UPSC Prelims Syllabus (GS Paper 1)

The UPSC prelims has two objective-type papers of 200 marks each, and you get two hours for each. The syllabus for General Studies Paper I is seven lines long in the CSE 2026 notice, and this is the paper that decides whether you reach the mains. Paper II, the CSAT, only has to be cleared: you need 33% in it, and its marks are not added to your score.

The prelims is a screening test. Its marks are not counted for your final rank; they only decide who is admitted to the mains.

The GS Paper I syllabus, as UPSC prints it

What each line covers

Each area is a single line in the notice, so the wording is all you have to go on. In plain words:

• Current events of national and international importance. The line sets no time period.
• History of India and the Indian national movement. The line names the history of India as a whole, without dividing it into periods, and the national movement on its own. History syllabus
• Geography of India and the world: physical, social and economic. Geography syllabus
• Indian polity and governance: the Constitution, the political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy and rights issues. Polity syllabus
• Economic and social development: sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives. Economy syllabus
• Environment: general issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change, limited to those that don't need subject specialisation. Environment syllabus
• General science. The notice adds no detail. Science and technology syllabus

The polity line and the economic development line both end in "etc.", so the topics they name are examples rather than a complete list.

The notes printed with the prelims syllabus

Read with the rest of the notice, these notes mean three things:

• Paper II only has to be cleared. UPSC draws up the list for the mains from candidates who score at least 33% in Paper II, using a qualifying mark in Paper I that it fixes each year. Its cut-off notices say the same: the prelims cut-off is on GS Paper I only. CSAT syllabus
• You must sit both papers. Miss either one and you are disqualified. Because appearing in even one prelims paper counts as an attempt, missing the second paper still costs you an attempt.
• Every question is multiple choice. Both papers are objective type.

How the prelims is marked

• Every question has four options.
• A wrong answer costs one-third (0.33) of the marks for that question.
• Marking more than one option counts as a wrong answer, even if one of them is right, and costs the same.
• A question left blank costs nothing.
• You may not use a calculator in the objective papers.
• Both question papers are set in Hindi and English.

In March 2026 the Government told the Rajya Sabha that UPSC would release a provisional answer key after each prelims from CSE 2026 onwards, and that prelims marks are released only after the final result. See negative marking explained for worked examples, and prelims cut-offs for the marks that have cleared in past years.

After the prelims

UPSC admits about 12 to 13 times the number of vacancies to the mains. From then on your prelims marks play no part: your rank depends only on the mains and the interview. See the mains syllabus.

How to prepare from this syllabus

• Turn each line into a reading list. Seven lines cover a lot of ground. Break each one into topics and note the sources you will use for each.
• Use UPSC's past papers to judge depth. The syllabus doesn't say how deep each line goes; past papers show you. Previous year papers
• File current affairs under the static lines. When you read the news, note each item under polity, economy, environment, geography or science, so your revision follows the syllabus.
• Practise full papers in two hours. Score your practice papers with negative marking, so you learn when to leave a question blank.
• Check your CSAT level early. It is only qualifying, but below 33% your Paper I score doesn't matter. Attempt a past Paper II under time before you plan your months.