UPSC CSE Prelims 2025: Exam Date, Syllabus, Eligibility, Cut-off & Exam Centers

The exam for the UPSC Prelims 2025 is scheduled on the 25th of May 2025. This is the first stage in line of the selection procedure for some of the most esteemed civil services posts in India, like IAS, IPS, IFS, and other Central Services. It has two major segments: General Studies and Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT). The syllabus for General Studies encompasses a plethora of topics like Indian History and Geography as well as Polity, Economy, and even Science and Technology. The CSAT determines the ability of a candidate in reasoning, comprehension and level of decision making.

UPSC Prelims 2025 Exam Date

In the year 2025, the UPSC Prelims exam date​ is 25th May 2025. Ideally, the candidates who clear the Prelims Exam are entitled to take the Mains Exam, which is a written, descriptive-type test. This is succeeded by an interview. The comprehensive ranking of the candidates will be decided based on the Mains Exam score, integrated with the Interview score.

Although the UPSC Civil Services Examination poses a competitive challenge, candidates who successfully pass the examination surely attain multiple opportunities to serve the nation and influence the lives of millions, which accounts for being quite the reward. For these reasons, if you are looking for a Strategy for UPSC CSE Prelims, start your studies right away. The design of the exam is so intricate that it will require a lot of time and effort to truly understand and master it. There is a wide variety of books available in libraries and online to help in preparing for the examination, so you should take advantage of them. In case you wish to seek professional support, there are coaching institutes that can assist you.

UPSC Prelims 2025 Exam Centre

Each individual’s designated exam center information will be incorporated in the upcoming admit card for UPSC CSE 2025. The admit cards for the CSE 2025 can be downloaded from the official UPSC site- https://upsc.gov.in/. All candidates must present a copy of their admit card and an identity card with a photograph affixed for examination at the center. The Prelims test will be administered in almost 80 cities across the country.

With regard to the Prelims exam, the candidate is advised to visit the official UPSC webpage where all the updates are announced.

UPSC CSE Centres List- Prelims 2025

The number of exam centres for UPSC 2025 Prelims

UPSC Prelims Eligibility Criteria

A candidate must meet the following standards to appear for the UPSC Prelims examination:

• Nationality: Either an Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal / Bhutan.
• Age: As on 1st August of the examination year, applicants must be greater than or equal to 21 years and lesser than or equal to 32 years old for General category. There are also some upper limit age relaxations for applicants from reserved categories.
• Educational Qualification(s): A bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification from a University recognised by the Government. Students in their final year of the bachelor’s degree course are also eligible, provided they show proof of passing the examination before the Mains Exam.

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern

The prelims of the Civil Service examination are the first stage. It is divided into two papers and is objective. Appearing for both papers is compulsory for all candidates to pass the Prelims Examination.

UPSC Prelims 2025 Syllabus

Following is the UPSC Prelims 2025 syllabus.

Paper I – General Studies Paper 1 (200 marks):

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation.
• General Science

Paper II- CSAT (200 marks):

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

UPSC Prelims 2025 last date to apply

The last date to apply for the UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 was February 21, 2025. The online application for UPSC Prelims 2025 opened on January 22, 2025, and was extended two times, first one is February 18, 2025, and then finally to February 21, 2025.

How to Apply for UPSC CSE Prelims?

Here’s how to apply for the UPSC CSE Prelims in 2025:

• Go to the official website of the UPSC at https://upsc.gov.in/.
• Select “Apply Online” from the menu.
• Then click on the “Civil Services Part-I registration”.
• Read all the instructions on the application form and select “Yes”.
• Complete all basic info in the Part I application form such as Your full name, DOB, Caste, Gender, Email address, Phone number, Address, Marital status, Guardian’s name, Community, and Educational qualification.
• Once step 1 is complete, click on “Continue”.
• Next, you will be taken to the Part II application form.
• Complete all the mandatory fields in the Part II application form.
• Review your application and submit it.

Exam fee for UPSC Prelims 2025

The UPSC Prelims fees are as follows:

General and OBC candidates: Rs 100
SC/ST candidates: NIL
Women candidates of all categories: NIL

Exam fee for UPSC Prelims can be paid online via debit or credit cards or net banking. After submitting your application, a confirmation email will be sent to you. It is important to keep this email because it contains your application number and exam center which are vital details.

Best Books for UPSC Prelims 2025

The following are some of the best books for UPSC Prelims recommended by Vajirao and Reddy IAS Institute:

• NCERT Textbooks for all subjects (Class 6-12)
• Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
• Modern India by Bipin Chandra
• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
• Geography of India by Majid Husain
• Environment and Ecology by Majid Husain
• CSAT Paper 2 by Arihant Publications
• Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Aggarwal
• Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey
• Newspapers and Magazines like Pratiyogita Darpan, Yojana, and Kurukshetra

UPSC Prelims Cut Off

UPSC CSE Prelims cut-off marks are the marks a candidate has to achieve to qualify for the next stage, which is the UPSC Mains exam. Depending on the category to which a candidate belongs, the cut-off differs. The marks for Prelims are set after the results are published. Review the last six cutoffs for Prelims across the various categories in the table below:

UPSC Prelims Answer Key

The Union Public Service Commission will publish the UPSC Prelims answer key 2025 after the examination is conducted. As with previous years' exams, the answer key of UPSC Prelims 2024-25 will also be posted on the UPSC website and will be accessible to all the candidates who took the exam.

The answer key for the UPSC Prelims will provide accurate solutions to all examination questions. Applicants can evaluate their probable marks using the answer key and also ascertain the parts in which they require further refinement.

How to Prepare for UPSC Prelims 2025?

Following these steps will allow you to fully prepare for the UPSC Prelims 2025.

Understand the UPSC Prelims syllabus and exam pattern: UPSC Prelims syllabus encompasses an exhaustive set of topics, including Indian polity, history, geography, economy, science and technology, along with current affairs. The examination pattern consists of two papers-General Studies and Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) which are of multiple-choice format.

Make a study plan: Set achievable and specific targets, allocating enough time to every subject, including revisions.

Start studying early: Strive to begin preparation as early as possible. It is widely acknowledged that the UPSC Prelims exam is one of the toughest examinations one can ever take in India, and it requires a lot of time and dedication to prepare.

Be consistent: Studying a little every single day is essential. Even if it does not seem like it, dedicating even just an hour everyday will make a substantial difference over a period of time.