For UPSC you must be a Graduate. So after your completion of 10+2 you have to pursue any Bachelor's degree course and simultaneously prepare for the examination.

UPSC have three tiers :

1. UPSC prelims (Paper-I & II)
2. UPSC Mains.
3. Personality [Interview]

Syllabus of UPSC Prelims:

Syllabus of paper-I:

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation.
• General Science

Syllabus of paper-II(CSAT):

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

For Mains examination you have to give 7 papers as follows:

1. Essay (can be written in the medium of the candidate’s choice)
2. General Studies – I (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society)
3. General Studies – II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations)
4. General Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management)
5. General Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude)
6. Optional Subject – Paper I
7. Optional Subject – Paper II

All this paper will be descriptive type. Each paper holds a marks of 250 and the papers can be attempted in any language (mentioned on the 8th schedule of Constitution). For detailed syllabus about mains and Optional subject list you should visit the UPSC website and download the syllabus.

I hope my answer helps you. All the very best for your future endeavors!

Hello,

First of all eligibility criteria for UPSC is passed graduation in any discipline from a recognized university, there is no such requirement of specific aggregate for this, you need to attain 21 years for this, you're eligible to apply even in the final year.

To provide you a brief regarding this-

UPSC Civil Service Exam consists of three stages-

• Preliminary
• Mains
• Interview

To give you a brief about the exam;

Preliminary consists of 200 Marks for each paper.It mainly consists of GS Paper-I consists of the following topic such as History of India and Indian national movement, Indian and World geography, Economic and social development- sustainable development, poverty,inclusion demographics, social sector initiatives etc,Indian polity and governance-constitution,political system,Current Events nationally and Internationally, General Science,General Issues on environmental ecology,biodiversity and climate change . you just need to score the required cut offs against your category.

And then we have qualifying CSAT (you need to score 33%) which includes topics such as basic numeracy, comprehension, logical reasoning and analytical ability, general mental ability, decision making and problem solving, interpersonal skills including communication skills. Both consists of 200 marks, MCQs based. Prelims is mcq based, but still it requires knowledge coupled with speed in order to ace it, it's numbers are not added in the final list.

Coming to Mains it's more of a subjective type, one needs to write answer for Four General Studies Paper such as

• GS-I includes Indian Heritage and Culture,History and Geography of the World and Society,
• GS-II includes Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations,
• GS-III includes Technology, Economic Development, Bio-Diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management,
• GS-IV includes Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude),
• Two Optionals,
• One Essay,
• two language paper,

Hence, there are total nine papers here. 250 marks for each paper, total is 1750 marks followed by Personality Test of 275 marks.

Now, you are still in your school, there are few more years to go in order to appear for this exam, so your priority now should be your studies only, once you enter college you can start your preparation in gradual manner such as

The first and most important step towards preparation is to be well acquainted with UPSC Syllabus, learn it by heart, that's the most crucial step to crack this exam, to know what to read and what to skip. In addition to this, never ever make a differentiation between prelims and mains, because nowadays what's happening is even in prelims, UPSC frame questions based on Mains syllabus, So, the first towards preparation shall be an integrated approach for both.

Another equally important part is to read any newspaper like The Hindu, or Indian Express on a regular basis to be updated as well as gaining knowledge which shall be highly useful to you in future exam preparation part. Put a more emphasis on editorial part, it will not only broaden your perspective but help a lot in answer writing,and make sure whatever opinion you form it should be well balanced.

These two steps are very vital for your preparation process, inculcate the habit of newspaper reading on a daily basis along with emphasis on knowing the syllabus.

As you make gradual progress, make a timetable,set targets on a daily,weekly and monthly basis,that's the only way to complete this extensive syllabus.

When it comes to reading books ,start with basics, for each subject, you can do with NCERTs for this. This will build your foundation strong,as you progress, move on to other relevant books as mentioned below;

For Prelims, refer the following books:

History;

NCERT Class XI and XII

India's Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

For Indian Culture, refer art and culture by Nitin Singhania

Geography;

NCERT Class VI to XII

GC Leong's Physical Geography

World Atlas

Economics;

NCERT Class XI

Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

International Relations;

NCERT XII Political Science with current affairs

Polity;

Indian Polity by Laxmikanth

CSAT;

Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal

M Tyra's Quicker Maths

Coming to Mains Exam, you can refer the following books for four General Studies Paper;

GS I - For history, Class XI NCERT book with India's struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

India after Independence by Bipan Chandra,

History of  Medieval India by Satish Chandra

For Geography refer World Geography and Geography of India by Majid Hussain, GC Leong's Physical and Human Geography with NCERT Class XI book.

For GS II - Polity and International Relations, refer Indian Polity by Lamikanth,India's Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri

For GS III -  For Economics refer Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, read ARC report along with Economic Survey and Fiscal Budget.

For GS IV - For Ethics refer a book named Lexicon by Niraj Kumar, also you can go through study material of IGNOU

Always keep resources minimal, read one book many a times instead of many a book one time.

Start practicing answer writing in advance, even in a little way, writing mains is a huge task for nine paper, it requires immense practice along with knowledge. There are many sites which provide questions on daily basis you can find that very useful.

Practice previous year question paper which you can get from the site of UPSC,in addition mock papers, and test series which you can get it from any of the sites extensively dedicated to UPSC, , it's highly important to evaluate your performance while doing so.

Remember that UPSC has such an extensive syllabus, this exam tests perseverance like no other exam, one of the important thing I can tell you is the importance of knowing "Why"  when it comes to appearing for this exam, as the preparation process is tiring, and only your reason to pursue this exam will sail you through and make you successful with single-minded focus, dedication,diligence.

1. Notes and books: The General Studies of the UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims Exam is expected to be of 12th class level. What you have learnt in school will definitely help you in the exam. So do not discard your notes and books! Keep them safely!
2. Diversify: To become an IAS officer you are expected to have general knowledge of all subjects whether it be science or social science. So read NCERTs of other subjects from 6th class onwards. You can give a few hours weekly.
3. Cultivate Interest: Cultivate interest in other subjects. This will allow you to study more efficiently. Watch videos on different subjects. This will also help you understand better.
4. Newspaper: Candidates often face the problem that it takes a long time for them to read the newspaper and they are not able to identify important news relevant for the exam. Develop habit for reading the newspaper from now onwards to avoid this problem.
5. . Understand exam: Start acquainting yourself with the exam and also with the approach required for it. For this it would be advisable to go through previous year question papers of UPSC Civil Services IAS Exam.
6. Friends: Socialise with people with the similar goal. Meet seniors and take tips from them. This will ensure that you do not lose your focus.
7. Study: Get used to studying. Students tend to have fun in college and only study just before the exams. However, UPSC Civil Services IAS Exam requires continual study over a few months. Do not lose the habit of studying!