The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the schedule for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025. According to the notification, the prestigious Mains exam will be conducted from August 22 to August 31, 2025, across five days, with examinations held in two shifts each day — morning (9:00 AM to 12:00 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM).
The examination will begin on Friday, August 22 with the Essay Paper (Paper-I) in the morning shift. The following day, August 23, will feature General Studies Paper-I in the morning and General Studies Paper-II in the afternoon. On August 24, aspirants will appear for General Studies Paper-III in the morning and General Studies Paper-IV in the afternoon.
The exam will resume on August 30 with the Compulsory Indian Language Paper (Paper-A) in the morning shift and the English Paper (Paper-B) in the afternoon. Finally, on August 31, candidates will appear for their Optional Subject Paper-I and Paper-II in both shifts respectively, concluding the Mains examination.
The UPSC Civil Services Mains exam consists of nine descriptive papers, of which two are qualifying in nature (Indian Language and English), and seven are counted for merit. These include four General Studies papers, one Essay paper, and two Optional subject papers, each carrying 250 marks. The total marks for the written exam are 1,750, while the Personality Test (Interview) carries 275 marks, making a combined total of 2,025 marks.
Only candidates who have cleared the Preliminary Examination held on May 25, 2025, and submitted the Detailed Application Form (DAF-I) between June 16 and June 25, 2025, are eligible to appear for the Mains. Admit cards for the Mains examination are expected to be released by mid-August on the official UPSC website.
This announcement is significant for aspirants preparing for the next stage of one of India’s most competitive examinations. With the detailed schedule now available, candidates are advised to align their preparation accordingly, focus on answer writing, and revise the syllabus in a structured manner to maximize their performance in the Mains examination.
For further details and updates, aspirants should regularly visit the official UPSC website at www.upsc.gov.in.
