UPSC CSE mock tests

Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination

Free practice tests

About UPSC CSE

The Civil Services Examination recruits for the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Police Service and the other Group A and Group B services named in the notice. A candidate must be a graduate and, for the 2026 examination, must have turned 21 and not yet turned 32 on 1 August 2026 (born not earlier than 2 August 1994 and not later than 1 August 2005), with the relaxations in the notice. General and EWS candidates get six attempts, OBC nine, and SC/ST candidates have no limit on attempts.

There are two stages. The Preliminary Examination is a screening test of two compulsory objective papers, each of 200 marks and two hours, set in Hindi and English. General Studies Paper I is the paper whose marks decide who is called for the Main Examination. General Studies Paper II (often called CSAT) is qualifying: a candidate needs 33% in it. A wrong answer costs one-third of the marks of that question; a blank answer costs nothing. A candidate must sit both papers. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit.

The Main Examination is a written examination of conventional papers, followed by an interview. Two language papers (an Eighth Schedule language, and English) are qualifying at 25% each and do not count for merit. The papers that count are Essay, four General Studies papers and two papers of one optional subject, 250 marks each (1,750), plus the personality test of 275 marks. The grand total is 2,025. About twelve to thirteen times the vacancies are admitted to the Main Examination, and about twice the vacancies are called for the personality test.

The notice of 4 February 2026 expected about 933 vacancies, including posts reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities. That figure can change. The 2026 Preliminary Examination was held on 24 May 2026.

UPSC Prelims (CSE) exam pattern

4 hours (2 hours for each paper)

UPSC Mains (CSE) exam pattern

Each written paper is 3 hours; the personality test is a separate sitting