UPSC IAS Exam Pattern 2024: Marking Scheme, Total Marks

Hafsha Qureshi

Updated on - Dec 6, 2023

UPSC IAS exam pattern 2024 must be known to the candidates preparing for the exam. The UPSC IAS exam is a three-tier exam. There will be a preliminary examination followed by the main examination. Candidates who qualify UPSC IAS 2024 will go through a series of interviews before getting the offer letter. Candidates can go through UPSC IAS 2024 Syllabus in order to get detailed information about the concepts/topics that will be a part of the question paper.

UPSC IAS interview will take place in the Union Public Service Commission's office at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069, according to official sources. It is important to note that if a candidate fails to complete the DAF-II by the deadline, his or her candidature will be revoked, and no e-Summon Letter will be sent to that applicant. Candidates are strongly recommended to check UPSC's official website on a frequent basis for new information.

UPSC IAS 2024 Interview

The interview is officially known as the IAS personality exam. Those who pass the IAS main exam will be invited to take the personality test. Only UPSC office in New Delhi will be used to conduct the IAS personality test. Candidates must devote their full attention to the personality test, as it has the potential to make or break their dream of becoming an IAS officer.

Candidates must have a thorough understanding of their subject as well as current events. By asking open-ended questions, UPSC IAS interview panel will analyse the candidates' mental and social ability. The board looks for mental alertness, critical absorption capacities, clear and logical presentation, a balance of judgement, breadth and depth of interest, aptitude for social cohesion and leadership, as well as intellectual and moral purity.

UPSC IAS 2024 Exam Pattern

The Civil Services Examination will consist of two successive stages (vide Appendix I Section-I)

• Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and
• Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts noted above.

Stages of Qualification

Applications are now invited for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination only. UPSC IAS Preliminary Examination would be conducted on #from_date.

Candidates have to clear the Preliminary Examination to appear in the Mains Exam. 

Candidates who are declared by the commission to have qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will have to apply online again, in the detailed UPSC IAS 2024 Application Form. UPSC IAS Main examination is likely to be held in the month of September 2024.

UPSC IAS 2024 Prelims

UPSC IAS Preliminary Exams consists of two papers and both the papers have to be cleared. For UPSC IAS Prelims, a negative marking scheme is followed. Paper 2 or CSAT is merely qualifying. i.e. the candidate has to score a minimum of 33 percent to clear paper 2.

All the questions are MCQs in UPSC IAS Preliminary Exam. After the Candidates have cleared UPSC IAS Prelims, they can appear in the Mains and the Personal Interview.

UPSC IAS 2024 Mains

The Main examination will consist of a written examination and an interview test.

The written examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional essay type out of which two papers will be of qualifying in nature. Also, marks obtained for all the compulsory papers (Paper-I to Paper-VII) and Marks obtained in Interview for Personality Test will be counted for ranking.

Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for an interview for a Personality Test.

The number of candidates to be summoned for the interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. As per UPSC IAS notification, the interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).

Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and posts.