Civil Service Examination, 2012
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will hold the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2012 on 20/05/2012 for recruitment of various posts of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and certain other Group 'A' and Group 'B' Central Services / Posts.
Eligibility:
Age : Not less than 21 years and not more than 30 years as on 01/08/2012. The upper age is relaxable for SC/ST/OBC and certain other categories of candidates to the extent specified in the Notice.
Educational Qualification: Degree of a recognised university or an equivalent qualification.
Physical Standards: Candidates must be physically fit according to the Regulations given in notice.
Number of Attempts: The maximum number of attempts permissible to different categories of aspirants, who are otherwise eligible will be as follows:
General Category : Four
Physical Handicapped : Seven
OBC : Seven
SC / ST : No Limit
Online Application Submission : Candidates must apply Online also at http://upsconline.nic.in/mainmenu2.php upto 05/03/2012.
Fee: Deposit Rs. 50/- (No fee for Female/ SC/ST/PH candidates) either by remitting the money in any Branch of SBI by Cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India / State Bankof Bikaner & Jaipur/ Sate Bank of Hyderabad/ State Bank of Mysore/ State Bank of Patiala /State Bank of Travancore or by using Visa/ Master Credit/ Debit Card.
The Main examination comprises of nine papers, all of them of a descriptive type conducted within a span of 20 days.
It is designed to test not only the academic talent of the aspirant but also his ability to coordinate and present his knowledge in a clear and coherent manner. The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.
The scope of the syllabus for the optional subject papers for the examinat ion is broadly of the honours degree level i.e. a level higher than the bachelors degree and lower than the masters degree. In the case of Engineering and law, the level corresponds to the bachelor's degree.
Civil Services Main Examination Timetable
Part B - Main Examination - Optional Subjects
Paper-I One of the Indian Languages to be selected by the candidate from the 22 languages included in the VIIIth Schedule to the Constitution (Qualifying Paper) 300 Marks
Paper-II English (Qualifying Paper) 300 Marks
Paper-III Essay [in the medium you choose] 200 Marks
Papers IV & V General Studies (300 Marks for each paper) 600 Marks
Papers VI, VII, VIII & IX Any two subjects (each having 2 papers) to be selected from the prescribed optional subjects (300 marks for each paper) 1200 Marks
Total Marks for Written Examination 2000 Marks
Interview Test [in the medium you choose] 300 Marks
IAS Exam 2012 Preparation Schedule
July - September 2011: Prepare one of the optionals for Mains.
October 2011 - January 2012: Prepare General Studies for both mains and prelims. Prepare the other optional for mains. Develop essay writing skills.
February - May 2012: Prepare for the preliminary exam (CSAT).
June - October 2012: Immediately after the prelims, start preparing for the mains exam.
November 2012 - March 2013: After the mains, continue preparation for the interview and for 2013 prelims.
Current Affairs for IAS Exam