Civil Services (Mains) exam pattern changes
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In a significant move, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the changes in civil services exam pattern. Now, the new format will give more weightage to General Studies. Implementation of these changes will affect the fate of over four lakh civil service aspirants looking to take the exam this year.
So far, the examination has General Studies Paper I and II of 300 marks each, including Compulsory and Optional subjects. As per the new changes, both the general studies papers will have more weightage.
The new pattern aims to decrease the importance of optional subjects and increase focus on general studies. This will reduce any advantage a candidate could have over highly scoring subjects being taken as optional papers. General studies have about 50% weightage while optional subject about 25%.
New Mains exam pattern:
| Essay |
200 marks |
| Comprehension |
100 marks |
| General studies |
1000 marks |
| Papers in optional subject |
500 marks |
| Personality test |
275 marks |
| Total (mains & personality test) |
2075 marks
|
Papers in the main examination:
- Essay and language papers (same as before)
- Four papers of general studies (earlier two)
- Two papers of optional subject (earlier four papers in two subjects)
The government had been keen on having an overhaul of the Civil Services exams after it introduced Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) in 2011.
Aspirants make way into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and others through the Civil Services, which is a three-tier examination scheme. The first is the preliminary exam, an objective-type exam which serves as a screening test. Those who clear this are entitled to appear for the subjective-type main examination. About one-fifth of those who take the main examination are called for a personality test.
The panel headed by former UGC chairman Arun S Nigvekar had recommended doing away with the optional subjects, and replacing these with compulsory papers.
In an effort to make the exam even more relevant with the present day, UPSC may soon allow candidates to take the exams in languages not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution or in English.
