Plan Of Examination
The Civil Services Examination comprises two successive stages:
Preliminary Examination
The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) carrying 400 marks each.
Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.
The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
There will be negative marking for incorrect answers as detailed below:
The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.
This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit.
Main Examination
The Written Examination will consist of the following papers:—
Qualifying Papers (Candidate just need to get qualifying marks in these two papers and these marks are not included in counting for merit)
Paper-A (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution). 300 Marks
Paper-B English 300 Marks
Papers to be counted for merit
Paper-I Essay 250 Marks
Paper-II General Studies-I 250 Marks (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
Paper-III General Studies -II 250 Marks (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)
Paper-IV General Studies -III 250 Marks (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
Paper-V General Studies -IV 250 Marks (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
Paper-VI Optional Subject – Paper 1 250 Marks
Paper-VII Optional Subject – Paper 2 250
Marks Sub Total (Written test) 1750 Marks
Personality Test 275
Marks Grand Total 2025 Marks
Main Examination
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.