UPSC Prelims 2019: Civil Services Examination Begins In More Than 70 Cities

UPSC is conducting the UPSC Prelims or Preliminary examination of Civil Services today. Union Public Service Commission, the national level public service commission, also called UPSC, annually puts nearly 10 lakh job aspirants through a rigorous selection process to select around a thousand or more candidates for jobs in the bureaucracy, police and the armed forces. Only 1-2% of the aspirants who register for the exam make it to the final selection list based on Preliminary exam, Main exam and interview. Candidates who qualify the UPSC Prelims exam are eligible to take the Main exam and interview. After the Prelims result the Commission will start another registration process for the main exam. 

UPSC Prelims Over, Results Expected In July (Read candidates' responses here)

UPSC had released the admit card for the UPSC prelims on April 30. The UPSC Prelims examination comprises of two compulsory papers of 200 marks each.

Both the question papers are of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration. The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services Prelims examination is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. The question papers are set both in Hindi and English.

This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Preliminary examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main examination will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this examination.

Candidates are allowed to bring Black Ball Point Pen as they need to fill the OMR Answer Sheets and attendance list with Black Ball Point Pen only. Use of normal or simple wrist watches by candidates is allowed inside the examination rooms or halls. However, use of watches fitted with any special accessory that might be used as communication device or smart watches is strictly prohibited and candidates are not allowed to take such watches into the examination halls.

Mobile phone, (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc. or camera or Bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device and calculator are banned inside the examination hall. 

"Any infringement of these instructions shall entail disciplinary action against the concerned candidates including debarment from future Examination / Selection. Valuable / costly items and bags are also not allowed inside the Examination Venue," said a statement from the Commission.

The Civil Services prelims will be held at 72 cities nationwide.