UPSC Mains Exam 2025: The UPSC has declared the 2025 calendar. The Mains 2025 will be conducted from August 22nd 2025, upwards. It is the second stage of the Civil Services Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. Aspirants who have now cleared the UPSC Prelims examination will only qualify for the Mains. It comprises a series of written papers on various topics that assess the candidates’ in-depth knowledge, analytical abilities, and writing skills.
UPSC Mains Exam 2025 is scheduled to take place from 22 August 2025 onwards. Check UPSC Mains 2025, Exam Date, Syllabus, Examination Pattern, Schedule, UPSC Mains Strategy here.
UPSC Mains Exam Overview 2025
| UPSC Mains Overview 2025 | |
| Particulars | Information |
| Name of Exam | UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025 |
| Conducting Body Name | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Level of Exam | National |
| UPSC Mains Start Date 2025 | August 22, 2025 |
| Number of Papers | 9 (7 merit + 2 qualifying) |
| Exam Mode | Pen & Paper (Offline) |
| Medium of Exam | English / Hindi |
| Total Marks , Written Exam | 1750 (excluding qualifying papers) |
| Personality Test Marks | 275 |
| Total Marks , Final Merit | 2025 |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
UPSC Mains Exam Date
The UPSC Mains Exam 2025 date is scheduled to begin on August 22, 2025, and will span five consecutive days, comprising a total of nine papers.
| UPSC Mains 2025 Exam Date | |
| Particulars | Dates |
| UPSC Mains Admit Card 2025 | August 2025 , Tentative |
| UPSC Mains 2025 Exam Date | 22 August 2025 |
| UPSC Mains Result Date | To be announced |
UPSC Mains Time Table PDF 2025
Aspirants can download the UPSC Mains Time Table 2025 pdf directly from the official website of the Union Public Service Commission (www.upsc.gov.in). Access to the official timetable enables candidates to plan their mock tests strategically, align their preparation with the actual exam schedule, and adopt a focused approach for each paper. For ease of reference, the direct link to download the UPSC Mains Schedule 2025 PDF is provided below
UPSC Mains 2025 Schedule
As we all know, every year millions of candidates are going to get appointments in various departments through the Union Public Service Commission, so UPSC also forms separate examinations for appointment in various departments. The most important of these is the UPSC CSE exam, which is appointed through various stages in which preliminary examination and main examination are conducted .The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the schedule for the Civil Services (Main) Exam 2025.
The UPSC Exam 2025 for Mains will be conducted over two consecutive weekends, from August 22 to August 31, 2025. As per UPSC guidelines, each paper will have a duration of three hours and will be held in two sessions daily, morning and afternoon. The examination will begin with the Essay Paper on August 22, followed by the General Studies papers and the Optional Subject papers on the following days. Candidates are advised to review the timetable carefully and formulate a well-structured preparation strategy accordingly.
| UPSC Mains Exam 2025 Time Table | ||
| Date and Day | Shift 1 (09:00 AM to 12:00 PM) | Shift 2 (02:30 PM to 05:30 PM) |
| 22 August, 2025 , Friday | Essay | No Paper |
| 23 August, 2025 , Saturday | General Studies Paper I | General Studies Paper II |
| 24 August, 2025 , Sunday | General Studies Paper-III | General Studies Paper-IV |
| 30 August, 2025 ,Saturday | Paper A Indian Language Paper {Assamese / Bengali / Bodo / Dogri/ Gujarati / Hindi / Kannada / Kashmiri/ Konkani / Maithilli / Malayalam / Manipuri / Marathi / Nepali / Odia / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Santhali (Devanagari / Olchiki Script)/ Sindhi (Devanagari / Arabic Script) / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu} | Paper-B English |
| 31 August, Sunday ,2025 | Paper-VI Optional Subject Paper-I {Agriculture / Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science / Anthropology / Botany / Chemistry / Civil Engineering / Commerce & Accountancy / Economics / Electrical Engineering / Geography / Geology / History / Law / Management /Mathematics / Mechanical Engineering /Medical Science / Philosophy / Physics / Political Science & International Relations / Psychology / Public Administration / Sociology / Statistics / Zoology / Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese / Bengali / Bodo / Dogri / Gujarati / Hindi / Kannada / Kashmiri / Konkani / Maithilli / Malayalam / Manipuri / Marathi / Nepali / Odia / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Santhali / Sindhi / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu / English} | Paper-VII Optional Subject Paper-II {Agriculture / Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science / Anthropology / Botany / Chemistry / Civil Engineering / Commerce & Accountancy / Economics / Electrical Engineering / Geography / Geology / History / Law / Management /Mathematics / Mechanical Engineering /Medical Science / Philosophy / Physics / Political Science & International Relations / Psychology / Public Administration / Sociology / Statistics / Zoology / Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese / Bengali / Bodo / Dogri / Gujarati / Hindi / Kannada / Kashmiri / Konkani / Maithilli / Malayalam / Manipuri / Marathi / Nepali / Odia / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Santhali / Sindhi / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu / English} |
UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus 2025
The UPSC Mains Syllabus is a comprehensive framework that outlines the key topics and subject areas aspirants must prepare for the Civil Services Mains Exam. A strong understanding of the UPSC Mains 2025 Syllabus is necessary for effective preparation and strategic answer writing. Below is a detailed topic-wise breakdown of all the papers included:
| UPSC Mains Syllabus 2025 | |
| Particulars | Information |
| Paper-1 ,Indian Language | Choose one language from the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This paper tests comprehension, expression, and translation skills. |
| Paper-2 , English | Tests basic English language skills, including comprehension, précis writing, grammar, and essay-type responses. |
| Essay | Candidates must write essays on multiple topics, reflecting clarity of thought, structured argumentation, and a balanced perspective. |
| General Studies Paper 1 | Covers Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society. |
| General Studies Paper 2 | Focuses on Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations. |
| General Studies Paper 3 | Includes Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management. |
| General Studies Paper 4 | Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude—assesses moral philosophy, public administration ethics, and case study analysis. |
| Optional Subject Paper 1 | Based on one optional subject chosen from the official list; the syllabus varies by subject. |
| Optional Subject Paper 2 | Continuation of the chosen optional subject, focusing on advanced concepts and in-depth understanding. |
UPSC Mains Result 2025
UPSC Mains Result 2025 will be released along with the UPSC final result. After appearing for the Mains exam, candidates eagerly await the results, which determine their performance and eligibility for the next stage of the selection process, the “Interview/Personality Test”. UPSC announces the Mains result on its official website, providing a list of successful candidates who have qualified for the final round, which is the UPSC Personality Test or Interview. Aspirants can check the UPSC Mains Result 2025 directly by clicking on the link given above.
FAQ’s: UPSC Mains Exam 2025
When will the UPSC Mains Admit Card 2025 be released?
As per the UPSC calendar and previous trends, the UPSC Mains Admit Card 2025 is expected to be released 1–2 weeks before the exam, likely in the second week of August 2025. The Mains exam starts from 22 August 2025.
In 2025, can I take the UPSC?
General applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 32. OBC: Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 35.
When was the UPSC Mains 2025 result declared?
The result was declared soon after the exams on the official website of UPSC.
When will be the UPSC Main Exams started?
The UPSC Main Exams will be started from 22 August 2025.