Main Examination

• The Civil Services examination procedure consists of three phases, Preliminary (held in May), Main (held in October/November) and Interview (held in March/April).
• The Candidates selected in the Preliminary Exam are called to appear in the Main Examination.
• The Main Examination consists of nine (9) papers: Language Paper, English, Essay,  two papers on General Studies and four papers from two subjects chosen from the list of optional Subjects.
• All the papers consist of conventional (essay) type of questions only.
• For more detailed information about the Main examination pattern click on the respective links in the left column: List of Optional Subjects (syllabus), Examination Instructions, Examination Plan, and Question Papers.
• Choice of the optional subjects is crucial for the success in the competitive examination.
  • The aptitude and proficiency of a particular candidate in a given subject has more importance than the scoring capacity of that particular subject. Also, it becomes useful if the subject opted for in preliminary exams is also opted for in mains exam.
  • More tips and strategies, for Main Examination will be coming soon.
• The Subject Guide (coming soon) will serve as a useful tool for preparation. It provides the syllabus, tips and strategies, standard books and questions papers for each subject.