On the eve of India’s independence, India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel made a passionate call for the continuity of the civil service in independent India. He said they will serve Independent India with the same fervour as they did during the British rule.
The steel frame has come a long way ever since. Whether the IAS has served its purpose or not is a matter of debate among administration experts, what can’t be denied is the charm of the IAS exam. It has remained popular ever since the days of the Raj.
What makes the IAS exam so popular?
There’s certain visual imagery that is inextricably associated with the IAS. Even though the government has banned the use of red beacons on government vehicles, the allure of the red-beaconed car cavalcade still hasn’t gone out of people’s minds. Being an IAS is a symbol of power and authority, an image that is difficult to shake out of their mind. However, this is a misleading aspect of the IAS exam. The reality is often starkly different!
It is true that being an IAS brings a lot of power and influence, it also brings much larger responsibility. It takes nerves of steel to clear the exam and be a successful civil servant – perhaps that’s why it’s called the ‘steel frame’!
In this post, we’ll take a penetrative look at the exam and explore the facets of India’s most popular exam.
Phases of the IAS exam
The IAS exam is conducted in three phases – the preliminary exam, the Main exam, and the interview. Let’s take a look at these three phases in more detail.
- Preliminary Exam: The preliminary exam, or the prelims, as is commonly called, is a set of two exams. Each exam is of a duration of 2 hours, conducted in the morning and afternoon. The first exam paper is called the General Studies (GS), while the second exam paper is the CSAT, or the Civil Services Aptitude Test. Your score in the GS paper would be the deciding factor in your qualification to the next phase. The CSAT paper on the other hand is qualifying in nature. Both these papers consist of multiple choice questions to be answered on the OMR sheet.
- GS Paper: This paper consists of questions from a whole range of topics such as Indian History, Geography, Indian Polity and Constitution, Indian Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, and current affairs of national and international importance.
Time – 9:30-11:30 AM
Duration – 2 hours
Number of questions – 100
Mark per question – 2
Total Marks – 200
Negative Marking – 1/3rd
- CSAT: This paper tests the candidate’s critical thinking abilities and aptitude. The paper consists of questions testing their English comprehension, logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision making and problem-solving skills. This is a qualifying paper and you need 33% marks to pass the CSAT paper.
Time – 2:30-4:30 PM
Duration – 2 hours
Number of questions – 80
Mark per question – 2.5
Total Marks – 200
Negative Marking – 1/3rd
To qualify the IAS prelims exam, you need to clear the cut-off marks fixed by UPSC. The result is generally released within a month of the conduct of the exam.
- Main Exam: The candidates who clear the prelims qualify for the second phase of the IAS exam i.e the Main exam. The Main exam is subjective. There are a total of 11 exam papers (including two qualifying papers) that require candidates to write detailed answers on the questions. However, the marks of 9 papers are considered for the final merit list.
- Qualifying Papers: English and an Indian language mentioned in Schedule 8 of the Constitution.
These papers are qualifying in nature. Marks obtained in this exam are not included in the result.
- Essay: There are multiple topics in the Essay paper out of which a candidate has to choose any two. The candidate can write this paper in an Indian language of his choice, mentioned in the 8th schedule.
Total Marks – 250
- GS Paper-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the world and Society
This paper focuses on India’s rich cultural heritage, society, and its history and geography. The paper also contains questions from world history and geography.
Total Marks – 250
- GS Paper-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
This paper focuses on the challenging aspects of administration and governance in India. It also tests the candidates’ knowledge of geopolitics.
Total Marks – 250
- GS Paper-III: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security and Disaster Management
This paper focuses on the developments in the field of technology, economy, and environment. Topics like India’s internal security and disaster management also come into focus.
Total Marks – 250
- GS Paper-IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
This paper was introduced in 2013. It was introduced to inculcate the values of ethics in administration. The descriptive paper on ethics, values and integrity was inserted in the Main exam repertoire as part of the civil service reforms.
Total Marks – 250
- Optional Paper – I and II: Can be chosen from the list provided in the UPSC notification.
Total Marks – 500
Main Exam Sub-Total Marks: 2250
- Personality Test: After the candidates clear the Main exam, they move on to the next and the last phase – the Personality Test. It is the final hurdle towards your dream. The selected candidates have to appear before the Board who assess the former’s suitability for the civil servant’s role.
Total Marks: 275
Preparing for the Toughest Exam in India? look no further than our blog on IAS Exam for latest updates.
Conclusion
When we talk of the most difficult exam in the country – the IAS exam arguably sits at the top. It tests not your intelligence but your perseverance. It takes a whole lot of perseverance and discipline to clear the exam. One thing is certain – it is not for the feeble-minded!
