FAQs for the 2022 Civil Service Examination: Common Questions that are Raised by the Aspirants

The Union Public Service Commission exam is one of the well known competitive examinations in India. Lakhs of applicants appear for the Civil Service Examination but only a handful of aspirants get selected. 

Candidates may have lots of questions in their minds regarding the examination. To check the answer and clear the doubts they must go through reliable sources. 

So here we present to you a reliable platform for the UPSC aspirants where you will find most of the answers to your questions. Read on to learn more.

UPSC Examination

UPSC Examination
Name of The Exam	Union Public Service Commission Examination or Civil Service Examination
Developer/Conducted By	Union Public Service Commission
Held How Many Times	Once a Year
Objective	To recruit aspirants for various Civil Service Positions in India
Type	Paper-based standardised test
Skill/Knowledge Tested	English, General knowledge, Writing and others
Time Period	Prelims Exam-2 hours Mains Exam-3 hours
Medium	English and Hindi. Answers can be given in any regional language
Basic Eligibility Criteria	Need to be a graduate and a citizen of India.
Official Website	https://upsc.gov.in/

Frequently Asked Questions

Given below are some Frequently Asked Questions by the Union Public Service Commission Exam aspirants

Question 1

Is there a qualification for eligibility for the examination?

Answer: Yes. You have to be a graduate of a recognised university. However, there is no eligibility criterion for the marks scored. 

Also Read: UPSC Exam Age Limit 2022: Checkout the Eligibility Criteria for UPSC CSE

Question 2

I cleared my graduation with a year of gap. Am I eligible?

Answer: Yes

Question 3

Is this exam held only once a year?

Answer: Yes. It is held just once every year.

Question 4

What are the fees for the examination?

Answer: A general category male candidate has to pay a fee of Rs.100/– for prelims.and for mains, the charge is Rs. 200/. All the other categories are exempt from the fees.

Question 5

I am already working in a government job. Can I apply?

Answer: Yes. You might need to get approval from your superiors in your department though.

Question 6 

What are the age limit and the number of attempts permitted to write the UPSC Civil Services Exam?

Answer: The age limit and the number of attempts for different categories are as follows:

Upper age limit for General category	32 years and 6 attempts
Upper age limit for OBC	35 years and 9 attempts
Upper age limit for SC/ST	37 Years and unlimited attempts
Upper age limit for blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons (general category)	42 years and 9 attempts

Question 7

What is the structure of the UPSC Civil Service Prelims Exam?

Answer: Prelims exam is objective in nature. There will be two papers – 200 marks each. Paper 1 is related to General Studies and Paper 2 is related to Mental Ability and Aptitude. For selection to the main exam, only marks of Paper 1 will be counted, provided the candidate has 33 percent marks in Paper 2.

Question 8

What is the structure of the UPSC Civil Service Mains Exam?

Answer: The Main Examination will consist of a written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 9 papers of the conventional essay type. Two papers (out of 9) will be of qualifying in nature. Marks obtained for all the compulsory papers (Paper–I to Paper-VII) and Marks obtained in the Interview for Personality Test will be counted for ranking. 

Also Read: What are the Uniform Civil Code Questions for UPSC? Basic Structure and UPSC Answer Formation

Question 9

Will there be minimum qualifying marks for UPSC Mains Compulsory Papers?

Answer: The Commission has the discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the subjects of the examination. For 2015, the minimum mark is 25% for the Indian language and English language. For GS1, GS2, GS3 and GS4 the minimum mark expected is 10%.

Question 10

Will there be minimum qualifying marks for UPSC Interview?

Answer: The interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).

Question 11

I am just about to begin UPSC Civil Services Exam preparation. How should a fresher begin IAS exam preparation?

Answer: If you are just a fresher you should begin by reading a few articles written by us:

# How to Start Your Preparation for UPSC

# Study Plan for UPSC 2019

# 10 Qualities To Become An IAS Officer

Also Read: How to Start UPSC Preparation from Zero Level? Know the Right Time Management and Strategy

Question 12

Which optional subject should I choose for UPSC Mains?

Answer: UPSC offers 50 subjects to choose from as your optional subject for mains. You can choose from Agriculture, Management, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Mathematics, Anthropology, Mechanical Engineering, Botany, Medical Science, Chemistry, Philosophy, Civil Engineering, Physics, Commerce & Accountancy, Political Science & International Relations, Economics, Psychology, Electrical Engineering, Public Administration, Geography, Sociology, Geology Statistics, Indian History, Zoology, Law

Also Read: Optional Subject List for UPSC: Detailed Guide to Help You Choose the Perfect Optional Subject

Question 13

What are the books to read for the Civil Service Prelims and Mains Examination?

Answer: 

Books for Prelims Preparation
Subject	Book
History	# India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra # Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania # NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval) # NCERT XII (Modern Indian History)
Geography	# Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong # NCERT VI – X (Old Syllabus) # NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus) # World Atlas (Orient Black Swan)
Indian Polity	# Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth # NCERT IX-XII
Economics	# Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania # Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri NCERT XI
International Relations	# NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics) # Current Affairs
CSAT	Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R S Aggarwal

 

Books for Mains Preparation
Subject	Books
GS Paper-I History, Indian Heritage & Culture	# Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania # India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra # India after Independence by Bipan Chandra # History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra # Ancient India by R.S Sharma
GS Paper-I Geography	# Geography of India by Majid Husain # World Geography by Majid Husain # World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) # Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong # Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT  Class 11
GS Paper-II Polity & International Relations	# Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth # Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu # International Relations: Pushpesh Pant
GS Paper-III Economy	# Indian Economy – Nitin Singhania # Environment and Disaster Management – Tata McGraw Hill # Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar
GS Paper-IV Ethics	# Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary

Question 14

How to cope up with the pressure of the Civil Service Examination?

Answer: The pressure is created by your mind when you are trying something for the first time. Also, you have certain expectations about it. So first build up confidence by taking practise tests frequently. Second, never keep any topic for the last moment to study. It will stress you out a lot. Try to manage your time properly. Take a small break to relax your mind. 

Stay positive and calm. Take proper care of your health. If you follow these points you won’t feel much pressure. But still, a certain amount of pressure will still be there, which is good to keep yourself motivated.

Conclusion

In the above article, we discussed a few questions that are commonly raised in the minds of candidates. We tried to answer all of them. Hopefully, it helps you clear all the doubts in your mind before you apply for the Union Public Service Commission. For proper expert guidance and reliable source for study materials join UPSC Pathshala.