UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) Free Mock Test
UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) (Civil Services Examination) is part of India's Government Exams category, covering 9 topics. Kamiyab provides a free UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) Full Mock test — questions matched to the official exam pattern with real timing, instant scoring, and per-question explanations. Eligibility: Graduate. Aligned to the current 2026 official syllabus.
UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock is being built
We're working through the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) previous-year papers to build a PYQ-grounded, expert-audited question bank. The syllabus, eligibility and exam pattern below stay accurate — the mock launches as soon as the bank clears audit. Live exams today: SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, and SSC MTS.
Topics covered
Topics are listed for reference. The mock launch unlocks once each topic's PYQ-grounded question bank is audited.
About UPSC CSE (Civil Services Examination — Prelims)
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is the all-India recruitment exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for entry into the All India Services and Central Civil Services Group A and Group B — most notably the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS), Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) and around 18 other services in total. UPSC's lineage runs back to the Imperial Civil Service exam of 1922 in Allahabad and the post-Independence constitution of the modern UPSC on 26 January 1950 under Article 315. The CSE is widely considered one of the most competitive recruitment examinations in the world, with roughly 9-12 lakh applicants annually competing for 900-1100 final vacancies.
Selection happens in three sequential stages: the Preliminary Examination (objective, screening), the Main Examination (descriptive, 9 papers, merit-deciding) and the Personality Test (interview, 275 marks). The Prelims structure used today — two objective papers, with Paper II (CSAT) made qualifying — was introduced through the 2011 reforms and modified in 2015 when UPSC fixed the CSAT qualifying threshold at 33 percent. Kamiyab's practice surface targets the Prelims stage only: Paper I General Studies (the merit-deciding paper for shortlisting) and Paper II CSAT (the qualifying aptitude paper). Mains and Interview preparation requires answer-writing practice, optional subject coaching and mock interviews that sit outside Kamiyab's MCQ-driven practice model.
Both Prelims papers are held on a single day (forenoon: GS Paper I, afternoon: CSAT Paper II), each 2 hours long, each with 1/3 negative marking. Only candidates clearing the GS Paper I cutoff AND scoring at least 33% in CSAT advance to Mains. Cutoffs vary year to year: recent General-category Prelims cutoffs have hovered between 75-98 marks out of 200 (UPSC CSE 2022 General cutoff was 88.22; 2023 was 75.41 — a multi-year low driven by a hard GS paper). The Prelims is fundamentally a SCREENING test — only ~2-3% of applicants clear it — but it is also the stage where most preparation effort compounds over 12-18 months of structured reading and revision.
Conducted by: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Constitution of India
Eligibility
- General eligibilityAge: 21 to 32 years as on 1 August of the examination year. Age relaxation: SC/ST +5 years (up to 37), OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years (up to 35), PwBD +10 years OVER AND ABOVE category relaxation, Defence Service personnel disabled in operations +3 years, Ex-servicemen +5 years. EWS candidates get NO age relaxation — they follow the General-category 21-32 band.
Exam Pattern
Stage-by-stage breakdown of the recruitment process.
Prelims Paper I — General Studies (GS)
- Questions
- 100 multiple-choice questions
- Marks
- 200 marks (2 marks per question)
- Duration
- 2 hours (120 minutes); extra 20 minutes per hour for benchmark-disability candidates
Prelims Paper II — CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test)
- Questions
- 80 multiple-choice questions
- Marks
- 200 marks (2.5 marks per question)
- Duration
- 2 hours (120 minutes); extra 20 minutes per hour for benchmark-disability candidates
Mains Examination (reference only — not on Kamiyab)
- Questions
- Descriptive answer-writing — typically 20 questions per 250-mark GS paper
- Marks
- 1750 marks counted towards merit (qualifying papers excluded)
- Duration
- 3 hours per paper, conducted over 5-6 days
Syllabus
9 sections, 89 topics in total.
- Indian History & Culture (GS Paper I)10 topics
- Indian Geography (GS Paper I)9 topics
- Indian Polity & Governance (GS Paper I)11 topics
- Economics & Development (GS Paper I)11 topics
- Environment & Ecology (GS Paper I)10 topics
- Science & Technology (GS Paper I)9 topics
- Current Affairs (GS Paper I)10 topics
- International Relations (GS Paper I)9 topics
- CSAT — Civil Services Aptitude Test (Prelims Paper II)10 topics
Preparation Strategy
Subject-wise strategy, a study plan and the books aspirants rely on for UPSC CSE (Civil Services Examination — Prelims).
Read the preparation guideRecent Changes to Know
- CSAT difficulty spiked sharply from CSE 2023 onwards — comprehension passages turned denser and numeracy questions moved from Class X arithmetic to genuine reasoning puzzles. Many candidates who comfortably crossed GS cutoff now fail at the CSAT 66/200 (33%) qualifying floor. CSAT is no longer an optional study area.
- GS Paper I cutoff hit a multi-year low in CSE 2023 (General: 75.41 / 200) reflecting a tougher paper with deeper multi-statement questions, increased weight on Environment and economy-current-affairs intersections, and fewer pure factual-recall items. Recent years' cutoff range (General): 87.54 (2021), 88.22 (2022), 75.41 (2023), 87.98 (2024).
- Environment & Ecology weighting has grown to 15-20 questions per paper in recent years, often blended with current affairs (COP outcomes, Ramsar additions, Tiger Reserve notifications, Project Cheetah). This makes a good Environment & Ecology book one of the highest-ROI single sources for Prelims.
- Attempt counting has been clarified: appearing in any Prelims session counts as ONE attempt, even if the candidate withdrew midway through the paper. Withdrawal BEFORE the Prelims exam does not count. Disqualification for malpractice does not return the attempt.
- Application process is fully online via upsconline.gov.in. From CSE 2024 onwards, candidates can WITHDRAW their application during a specific window after the application closes — a useful provision for those reconsidering attempt usage. EWS reservation continues to be applied as per the 2019 103rd Constitutional Amendment with relevant certificate requirements.
Important Dates
- Notification
- CSE Prelims notification is typically released in mid-February each year on upsconline.gov.in and upsc.gov.in. The application window is approximately 3 weeks (mid-Feb to early March). Detailed Application Form-I (DAF-I) for Mains is filed by qualified candidates around July; DAF-II for personality test is filed later.
- Exam
- Prelims: late May or early June (both Paper I GS and Paper II CSAT on the same day — forenoon and afternoon slots). Mains: mid-September (over 5-6 consecutive days). Personality Test (Interview): January to April of the following calendar year at UPSC Bhawan, Dholpur House, New Delhi.
- Results
- Prelims result: roughly 4-6 weeks after the Prelims exam. Mains result: roughly 12 weeks after Mains completion. Final merit list with service allocation: typically April-May of the year following the Prelims (so CSE 2025 final list expected by mid-2026).
Dates can shift by 2-6 weeks depending on UPSC's annual calendar, election overlaps and venue logistics. Always verify against the official Annual Examination Calendar published every January at upsc.gov.in/examinations/examination-calendar, and check upsconline.gov.in for application status and admit card releases.
UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) preparation guides
- Mastering UPSC Prelims and Mains: A Mentor’s BlueprintDiscover how to tailor your UPSC preparation for the distinct challenges of Prelims and Mains. This guide offers concrete strategies, study habits, and mindset shifts that turn confusion into confidence.
- Master Exam-Day Calm: Turn Anxiety into Peak PerformanceLearn proven, step‑by‑step techniques to silence exam‑day nerves, boost focus, and unleash your true potential on any competitive test.
- How to Use Previous Year Questions (PYQs) to Crack Any Sarkari ExamPrevious year questions are the single best predictor of what your exam will ask. Here's how to use PYQs the right way — to map the syllabus, spot repeats, and turn practice into marks.
- UPSC Prelims 2026: a beginner's roadmap that actually worksStarting UPSC from scratch? A clear, no-overwhelm roadmap for the Civil Services Prelims — what to read first, how the GS + CSAT papers work, and the first-attempt mistakes that waste a whole year.
UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock test — frequently asked questions
What is the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) eligibility?
Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification recognised by Government of India. Professional degrees (MBBS, BE/BTech, CA, ICWA, LLB) are fully accepted. No minimum percentage required. Distance-learning and correspondence degrees from UGC-recognised universities are accepted. Final-year students may apply provisionally but must produce the degree certificate before the Mains DAF stage. Age: 21 to 32 years as on 1 August of the examination year. Age relaxation: SC/ST +5 years (up to 37), OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years (up to 35), PwBD +10 years OVER AND ABOVE category relaxation, Defence Service personnel disabled in operations +3 years, Ex-servicemen +5 years. EWS candidates get NO age relaxation — they follow the General-category 21-32 band. Nationality: For IAS and IPS: must be a citizen of India. For other services (IFS, IRS and others): citizen of India, or subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with intent to settle permanently, or person of Indian origin migrated from specified countries to settle permanently..
What is the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) exam pattern?
Prelims Paper I — General Studies (GS) covers Single integrated paper covering Indian History & Culture, Indian & World Geography, Indian Polity & Governance, Economics & Social Development, Environment & Ecology, General Science, Current Events of National & International Importance. 100 multiple-choice questions questions for 200 marks (2 marks per question) marks, with negative marking of 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer (0.67 marks per wrong question (one-third of 2 = 0.6667)).
Is the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock test on Kamiyab really free?
Yes, completely free. No payment and no hidden charges — every UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) full mock on Kamiyab is free to use.
Do I need to create an account to attempt the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock test?
Yes — you sign in (free) with your mobile number or Google before starting a UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock. It takes a few seconds and lets us save your scores and weak-topic insights.
How many questions are there in the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock test?
A Full Mock is built to match the real UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) exam pattern and timing — a complete, full-length paper. You can also practise a single topic on its own for a shorter, focused session.
Which subjects and topics are covered for UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims)?
9 topics are covered for UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims), including Indian History & Culture, Indian Geography, Indian Polity & Governance and more. Each topic can be practised on its own or combined into a full-length mock.
Are the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) questions reliable and up to date with the latest syllabus?
Every question is hand-curated and kept aligned with the current official UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) syllabus, each with a short explanation. When the exam body revises the syllabus, the question bank is updated so you are not practising removed or out-of-syllabus topics.
Do I get the correct answers and explanations for UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims)?
Yes. After you submit the test, every question shows the correct option along with a short explanation, so you can review and fix weak areas immediately.
Will the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) mock test work on a low-end phone or slow connection?
Yes. Kamiyab runs in any modern mobile browser with no app install. The timer, scoring and explanations all work on basic Android phones and on slow networks.
How should I use Kamiyab to prepare for UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims)?
Practise a single topic daily for focused revision, then take a full-length mock to simulate the real UPSC CSE (Civil Services Exam — Prelims) timer and pressure. Read the explanations after every test and re-practise the topics where you score low.