Prelims
Preliminary Examination Overview
The initial phase of the UPSC Civil Services Examination is the Preliminary stage. It consists of two papers, each comprising objective-type (multiple choice) questions and carrying a maximum of 400 marks collectively. It's crucial to understand that the Preliminary Examination functions as a screening test only. The marks obtained in this stage are not considered for the final merit ranking.
Approximately twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies are selected for the Civil Services Main Examination from the candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Examination. These candidates must meet the eligibility criteria for the Main Examination.
It's important to note the negative marking scheme:
- For every wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question are deducted as a penalty.
- eaving a question blank (providing no answer) results in no penalty.
- Leaving a question blank (providing no answer) results in no penalty.
The Preliminary Examination consists of two compulsory papers, each carrying 200 marks. Both papers are of the objective type and last for two hours each. The General Studies Paper-II is a qualifying paper, with candidates required to score a minimum of 33%.
Furthermore, the question papers are provided in both Hindi and English to cater to the language preferences of candidates.
