Civil Services Mains Examination Pattern
It is essential to know pattern of the examination, understand the trend and plan accordingly.
The Civil Services (Main) Examination (CSM) consists of a written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional essay type. Candidates, who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, are summoned by them for an interview for a Personality Test. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview is about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The interview will carry 300 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and posts.
| Sn | Paper | Mode | Nature | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| A | Written | ||||
| 1 | General Studies Paper I | Compulsory | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 2 | General Studies Paper II | Compulsory | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 3 | Essay | Compulsory | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 4 | English* | Qualifying | Subjective | 3 hours | 300* |
| 5 | Indian Language* | Qualifying | Subjective | 3 hours | 300* |
| 6 | Optional I Paper I | Optional Paper | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 7 | Optional I Paper II | Optional Paper | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 8 | Optional II Paper I | Optional Paper | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| 9 | Optional II Paper II | Optional Paper | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 |
| B | Interview/Personality Test | Compulsory | Interview | 300 | |
| Total | 2300 |
*The papers on Indian Languages and English are of Matriculation or equivalent standard and are of qualifying nature; the marks obtained in these papers are not counted for ranking.
List of optional subjects for Civil Services (Mains) Examinations (CSM):
A candidate has to select two optionals from the following list.
1. Agriculture
2. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil Engineering
7. Commerce and Accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical Engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical Engineering
17. Medical Science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political Science and International Relations
21. Psychology
22. Public Administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
26. Literature of one of the following languages:
Arabic, Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Dogri, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
Note: Candidates are not allowed to offer the following combinations of subjects:
(a) Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration;
(b) Commerce & Accountancy and Management;
(c) Anthropology and Sociology;
(d) Mathematics and Statistics;
(e) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
(f) Management and Public Administration;
(g) Of the Engineering subjects, viz., Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering–not more than one subject.
(h) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science.