The Prelims’ stage of IAS exam pattern 2022 consists of 2 papers, both conducted on the same day. The question type in both papers is objective with one right answer out of several multiple choices.
Assuming that the table given above is able to sufficiently inform you about the total marks and time duration of the 2 papers of the Prelims exams, there are some important points that I’d like to add.
However, before putting light on that let me inform that the following points are relevant with UPSC Exam Pattern 2022, in case you were wondering.
- Paper 1 or the GS paper contains 100 questions with negative marking. Every right answer will fetch you 2 marks and every wrong one will cost you 1/3rd of that or .66 marks. Questions that you choose to leave unanswered will not fetch you or cost you any mark.
- Paper 2 or the CSAT paper contains 80 questions, most of them with negative marking. Every right answer will fetch you 2.5 marks, and wrongly answering a question with negative marking will cost you 1/3rd of that or .83 marks. Certain questions designed to test your decision-making skills will not cost you any marks if answered wrongly. Also, questions left unanswered will not fetch or cost you any marks.
UPSC Exam Pattern 2022
| Exam Pattern | Prelims | Mains |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Mode | Offline | Offline |
| Exam Duration | 2 papers of 2 hours each | 9 papers of 3 hours each |
| Type of Paper | Objective | Descriptive |
| Type of Questions | MCQs | Descriptive |
| Total Number of Questions | CSAT: 80 questions GS: 100 questions |
Usually, 20 questions per paper |
| Total Marks | 400 | 1750 |
| Marking Scheme | +2 for correct answer, negative marking of 1/3 of 2 marks | No negative marking |
IAS Prelims Exam Pattern Summary
| Paper | Subjects | Total Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Studies (GS) | 200 | 2 hours (9:30 AM to 11:30 AM) |
| 2 | CSAT | 200 | 2 hours (2:30 PM to 4:30 PM) |
IAS Mains Exam Pattern Summary
| Papers | Subjects | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Any Indian language (compulsory) – qualifying paper | 300 |
| Paper B | English – qualifying paper | 300 |
| Paper 1 | Essay (you can choose to write it in a medium of your choice) | 250 |
| Paper 2 | General Studies 1 (Indian and World history, Culture, heritage, &Geography;) | 250 |
| Paper 3 | General Studies 2 (Polity, Constitution, Governance, International Relations & Social Justice) | 250 |
| Paper 4 | General Studies 3 (Economic Development, Technology, Disaster Management & Security, Biodiversity) | 250 |
| Paper 5 | General Studies 4 (Aptitude, Ethics, & Integrity) | 250 |
| Paper 6 | Optional Subject: Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper 7 | Optional Subject: Paper 2 | 250 |
The prelims paper, as I have mentioned before is essentially a qualifying stage designed to filter out the unsuitable candidates from the exam process.