Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission · Civil services
Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services Examination
Uttar Pradesh's state civil services exam: SDM (PCS), Deputy SP, BDO, Treasury, Commercial Tax and other Group A and B posts.
- Stages
- Prelims (screening) → Mains → Interview
- Final merit
- 1600 marks
Latest: PCS 2026 Prelims on 6 Dec 2026 (calendar). PCS 2025 Mains held from 29 Mar 2026.
Official notification and PDFs
Checked 14 Nov 2026Each link opens the file on UPPSC's own website.
Exam pattern
Negative marking: One-third of the marks for that question is deducted for each wrong answer (Prelims).
Prelims
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Counts for merit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: General StudiesScreening | 150 | 200 | 2 hours | No |
| Paper II: General Studies II (CSAT)Qualifying, 33% | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | No |
Mains
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Counts for merit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Hindi | — | 150 | 3 hours | Yes |
| Essay | — | 150 | 3 hours | Yes |
| General Studies I to IV4 papers × 200 | — | 800 | 3 hours each | Yes |
| General Studies V and VI (Uttar Pradesh special)2 papers × 200 | — | 400 | 3 hours each | Yes |
| Merit marks from this stage | 1500 |
Interview: 100 marks. Final merit: Mains + Interview = 1600 marks.
Syllabus at a glance
Prelims: General Studies I
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and the Indian national movement
- Indian and world geography
- Indian polity and governance
- Economic and social development
- Environment and ecology
- General science
Prelims: General Studies II (CSAT)
- Comprehension and interpersonal skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Elementary mathematics up to class 10
- General English and Hindi up to class 10
Mains: GS V and VI (UP special)
- History, culture and heritage of Uttar Pradesh
- Polity, governance and administration of UP
- Economy, agriculture, industry and schemes of UP
- Geography, resources and environment of UP
- Current affairs of Uttar Pradesh
This is a summary. The official syllabus in the advertisement PDF above is the authority.
Confirm in the official notice
- PCS 2026 advertisement number and vacancies: read the PCS 2026 advertisement on the notifications page.
- Mains pattern: confirm the GS V and VI scheme against the latest advertisement.
Previous year papers
- PYQsPCS Prelims 2025: General Studies I ↗
- PYQsPCS Prelims 2025: General Studies II (CSAT) ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Hindi ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: Essay ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies I ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies II ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies III ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies IV ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies V ↗
- PYQsPCS Mains 2025: General Studies VI ↗
Pick "PCS" in the list on the UPPSC page to see every year's question booklet.
10 questions · 10 min · −⅓ per wrong
Indian Polity: Constitution basics (Test 1)
Ten core questions on the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Parliament, asked across every state PSC.
10 questions · 10 min · −⅓ per wrongModern India and the freedom struggle (Test 1)
Ten questions from 1857 to 1947, a high-weight area in every state PSC Prelims.
Dates from the UPPSC calendar
Full calendar →| Adv. no. | Post | Posts | Stages | Exam dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PCS (Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services) Mains 2025 | — | Mains | 29 Mar 2026, 4 days | Date passed |
| 2026 | PCS (Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services) Prelims 2026 | — | Prelims + Mains + Interview | 6 Dec 2026 | Upcoming |