Exam pattern, scoring and answer-writing strategy
This chapter sets out the official structure of the two Mains papers this workbook covers, the Essay paper and General Studies Paper IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude), and turns it into decisions about time, language and answer length. Every pattern figure comes from UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE dated 4 February 2026, and each figure was checked against the notice text. Where a 2026 detail comes only from post-exam analysis, the text says so.
KarmSakha preparation topics covered
- The Mains scheme: nine papers, seven counted for rank, and the Personality Test
- Why GS-IV is numbered Paper-V in the notice
- Qualifying Paper-A and Paper-B and the 25 per cent rule
- The Essay paper: the notice's wording and the reported 2026 structure
- What the GS-IV paper tests and where each syllabus area is taught
- Language and medium rules that change how an answer is written
- Negative marking: Preliminary objective papers only
- A time budget of 0.72 minutes per mark, and compensatory time
- Eligibility and attempts to confirm before planning
How the Mains marks add up: 1,750 written, 275 interview, 2,025 in total
The Civil Services (Main) Examination has two parts: a written examination of nine papers, all of conventional essay type, and an Interview/Personality Test. The notice divides the nine papers into two groups. Paper-A, one Indian language chosen by the candidate, and Paper-B, English, are qualifying papers of 300 marks each. Paper-I to Paper-VII carry 250 marks each and are counted for merit, and together they make the written total of 1,750 marks. The Personality Test is the only component that is not a written paper.
The Personality Test carries 275 marks and has no minimum qualifying marks. About twice the number of vacancies are summoned for it, and the Board that conducts it is described as a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The notice states that final rank is decided by the written marks and the interview marks together, so the grand total is 1,750 + 275 = 2,025.
The notice numbers the papers in order, starting with the Essay as Paper-I, so General Studies Paper IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) is Paper-V. The tie-breaking clause in paragraph 4.3 uses the same numbers. Paper-II, Paper-III and Paper-IV are GS-I, GS-II and GS-III, so the paper numbers run one ahead of the GS labels. This book refers to the paper as GS-IV throughout, but when you check a rule in the notice, read the paper number and the subject name together so that you are looking at the right paper.
Negative marking belongs to the Preliminary stage. General Instruction 5 applies the penalty to wrong answers in the objective type question papers, and Note II of the notice sets it at one-third of the marks assigned to a question for each wrong answer, with no penalty for a blank. The Mains papers are conventional essay papers, and the Mains scheme in Section II-B contains no negative-marking clause. A weak Mains answer therefore loses marks through the marking itself, not through a per-question penalty of the Preliminary kind.
| Paper | Subject as named in the notice | Marks | Role in the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-A | One Indian language from the Eighth Schedule | 300 | Qualifying only, not ranked |
| Paper-B | English | 300 | Qualifying only, not ranked |
| Paper-I | Essay | 250 | Counted for rank |
| Paper-II | General Studies-I | 250 | Counted for rank |
| Paper-III | General Studies-II | 250 | Counted for rank |
| Paper-IV | General Studies-III | 250 | Counted for rank |
| Paper-V | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 | Counted for rank |
| Paper-VI and Paper-VII | Two optional subject papers | 250 each | Counted for rank |
| Written total | Paper-I to Paper-VII | 1,750 | Counted for rank |
| Personality Test | Interview/Personality Test | 275 | Counted for rank, no minimum |
| Grand total | Written total plus interview | 2,025 | Final rank |
Qualifying papers: Indian language and English at 25 per cent
The notice describes Paper-A and Paper-B as papers of Matriculation or equivalent standard, and their marks are not counted for ranking. Because the standard is that level, the gate tests basic command of the language and of English, not depth of subject preparation. Paper-A is one Indian language that the candidate selects from the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Paper-B is English. The notice says the English paper is answered in English and the Indian-language paper in the respective Indian language, except where translation is involved.
The qualifying papers test language control rather than subject knowledge. Their pattern in Section III is comprehension of passages, précis writing, usage and vocabulary, and short essays. Précis writing asks for a condensed version of a passage in the candidate's own words, which is the same discipline the Essay rewards under 'due economy of words'. The Indian-language paper also includes translation from English into the language and from the language into English. The short essays in these papers are language exercises, and they have no bearing on the Essay paper or on rank.
The 25 per cent rule is a gate, not a score. The notice says the Essay, General Studies and optional papers are evaluated together with the qualifying papers, but they are taken into account only for a candidate who attains 25 per cent in the Indian-language paper and 25 per cent in English. On a 300-mark paper, 25 per cent is 75 marks. Clearing the mark in one qualifying paper does not compensate for a shortfall in the other, and a candidate who falls short in either paper has the Essay, General Studies and optional scripts not taken into account.
Two notes give exemptions from Paper-A. The notice does not make Paper-A compulsory for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. It also exempts candidates with the hearing impairment sub-category who have been granted an exemption from second or third language courses by their education board or university, provided they submit an undertaking or self-declaration to the Commission.
| Qualifying paper | Medium | Marks | Minimum to pass the gate | Counted for rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-A | One Indian language from the Eighth Schedule, chosen by the candidate | 300 | 25 per cent (75 marks) | No |
| Paper-B | English | 300 | 25 per cent (75 marks) | No |
The Essay paper (Paper-I): 250 marks, three hours, two essays reported
The Essay is Paper-I, worth 250 marks. Like every Mains paper, it is of conventional essay type and runs for three hours. The notice's syllabus entry is short. It says that candidates 'may be required to write essays on multiple topics', that they 'will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely', and that 'credit will be given for effective and exact expression'. Chapters 2 to 4 take these demands in turn.
The notice sets no word limit for the essays and publishes no marking grid. It does state marking rules that apply to every subject. Credit is given for 'orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due economy of words', marks are not allotted for mere superficial knowledge, and a deduction is made when handwriting is not easily legible. These clauses are the marking criteria the notice actually states, and the essay method in this workbook is built on them. A candidate can act on the economy clause in every answer, because it concerns wording rather than facts.
The 2026 structure is reported only in post-exam analysis. Anantam IAS, a coaching publisher, describes the Essay as two essays of 125 marks each, one chosen from each of two sections of four topics, and gives guidance of about 1,000 to 1,200 words for each essay. The same page does not say that the official question paper was checked. The UPSC examination page for the 2026 Main examination is reported to list the Essay question paper, but that listing was not re-checked for this edition, so these features stay in the reported column.
| Feature | What the notice states | What post-exam analysis reports for 2026 (not official) |
|---|---|---|
| Marks | 250 for Paper-I | Two essays of 125 marks each |
| Duration | Three hours, as for every Mains paper | Three hours |
| Format | Conventional essay type | Two essays |
| Topic choice | Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics | Eight topics in two sections of four, one essay chosen from each section |
| Length | No word limit stated | About 1,000 to 1,200 words for each essay, as coaching guidance |
General Studies Paper IV (Paper-V): what the notice says the paper tests
The notice gives the paper the title 'Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude' and states its purpose in one sentence. The paper will 'include questions to test the candidates' attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society'. The notice adds that questions 'may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects'. The purpose points to judgement in a stated situation, not to recall of definitions.
The syllabus lists eight broad areas, and each one is taught in this workbook. The first area combines ethics and human interface with human values, so it is taught across two chapters. The table shows the home chapter for each area. Several areas overlap in theme. Integrity, for example, is named in the paper's purpose sentence and again in the foundational-values area, where the book teaches it in depth.
The 2026 structure is reported only, and the post-exam sources do not agree on counts. The Anantam GS-IV analysis describes 13 compulsory theory questions at 10 marks each (130 marks) and six compulsory case studies at 20 marks each (120 marks), for a total of 250. Another account, which this book has not separately verified, counts twelve numbered questions. The reported figures reconcile, since 13 × 10 + 6 × 20 = 250, but a reconciling total does not make an item count official, so no count is stated here as fact.
| Syllabus area in the notice | Home chapter |
|---|---|
| Ethics and human interface, including human values | 5 and 6 |
| Attitude, including social influence and persuasion | 8 |
| Aptitude and foundational values for civil service | 9 |
| Emotional intelligence and its use in administration | 8 |
| Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers | 7 |
| Public and civil service values and ethics in public administration, including international relations, funding and corporate governance | 9 and 10 |
| Probity in governance | 10 |
| Case studies on the above issues | 11 |
Language and medium choices that change how you write
The notice allows a candidate to answer every Mains paper except Paper-A and Paper-B in any language of the Eighth Schedule or in English. The Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages, and the notice's own list of optional literature languages names the same 22, with English added. A candidate therefore chooses among 23 options for the descriptive papers. The notice attaches no mark bonus to a language: every descriptive paper carries 250 marks whatever the medium. The qualifying papers follow their own rules, as described in the section on qualifying papers.
The question papers, other than the literature papers, are set in Hindi and English only, according to Note (vi) to Section II-B. A candidate who answers in Tamil or Odia reads the questions in English or Hindi and writes in the chosen language. The subject's technical vocabulary must therefore be available in that language, not only in English. Credit depends on effective and exact expression, so the choice should rest on which language lets you state a point with the most precision within the time available.
An English version is allowed in a narrow form. Note (iv) permits a candidate who answers in another language to give an English version within brackets, and only of the description of technical terms, if any. The notice warns that misuse attracts a deduction from total marks and, in extreme cases, a script that is not valued for being in an unauthorised medium. A candidate who needs a technical gloss should decide the term in advance and bracket its English description once, at first use. A paragraph of English is outside the rule.
