Download the UPSC Syllabus
Two files. The first is the Commission's official notification extract, the second is our ten-year annotated version.
1. The official syllabus (Commission's Copy)
The complete syllabus for the Civil Services Examination is published by the Union Public Service Commission inside the annual Examination Notice, at upsc.gov.in.
Source: Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 4 February 2026. The syllabus is at Section III.
No form, no email, no login. It is a public document. Everything on this page that comes from the Commission is available to you without giving us anything.
2. Our annotated syllabus
The official syllabus is about four pages long and tells you the topics. It does not tell you what depth is expected, which lines have carried the most marks, or which two-word phrase quietly contains a term's worth of reading. Our annotated version puts the Commission's text on the left and, against each line, what the papers have actually asked and roughly how often, drawn from the last ten years.
In Tamil
Before you print it
A downloaded syllabus is not a plan. What it is good for is checking, at the end of each week, whether the reading you did maps onto a line in it — and noticing, after a month, how much of the document you have never touched.
What each paper actually tests, explained →Related syllabus breakdowns
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UPSC syllabus PDF free?
Yes. The Commission publishes it inside the annual Examination Notice at upsc.gov.in and it is linked at the top of this page with no form in front of it. Our annotated version is also free and asks for a name and an email so that we can send you corrected editions.
Has the UPSC syllabus changed recently?
The syllabus is re-issued with each annual notice. Structural changes to it are rare; the last significant restructuring of the Main Examination was in 2013.
Is the syllabus different for the Tamil medium?
No. The syllabus is the same whichever medium you write in. What differs is the availability of material, which we deal with on UPSC in Tamil medium.
What is the difference between this page and your syllabus page?
This page gives you the files. The syllabus page explains what each paper tests, paper by paper. If you want to understand the syllabus rather than store it, start there.