

{"id":1426,"date":"2026-08-12T17:15:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T11:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2026-08-12T17:22:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T11:52:34","slug":"upsc-exam-pattern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-exam-pattern\/","title":{"rendered":"UPSC Exam Pattern 2026, Prelims, Mains &#038; Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is conducted in three stages: <\/span><b>Prelims, Mains and Personality Test (Interview)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Candidates must qualify at each stage to move to the next. The Prelims examination is objective in nature, while the Mains examination includes descriptive papers followed by the Interview. A clear understanding of the <\/span><b>UPSC Exam Pattern 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is important because it helps candidates plan their preparation, understand the marking scheme and focus on the right subjects.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC CSE 2026 Exam Stages<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC CSE 2026 Exam Pattern<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> consists of three stages. Prelims is only a screening test, while the marks obtained in Mains and the Interview are considered for the final merit list.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"4\"><b>UPSC CSE 2026 Exam Stages<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Stage<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Papers<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Nature<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marks<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td rowspan=\"2\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Preliminary Examination<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies Paper I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Objective<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies Paper II (CSAT)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Objective<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Main Examination<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">9 papers<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Descriptive<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1750<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Personality Test<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Interview<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Personality assessment<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">275<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Final Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mains + Interview<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">-<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2025<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2026<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC Prelims 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> consists of two compulsory objective-type papers conducted on the same day. Each paper carries <\/span><b>200 marks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, making the total <\/span><b>400 marks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>General Studies Paper I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> covers subjects such as Indian history, geography, polity and governance, economy, environment, science and technology, and current affairs. <\/span><b>General Studies Paper II (CSAT)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> tests comprehension, reasoning, analytical ability, basic numeracy and data interpretation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"6\"><b>UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2026<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Paper<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Subject<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marks<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Duration<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Nature<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Negative Marking<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2 hours<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit for Prelims cutoff<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1\/3 of marks for each wrong answer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper II<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CSAT<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2 hours<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Qualifying (1\/3rd Marks out of 200)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1\/3 of marks for each wrong answer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Total<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">-<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">400<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4 hours<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">-<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Applicable to both papers<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><b>Note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no negative marking for unanswered questions. CSAT is qualifying in nature, while General Studies Paper I is used to determine the Prelims cutoff.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2027<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2027<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&nbsp;consists of two papers: <\/span><b>General Studies Paper I and CSAT (General Studies Paper II)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. GS Paper I covers subjects such as history, geography, polity, economy, environment, science and current affairs, while CSAT tests comprehension, reasoning, numeracy and analytical ability.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CSAT is a <\/span><b>qualifying paper with a minimum requirement of 33%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while GS Paper I is used to determine the Prelims cutoff. Candidates must appear in both papers to qualify for the next stage.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><b><center><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-glossy fasc-rounded-medium fasc-style-bold\" style=\"background-color: #33809e;color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-prelims-syllabus\/\" target=\"_blank\">Click Here to Read Complete UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2027<\/a><\/center><\/b><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2026<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Candidates who qualify for the Prelims cutoff are eligible to appear for the <\/span><b>UPSC Mains Examination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The Mains consists of <\/span><b>nine descriptive papers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Two papers, <\/span><b>Paper A (Indian Language)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><b>Paper B (English)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are qualifying in nature. The remaining seven papers contribute to the final written score. The Mains written examination carries <\/span><b>1750 marks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"4\"><b>UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2026<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Paper<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Subject<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marks<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Nature<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper A<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Indian Language<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">300<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Qualifying<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper B<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">English<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">300<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Qualifying<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Essay<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper II<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper III<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies II<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper IV<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies III<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper V<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">General Studies IV<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper VI<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Optional Subject Paper I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paper VII<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Optional Subject Paper II<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">250<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Total Written Marks<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">-<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1750<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">-<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> includes nine descriptive papers covering <\/span><b>Essay, General Studies, Indian Language, English and one optional subject<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The four General Studies papers cover <\/span><b>Indian heritage and history, governance and polity, economy and environment, science and technology, security and ethics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Candidates also have to choose <\/span><b>one optional subject<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which includes two papers of 250 marks each. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mains exam mainly tests <\/span><b>conceptual understanding, analytical thinking, answer-writing skills and the ability to connect topics with current issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><b><center><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-glossy fasc-rounded-medium fasc-style-bold\" style=\"background-color: #33809e;color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-mains-syllabus\/\" target=\"_blank\">Click Here to Read Complete UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026<\/a><\/center><\/b><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Interview 2026<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\">UPSC Interview<\/a> 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, officially called the <\/span><b>Personality Test<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, is the final stage of the Civil Services Examination. It carries <\/span><b>275 marks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and assesses a candidate\u2019s personality, communication skills, judgment, confidence and awareness. The interview is not just a test of knowledge but evaluates the overall suitability of a candidate for a career in public service.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 Prelims vs Mains<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC Prelims<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is an objective screening examination, while the <\/span><b>Mains<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a descriptive examination that tests analytical understanding, answer-writing ability and subject knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"3\"><b>UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 Prelims vs Mains<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Feature<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>UPSC Prelims 2026<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Mains UPSC 2026<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Purpose<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Screening for Mains<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Determines merit along with Interview<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Type of Questions<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Objective (MCQs)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Descriptive<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Number of Papers<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">9<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Total Marks<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">400<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1750<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Qualifying Paper<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CSAT \u2013 33%<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Indian Language and English<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>General Studies<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1 paper<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4 papers<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Essay Paper<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, 250 marks<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Optional Subject<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2 papers, 500 marks<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Negative Marking<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No objective negative marking<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marks Counted in Final Merit<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><b>UPSC CSE 2026 Marking Scheme<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>UPSC CSE 2026 marking scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> differs for Prelims and Mains. Prelims has negative marking for incorrect answers, while the Mains examination is descriptive and does not have objective-type negative marking.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"3\"><b>UPSC CSE 2026 Marking Scheme<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Stage\/Paper<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marks<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Marking Scheme<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prelims GS Paper I<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1\/3 marks deducted for each incorrect answer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prelims CSAT (GS Paper II)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">200<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1\/3 marks deducted for each incorrect answer; qualifying at 33%<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mains Qualifying Papers<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">600<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No negative marking; qualifying in nature<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mains Merit Papers<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1750<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marks awarded for descriptive answers; counted for merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Interview\/Personality Test<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">275<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No negative marking; counted for final merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Final Merit<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2025<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mains merit marks (1750) + Interview marks (275)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><strong style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: 35px;font-style: inherit\">Services Under UPSC CSE 2026<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Here is the list of Services under UPSC CSE 2026 as per the latest UPSC Notification 2026.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Administrative Service (IAS)<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Foreign Service (IFS)<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Police Service (IPS)<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Corporate Law Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Defence Estates Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Information Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Postal Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Post &amp; Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Railway Management Services (Traffic, Personnel, Accounts), Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Revenue Service (Customs &amp; Indirect Taxes), Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), Group \u2018A\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Indian Trade Service, Group \u2018A\u2019 (Grade III)<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group \u2018B\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), Group \u2018B\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS), Group \u2018B\u2019<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"text-align: left\">Pondicherry Civil and Police Service, Group \u2018B\u2019<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 90.8218%\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 141.708%;text-align: center;height: 25px\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Other Related Posts of UPSC 2026<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-syllabus\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Syllabus<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-exam-pattern\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Exam Pattern<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-age-limit\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Age Limit<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ias-salary\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IAS Salary<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-notification-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\">UPSC Exam Date 2026<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\">UPSC Calendar<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-prelims\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Prelims 2027<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-mains\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Mains 2026<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-mains-syllabus\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Mains Syllabus<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Interview<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-prelims-result-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Prelims Result<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-mains-result\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Mains Result<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-result-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Final Result<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-cut-off\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Cut Off<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/csat-syllabus\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC CSAT Syllabus<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-book-list\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Books<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-admit-card\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Admit Card<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-previous-year-papers\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Previous Year Papers<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 23px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/upsc-prelims-answer-key-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Answer Key<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ias-vs-ips\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IAS vs IPS<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/courses\/upsc-gs-course\/\" target=\"_blank\">UPSC GS Course<\/a><br>\r\n<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/courses\/mains-test-series\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Mains Test Series 2027<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 48.4578%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/courses\/mentorship-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UPSC Mentorship Program 2027<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 93.2505%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/courses\/2-year-upsc-course\/\" target=\"_blank\">UPSC 2 Year Course<\/a><br>\r\n<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Know the UPSC Exam Pattern 2026, including Prelims and Mains papers, marks, negative marking, qualifying papers, Interview and final merit criteria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10,11,1838,1632,910],"class_list":["post-1426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-cse-exam","tag-upsc","tag-upsc-exam-pattern","tag-upsc-exam-patttern-2026","tag-upsc-mains","tag-upsc-prelims"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1426"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27515,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions\/27515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}