Compulsory Language Papers (Qualifying)

The UPSC Mains has two compulsory language papers: Paper A, in an Indian language you choose from the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, and Paper B, in English. Each carries 300 marks and is set at matriculation or equivalent standard.

Their marks don't count for your rank, but you can't treat them lightly: unless you score at least 25% in each, UPSC does not count the rest of your mains.

The syllabus, as UPSC prints it

What the two papers test

The notice says the papers test whether you can read and understand serious discursive prose, meaning writing that reasons its way through a subject, and express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and in your Indian language. The questions are broadly of these kinds:

• Paper B (English): comprehension of passages, précis writing, usage and vocabulary, and short essays.
• Paper A (Indian language): the same four, plus translation from English into the language and from the language into English.

You answer each paper in its own language, except where a question asks you to translate.

The 25% rule

Under the notice, UPSC marks the language papers at the same time as your Essay, GS and optional papers, but takes those papers into account only if you score at least 25% in Paper A and 25% in Paper B. With 300 marks in each, that is 75 marks per paper. Fall short in either one and the rest of your mains is not counted, however well you wrote it.

The two language papers are highlighted below. They sit outside the 1,750 marks that decide your written rank.

Who doesn't have to take Paper A

The notice says Paper A is not compulsory for two groups:

• Candidates from six states: Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
• Candidates with benchmark disability in the hearing impairment sub-category, if their education board or university has exempted them from second or third language courses. To claim this, you give UPSC an undertaking or self-declaration.

The notice lists no exemption from Paper B, the English paper.

Choosing your Indian language

You name your compulsory Indian language in the Exam Specific Form, along with your optional subject and your medium for the mains. The notice says none of these can be changed once that form is submitted, so decide before you apply. See the application form guide and the medium of exam guide.

The script for each language

For writing in a language as your medium, and for the literature papers, the notice fixes the script to use for each language of the Eighth Schedule:

Language	Script
Assamese	Assamese
Bengali	Bengali
Gujarati	Gujarati
Hindi	Devanagari
Kannada	Kannada
Kashmiri	Persian
Konkani	Devanagari
Malayalam	Malayalam
Manipuri	Bengali or Meitei Mayek
Marathi	Devanagari
Nepali	Devanagari
Odia	Odia
Punjabi	Gurumukhi
Sanskrit	Devanagari
Sindhi	Devanagari or Arabic
Tamil	Tamil
Telugu	Telugu
Urdu	Persian
Bodo	Devanagari
Dogri	Devanagari
Maithili	Devanagari
Santhali	Devanagari or Olchiki

For Santhali the question paper is printed in Devanagari, and you may answer in Devanagari or Olchiki. For Manipuri it is printed in Bengali script, and you may answer in Bengali or Meitei Mayek.

How to prepare

• Sit a past paper of each early. UPSC's previous question papers show the level. Try one Paper A and one Paper B under time, well before the mains, to see where you stand. Previous year papers
• Don't leave them to the last week. They are only qualifying, but falling short in either one means your other mains papers are not counted.
• Practise précis and translation by hand. Both are skills that improve with timed practice, and both are hard to fake on the day.
• Read in your chosen language. A newspaper or magazine in that language keeps your vocabulary and usage fresh.
• Use the right script. Check the table above and practise writing in the script the notice fixes for your language.