UPSC 2021 examination process started on 4th March 2021 with the release of its official notification. The Union Public Service Commission started the registration process and submission of the IAS Online Application Form on its official website. The three stages included are as follows:

• UPSC Prelims
• UPSC Mains
• IAS Interview

In this article, we shall discuss at length the UPSC 2021 recruitment process along with the different stages of the examination for the final shortlisting of candidates. Thus, all IAS Exam aspirants must review the details given below for a better understanding of the UPSC CSE 2021.

UPSC 2021 Postponed

Has UPSC 2021 been postponed?  – Yes, the Commission had postponed the recruitment process due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. A revised schedule was later released by the conducting body, wherein the prelims exam was rescheduled for October 10, 2021. The UPSC 2021 Mains exam is set to be held on 7, 8, 9, 15 & 16 January 2022.

UPSC IAS Notification 2021 which was expected to be published on 10th February was finally out on 4th March 2021.

UPSC 2021 Notification:-Download PDF

Table of Contents:

The civil services examination simply called the UPSC Exam takes place annually. It recruits candidates for the All-India Services – IAS, IPS, IRS, etc. While the CSE recruitment for 2021 is undergoing, the next examination will take place in 2022.

Read the details about the examination below:

UPSC Calendar 2021

The commission had released the UPSC Civil Services Examination Calendar for the year 2021 on 17th August. The calendar contains the dates of all the examinations that are conducted by the UPSC. The important dates of the examination are given below:

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2021 – 10th October 2021
2. UPSC CSE Mains 2021 – 7, 8, 9, 15 & 16 January 2022

Get all relevant information on UPSC Exam Dates in the UPSC Calendar 2021 post.

UPSC Calendar 2021:-Download PDF Here

UPSC Notification 2021

The notification contains the following details:

1. The starting date of the application for the IAS Exam – Aspirants can fill the UPSC Online Application after going through the details mentioned in the linked article.
2. Closing date of the application for the IAS Exam.
3. UPSC Eligibility
4. UPSC Syllabus
5. Other instructions

UPSC Syllabus 2021

For the preliminary and the main stage, the commission releases the UPSC Syllabus every year. There has been no change in the UPSC syllabus since 2013.

The comprehensive syllabus is an integral part of the civil services examination preparation, Aspirants must familiarise themselves with the IAS Subjects included in the prelims and mains exam and accordingly strategise their plan to excel in the written papers.

UPSC Eligibility 2021

There are a few conditions applied to the candidates to sit for the UPSC Examination. The eligibility conditions stated by the commission are related to the:

1. Age limit for candidates belonging to different categories
2. Education Qualifications
3. Age exemptions for different categories
4. Number of attempts
5. EWS criteria

The first stage of the IAS 2021 examination is the preliminary stage. A few important facts about this stage are mentioned below:

1. It has two papers – General Studies 1 (GS 1) and CSAT
2. Each paper is of 200 marks – objective and multiple-choice questions.
3. GS 1 has 100 questions, while CSAT has 80 questions.
4. CSAT is qualifying in nature – 33% marks required.
5. Candidates qualify for Mains stage on the basis of marks obtained in GS 1.

Get all important UPSC Prelims related articles below:

Candidates who clear the preliminary stage are qualified to appear for the second stage of the UPSC Exam which is the Mains stage. The important facts about the Mains examination are given below:

1. It has nine theory/descriptive papers
2. Out of nine papers, two language papers (English and Regional Language) are qualifying in nature – 300 marks each paper.
3. GS 1, 2, 3 and 4 are four general studies papers – 250 marks/each.
4. There is one essay paper and 2 optional papers (based on the subject a candidate opts for.) – 250 marks each.
5. Candidates qualify for the interview stage based on the marks scored in GS 1-4, Essay and Optional Papers and these scores are considered for the final merit rankings along with the interview score.

All important UPSC Mains related articles are linked below:

It is called the Personality Test. It is the final stage of the UPSC Examination. It is expected to take place in March/April 2022.

1. The IAS Interview is of 275 marks.
2. It is conducted in the UPSC office in Delhi.
3. It takes place in different time slots spread across different days.

It is always advisable to aim for the IAS interview from the beginning of the preparation. It helps in the confidence-building of the aspirants.

If you want to know what not to do in the IAS Interview, you can check the linked article.

The civil services examination 2021 is comprehensive and one of the toughest examinations in the country. It includes a variety of subjects to test the candidates’ ability and acumen to be a part of the Indian administration. Hence, each aspirant should devise a perfect blend of strategies to crack the examination in the first attempt.

UPSC Prelims 2021 Preparation

The commission has not elaborated on the syllabus of the subjects mentioned in the Prelims syllabus. The broad subjects mentioned in the syllabus are:

1. History
2. Indian Polity
3. Indian Society
4. Indian Economy
5. Geography
6. Environment
7. General Science
8. Current Affairs

A few general tips for preparing for UPSC preliminary examination:

1. Go through the UPSC previous year question papers first. This will give an idea about the trend in questions asked in the exams.
2. Choose the right UPSC Books – From day one, aspirants should list down the books they are going to refer to for IAS exam preparation. This will help them in their revision and note-making.
3. Prepare notes for each subject – These can be useful for keeping track of your studies and also in revision. Learn how to make notes for UPSC in the linked article.
4. Religiously follow current affairs – An aspirant has to read one newspaper (mostly The Hindu) for UPSC Exam. Also, he/she can complement their newspaper reading with BYJU’s Daily Current Affairs.
5. Revision is the key – Candidates should opt for periodic revisions of the notes they prepare throughout their UPSC journey. The best revision techniques for UPSC are mentioned in the linked article.

UPSC Booklist 2021:-Download PDF Here

UPSC Mains 2021 preparation

As mentioned earlier, there are nine theory papers. For each paper, the strategies have to be modified as per the need of the examination.

1. Language papers are qualifying but compulsory. Hence, candidates should not ignore the importance attached to these papers. Learn how to tackle UPSC compulsory languages papers from the linked article.
2. Four general studies papers contain elaborative syllabus on History, Geography, Society, Polity, International Relations, Economics, Environment and Ethics. BYJU’s has covered the strategies for each UPSC Mains general studies papers comprehensively in the links below:
   • UPSC Mains GS 1 Strategy
   • UPSC Mains GS 2 Strategy
   • UPSC Mains GS 3 Strategy
   • UPSC Mains GS 4 Strategy
3. Essay paper is also one of the important papers of the UPSC Mains exam. Marks obtained in the essay paper play a pivotal role in deciding candidates’ promotion to the next stage. Candidates can refer to the links mentioned below for essay paper preparation:
   • Essay Questions from UPSC Mains
   • How to write an essay in the UPSC Exam?
4. Learn about UPSC optional subjects from the linked article.

Learn from BYJU’S IAS Toppers

Every year hundreds of aspirants clear the UPSC examination. These IAS Toppers share their strategies with the aspirants to help them avoid mistakes they committed while preparing for UPSC Civil Services Exam. For UPSC/IAS 2021 preparation, aspirants can watch the recommended video of UPSC toppers where they share their strategies for the IAS Exam, given below:

Candidates can complement their self-made notes with BYJU’S classroom notes on important subjects:

1. NCERT Notes on Ancient History
2. NCERT Notes on Medieval History
3. NCERT Notes on Modern History
4. Indian Polity Notes for UPSC
5. Indian Economy Notes for UPSC
6. Environment and Ecology Notes for UPSC
7. Science and Technology Notes for UPSC
8. NCERT Notes on Art and Culture

Related Links: