In the IAS examinations, The General Studies Paper contributes the maximum marks. There are general Studies Paper sections both in the Prelims Stage and in the Main Stage. It is important to keep your confidence alive until you achieve your target. BYJU’S Exam Prep gives a list of important books for reference to assist in your preparation for IAS examinations. IAS syllabus is vast and must be prepared with good understanding.
Prelims Syllabus for IAS
The two General Studies Papers in the Prelims are titled General Studies Paper- I and General Studies Paper-II. The General Studies Papers have different syllabi in the two Papers. Appearing for both papers is mandatory, otherwise, you will not be deemed to have cleared the exam. General Studies Paper-II is the qualifying paper and you must secure at least 33% marks in this paper to pass the IAS exam 2022.
Syllabus for General Studies Paper I covers all the following areas:
- Both National and International Current Affairs
- Indian History and Indian National Movement
- Geography of the World and India
- Indian Polity and Governance
- Indian Social and Economic Development
- General Topics are related to biodiversity, Environmental Ecology and Climate Change (the expertise required is that of general awareness and not of in-depth knowledge.
- General Science.
The syllabus for UPSC General Studies Paper-II in the Prelims stage is as follows:-
- English Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical Reasoning and Analytical ability
- Decision making and problem-solving
- General Mental Ability
- Basic numeracy (Class X level)- Syllabus under this includes coverage of the following:
– Numbers and their relations
– Orders of magnitude
– Data interpretation
General Studies I and II have objective-type questions, carry 200 Marks, 2 hours duration and carry negative marking. GS-I has 100 questions, and GS-II has 80 questions. The answers are given in multiple-choice; 1/3rd of negative marks are deducted for the wrong answer. You should also not mark multiple answers for the same question as it would be taken as the wrong answer even if one answer is correct. If you do not know the answer, avoid the question. It provides you with the detailed syllabus for the general Studies papers under the prelims section.
Mains Syllabus for IAS
There are 4 General Studies Papers in the Main Section. The Essay paper is also connected to General Studies as topics can be selected from anywhere. The syllabus for the different General Studies Papers in the Mains syllabus is given below.
General Studies Paper I: Topics covered include Indian Culture and Heritage, Indian, World and Society – History and Geography.
General Studies Paper-II: Topics covered the following areas related to Civics and International Relations including Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
General Studies Paper III: Topics Covered include Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
General Studies Paper IV: Topics covered include Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
BYJU’s Exam Prep gives question banks, potential questions under each General Studies Section, Prelims and mains Exam strategy, UPSC previous Year’s papers, IAS General Studies Note links, important links to supplementary topics, analysis of the exam pattern for the Prelims and Mains. You can check the link given for a detailed overview of the IAS General Studies Syllabus.
The Exam Pattern Analysis is as follows:
Stage | Paper | Type | No. of questions | Marks | Duration | Negative Marks |
Prelims | GS-I | Objective | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Yes |
Prelims | GS -II | Objective | 80 | 200 | 2 hours | Yes |
Mains | GS-I | Theory | 250 | 3 hours | ||
Mains | GS-II | Theory | 250 | 3 hours | ||
Mains | GS – III | Theory | 250 | 3 hours | ||
Mains | GS- IV | Theory | 250 | 3 hours |
Preparing for the IAS exam is detailed and rigorous. Preparing for General Studies Papers is challenging as the portion to be covered is vast. BYJU’s Exam Prep eases your way and with the various tools and facilities on their platform outlined above, make clearing the exam a sail through. Get started and give your best!
Stay Connected with our education blog & Write for us