UPSC IFoS Syllabus 2026, Exam Pattern, Download PDF

Q: What is the syllabus for IFS exam 2026?

The IFS Syllabus 2026 includes Prelims (GS and CSAT), Mains with compulsory papers (General English, General Knowledge), four optional subject papers, and an interview.

Q: Who is eligible for IFoS 2026?

Candidates eligible for IFoS 2026 must be 21–32 years old (relaxations apply), hold a bachelor’s in specified science/engineering/agriculture/forestry subjects, meet nationality, attempt, and physical standards.

Q: Will the UPSC syllabus change in 2026?

No, the UPSC syllabus changes in 2026, updating Prelims and Mains topics—more analytical, interdisciplinary, and tech-focused questions have been introduced.

Q: What is the main subject for IFS?

The main subject for Indian Forest Service (IFS) is optional science-related subjects like Agriculture, Forestry, Botany, Zoology, or Engineering, chosen during the Mains exam.

Q: How many seats for IFS in UPSC 2026?

The UPSC Notification 2026 will announce the number of seats for the Indian Forest Service (IFS).

Table of Contents☰

The Indian Forest Service Notification 2026 by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) includes the IFoS Syllabus 2026 for the Indian Forest Service Exam. It is essential for candidates to go through UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 and prepare based on the most recent UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026. The Indian Forest Service Prelims consists of two papers, while the Indian Forest Service Mains comprises six papers.

Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026

For those aspiring candidates to join the Indian Forest Service (IFS), a thorough understanding of the UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 and the exam pattern is essential. Having a clear understanding of the syllabus allows candidates to identify the various subject areas covered in the IFS Exam 2026. An extensive review of the Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 will provide candidates with valuable insights into the topics that will be included in the exam.

Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 for Prelims

The Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 for Prelims includes two papers; Paper 1 General Studies I and Paper 2 General Studies II, also known as CSAT. The first paper is conducted to evaluate candidates’ general knowledge, such as current affairs; the second paper examines the candidate’s aptitude for forest service. The UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 for Prelims is as follows:

Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 for Prelims
Paper	Topics
General Studies	Current Affairs: Events of national and international importance. Geography of India and World: Physical, Economic, and Social Geography of India and the World. History: India History and Indian National Movement. Economic and Social Development: Social Sector Initiatives, Inclusion, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Demographics, etc. Indian Polity and Governance: Constitution of India, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Rights Issues, Public Policy, etc. Environment and Science: General issues on Environmental ecology, Climate Change, and Biodiversity. General Science
CSAT	Reading Comprehension: English, Interpersonal skills including communication skills Reasoning: Logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision-making, and problem-solving. General Mental Ability: Class X level topics on basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) Data Interpretation: Class X level charts, tables, graphs, data sufficiency, etc.

UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims

The UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFS) Prelims 2026 serves as a preliminary screening test where candidates will be evaluated based on their performance in two objective-type papers. There will be two papers, each lasting 2 hours, consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). It is important to note that the scores from this stage will not contribute to the final merit list. To be considered for advancement, candidates must secure at least 33% in Paper 2. The UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims is as follows:

UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims
Paper	Total Questions	Total Marks	Negative Marking
General Studies Paper I	100	200	-0.66 marks
General Studies Paper II (CSAT)	80	200	-0.83 marks

Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 for Mains

Every candidate aspiring to succeed in the Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 must understand the IFoS Syllabus 2026 for mains as it plays a crucial role during selection based on the marks obtained. The UPSC IFS Mains Exam 2026 consists of six papers, of which four are optional. Candidates are required to select two subjects from the optional papers.

The compulsory papers include:

General English
General Knowledge

Candidates are mandated to attempt these papers without any options for subject selection. The detailed topics included in the syllabus for the compulsory papers are outlined in the table below.

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 for Compulsory Papers
Subject	Topics
General English	One Essay in English Other questions will be designed to test candidates’s understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Passages will usually be set for summary or precis.
General Knowledge	General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on the following subjects: Indian Polity including the political system Constitution of India History of India Geography

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 for Optional Subjects

In the UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam 2026, candidates must choose two optional subjects from a list of 14. Each optional subject paper has two parts: Part A and Part B. Each part contains four questions, making a total of eight questions for each subject. For those preparing for the Indian Forest Service Exam 2026, it's important to review the UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 for Optional Subjects to understand what to expect and how to prepare effectively.

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026 for Optional Subjects
Subject	Topics
Agriculture	Paper I: Ecology Cropping patterns and related topics Forestry plantations Soil Farm management Agricultural extension, etc. Paper II: Cell Theory Cytoplasmic inheritance Seed technology Physiology Growth and development Pests and diseases Food production
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science	Paper I: Animal Nutrition Animal Physiology Livestock Production and Management Genetics and Animal Breeding Paper II: Health and Hygiene Veterinary Public Health Animal Diseases Milk and Milk Products Technology Meat Hygiene and Technology Extension
Chemistry	Paper I: Atomic structure Chemical bonding Solid State The gaseous state Thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics Phase equilibria and solutions Electrochemistry Chemical kinetics Photochemistry Surface phenomena and catalysis Bio-inorganic chemistry Coordination chemistry General chemistry of ‘f’ block elements Non-Aqueous Solvents Paper II: Delocalised covalent bonding Pericyclic reactions Reactions Chemistry and mechanism of reactions Polymeric Systems Synthetic uses of reagents Photochemistry Principles of spectroscopy and applications in structure elucidation
Agricultural Engineering	Paper I: Soil and Water Conservation Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing Irrigation and Drainage Agricultural Structures Paper II: Farm Power and Machinery Agro-energy Agricultural Process Engineering Instrumentation and Computer Applications in Agricultural Engineering
Botany	Paper I: Microbiology and Plant Pathology Cryptogams Phanerogams Plant Utility and Exploitation Morphogenesis Paper II: Cell Biology Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics Physiology and Biochemistry Ecology and Plant Geography
Civil Engineering	Paper I: Strength of materials Structural analysis Engineering Mechanics Structural Steel Design Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures Fluid Mechanics, Open channel flow, and Hydraulic Mechanics Hydraulic Machine and Hydropower Geotechnical engineering Paper II: Construction Technology Construction Equipment Survey and Transport Engineering Hydrology, Water Resources, and Engineering Environmental Engineering
Chemical Engineering	Paper I: Fluid and Particle Dynamics Mass Transfer Heat Transfer Noval Separation Processes Process Equipment Design Process Dynamics and Control Paper II: Material and Energy Balances Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics Chemical Reaction Engineering Chemical Technology Environmental Engineering and Safety Process Engineering Economics
Forestry	Paper I: Silviculture Agroforestry, Social Forestry, Joint Forest Management and Tribology Forest Soils, Soil Conservation and Watershed management Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity Tree Improvement and Seed Technology Paper II: Forest Management and Management Systems Forest Working Plan Forest Mensuration and Remote Sensing Surveying and Forest Engineering Forest Resources and Utilization Forest Ecology and Ethnobotany Forest Protection & Wildlife Biology Forest Economics and Legislation
Mathematics	Paper I: Linear Algebra Calculus Analytic Geometry Dynamics, Statics, and Hydrostatics Vector Analysis Ordinary Differential Equations Paper II: Algebra Real Analysis Complex Analysis Linear Programming Partial differential equations Numerical Analysis and Computer programming Numerical integration Numerical solution of ordinary differential equations Computer Programming Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics
Mechanical Engineering	Paper I: Theory of Machines Mechanics of Solids Engineering Materials Manufacturing Science Manufacturing Management Elements of Computation Paper II: Thermodynamics I.C. Engines, Fuels and Combustion Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Turbomachine and Powerplants
Physics	Paper I: Classical Mechanics Special Relativity, Waves & Geometrical Optics Physical Optics Electricity and Magnetism Electromagnetic Theory & Black Body Radiation Thermal and Statistical Physics Paper II: Quantum Mechanics I Quantum Mechanics II & Atomic Physics Molecular Physics Nuclear Physics Particle Physics & Solid State Physics Electronics
Zoology	Paper I: Non-Chordata and Chordata Ecology Ethology Economic Zoology Biostatistics Instrumental Methods Paper II: Cell Biology Genetics Evolution Systematics Biochemistry Physiology Developmental Biology
Statistics	Paper I: Probability Statistical Inference Linear Inference and Multivariate Analysis Sampling Theory and Design of Experiments Paper II: Industrial Statistics Optimization Techniques Quantitative Economics and Official Statistics Demography and Psychometry
Geology	Paper I: General Geology Geomorphology and Remote Sensing Structural Geology Paleontology Stratigraphy and Geology of India Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology Paper II: Mineralogy Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Sedimentology Economic Geology Mining Geology Geochemistry and Environmental Geology

UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026 for Mains

Candidates who clear the Indian Forest Service Prelims Exam 2026 move on to the mains exam, which includes six descriptive papers. The Indian Forest Service Syllabus 2026 for Mains is very important as the scores obtained in this phase significantly influence the final merit list.

There are six papers, each lasting three hours.
Papers I and II are worth 300 marks each, while Papers III, IV, V, and VI are worth 200 marks each.
For Papers III to VI, candidates need to choose two optional subjects from the approved list, following the guidelines about which subjects can be combined as stated in the official notification.

UPSC IFS Exam Pattern 2026 for Mains
Paper	Subject	Marks
Paper I	General English	300
Paper II	General Knowledge	300
Paper III	Optional I	200
Paper IV	Optional II	200
Paper V	Optional III	200
Paper VI	Optional IV	200

UPSC IFS Interview 2026

Candidates who clear the written exam will be invited for the UPSC IFS Interview 2026, which assesses their suitability for the Indian Forest Service. The interview carries 300 marks and includes twice the number of candidates based on the UPSC IFS Result 2026 PDF. The final merit list, totaling 1700 marks, combines scores from both the written exam and interview. Preparation should focus on current events, geography, and practical knowledge of the UPSC IFS Syllabus 2026. Solving previous years’ papers can help candidates prioritize high-yield topics.

Other Related Posts of UPSC IFoS 2026
UPSC IFoS Notification	UPSC IFoS Syllabus
UPSC IFoS Salary	UPSC IFoS Eligibility
UPSC IFoS Result	UPSC IFoS Cut Off
UPSC IFoS Selection Process