UPPCS Syllabus 2026: Prelims and Mains Guide

The UPPCS syllabus covers a Preliminary Examination with two objective papers, a Main Examination with eight conventional papers and an interview. UPPCS is the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services Examination of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), and the 2026 cycle follows advertisement A-1/E-1/2026.

This page turns the syllabus into a checklist you can plan from. It lists what to study for each paper, what to start with and where one topic serves two stages, so you read each subject only once and revise it twice.

The commission prints the detailed syllabus in the appendix of its notification. The topic lists below follow that structure and the subjects asked in earlier years. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and compare them with the appendix of the notification on the UPPSC website.

Table of Contents

• UPPCS syllabus at a glance

• Key points to know first

• Prelims syllabus

• Mains syllabus

• Overlap between stages

• Interview

• How to cover the syllabus

UPPCS syllabus at a glance

Key points to know first

• Paper II only qualifies: Prelims merit is decided by Paper I, while the CSAT paper needs 33 percent.

• No optional subject: The Main Examination is built on General Hindi, Essay and six General Studies papers, so you do not choose an optional.

• Two state papers: General Studies V and VI focus on Uttar Pradesh, which makes state-level reading a scoring area.

• Older pages differ: Older pages may still show an earlier structure with optional subjects, so follow the official notification.

Prelims syllabus

Paper I: General Studies

Polity, history and geography usually carry many questions, so give them the first months. Current events connect almost every section, so a monthly note-making habit pays back in all of them.

Paper II: CSAT (qualifying)

• Comprehension: Passages with questions on meaning and inference.

• Reasoning and analysis: Logical reasoning, analytical ability and general mental ability.

• Numeracy and data: Basic numeracy and data interpretation at Class X level.

• Language: General English at Class X level, with comprehension.

CSAT needs only 33 percent, which is 66 marks out of 200. Practise it steadily for a few weeks rather than neglecting it, because failing it ends your attempt whatever your Paper I score.

Mains syllabus

The paper-wise lists below follow the commonly published structure of the Mains syllabus. Check paper names and numbering in the appendix, since third-party tables number the papers differently.

General Hindi and Essay

• General Hindi (150 marks): Comprehension of a passage, precis writing, official and semi-official letters, notices and circulars, word usage, sentence correction, idioms and proverbs.

• Essay (150 marks): Three sections of topics across literature, society, politics, science, environment, economy, agriculture, national and international events and development programmes. You pick one topic from each section.

General Studies I: heritage, history, society and geography

• Indian art forms, literature and architecture, and modern Indian history from 1757 to 1947.

• The freedom struggle, post-independence consolidation, and world history from the 18th century.

• Indian society, women's issues, population, poverty, urbanisation, communalism, regionalism and secularism.

• Physical and human geography, world resources, migration and the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent.

General Studies II: polity, governance and international relations

• Constitution, Union and State functions, Parliament, State legislatures, the executive and the judiciary.

• Statutory and regulatory bodies, welfare schemes, social sector issues, transparency and e-governance.

• India and its neighbours, regional and global groupings, and international institutions.

General Studies III: economy, agriculture, science and security

• Planning, poverty, unemployment, budgets, the financial system and infrastructure.

• Agriculture, subsidies, food security, food processing and land reforms.

• Science and technology, space, biotechnology, nanotechnology, environment, disaster management and internal and external security.

General Studies IV: ethics, integrity and aptitude

• Ethics and human interface, attitude, aptitude, emotional intelligence and moral thinkers.

• Public service values, probity in governance, codes of conduct and case studies.

General Studies V and VI: Uttar Pradesh

The state papers reward specific facts and current data, so keep short notes and refresh them from official state publications every few months.

Overlap between stages

Interview

The interview carries 100 marks and has no published syllabus. It tests awareness, clarity of thought and suitability for public service. Prepare through your Mains notes, your educational and personal background, and current affairs of Uttar Pradesh.

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 8: Finish core subjects in Paper I and read one newspaper daily.

2. Weeks 3 onward: Add 30 to 40 minutes of current events daily and write monthly notes.

3. Weeks 6 to 10: Start the Uttar Pradesh papers and begin topic-wise practice questions.

4. Weeks 10 to 14: Begin CSAT practice and timed sets for Paper I.

5. Final phase: Full-length timed papers, same-day analysis and revision from an error log.

Confirm each syllabus detail on uppsc.up.nic.in.