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UPSC & State PSC

Strategy for UPPSC

The pattern, the syllabus, Prelims and CSAT, the eight-paper Mains, GS V and VI, choosing a medium, answer writing, UP current affairs, the interview and the posts. These guides set the plan that the subject pages fill in.

14 guides·Conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service CommissionOfficial website

Study in this order

  1. 1The UPPSC PCS exam, stage by stageUttar Pradesh's combined state services examination recruits SDMs, DSPs and dozens of other officers for India's most populous state. Its Mains was overhauled — the optional is gone, two UP-specific GS papers have arrived, and General Hindi and the Essay count for merit. What each stage involves and how the 1,600 marks add up. 4 min read
  2. 2Reading the UPPSC syllabus: GS V and GS VIThe two UP-specific papers are the heart of the new UPPSC Mains — 400 marks devoted to the history, culture, governance, economy and geography of one state. How to read their syllabus line by line, where to find reliable sources, and how to build a micro-syllabus that makes the preparation manageable. 5 min read
  3. 3UPPSC Prelims: strategy for GS Paper IUPPSC Prelims ranks you on a single paper — 150 questions in two hours, with one-third negative marking. How to understand the paper, cover UP-specific content, choose and revise sources, and attempt questions so that you clear the cut-off with room to spare. 4 min read
  4. 4UPPSC CSAT: clearing 33 per cent safelyCSAT in UPPSC Prelims is only qualifying — but candidates with excellent GS scores are eliminated by it every year. What the paper tests, how to find out where you stand, what to practise, and how to attempt it so that 33 per cent is never in doubt. 5 min read
  5. 5UPPSC Mains: eight papers, one planEight descriptive papers, 1,500 marks, every one of them counting — the UPPSC Mains rewards balance more than brilliance in one area. How to divide your time across General Hindi, the Essay, four national GS papers and two UP papers, and how to build answers that serve several papers at once. 5 min read
  6. 6How to prepare the UP-specific GS papersGS V and GS VI together carry 400 marks — more than any other block in the UPPSC Mains. Because they are new, there are few previous papers and many poor-quality notes. A practical method to prepare them: what to read, how to make notes, how to collect UP data and examples, and how to practise answers. 4 min read
  7. 7Writing UPPSC in Hindi or EnglishUPPSC lets you write the Mains in Hindi, English or Urdu — and most candidates choose Hindi. The right choice depends on your speed, vocabulary and sources, not on rumours about examiners. How to decide, how to build terminology, and how Hindi-medium candidates can make their answers sharper. 4 min read
  8. 8A 12-month plan for UPPSCA realistic twelve-month plan for UPPSC PCS that builds the national foundation and the UP layer together, starts answer writing early, gives General Hindi and the Essay their due, and leaves time for revision and rest — with a weekly template and monthly checkpoints. 5 min read
  9. 9Answer writing for UPPSC MainsEight papers, 1,500 marks, and every mark depends on writing. How to read UPPSC questions, plan in a minute, structure answers with UP examples and data, manage time across three-hour papers, and practise so that your writing improves week by week — in Hindi or English. 4 min read
  10. 10UP current affairs: what to trackUPPSC Prelims asks about UP schemes, projects and events every year, and GS V explicitly includes current affairs of Uttar Pradesh. What to track across the year, where to get reliable information, and how to turn state news into Prelims facts and Mains examples. 5 min read
  11. 11Preparing for UPPSC and UPSC togetherWith the optional gone and a full Ethics paper added, the UPPSC Mains now looks much like UPSC's — plus two papers on Uttar Pradesh and a merit-bearing Hindi paper. What overlaps, what must be prepared separately, and how to plan a year that gives you two strong chances. 5 min read
  12. 12Ten mistakes UPPSC aspirants makeMost UPPSC aspirants who fall short do so for predictable reasons — preparing for the old pattern with an optional, neglecting the UP papers, treating General Hindi as a formality, ignoring CSAT, and never writing full papers. Ten common mistakes and how to avoid them. 4 min read
  13. 13The UPPSC interviewThe UPPSC interview carries 100 marks — enough to change ranks and posts in a close list. What the board looks for, how to prepare from your application and your district, the UP questions you should expect, how to handle difficult questions, and what to do on the day. 5 min read
  14. 14UPPSC posts: SDM, DSP and beyondThe UP PCS examination fills dozens of posts — SDM, DSP, BDO, Assistant Commissioner of State Tax, Treasury Officer, Naib Tehsildar and many more. What each officer does, how careers progress, and how to think about your preferences before you fill the form. 4 min read

New Strategy guides are added regularly. Back to all UPPSC guides