There are three stages in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services exam, including Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The Preliminary exam is an aptitude test designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge of current affairs.
Similarly, the Mains exam tests a candidate’s expertise in an academic field. Both the Preliminary and Mains exam are written tests, and only those candidates who clear the Prelims get to write the Mains exam.
The same is also true for those candidates appearing for the interview-the last stage in the selection process.
IAS 2022
IAS (Indian Administrative Services) is an important exam under the Union Public Service Commission, scheduled for June 5, 2022. The UPSC released the official notification on February 2, 2022, and candidates appearing for this exam must apply by February 22, 2022. The commission has also decided to increase the vacancies to 1011, from 861, in 2021.
The eligibility criteria for the different IAS posts vary depending on several factors. For instance, the age limit to apply for this exam lies between 21 and 32 years. However, those appearing for the exam may get a relaxation depending on their categories.
Accordingly, the age relaxation for people falling under the SC and ST categories is five years, while it is three years for OBC. Similarly, former Defense Services Personnel and Ex-Servicemen get age relaxations up to three and five years, respectively, while PWD candidates are eligible to get up to 10 years.
Also, candidates from the General Merit and EWS categories get six chances to attempt the exam. OBC candidates get nine chances, and other candidates, such as SC, ST, and PWD, get unlimited chances.
IAS Subjects
Like several other UPSC exams, IAS has two parts: Preliminary Exam and Main Exam. The Preliminary Exam has about 100 questions and lasts for two hours. You must attempt two papers in this exam, carrying 200 marks each.
The first paper, that is, Paper–I, comprises topics like:
- Important national and international current events.
- Indian History and Indian National Movement.
- Indian and World Geography.
- Indian Polity and Governance.
- Economic and Social Development.
- Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change.
- General Science
Paper-II is of objective type and consists of 80 questions on topics like:
- Comprehension.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills.
- Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability.
- Problem-Solving and Decision-Making.
- General Mental Ability.
- Basic Numeracy.
Main Exam
The Main Exam and Interview put together decide a candidate’s rank. There are nine papers in this exam, of which two are optional. The exam carries 1750 marks, while the interview carries 275 marks. So, each section in the Main Exam has 250 marks.
In the first paper, candidates must write essays on different topics, while the rest of the sections are on general awareness and consist of topics like:
- Indian and World Culture and History.
- Geography.
- Indian Constitution and Parliament.
- Indian Economy.
- Ethics and Human Interface in Governance.
So, IAS Syllabus consist of these broader subjects that appear in the first five papers. As for the optional subjects, the topics include:
- History and Geography.
- Economics.
- Sociology.
- Public Administration.
- Philosophy.
- Psychology.
- Political Science.
- Agriculture.
- Science.
- Commerce.
- Mathematics.
- Law.
Closing Thoughts
As an aspirant who wants to appear for and crack IAS, you ought to start by going through and becoming well-acquainted with the syllabus. Besides the preliminary and main exams, candidates must also go through the interview to qualify for the different vacancies in the Indian Administrative Services. So, the interview is also a prominent part of the preparation process, besides the prelims and mains.