UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Preparation Guide

120 mins•150 questions•state govt Exam

Back to Overview

state-govt

Read, plan, practise.

UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Preparation Guide 2026

Overview

The UPPSC PCS exam is conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission for recruitment to various administrative and police services in Uttar Pradesh. It is aimed at Graduates for Uttar Pradesh Civil Services, with a hard difficulty level.

Exam Pattern

UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) is a 150-question paper to be completed in 120 minutes.

Practice Papers Available on YourMockTest

Paper	Questions	Duration	Negative Marking
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2024)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2023)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2022)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2021)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2020)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer

Detailed Syllabus

Current events of national and international importance
History of India and Indian National Movement
India and World geography
Indian Polity and Governance
Economic and Social Development
General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
General Science

Marking Scheme

Correct answer: +1.33 marks
Wrong answer: -0.44 marks
Unanswered: 0 marks

Preparation Strategy

Practice the Full Paper Under Time Pressure: UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) is a single 150-question paper in 120 minutes — work out your per-question time budget (roughly 0.8 minutes each) and stick to it in every mock attempt.
Prioritize the Syllabus by Weight: Focus first on Current events of national and international importance and History of India and Indian National Movement, then move to India and World geography, Indian Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change, General Science — these are the subjects tested in the actual paper structure.
Respect the Negative Marking: A wrong answer costs 0.33 mark(s), so only attempt a question when you can eliminate at least two options — guessing blind against this penalty is a net loss over a full paper.
Simulate the Real Timer: Take full-length 120-minute mock tests on YourMockTest under exam conditions before attempting the real UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) — pacing under pressure is a separate skill from knowing the syllabus.
Review Every Mistake: After each mock, spend more time reviewing wrong answers than attempting new questions — a repeated mistake in practice is a guaranteed mistake in the real exam.

Ready to execute?

Move from syllabus to timed practice.

Now that you are familiar with the structural blueprint, take a full-length mock test to establish your benchmark speed, accuracy, and section-switching metrics.

Take Free Test

Exam Pattern

UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) is a 150-question paper to be completed in 120 minutes.

Practice Papers Available on YourMockTest

Paper	Questions	Duration	Negative Marking
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2024)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2023)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2022)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2021)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
UPPSC PCS Prelims (2020)	150	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer

Preparation Strategy

Practice the Full Paper Under Time Pressure: UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) is a single 150-question paper in 120 minutes — work out your per-question time budget (roughly 0.8 minutes each) and stick to it in every mock attempt.

Prioritize the Syllabus by Weight: Focus first on Current events of national and international importance and History of India and Indian National Movement, then move to India and World geography, Indian Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change, General Science — these are the subjects tested in the actual paper structure.

Respect the Negative Marking: A wrong answer costs 0.33 mark(s), so only attempt a question when you can eliminate at least two options — guessing blind against this penalty is a net loss over a full paper.

Simulate the Real Timer: Take full-length 120-minute mock tests on YourMockTest under exam conditions before attempting the real UPPSC Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) — pacing under pressure is a separate skill from knowing the syllabus.

Review Every Mistake: After each mock, spend more time reviewing wrong answers than attempting new questions — a repeated mistake in practice is a guaranteed mistake in the real exam.