each question has four answer options.
Marking more than one answer counts as a wrong answer, even if one of them is correct. A question left blank costs nothing.
Candidates must sit both papers. A candidate who misses either paper is disqualified.
Merit for the Main Examination is decided on Paper I marks only.
Fifteen times as many candidates as there are vacancies are declared successful for the Main Examination.
Preliminary marks are not added to the final merit.

Stage 2: Main (Written) Examination. Eight compulsory papers. There are no optional papers.

Question papers are set in English (Roman script) and Hindi (Devanagari script).
Candidates may answer in English (Roman script), Hindi (Devanagari script) or Urdu (Persian script). Language papers are answered in one of these scripts unless the question paper says otherwise.
The standard is what a holder of a university Bachelor's degree is expected to know, unless the syllabus says otherwise.
Marks may be deducted for handwriting that is not easily legible.
Three times as many candidates as there are vacancies are called for the interview.

Stage 3: Viva-Voce (Personality Test).

StageTypeMarksQualifying or countedPersonality Test (Viva-Voce) | Interview | 100 | Counted

Total marks and final merit

Main Examination: 1,500 marks (150 + 150 + 6 × 200).
Interview: 100 marks.
Total for final merit: 1,600 marks. The advertisement gives the marks of each paper and says selection is made on the total marks of the Main (Written) Examination and the Interview. It does not print the figure 1,600.
For some posts, the service rules make selection on the written examination marks alone.
Minimum efficiency standard: candidates scoring less than 40% in the Preliminary or Main Examination (35% for SC and ST candidates) are not placed in the merit or select list.

UPPCS Preliminary Examination Syllabus

Prelims General Studies Paper I

Paper-I, General Studies-I. Duration: two hours. Marks: 200.

Topics:

Current events of national and international importance.
History of India and Indian National Movement.
India 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 etc.
Economic and Social Development: Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
General Issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.
General Science.

What the questions cover (the Commission's explanations):

Current events of national and international Importance: On Current Events of National and International Importance, candidates will be expected to have knowledge about them.
History of India & Indian National Movement: In History emphasis should be on broad understanding social, economic and political aspects of Indian History. In the Indian National Movement, the candidates are expected to have synoptic view of nature and character of the freedom movement, growth of nationalism and attainment of Independence.
India and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World: In World Geography only general understanding of the subject will be expected. Questions on the Geography of India will relate to Physical, Social & Economic Geography of India.
Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.: In Indian Polity, Economic and Culture, questions will test knowledge of country's political system including Panchayati Raj and Community Development, broad features of Economic policy in India and Indian Culture.
Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.: The candidates will be tested with respect to problems and relationship between Population, Environment and Urbanisation. General Issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization, General awareness of the subject is expected from candidates.
General Science: Questions on General Science will cover general appreciation and understanding of Science including matters of every day observation and experience, as may be expected of a well educated person, who has not made a special study of any scientific discipline.

Note: Candidates are expected to have general awareness about the above subjects with special reference to Uttar Pradesh.

Prelims General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

Paper-II, General Studies-II. Duration: two hours. Marks: 200. A qualifying paper (minimum 33%). The advertisement does not use the name "CSAT"; it is the name candidates commonly use for this paper.

Topics:

Comprehension.
Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
Decision making and problem solving.
General mental ability.
Elementary Mathematics upto Class X level: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Statistics.
General English upto Class X level.
General Hindi upto Class X level.

Elementary Mathematics (Upto Class X Level):

Arithmetic:
- Number systems: Natural Numbers, Integers, Rational and Irrational numbers, Real numbers, Divisors of an Integer, prime Integers, L.C.M. and H.C.F. of integers and their Interrelationship.
- Average.
- Ratio and proportion.
- Percentage.
- Profit and Loss.
- Simple and Compound Interests.
- Work and Time.
- Speed, Time and Distance.
Algebra:
- Factors of polynomials, L.C.M. and H.C.F. of polynomials and their Interrelationship, Remainder theorem, simultaneous linear equations, quadratic equations.
- Set Theory: Set, null set, subsets and proper subsets of a set, operations (Union, Intersections, difference, symmetric difference) between sets, venn diagram.
Geometry:
- Constructions and theorems regarding triangle, rectangle, square, trapezium and circles, their perimeter and area.
- Volume and surface area of sphere, right circular cylinder, right circular Cone and Cube.
Statistics:
- Collection of data, Classification of data, frequency, frequency distribution, tabulation, cumulative frequency. Representation of data: Bar diagram, Pie chart, histogram, frequency polygon, cumulative frequency curves (ogives), Measures of Central tendency: Arithmetic Mean, Median and Mode.

General English Upto Class X Level:

Comprehension
Active Voice and Passive Voice
Parts of Speech
Transformation of Sentences
Direct and Indirect Speech
Punctuation and Spellings
Words meanings
Vocabulary & Usage
Idioms and Phrases
Fill in the Blanks

सामान्य हिन्दी (हाईस्कूल स्तर तक) के पाठ्यक्रम में सम्मिलित किये जाने वाले विषय (General Hindi up to High School level; the Commission's list, in Hindi):

हिन्दी वर्णमाला, विराम चिन्ह
शब्द रचना, वाक्य रचना, अर्थ
शब्द-रूप
संधि, समास
क्रियायें
अनेकार्थी शब्द
विलोम शब्द
पर्यायवाची शब्द
मुहावरे एवं लोकोक्तियां
तत्सम एवं तद्भव, देशज, विदेशी (शब्द भंडार)
वर्तनी
अर्थबोध
हिन्दी भाषा के प्रयोग में होने वाली अशुद्धियाँ
उ0प्र0 की मुख्य बोलियाँ

UPPCS Mains Examination Syllabus

General Hindi

150 marks, 3 hours. The Commission gives this syllabus in Hindi.

दिये हुए गद्य खण्ड का अवबोध एवं प्रश्नोत्तर।
संक्षेपण।
सरकारी एवं अर्धसरकारी पत्र लेखन, तार लेखन, कार्यालय आदेश, अधिसूचना, परिपत्र।
शब्द ज्ञान एवं प्रयोग:
- (अ) उपसर्ग एवं प्रत्यय प्रयोग
- (ब) विलोम शब्द
- (स) वाक्यांश के लिए एकशब्द
- (द) वर्तनी एवं वाक्य शुद्धि
लोकोक्ति एवं मुहावरे।

Essay

150 marks, 3 hours.

There will be three sections in the question paper of Essay. Candidates will have to select one topic from each section and they are required to write essay in 700 words on each topic. In the three sections, topics of essay will be based on following sphere:

Section A:
- Literature and Culture.
- Social sphere.
- Political sphere.
Section B:
- Science, Environment and Technology.
- Economic Sphere.
- Agriculture, Industry and Trade.
Section C:
- National and International Events.
- Natural Calamities, Land slide, Earthquake, Deluge, Drought etc.
- National Development programmes and projects.

General Studies I

200 marks, 3 hours.

History of Indian Culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Modern Indian history (from A.D. 1757 to A.D. 1947): Significant events, personalities and issues, etc.
The Freedom Struggle: its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country (till 1965 A.D.).
History of the world will include events from 18th century to middle of the 20th century such as French revolution of 1789, Industrial revolution, World Wars, redraw of national boundaries, Socialism, Nazism, Fascism etc.: their forms and effect on the society.
Salient features of Indian Society and culture.
Role of Women in society and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Meaning of liberalization, privatization and globalization and their effects on economy, polity and social structure.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Distribution of major natural resources of World: Water, Soils, Forests in reference to South and South-East Asia with special reference to India. Factors responsible for the location of industries (with special reference to India).
Salient features of Physical Geography: Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, Cyclone, Ocean Currents, winds and glaciers.
Oceanic resources of India and their potential.
Human migration-refugee problem of the World with focus on India.
Frontiers and boundaries with reference to Indian sub-continent.
Population and Settlements: Types and Patterns, Urbanization, Smart Cities and Smart Villages.

General Studies II

200 marks, 3 hours.

Indian Constitution: historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure, Role of Supreme Court in evolution of basic provisions of Constitution.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Role of Finance Commission in Centre-State financial relations.
Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. Emergence and use of alternative dispute redressal mechanisms.
Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other major democratic countries.
Parliament and State legislatures: structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges and concerned issues.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary: Ministries and Departments of the Government, Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity, Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act. Appointment to various Constitutional posts, Powers, functions and their responsibilities.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies including NITI Aayog, their features and functioning.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design, implementation and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Development processes: the role of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes, mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger, their implication on body politic.
Important aspects of governance. Transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations and potential, citizens charters and institutional measures.
Role of Civil Services in a democracy in the context of emerging trends.
India and its relationship with neighbouring Countries.
Bilateral, Regional and Global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interest.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests; Indian diaspora.
Important International Institutions, Agencies: their structure, mandate and functioning.
Current affairs and events of Regional, National and International importance.

General Studies III

200 marks, 3 hours.

Economic planning in India, objectives and achievements. Role of NITI Aayog, Pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).
Issues of Poverty, Unemployment, Social justice and inclusive growth.
Components of Government Budgets and Financial System.
Major Crops, Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems, storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce, e-technology in the aid of farmers.
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices, Public Distribution System: objectives, functioning, Limitations, revamping, issues of buffer stocks and food security, Technology missions in agriculture.
Food processing and related industries in India: scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land reforms in India since independence.
Effects of liberalization and globalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Science and Technology: developments and applications in everyday life and in National Security, India's Science and Technology policy.
Achievements of Indians in science & technology, indigenization of technology. Developments of New technologies, transfer of technology, dual and critical use technologies.
Awareness in the fields of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Space Technology, Computers, Energy resources, nano-technology, microbiology, bio-technology. Issues relating to intellectual property rights (IPR) and digital rights.
Environmental security and Ecosystems, Conservation of Wild life, Biodiversity, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Disaster as a Non-traditional security and safety challenge, disaster mitigation and management.
Challenges of International Security: Issues of Nuclear proliferation, Causes and spread of extremism, Communication networks, role of media and social networking, Basics of cyber security, money laundering and human trafficking.
India's internal security challenges: Terrorism, corruption, insurgency and organized crimes.
Role, kind and mandate of security forces, Higher defence organizations in India.
Issues in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry.

General Studies IV

200 marks, 3 hours.

Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human action, dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values: lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators, role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: Content, structure, function, its influence and relation with thought and behavior, moral and political attitudes, social influence and persuasion.
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public services, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
Emotional Intelligence: concept and dimensions, its utility and application in administration and governance.
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
Public/Civil Service values and ethics in Public Administration: status and problems, ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions, laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance, accountability and ethical governance, strengthening of moral values in governance, ethical issues in international relations and funding, corporate governance.
Probity in Governance: concept of public service, philosophical basis of governance and probity, information sharing and transparency in government. Right to Information, codes of ethics, codes of conduct, citizen's charter, work culture, quality of service delivery, utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Case studies on above issues.

General Studies V

200 marks, 3 hours. All topics are about Uttar Pradesh (UP).

History, Civilization, Culture and Ancient Cities of UP.
Architecture, their significance and maintainability, museum, archive and archaeology of UP.
Contributions of UP in Pre and post 1857 freedom struggles of India.
Eminent freedom fighters and personalities of UP.
Rural, Urban and Tribal issues: social structure, festivals, fairs, music, folk dances, literature and languages/dialects, social customs of UP.
Political System of UP: Governance, Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Assembly and State Council, Center-State Relation.
Public Service, Public Service Commission, Auditing, Advocate General, High Court and its jurisdiction in UP.
Special State Selection Criteria, Official Language, Consolidated Fund and Contingency fund, Political Parties and State Election Commission of UP.
Local Self Government: Urban and Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Right related issues in UP.
Good Governance, Eradication of Corruption, Lokayukta, Citizen Charters, E-Governance, Right to Information, Redressal Policy.
Land Reforms and its impact in UP.
Issues Related to Security in UP:
- (i) Linkage between development and spread of extremism.
- (ii) Role of External, State and Interstate actors in creating challenges to internal security through communication networks, media and social networking sites.
- (iii) Basic rules of cyber security, money-laundering and its prevention.
- (iv) Various security forces and agencies and their mandate.
- (v) Security challenges and their management in border areas, linkage of organized crimes with terrorism.
Law and Order and Civil Defense in UP.
Medical and Health issues in UP.
State Education System of UP.
Contribution of UP in development of India.
Current Affairs of UP.
Implementation of Jal Shakti Mission and other central welfare scheme in UP.
NGOs in UP: Issues, Contribution and Impact.
Tourism in UP: Issues and prospects.
Emphasis on Innovation in various fields in UP: Issues and its impact on employment and socio-economic development of the society.

General Studies VI

200 marks, 3 hours. All topics are about Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Overview of Economy of UP: Main features of economy and State Budgets, Infrastructure and importance of Physical Resources.
Trade, Commerce and industries of UP.
UP Government Schemes, Projects and Planned Development for welfare of People, Human Resources and Skill Development.
Investment in UP: Issues and Impact.
Public Finance and Fiscal Policy, Tax and Economic Reforms, One District One Product Policy of UP Government.
Planning and management of renewable and non-renewable energy resources of UP.
Demography, Population and Censuses of UP.
Commercialization of agriculture and production of agricultural crops in UP.
UP New Forest Policy.
Agro and Social Forestry in U.P.
Agricultural Diversity, Problems of agriculture and their solutions in UP.
Developmental Indices of UP in various fields.
Geography of UP: Geographical Location, Relief and Structure, Climate, Irrigation, Minerals, Drainage System and Vegetation.
National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries in UP.
Transport Network in UP.
Power Resources, Infrastructure and Industrial Development of UP.
Pollution and Environmental Issues in UP, Pollution Control Board and its functions.
Natural Resources of UP: Soil, Water, Air, Forests, Grasslands, Wetlands.
Climate Change and Weather Forecasting issues in UP.
Habitat and Ecosystem, structure and function, adjustment, Flora and Fauna with reference to UP.
Science and Technology: Its issues, advancements and efforts in UP.
Aquaculture, Viticulture, Sericulture, Floriculture, Horticulture, Arboriculture in UP and its impact on development of UP.
Evolvement of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for development of UP.

UPPCS Optional Subjects

There are no optional subjects under the current scheme.
The plan of examination in the PCS-2025 advertisement (A-1/E-1/2025, 20 February 2025) and in the PCS-2026 advertisement (A-1/E-1/2026, 25 June 2026) lists only eight compulsory Main Examination papers: General Hindi, Essay and General Studies I to VI.
General Studies V and VI are both about Uttar Pradesh.
Not independently verified: that General Studies V and VI replaced the optional papers of the earlier scheme, and the year the optional papers were dropped. The Commission's PCS-2023 notice could not be opened for this check.

UPPCS Interview / Personality Test

Marks: 100.
What it assesses (the Commission's words): "The test will relate to the matter of general interest keeping the matter of academic interest in view and for general awareness, intelligence, character, expression power/personality and general suitability for the service."
Who is called: only candidates declared successful on the basis of the Main (Written) Examination, three times the number of vacancies. Candidates who qualify must appear.
At the interview: candidates fill in a prescribed application form. Post preferences are asked at the interview and cannot be changed afterwards. All original certificates are checked. Serving Central or State government employees bring a No Objection Certificate from their employer.
Merit: interview marks are added to the Main Examination marks for the final selection.

UPPCS State-Specific General Knowledge

Uttar Pradesh topics in the syllabus, with the paper each appears in:

Prelims, General Studies Paper I: the note that candidates need general awareness of every listed subject "with special reference to Uttar Pradesh".
Prelims, General Studies Paper II: उ0प्र0 की मुख्य बोलियाँ (main dialects of Uttar Pradesh), in the General Hindi part.
Mains, General Studies Paper V (history, culture, polity, administration and society of UP):
- History, civilization, culture and ancient cities.
- Architecture, museums, archives and archaeology.
- UP's contribution to the freedom struggles before and after 1857.
- Eminent freedom fighters and personalities.
- Rural, urban and tribal issues: festivals, fairs, music, folk dances, literature, languages and dialects, and social customs.
- Political system: Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Assembly and State Council, and Centre-State relations.
- Public Service Commission, auditing, Advocate General, and the High Court and its jurisdiction.
- Special state selection criteria, official language, Consolidated and Contingency Funds, political parties and the State Election Commission.
- Local self-government, public policy and rights-related issues.
- Good governance, Lokayukta, citizen charters, e-governance, Right to Information and redressal policy.
- Land reforms.
- Security issues in UP.
- Law and order, and civil defence.
- Medical and health issues.
- The state education system.
- UP's contribution to India's development.
- Current affairs of UP.
- Jal Shakti Mission and other central welfare schemes in UP.
- NGOs.
- Tourism.
- Innovation.
Mains, General Studies Paper VI (economy, geography, environment and development of UP):
- Economy and state budgets.
- Trade, commerce and industries.
- UP government schemes, human resources and skill development.
- Investment.
- Public finance, fiscal policy and the One District One Product policy.
- Energy resources.
- Demography and censuses.
- Commercialisation of agriculture and agricultural crops.
- UP New Forest Policy.
- Agro and social forestry.
- Agricultural diversity and problems.
- Developmental indices.
- Geography: location, relief, climate, irrigation, minerals, drainage and vegetation.
- National parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- Transport network.
- Power resources and industrial development.
- Pollution and the Pollution Control Board.
- Natural resources.
- Climate change and weather forecasting.
- Habitat, ecosystems, flora and fauna.
- Science and technology in UP.
- Aquaculture, viticulture, sericulture, floriculture, horticulture and arboriculture.
- Public-private partnership for UP's development.
Mains, General Hindi: the Commission gives its syllabus in Hindi, and a minimum mark is required.

UPPCS Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

No syllabus change for PCS-2026. The topic lists of the Preliminary syllabus (Appendix-3) and the Main Examination syllabus (Appendix-4), and the rules at the head of Appendix-4, in Advertisement A-1/E-1/2026 (25 June 2026) match the PCS-2025 advertisement A-1/E-1/2025 (20 February 2025) word for word. Even the same printing slips appear in both. The papers, marks, durations and qualifying rules in the plan of examination (Appendix-2) are also unchanged. Source: UPPSC Advertisements A-1/E-1/2026 and A-1/E-1/2025.
Small wording changes in the plan of examination (Appendix-2). The PCS-2026 plan covers the PCS examination alone (the 2025 plan also named the Forest Service examination, see the next point). It no longer gives the Main Examination's paper timings: the 2025 plan said "9.30 am to 12.30 pm & 2 pm to 5 pm". Each Main Examination paper is still three hours. Source: Advertisements A-1/E-1/2026 and A-1/E-1/2025, Appendix-2.
The Forest Service examination is not part of the PCS-2026 advertisement. In the PCS-2025 advertisement, the Assistant Conservator of Forest / Range Forest Officer examination was advertised together with PCS. It shared the Preliminary Examination, and its Main Examination was in Appendix-5 and Appendix-6. The PCS-2026 advertisement does not mention it: its Appendix-5 lists the service rules of the PCS posts, and its plan of examination and syllabus name only the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services Examination. Source: Advertisement A-1/E-1/2026 (25 June 2026).
New weightage for Chief Minister Fellowship research scholars (2026). Under the Uttar Pradesh Public Services (Relaxation of Age Limit and Weightage for Research Scholars of Chief Minister's Fellowship for Competitive Examinations) Rules, 2026, eligible research scholars receive extra marks in the main examination. For a main examination of more than 1,000 marks, the extra marks are 2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 for one, two or three or more years of fellowship. They also receive up to 3 years of upper age relaxation. Source: Advertisement A-1/E-1/2026, sections 3 and 10.
Court note on selection. The PCS-2026 advertisement records a stay order of the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench), dated 13 May 2026, in Special Appeal No. 233/2026. The order concerns adjusting reserved-category candidates against unreserved vacancies. Source: Advertisement A-1/E-1/2026, instruction 19.
Examination date. The Commission's Examination Calendar 2026 (notice of 30 January 2026) lists the PCS (Preliminary) Examination-2026 on 6 December 2026 (Sunday). The calendar gives its dates as proposed dates.
How the text is shown here. The topic lists are the Commission's own words. Numbering is shown as bullets. Obvious printing slips in the advertisement are corrected, for example "Arithmatic", "Reperesentation", "privale" and "Arboric culture". General Studies II has no point 9 in the advertisement: its points run from 8 to 10.

UPPCS Official Sources and Verification

UPPSC website (home page): https://uppsc.up.nic.in/. The Commission's official website, which carries notices, results and the examination calendar.
All Notifications / Advertisements: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CandidatePages/Notifications.aspx. The list of open advertisements, with "View Advertisement" links. The PCS-2026 advertisement is no longer listed because its application window has closed.
Download Syllabus: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CandidatePages/Syllabus/Syllabus_PostWise.aspx?ID=4. The Commission's syllabus page. Without a browser session, it redirects to the home page.
Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026 (25 June 2026): the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Examination-2026 advertisement. Appendix-2 is the plan of examination, Appendix-3 the Preliminary syllabus and Appendix-4 the Main Examination rules and syllabus. It is published on the official site through "View Advertisement". The copy checked is the Commission's own PDF, with the Commission's heading, advertisement number and date, hosted on a third-party website (see the note below).
Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2025 (20 February 2025): the PCS-2025 advertisement. It was the basis of the earlier transcription and has the same syllabus. Its copy, too, is the Commission's own PDF hosted on a third-party website.
UPPSC Examination Calendar 2026: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CMS/Examination/EC.pdf. Notice dated 30 January 2026. It lists the PCS (Preliminary) Examination-2026 on 6 December 2026.
Posts filled through Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Interview: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CMS/Recruitment/EIM.pdf. A general list of the Commission's examinations held in these three stages (the file dates from October 2022). It names the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services Examination and the Assistant Conservator of Forest and Regional Forest Officer Exam as two examinations.

Last verified: 11 November 2026

Not independently verified: the PCS-2026 advertisement was not downloaded from uppsc.up.nic.in itself. The Commission serves its advertisement PDFs only through session-based "View Advertisement" pages, and the PCS-2026 entry is no longer listed. The copy checked was the Commission's PDF hosted on a third-party website.
Not independently verified: the PCS-2025 advertisement used for the comparison is, like the 2026 one, the Commission's PDF hosted on a third-party website, not a copy downloaded from uppsc.up.nic.in.
Not independently verified: the year optional papers were removed from the Main Examination.
Not independently verified: whether the 6 December 2026 Preliminary Examination date still stands. No later official notice confirming or changing it was found.

6. Comparative Analysis of UPSC, HCS, RAS, GPSC and UPPCS

This comparison uses only the five sections above (UPSC CSE, HCS, RAS, GPSC and UPPCS), each checked against official sources on 11 November 2026. Where a section marks a fact as not independently verified, this comparison says so too.

Examination Patterns and Marking Schemes Compared

ExamPrelims papers and marksNegative markingMains papers and marksInterview marksTotal for meritOptional subjectLanguage papersUPSC CSE | 2 papers, 2 hours each. GS Paper I: 200 marks (100 questions in 2026). GS Paper II (CSAT): 200 marks (80 questions in 2026), qualifying at 33%. Screening only. | Prelims: one-third of the question's marks for each wrong answer, in both papers. A blank answer costs nothing. Mains: none prescribed. | 9 papers, 3 hours each. Paper A (Indian language) and Paper B (English): 300 each, qualifying. Essay: 250. GS I to IV: 250 each. Optional Papers 1 and 2: 250 each. Counted: 1,750. | 275 (no minimum) | 2,025 | Yes: one subject with two papers (500 marks), from 25 subjects or the literature of one of 23 languages | Paper A (one Eighth Schedule language) and Paper B (English), 300 each, Matriculation standard, 25% minimum in each, not counted
HCS | 2 papers, 2 hours each. GS Paper I: 100 marks, used only for shortlisting. CSAT Paper II: 100 marks, qualifying at 33%. The number of questions is not stated. Screening only. | Prelims: 0.25 mark for each wrong answer, and 0.25 mark if no option is darkened (option E means "not attempted"). Mains: none stated. | 6 papers, 3 hours each, all counted. English (including Essay): 100. Hindi (including Essay): 100. GS I to IV: 100 each. Total: 600. | 75 | 675 | None (since the Amendment Rules of 29 December 2025) | English and Hindi papers, 100 each, counted; 33% in each is needed for the interview
RAS | 1 paper, 3 hours: General Knowledge and General Science, 150 questions, 200 marks. Screening only. There is no separate aptitude paper. | Prelims: 1/3 mark for each wrong answer, and 1/3 of the question's marks if none of the five options is darkened (option 5 means "not attempted"). Mains: none stated. | 4 papers, 3 hours each, all counted. GS I, GS II, GS III, and General Hindi and General English: 200 each. Total: 800. | 100 | 900 | None | Paper IV: General Hindi 90 + General English 70 + Essay 40 = 200, counted, Sr. Secondary standard
GPSC | 1 paper, 3 hours: General Studies, 200 questions, 200 marks. Screening only. | Prelims: not stated in the official documents (not independently verified). Mains: 0.6 mark for each wrong, multiple or unencoded answer in the multiple-choice parts of the two language papers. | 7 papers, 3 hours each. Gujarati and English: 300 each, qualifying. Essay and GS I to IV: 250 each, counted. Counted: 1,250. | 150 (no minimum) | 1,400 | None | Gujarati and English, 300 each, 25% minimum in each, not counted; each has a multiple-choice grammar part on an OMR sheet
UPPCS | 2 papers, 2 hours each. GS Paper I: 150 questions, 200 marks. GS Paper II (commonly called CSAT): 100 questions, 200 marks, qualifying at 33%. Screening only. | Prelims: one-third of the question's marks for each wrong answer, in both papers. A blank answer costs nothing. Mains: none stated. | 8 papers, 3 hours each, all counted. General Hindi: 150. Essay: 150. GS I to VI: 200 each. Total: 1,500. | 100 | 1,600 (worked out from the paper marks; the advertisement does not print this figure) | None | Mains General Hindi, 150, counted, with a minimum mark; Prelims GS Paper II includes General English and General Hindi up to Class X

Main differences

Scale. Merit totals run from 675 (HCS) to 2,025 (UPSC CSE). Paper sizes differ too: a General Studies paper is worth 100 marks in HCS, 200 in RAS and UPPCS, and 250 in UPSC CSE and GPSC. A score in one exam cannot be read against a score in another.
Shape of the Prelims. UPSC CSE, HCS and UPPCS have two papers: a General Studies paper that decides who goes to the Mains, and an aptitude paper that only has to be passed at 33%. RAS and GPSC have one paper, and its reasoning and mental ability questions count towards the screening score.
Negative marking. UPSC CSE, RAS and UPPCS deduct one-third for a wrong answer; HCS deducts 0.25 mark. HCS and RAS also penalise a question where no option at all is darkened, since each has an extra "not attempted" option, and both disqualify a candidate who leaves every option blank in more than 10% of the questions. In UPSC CSE and UPPCS a blank answer costs nothing. Whether the GPSC Prelims has negative marking is not stated in any official document the GPSC section could read, so it is marked not independently verified. GPSC is the only one of the five with a stated penalty in the Mains (0.6 mark in the multiple-choice parts of the language papers).
Language papers: qualifying or counted. In UPSC CSE and GPSC the two language papers must be passed (25% each) but do not count. In HCS, RAS and UPPCS the language marks are part of the merit total, with a minimum in HCS (33% each in English and Hindi) and UPPCS (a minimum mark in General Hindi).
Optional subject. Only UPSC CSE still has one. HCS dropped its optional under the Amendment Rules of 29 December 2025; until then the Mains had one 200-mark optional chosen from 29 subjects. Every RAS Mains scheme on RPSC's site (2013 to 2026) has no optional; earlier schemes are not listed. GPSC and UPPCS have no optional, but when it was dropped is not independently verified for either.
Weight of the interview (worked out from the totals above). UPSC CSE: 275 of 2,025, about 13.6%. HCS: 75 of 675, about 11.1%. RAS: 100 of 900, about 11.1%. GPSC: 150 of 1,400, about 10.7%. UPPCS: 100 of 1,600, about 6.3%.
How many go forward. To the Mains: about 12 to 13 times the vacancies in UPSC CSE, 12 times in HCS, 15 times in RAS (plus candidates tied at the cut-off), about 15 times in GPSC, and 15 times in UPPCS. To the interview: about twice the vacancies in UPSC CSE, three times in HCS, about three times in GPSC and three times in UPPCS. The RAS advertisement gives no ratio and leaves it to the Commission (not independently verified).
Minimum marks to reach the interview or the merit list. UPSC CSE: 25% in each language paper, plus any qualifying marks the Commission fixes. HCS: 45% in the aggregate of the written papers (which may be lowered to 35% for candidates with benchmark disabilities) and 33% each in English and Hindi. RAS: 10% in each Mains paper and 15% in aggregate, with a 5% relaxation for SC/ST. GPSC: 25% in each language paper; the Personality Test has no minimum. UPPCS: a minimum mark in General Hindi, and no candidate below 40% (35% for SC/ST) in the Prelims or the Mains is placed on the merit list.
What the interview judges. The UPSC CSE and HCS sections list the same qualities (mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity). UPPCS names general awareness, intelligence, character, expression and personality, and suitability for the service. RAS awards marks for character, personality, address and physique, and for knowledge of Rajasthani culture. The GPSC documents give the marks and the calling rules but do not say what the Personality Test assesses (not independently verified).
Medium of answering in the Mains. UPSC CSE: English or any Eighth Schedule language. HCS and RAS: Hindi or English, not mixed within a paper. GPSC: Gujarati or English, chosen paper by paper on the Mains form and final once submitted. UPPCS: English, Hindi or Urdu.
Ties. The UPSC CSE section gives a tie-break rule that is new in the 2026 notice, and the HCS section gives one (higher Mains marks, then the older candidate). The RAS, GPSC and UPPCS sections do not describe one.
Where each cycle stands on 11 November 2026. UPSC CSE 2027 is due to be notified on 13 January 2027 (Annual Calendar 2027; the dates may change). HCS has no advertisement newer than No. 22/2026. The RAS Prelims is set for 6 December 2026 and the Mains for 1 and 2 May 2027. The GPSC Mains is postponed until the Gujarat High Court decides petitions against the Prelims answer key, and no new date has been announced. The UPPCS Prelims is listed for 6 December 2026 as a proposed date, which has not been confirmed or changed by any later notice. If both dates stand, the RAS and UPPCS Prelims fall on the same day.

Common Subjects Across All Five Exams

"Both" means the subject is named in the Prelims syllabus and in the Mains syllabus. "Not listed" means the syllabus has no item of its own for the subject, though it may come up in passing. The paper is given in brackets.

All five exams name Indian Polity, governance and social justice, Indian History and Culture, Geography, the Indian Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Science and Technology, Indian Society, Current Affairs, Ethics, Essay, aptitude and English, though not always in the same stage. World History, Disaster Management, Internal Security and International Relations as a Mains subject are each missing from one exam (GPSC for three of them, RAS for disaster management).

Differences in the Prelims and Mains Syllabus

Prelims: the General Studies paper

UPSC CSE and UPPCS use the same seven headings in GS Paper I: current events, History of India and the National Movement, Indian and World Geography, Indian Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change, and General Science. UPPCS adds a short explanation of each heading and a note that candidates need general awareness "with special reference to Uttar Pradesh".
HCS GS Paper I has seven items: General Science, current events, History of India and the National Movement, Indian and World Geography, Indian Culture, Polity and Economy, General Mental Ability, and Haryana. It has no separate environment heading, and its geography note puts the emphasis on India.
RAS has one long paper with eleven headings, four of them about Rajasthan (history and culture, geography, political and administrative system, economy). It also lists Reasoning and Mental Ability and Current Affairs "with special reference to Rajasthan". Its topic lists are far more detailed than the UPSC CSE, HCS or UPPCS lists, down to named institutions and named numeracy topics.
GPSC also has one long paper, with seven headings: History and Culture, Constitution and Polity, Reasoning and Mental Ability, Economy of India and Gujarat, Geography, Science and Technology, and general knowledge and current events. Gujarat is written into the history, economy and geography headings, and the science heading names topics such as energy policy, nuclear policy and ICT.

Prelims: aptitude

UPSC CSE and HCS have the same six-item CSAT list: comprehension, interpersonal and communication skills, logical reasoning, decision making, general mental ability, and Class X numeracy and data interpretation.
UPPCS keeps the first five items, but in place of basic numeracy it sets Class X elementary mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, geometry and statistics), and it adds General English and General Hindi up to Class X.
RAS lists deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning, mental ability (series, coding, relations, directions, Venn diagrams, ranking) and basic numeracy up to permutations, combinations and simple probability.
GPSC lists reasoning, decision making, general mental ability, basic numerical ability and data interpretation.
In UPSC CSE, HCS and UPPCS this part is a separate paper that only has to be passed at 33%. In RAS and GPSC it sits inside the one Prelims paper and its marks count towards the screening score.

Mains: how the General Studies papers are arranged

HCS GS I to IV use the same topic lists as UPSC CSE GS I to IV, with "Related issues of Haryana" added to GS-I, GS-II and GS-III. The difference is weight: 100 marks a paper in HCS against 250 in UPSC CSE.
UPPCS GS I to IV follow the UPSC CSE lists, but fix their periods and add topics. GS I covers modern Indian history from 1757 to 1947, post-independence consolidation up to 1965 and world history to the middle of the 20th century; it adds oceanic resources, refugee migration, frontiers and boundaries, and smart cities. GS II adds the Finance Commission, alternative dispute redressal, Public Interest Litigation, NITI Aayog, and current affairs. GS III adds the Sustainable Development Goals, nuclear proliferation, human trafficking, higher defence organisations, and horticulture, forestry and animal husbandry. GS V and GS VI are wholly about Uttar Pradesh.
GPSC has four GS papers in its own arrangement. GS-I covers history, cultural heritage and Indian society (including Gandhian thought, the Mahagujarat Aandolan and the Gujarati diaspora). GS-II covers polity, governance and social justice, and current events. GS-III covers science and technology, environment and disaster management, geography and economy. GS-IV is ethics. World history is not in the syllabus, and international relations has no Mains heading. Its question format is set out: 10 questions of 15 marks and 5 of 20 marks in GS-I to GS-III, and 8 case studies of 25 marks plus 5 questions of 10 marks in GS-IV.
RAS has three GS papers in its own arrangement, and several of its subjects are in no other exam's compulsory papers: Sociology, Management, and Accounting and Auditing (Paper I); detailed General Science covering chemistry, physics, biology and computing, and Earth Science (Paper II); Public Administration, including the administrative systems of the USA, the UK, France and China, Behaviour (types of intelligence, leadership, workplace stress), and Law, listed Act by Act and section by section (Paper III). The Acts include the RTI Act 2005, the IT Act 2000, the POCSO Act 2012, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023. RPSC's unit plan sets questions of 5 and 10 marks (50 and 150 words), and says the plan is for guidance only.

Mains: history periods

Modern Indian history: from the middle of the 18th century to the present in UPSC CSE and HCS; 1757 to 1947 in UPPCS; until Independence, with Gujarat, in GPSC. The RAS Prelims covers the modern period from the early 19th century to 2000.
World history: from the 18th century in UPSC CSE and HCS; the 18th to the middle of the 20th century in UPPCS; from the Renaissance to 1991 in RAS; not in GPSC.

Mains: the essay

UPSC CSE: a 250-mark paper with essays on several topics.
GPSC: a 250-mark paper with two essays of about 1,000 to 1,200 words, one from each of two sections.
UPPCS: a 150-mark paper with three essays of about 700 words, one from each of three sections.
RAS: a 40-mark unit with one essay of about 600 words, on one of six themes.
HCS: no separate paper; there is an essay in the English paper and another in the Hindi paper.

Mains: ethics

UPSC CSE (250 marks), HCS (100) and UPPCS (200) use almost the same GS IV list: ethics and human interface, attitude, aptitude and foundational values, emotional intelligence, moral thinkers, public service values, probity in governance, and case studies.
GPSC GS-IV (250 marks) has its own topics in plainer words: honesty and integrity, compassion in governance, moral courage, leadership, transparency and accountability, ethical challenges in administration, and case studies.
RAS has Administrative Ethics as Unit I of Paper II. It adds Indian concepts (Rit and Rin, Karmavada, the ethics of the Bhagavad Gita, Gandhian ethics) and artificial intelligence against conscience in decision-making, and sets non-factual case studies.

State-Specific Subjects and Topics

UPSC CSE. None. It is a national examination with no State section. The only State-linked points are that Paper A (Indian language) is not compulsory for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, and that the interview expects interest in events "both within and outside their own State or Country".

HCS (Haryana)

Haryana topicPaperHaryana: economy and people; social, economic and cultural institutions and language of Haryana | Prelims, GS Paper I
Related issues of Haryana | Mains GS-I (Paper III)
Related issues of Haryana | Mains GS-II (Paper IV)
Related issues of Haryana | Mains GS-III (Paper V)

GS-IV, the language papers and the CSAT have no Haryana item. The syllabus does not say what "related issues" covers in each paper.

RAS (Rajasthan)

Rajasthan topicPaperHistory, art, culture, literature, tradition and heritage of Rajasthan (whole section) | Prelims
Geography of Rajasthan (whole section) | Prelims
Political and administrative system of Rajasthan (whole section) | Prelims
Economy of Rajasthan (whole section) | Prelims
Agriculture, horticulture, forestry and animal husbandry with special reference to Rajasthan; science and technology programmes in Rajasthan and India | Prelims (Science and Technology)
Current affairs with special reference to Rajasthan, including the Rajasthan Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2022 | Prelims
History, art, culture, literature, tradition and heritage of Rajasthan | Mains Paper I, Unit I Part A
Economy of Rajasthan, including Viksit Rajasthan 2047, the State budget, and petroleum and oil resources | Mains Paper I, Unit II Part C
Weaker sections of society, with special reference to Rajasthan | Mains Paper I, Unit III Part A
Development of science and technology in India and Rajasthan | Mains Paper II, Unit II
Rajasthan geography, including UNESCO Geo-parks and Geo-heritage potential | Mains Paper II, Unit III Part C
State policies and governance in Rajasthan; Rajasthan welfare schemes and sports under current affairs | Mains Paper III, Unit I
State and district administration | Mains Paper III, Unit II
Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 and Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 (named sections) | Mains Paper III, Unit III Part B
Essay theme: tourism, culture and contemporary issues with reference to Rajasthan | Mains Paper IV, Unit III
Knowledge of Rajasthani culture | Interview

GPSC (Gujarat)

Gujarat topicPaperMajor dynasties of Gujarat; 1857 in Gujarat; 19th-century reform movements in Gujarat; post-Independence Gujarat | Prelims (History and Culture)
Cultural heritage, saintly tradition and life traditions of Gujarat; museums, libraries and Gujarati theatre; life of Adivasi (tribes); Gujarati literature, language and dialects; pilgrimage and tourist places | Prelims (History and Culture)
Economy of Gujarat | Prelims (Economy of India and Gujarat)
Physical and social geography of Gujarat | Prelims (Geography)
Gujarat in history from ancient to modern times; 19th-century reform in Gujarat; modern history including Gujarat; Mahagujarat Aandolan | Mains GS-I (A)
Cultural heritage, life traditions and tourist places of Gujarat; Gandhian thought; cultural landscape of Gujarat | Mains GS-I (B)
Gujarati diaspora | Mains GS-I (C)
Public Service Act (the Gujarati version of the syllabus names Gujarat's Act on citizens' right to public services) | Mains GS-II (B)
Biodiversity, forest and wildlife in Gujarat; disaster management in Gujarat | Mains GS-III (B)
Physical features, resources, industrial location and demography of Gujarat | Mains GS-III (C)
Cooperative sector in Gujarat | Mains GS-III (D)
Gujarati language and grammar | Mains Paper I (qualifying)
Translation from Gujarati to English | Mains Paper II (qualifying)

UPPCS (Uttar Pradesh)

Uttar Pradesh topicPaperGeneral awareness of every listed subject "with special reference to Uttar Pradesh" | Prelims, GS Paper I (note)
Main dialects of Uttar Pradesh | Prelims, GS Paper II (General Hindi part)
UP history, culture, freedom struggle and personalities; society, festivals and dialects; political system and State institutions; local government; good governance; land reforms; security, law and order; health; education; current affairs; Jal Shakti Mission; NGOs; tourism; innovation | Mains GS V (whole paper, 200 marks)
UP economy and budgets; trade and industry; schemes and skill development; investment; public finance and One District One Product; energy; demography; agriculture and forestry; developmental indices; geography; national parks; transport; pollution and the Pollution Control Board; natural resources; climate; science and technology; allied farming; PPP | Mains GS VI (whole paper, 200 marks)
General Hindi, with a syllabus written in Hindi and a minimum mark | Mains General Hindi

How much of each exam is State-specific. UPPCS sets two whole Mains papers on the State: 400 of its 1,500 written marks. RAS gives the State its own sections in the Prelims and its own parts in every Mains paper, and also marks it in the interview. GPSC writes Gujarat into its history, culture, economy and geography topics in both stages, alongside India, and sets a qualifying Gujarati paper. HCS has the lightest State content: one Prelims item and one line in each of three Mains GS papers.

Topics You Can Prepare Together for Several Exams

The table groups topics by how far the official syllabi overlap. It does not judge how questions are actually set.

AreaExams that share itWhat the syllabi shareWhere they part waysMains General Studies on the UPSC model | UPSC CSE, HCS, UPPCS | HCS GS I to IV repeat the UPSC CSE GS I to IV lists; UPPCS GS I to IV follow them closely | HCS adds Haryana; UPPCS fixes history periods and adds topics (see above); paper weights differ (250, 100 and 200 marks)
Indian Polity and Constitution | All five | Constitution, Union and State institutions, federalism, local government, constitutional and statutory bodies | RAS adds named institutions and recent constitutional trends; GPSC names Public Interest Litigation and landmark judgments, and UPPCS also names Public Interest Litigation
Indian History and Culture | All five | Art and culture, the freedom struggle, post-independence consolidation | The periods covered differ; State history in HCS (Prelims), RAS, GPSC and UPPCS
Geography | All five | Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world | GPSC centres Mains geography on India and Gujarat; RAS adds Earth science
Indian Economy and Agriculture | All five | Planning, budgeting, liberalisation, infrastructure, crops and irrigation, land reforms, food security, PDS and food processing (the last four named in UPSC CSE, HCS, UPPCS and GPSC) | RAS adds world economy and banking; UPPCS GS VI and RAS add the State economy
Science and Technology, and Environment | All five | Everyday science, ICT, space, biotechnology, environmental pollution, biodiversity, climate change | RAS sets detailed physics, chemistry and biology; GPSC adds energy and nuclear policy
Internal Security and Disaster Management | UPSC CSE, HCS and UPPCS (both topics); RAS (internal security only); GPSC (disaster management only) | Extremism, cyber security, border security, security forces; disaster management | UPPCS GS V repeats the security topics for UP; GPSC adds disaster management in Gujarat
Ethics | All five | Integrity, probity, transparency and accountability, values from great leaders, case studies | UPSC CSE, HCS and UPPCS share one list; GPSC and RAS use their own lists, with Indian ethical concepts in RAS
Aptitude and reasoning | All five (Prelims) | Comprehension, reasoning, decision making, general mental ability, Class X numeracy and data interpretation | Qualifying paper in UPSC CSE, HCS and UPPCS; counted for screening in RAS and GPSC; UPPCS adds Class X mathematics, English and Hindi
Essay writing | All five | Structured essays on society, governance, economy, science, environment and current events (themes named in the RAS and UPPCS syllabi) | Length and number differ: one 600-word essay (RAS) to two 1,000 to 1,200-word essays (GPSC)
Hindi language | HCS, RAS, UPPCS (and UPSC CSE if Hindi is chosen for Paper A) | Precis, official letter writing, idioms and proverbs; prefixes and suffixes, and word and sentence correction, in RAS and UPPCS; translation from English in HCS and RAS | Counted in HCS, RAS and UPPCS, with minimum marks in HCS and UPPCS
English language | UPSC CSE, HCS, RAS, GPSC (Mains); UPPCS (Prelims, Class X) | Comprehension, precis, usage and vocabulary | Qualifying in UPSC CSE and GPSC; counted in HCS and RAS; translation into English from Hindi (RAS) or Gujarati (GPSC)
State government and institutions | RAS, UPPCS (and HCS through "related issues") | Governor, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, legislature, High Court, Advocate General, State Public Service Commission, State Election Commission, Lokayukta, local self-government | The content is about each State; these topics do not carry over from one State's exam to another's

7. Summary: Common and State-Specific Preparation Areas

The shared core. All five exams test Indian Polity and governance, Indian history and culture, geography, the Indian economy and agriculture, science and technology, environment, Indian society, ethics, essay writing and aptitude. HCS and UPPCS take their Mains General Studies papers largely from the UPSC CSE syllabus, so these three share the most. GPSC covers the same subjects in its own arrangement and wording. RAS adds subjects that none of the others has in its compulsory papers: sociology, management, accounting and auditing, public administration, behaviour and law. Only UPSC CSE has an optional subject and a 275-mark interview. Every exam uses an objective Prelims for screening only, with conventional Mains papers and an interview that count for merit (GPSC's two qualifying language papers also have a multiple-choice part).

HCS. Haryana appears in one Prelims item (economy, people, institutions and language) and as "Related issues of Haryana" in Mains GS-I, GS-II and GS-III. The English and Hindi papers count for merit and each needs 33%. The Mains changed from 29 December 2025: six 100-mark papers with no optional subject, first used for the 2025 examination. The Prelims deducts 0.25 mark both for a wrong answer and for a question where no option is darkened, and disqualifies a candidate who leaves every option blank in more than 10% of the questions.

RAS. Rajasthan has its own sections in the single Prelims paper (history and culture, geography, polity and administration, economy, and current affairs) and its own parts in all four Mains papers, including the Rajasthan Tenancy and Land Revenue Acts, and the interview awards marks for knowledge of Rajasthani culture. Paper IV combines General Hindi, General English and a 40-mark essay, and it counts for merit. The Prelims has no separate aptitude paper: reasoning and numeracy are in the 150-question paper, which deducts 1/3 for a wrong answer and also for a question left with no option darkened. The syllabus was revised on 9 January 2026.

GPSC. Gujarat runs through the history, culture, economy and geography topics in both stages, with the Mahagujarat Aandolan, the Gujarati diaspora and the cooperative sector in Gujarat in the Mains. The Gujarati and English papers are qualifying only (25% each), and their multiple-choice parts carry a 0.6-mark penalty. Whether the Prelims has negative marking is not stated in the official documents (not independently verified). The Personality Test has 150 marks and no minimum. The Mains for Advertisement No. 05/2026-27 is postponed pending a High Court decision.

UPPCS. Two whole Mains papers, GS V and GS VI (400 marks), are about Uttar Pradesh, and the Prelims asks for general awareness with special reference to the State. General Hindi (150 marks) counts and needs a minimum mark, and the Prelims aptitude paper includes Class X English, Hindi and mathematics. Both Prelims papers deduct one-third for a wrong answer, and candidates below 40% (35% for SC/ST) in the Prelims or Mains are not placed on the merit list. The 1,600-mark merit total is worked out from the paper marks, not printed in the advertisement. The 2026 Prelims is listed for 6 December 2026 as a proposed date, the same day as the RAS Prelims.

8. Official Sources

The main official documents behind each section. Each exam's own "Official Sources and Verification" list gives every document used, with its check result.

UPSC CSE (Union Public Service Commission)

UPSC website: https://www.upsc.gov.in/
Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, 4 February 2026 (scheme and syllabus, Appendix I): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CSP-2026-Engl-060226Rev.pdf
Annual Calendar 2027 (as on 20 May 2026): https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Calendar-Year-2027-Engl-200526.pdf

HCS (Haryana Public Service Commission)

HPSC website: https://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/
Advertisement No. 22/2026, 30 January 2026: https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Advt_22_2026_HCS_Ex_Br_30_01_2026_1.pdf
Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Amendment Rules, 2025, 29 December 2025 (scheme): https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Scheme_Pattern_HCS_2025_28_01_2026.pdf
Syllabi for the Preliminary and Main Written Examination, 7 January 2026: https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/Syllabus_HCS_2025_28_01_2026.pdf

RAS (Rajasthan Public Service Commission)

RPSC website: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/
Prelims Scheme and Syllabus (English), 9 January 2026: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/7D943B35-2D9E-4E50-BC3E-3726268AE18B.pdf
Mains Scheme and Syllabus (English), 9 January 2026: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/238A2E0E-B0D0-49C2-8E5E-D299A915037F.pdf
Scheme of Examination for the Mains (unit-wise plan), 9 January 2026: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/Syllabus/C112D918-2998-45A0-BE42-3A7A82DFF032.pdf
Advertisement No. 02/2026-27, 27 May 2026: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/RecruitmentAdvertisements/76C02A7D61A54708AFFCDD7A2A60DBB2.pdf
Press note on exam dates, 2 July 2026: https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Static/PressNotes/43543618-7C06-4702-8550-2F5BFB11DF5A.pdf

GPSC (Gujarat Public Service Commission)

GPSC website: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/
Detailed Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, 2 April 2026: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/DA-5-202627.pdf
Examination Rules (2025 Rules, as amended in 2026): https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/ER-05-202627.pdf
Preliminary Examination syllabus, 16 April 2026: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/SYP-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination syllabus, 31 July 2026: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/SYM-5-202627.pdf
Main Examination postponement notice, 27 August 2026: https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/Documents/AdvertismentDocument/IN-3456-27082026.pdf

UPPCS (Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission)

UPPSC website: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/
Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026, 25 June 2026 (plan of examination and syllabus, Appendices 2 to 4): published through "View Advertisement" on https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CandidatePages/Notifications.aspx; the PCS-2026 entry is no longer listed there, and the copy checked was the Commission's PDF hosted on a third-party website (not independently verified from uppsc.up.nic.in).
Examination Calendar 2026, notice of 30 January 2026: https://uppsc.up.nic.in/CMS/Examination/EC.pdf

Last verified: 11 November 2026

UPSC, HCS, RAS, GPSC and UPPCS Syllabus: Exam Pattern and Comparison

Quick Facts

Table of Contents

1. UPSC Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE)

UPSC CSE Exam Overview

UPSC CSE Examination Pattern

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

Stage 2: Main Examination (written)

Stage 2: Interview / Personality Test

Total marks and final merit

UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Studies Paper I (200 marks, two hours)

General Studies Paper II (CSAT) (200 marks, two hours)

UPSC CSE Mains Examination Syllabus

Paper A: Indian Language (qualifying, 300 marks)

Paper B: English (qualifying, 300 marks)

Paper I: Essay (250 marks)

Paper II: General Studies I (250 marks)

Paper III: General Studies II (250 marks)

Paper IV: General Studies III (250 marks)

Paper V: General Studies IV (250 marks)

Papers VI and VII: Optional Subject Papers 1 and 2 (250 marks each)

UPSC CSE Optional Subjects

UPSC CSE Interview / Personality Test

UPSC CSE State-Specific General Knowledge

UPSC CSE Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

UPSC CSE Official Sources and Verification

2. Haryana Civil Services (Executive Branch) and Allied Services Examination (HCS)

HCS Exam Overview

HCS Examination Pattern

HCS Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Studies (Paper I)

Civil Services Aptitude Test (Paper II)

HCS Mains Examination Syllabus

English and English Essay (Paper I)

Hindi and Hindi Essay (Paper II, in Devnagri script)

General Studies-I (Paper III)

General Studies-II (Paper IV)

General Studies-III (Paper V)

General Studies-IV (Paper VI): Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

HCS Optional Subjects

HCS Interview / Personality Test

HCS State-Specific General Knowledge

HCS Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

HCS Official Sources and Verification

3. Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination (RAS/RTS)

RAS Exam Overview

RAS Examination Pattern

RAS Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Knowledge and General Science

RAS Mains Examination Syllabus

Paper I: General Studies-I (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Paper II: General Studies-II (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Paper III: General Studies-III (General Knowledge and General Studies)

Paper IV: General Hindi and General English

RAS Optional Subjects

RAS Interview / Personality Test

RAS State-Specific General Knowledge

RAS Important Notes and Recent Syllabus Changes

RAS Official Sources and Verification

4. Gujarat Administrative Service, Class-1, Gujarat Civil Service, Class-1 and Class-2 Examination (GPSC)

GPSC Exam Overview

GPSC Examination Pattern

Preliminary Examination

Main Examination (written)

Personality Test

Total marks and merit basis

GPSC Preliminary Examination Syllabus

General Studies (200 marks)

GPSC Mains Examination Syllabus

Paper I: Gujarati Language (300 marks, qualifying)

Paper II: English Language (300 marks, qualifying)

Paper III: Essay (250 marks)

Paper IV: General Studies-I (250 marks)

Paper V: General Studies-II (250 marks)

Paper VI: General Studies-III (250 marks)

Paper VII: General Studies-IV (250 marks)

GPSC Optional Subjects

GPSC Interview / Personality Test

GPSC State-Specific General Knowledge