Papers and marking scheme
UPSC Prelims has two papers on the same day. GS Paper I decides the cutoff and merit for the Prelims stage, while CSAT Paper II is qualifying only at 33%, or 66.67 marks.
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Duration | Role | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper I | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Decides the cutoff and merit for the Prelims stage. | One-third of the question's marks per wrong answer. |
| CSAT Paper II | 80 | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying only; candidates need 33%, or 66.67 marks. | One-third of the question's marks per wrong answer. |
Worked example
GS Paper I has 100 questions for 200 marks, so each question is worth 2 marks. With one-third negative marking, a wrong GS answer deducts 2 x 1/3 = 0.66 marks.
The same one-third negative-marking rule applies to both Prelims papers.
Qualifying rule
CSAT Paper II has 80 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours. Candidates need 33%, or 66.67 marks, in CSAT. GS Paper I decides the Prelims cutoff.
Prelims is the stage before Mains and Interview. Prelims marks do not count toward the final merit list; final merit is based on Mains and Interview.
Practise the two-paper structure and one-third negative marking in timed attempts.
Open resource →Map GS Paper I and CSAT Paper II to the syllabus and subject pages.
Open resource →Open year-wise and subject-wise PYQs to see how the Prelims pattern appears in papers.
Open resource →See official GS Paper I cutoff history and recent category-wise cutoffs.
Open resource →Check the 2027 notification, application deadline, Prelims date, and Mains start date.
Open resource →Category-wise attempt caps and the official rule for what counts as an attempt.
Open resource →Use the mock-test and PYQ links above with the official paper pattern in mind.