IAS Syllabus & CSAT Syllabus: What’s Included in the Exam?

Indian Administrative Services or IAS  exam is administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Those who want to serve the nation and also want to be an officer in Indian civil services must take the IAS exam with thorough preparation. IAS Exam candidates who succeed and clear the three rounds will be admitted to the Indian Civil Services. An overview of the IAS Syllabus will give you a better idea of how to go about your dream or goal to be an IAS officer.

It is crucial to be aware that people who pass the IAS Exam in its entirety will work for the Union government, individual state governments, or public-sector organizations. They will be exposed to a broad range of roles, including those of chief executive, chief secretary, collector, cabinet secretary, etc.

What is Included in IAS Syllabus?

Beginning from prelim exams, the filter for enrolling the best one starts working. It’s a fact that the passing ratio of the IAS exam is quite low as it’s one of the most prestigious jobs in the nation. It is recommended to give your hundred per cent attention for a few continuous months to crack this important exam. This exam test a lot of factors of an aspirant including clarity of concepts wherein they are supposed to pick the right answer from the given multiple options. IAS Prelims is the most crucial process in selecting the candidates, those who couldn’t clear it and eliminated here itself and cannot appear for IAS Mains. Let’s explore the IAS syllabus now:

  1. Important National and International Events/Current affairs.
  2. Thorough knowledge of India’s Past/History
  3. Geography – India and World and also about economic, physical and social topics.
  4. Indian Governance – Indian constitution, Panchayati Raj, Right issues, political system, etc.

UPSC CSAT Syllabus

The paper for general studies paper-II is also known as the civil service aptitude test (CSAT). It is just a qualifying test. The marks obtained in this exam are not considered for the exam – Prelims. The topics included in the UPSC CSAT syllabus are:

  1. Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  2. Decision-making and problem-solving
  3. General mental ability
  4. Comprehension
  5. Interpersonal skills including communication skills
  6. Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level), Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)

The UPSC Prelims Syllabus is divided into two sections: GS Paper 1 and CSAT Paper 2. The prelims syllabus is followed by the UPSC mains and the optional syllabus in the whole UPSC syllabus. Candidates should review the UPSC Mains Syllabus and make preparation plans based on it.

IAS Optional Subjects

The IAS Mains test has many optional subjects in all. Candidates are free to select any subject they desire. There are 500 marks overall and 250 marks per paper. The optional subjects for the UPSC will be used as the basis for descriptive questions. Here is a list of the optional subjects for the IAS Exam.

  1. Physics
  2. Chemistry
  3. Civil Engineering
  4. Commerce & Accountancy
  5. Economics
  6. Electrical Engineering
  7. Geography
  8. Law
  9. Management
  10. Mathematics
  11. Mechanical Engineering
  12. Medical Science
  13. Philosophy
  14. Public Administration
  15. Sociology
  16. Statistics
  17. Zoology
  18. Geology
  19. History
  20. Agriculture
  21. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
  22. Botany
  23. Anthropology
  24. Political Science & International Relations
  25. Psychology

IAS main is the main exam for the IAS role and the marks obtained in this exam are taken for the final result. It is a descriptive type of test where aspirants need to attempt long answer-type questions. Also, they are supposed to write two essays under the general studies paper. This exam is the most difficult exam for aspirants but proper planning and thorough preparation can help you crack it easily. You can also check the BYJUS exam prep website to gather all other related information for this exam.