The UPSC civil services mains examination comprises nine papers, one of which is the compulsory Indian language paper, also known as Paper A. This paper is of qualifying nature, and the marks scored in it do not contribute to the final ranking. However, it is essential to clear this paper. Candidates can pass this paper by securing at least 25% of the total marks, which is 75 out of 300. The remaining eight papers in the UPSC civil services exam pattern include GS papers 1, 2, 3, 4; Optional papers 1, 2; English and Essay papers.
Total marks for Paper A – 300
Duration – 3 hours
If a candidate fails to clear this paper, the UPSC will not disclose the marks obtained in the GS, optional, and essay paper. Hence, ignoring the language paper could render all your efforts useless. It also prevents you from understanding your performance in other papers.
