UPSC Civil Services · Written examination

UPSC Mains study resources

Paper-wise topic maps and answer frameworks for General Studies, Essay and optional-subject planning.

Home › UPSC › Mains

General Studies papers

GS Paper I — Culture, history, society and geographyGS Paper II — Polity, governance and international relationsGS Paper III — Economy, agriculture, science, environment and securityGS Paper IV — Ethics, integrity and aptitudeEssay — Planning, themes and practice

Examination structure

The written examination includes qualifying language papers, Essay, four General Studies papers and two papers in one optional subject. Consult the latest UPSC notice for marks, qualifying requirements, language choices and the current official optional-subject list. Optional subjects are candidate choices, not compulsory papers.

Read the Mains syllabus page · Study resources · Official UPSC question papers

Plan your preparation

  1. Read the official syllabus and map each line to a notebook section.
  2. Build static concepts before adding current examples.
  3. Practise timed answers and review structure, relevance and evidence.
  4. Revise through issue maps and test yourself with verified past questions.