How Many UPSC Exams Are There, Check List

• Preliminary: Also known as UPSC Prelims, this is the eliminator stage where candidates are shortlisted for the Main exam. The prelim is an objective examination with two papers worth 200 marks each. Candidates who score 33% marks in Paper II and above cut off of Paper I are selected for the next stage.
• Mains: The UPSC Mains Examination is regarded as one of the most challenging stages among all major UPSC exams. A total of 9 descriptive type papers of 3-hour duration are there and candidates have to obtain maximum marks from a total of 1750. The score of this stage is calculated in the final UPSC merit list.
• Personality Test: The third and last stage is the interview which is known as the Personality Test (PT) worth 275 marks. In this stage candidates selected in mains are examined by a panel of experienced professionals through a rigorous interview of 30 to 45 minutes duration.

Total Subjects in UPSC CSE

The UPSC CSE subjects are distributed into prelims and main stages. Usually, the notification of UPSC exams mentions the detailed syllabus from where candidates can know how many subjects are in UPSC. As per the latest UPSC exam pattern, there are two papers in UPSC prelims and nine papers in UPSC mains. The total subjects in the UPSC CSE exam are mentioned in the below table as per the stage:

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In the UPSC Mains stage, candidates are allowed to pick any one subject for two mandatory optional papers. Candidates are free to choose any one subject from the list of 48 subjects including literature subjects. Here is the list of 25 general optional subjects and 23 literature subjects:

UPSC IFoS Exam

The Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is another well-known exam of the Union Public Service Commission. The UPSC IFoS is an All India Services (AIS) apart from the IAS and IPS. Candidates selected for this service work for the conservation and management of Indian wildlife. The selection process for IFoS is somewhat similar to the UPSC CSE exam

UPSC IFoS Exam Pattern

While the pattern of UPSC exams is different, the UPSC CSE and UPSC IFoS are similar in some extent. This is why the prelims stage is the same for both exams. The UPSC IFoS exam pattern is as follows:

• Prelims: UPSC IFoS prelims and UPSC CSE prelims are the same only their cut-offs are announced separately. Since the number of vacancies is limited in IFS, the UPSC IFoS cut off is always higher than the UPSC CSE cut off.

• Mains: It is this stage where both UPSC exams diverge. The UPSC IFoS Mains exam is conducted a few weeks after the UPSC CSE. There are six papers worth 1400 marks in IFoS Mains. The names are General English, General Knowledge, and four optional papers.

• Interview: Candidates shortlisted in the written exam are invited for a UPSC IFoS interview worth 300 marks. Finally, the merit list is prepared ranking candidates in order of total marks scored out of 1700.

Total Subjects in UPSC IFoS

In the UPSC IFoS mains exam, there are 6 papers and 4 subjects. The compulsory subjects are General English and General Knowledge. Other than these two subjects are optional and candidates will have to appear in two papers for each optional subject. The UPSC has allowed to select any two optional subjects from the given list of 14 subjects. Here is the list:

1. Agriculture
2. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
3. Agricultural Engineering
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Chemical Engineering
7. Civil Engineering
8. Forestry
9. Geology
10. Mathematics
11. Mechanical Engineering
12. Physics
13. Statistics
14. Zoology

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Other Popular UPSC Exams

The UPSC Recruitment 2025 has started and other than fourteen regular exams it organizes certain recruitment tests for various government departments. Due to the specific nature of the exam, the syllabus and exam pattern differ which are detailed in the official notification. Here’s a list of some other popular UPSC exams, apart from the well-known CSE, EPFO, and IFoS:

• Indian Economic Service (IES)/Indian Statistical Service (ISS): Focuses on economics and statistics.
• Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS): For those interested in the Indian Railway's operations and management.
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS): Diplomacy-focused exam, for those aiming to represent India in foreign countries.
• Combined Medical Services (CMS): For recruitment to various medical posts in government services.
• Geologists Examination: Focuses on geological sciences, intended for those pursuing a career in the Geological Survey of India.
• Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF): For recruitment into the paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, etc.
• Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC): For recruitment into the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). 

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