Civil services · Updated Oct 2026
UPSC Prelims subject-wise weightage and study plan
How many GS Paper 1 questions each subject has carried on average since 2015, split into topics, with study hours and CSAT practice, so Prelims preparation follows where the questions actually come from.
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Exam pattern at a glance
- GS Paper 1
- 100 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours, +2 / −0.66; decides the Mains cut-off
- CSAT (GS Paper 2)
- 80 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours, +2.5 / −0.83; qualifying at 33%
- Negative marking
- One-third of the question's marks per wrong answer; blanks are not penalised
- Final merit
- Prelims marks do not count; they only shortlist for Mains
- Current affairs
- 11–24% of GS1, spread across subjects
Check the latest notification before the exam. Official syllabus ↗
Chapter-wise weightage and study hours
Weightage is the chapter's share of past-paper questions, normalised within its subject; hours are a first pass without revision.
* Estimated weight: no reliable past-paper figure exists for this chapter, so the number is our estimate from the paper structure.
Environment & Ecology ≈16.6 questions/year in GS1 · 62 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecology and Ecosystems* | 24% | 4 | 15 |
| 2 | Biodiversity, Protected Areas, Species* | 30% | 5 | 20 |
| 3 | Climate Change, Conventions and Protocols* | 24% | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | Pollution and Environmental Laws/Bodies* | 22% | 3.6 | 12 |
| Total | 62 |
Indian Economy ≈16.9 questions/year in GS1 · 72 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Income, Growth, Inflation* | 18% | 3 | 12 |
| 2 | Money, Banking, RBI and Monetary Policy* High | 24% | 4 | 15 |
| 3 | Fiscal Policy, Budget, Taxation* | 15% | 2.5 | 10 |
| 4 | External Sector, Trade, BoP, International Orgs* | 15% | 2.5 | 10 |
| 5 | Agriculture, Industry, Infrastructure* | 18% | 3 | 15 |
| 6 | Government Schemes and Economic Current Affairs* | 11% | 1.9 | 10 |
| Total | 72 |
Indian Polity ≈14.3 questions/year in GS1 · 72 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitution: Making, Preamble, Features* | 10% | 1.5 | 8 |
| 2 | Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Duties* | 17% | 2.5 | 12 |
| 3 | Union and State Executive* | 14% | 2 | 12 |
| 4 | Parliament and State Legislature* | 21% | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | Judiciary* | 14% | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Federalism, Local Government, Constitutional and Statutory Bodies* High | 23% | 3.3 | 15 |
| Total | 72 |
Science & Technology ≈13 questions/year in GS1 · 47 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology, Health and Biotechnology* | 35% | 4.5 | 15 |
| 2 | Space, Defence and Nuclear* | 23% | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | IT, AI, Emerging Tech* | 23% | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Basic Physics and Chemistry* | 19% | 2.5 | 12 |
| Total | 47 |
History ≈11.6 questions/year in GS1 · 85 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient India* | 22% | 2.5 | 25 |
| 2 | Medieval India* | 17% | 2 | 20 |
| 3 | Modern India and Freedom Struggle* | 61% | 7.1 | 40 |
| Total | 85 |
Geography ≈10.3 questions/year in GS1 · 65 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Geography (World)* | 34% | 3.5 | 25 |
| 2 | Indian Geography* | 39% | 4 | 25 |
| 3 | World and Economic Geography, Mapping* | 27% | 2.8 | 15 |
| Total | 65 |
International Relations ≈7.4 questions/year in GS1 · 15 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India and Neighbours, Groupings, Organisations* | 100% | 7.4 | 15 |
| Total | 15 |
Art & Culture ≈5.7 questions/year in GS1 · 24 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture, Sculpture, Painting* | 44% | 2.5 | 12 |
| 2 | Music, Dance, Literature, Religion and Philosophy* | 56% | 3.2 | 12 |
| Total | 24 |
Indian Society ≈4.1 questions/year in GS1 · 8 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Society and Social Issues* | 100% | 4.1 | 8 |
| Total | 8 |
Current Affairs ≈10 questions/year in GS1 · 60 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monthly current affairs (rolling, last 12-18 months)* | 100% | 10 | 60 |
| Total | 60 |
CSAT (Paper 2, qualifying) CSAT: qualifying, 33% needed · 67 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Comprehension* High | 31% | 25 | 15 |
| 2 | Basic Numeracy and Arithmetic* High | 31% | 25 | 25 |
| 3 | Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability* | 24% | 19 | 15 |
| 4 | Data Interpretation* | 12% | 10 | 8 |
| 5 | Decision Making, Problem Solving and Interpersonal/Communication Skills* | 1.2% | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 67 |
A sample first week
A first week at 6 hours a day, built from the weightage above: each subject gets sessions in proportion to its marks, starting with its heaviest chapters, mixed so no day is one subject only. Your real plan in the app fits your own hours and exam date.
| Day | Session 1 (2 h) | Session 2 (2 h) | Session 3 (2 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Environment & EcologyBiodiversity, Protected Areas, Species | Indian EconomyMoney, Banking, RBI and Monetary Policy | Indian PolityFederalism, Local Government, Constitutional and Statutory Bodies |
| Tue | Science & TechnologyBiology, Health and Biotechnology | HistoryModern India and Freedom Struggle | GeographyIndian Geography |
| Wed | International RelationsIndia and Neighbours, Groupings, Organisations | Art & CultureMusic, Dance, Literature, Religion and Philosophy | Indian SocietyIndian Society and Social Issues |
| Thu | Current AffairsMonthly current affairs (rolling, last 12-18 months) | CSATReading Comprehension | Environment & EcologyBiodiversity, Protected Areas, Species (contd.) |
| Fri | Indian EconomyMoney, Banking, RBI and Monetary Policy (contd.) | Indian PolityFederalism, Local Government, Constitutional and Statutory Bodies (contd.) | Science & TechnologyBiology, Health and Biotechnology (contd.) |
| Sat | HistoryModern India and Freedom Struggle (contd.) | GeographyIndian Geography (contd.) | CSATReading Comprehension (contd.) |
| Sun | Revise this week's chapters, take one timed mock or sectional test, and log the score. | ||
How Daily Tayyari plans your day
Pick your exam and date
Choose the exam (and GATE paper or UPSC optional) and your exam date. The full official syllabus loads with every chapter listed above.
Tell it your daily hours
Say how many hours you can study on weekdays and weekends. The plan only ever fills that time.
Get today's tasks
Each morning you see a short list of tasks: new chapters weighted by marks, plus practice and revision, sized to fit your day.
Spaced revision, automatically
Finished chapters come back after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, and sooner if a chapter felt hard.
Green, yellow, red status
See whether you are on track, slightly behind or behind, and when the syllabus will be finished at your real pace.
Mock test tracking
Log scores from any test series. Chapters that went badly are marked weak and revised sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Which chapters carry the most weight in UPSC Prelims?
Going by our compiled weightage, the heaviest chapters are Modern India and Freedom Struggle, Biodiversity, Protected Areas, Species, Biology, Health and Biotechnology, Ecology and Ecosystems, Climate Change, Conventions and Protocols. They are worth starting early, but past papers vary from year to year, so plan to cover the whole syllabus.
Is this UPSC Prelims weightage official?
No. UPSC publishes the syllabus, not chapter weightage. These numbers come from analyses of previous years' papers, so treat them as a guide to priority, not a promise of what will be asked.
How many hours does the UPSC Prelims syllabus take?
Our first-pass estimate adds up to about 580 hours of study, before revision and mock tests. At 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, that is roughly 3.7 months. Daily Tayyari replaces these defaults with your actual pace after the first week or two.
Is CSAT just qualifying?
Yes. CSAT needs 33% and its marks are not used for the cut-off, but each year some candidates miss Mains because of it, so the plan keeps a small, regular CSAT practice slot.
How much current affairs is in UPSC Prelims?
Roughly 11–24% of GS Paper 1 in recent years, spread across subjects rather than in one block. The plan treats current affairs as a daily habit alongside static subjects.
Is Daily Tayyari free, and does it work in Hindi?
Yes. It is free with no ads and no payment; you sign in with Google only so your plan is saved. You can switch between Hindi and English at any time, and chapter names are shown in both.