The UPSC Mains Exam 2024 is scheduled for September 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29, 2024. Sessions will be conducted in two shifts: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Access the complete UPSC CSE Mains exam timetable, pattern, and essential details below.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially announced the exam dates and the comprehensive schedule for the UPSC Main Examination. As the second stage of the selection process, this exam is exclusively for candidates who qualified in the prelims. The UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination will be held over five days: September 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29, 2024. Admit cards for these dates were officially released on September 13, 2024. Candidates should review the complete exam schedule provided in this article.
UPSC Mains Exam Date 2024 Out
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is a prestigious national-level recruitment process for All India Services and Central Civil Services. This year, 14,627 candidates successfully cleared the UPSC Prelims and are eligible for the mains. The descriptive-style exam consists of 9 papers totaling 1,750 marks. According to the UPSC Calendar 2024, the exams take place on September 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29. Candidates are encouraged to focus on final syllabus revisions to maximize their performance, as the final merit list is based on the aggregate marks from the mains and personal interview.
| Events | Dates |
| UPSC Mains Admit Card 2024 | 13th September 2024 |
| UPSC Mains Exam Date 2024 | 20th, 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th September 2024 |
UPSC Mains 2024 Exam Schedule
The UPSC Mains Exam 2024 comprises 9 papers, each lasting 3 hours, held across two daily shifts. With the exception of the Essay paper, the examination schedule follows a 9 AM–12 PM and 2:30 PM–5:30 PM slot pattern. Specific details regarding shift timings, reporting centers, and venue information were provided in the candidate admit cards released on September 13, 2024.
| UPSC Mains Exam Schedule 2024 | ||
| Date/ Day | Morning Session 9:00 am to 12:00 noon |
Afternoon Session 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| 20th September 2024 (Friday) | Paper-I Essay | |
| 21th September 2024 (Saturday) | Paper-II General Studies-I | Paper-III General Studies-II |
| 22th September 2024 (Sunday) | Paper-IV General Studies-III | Paper-V General Studies-IV |
| 28th September 2024 (Saturday) | Paper-A Indian Language {Assamese / Bengali / Bodo / Dogri/ Gujarati / Hindi / Kannada / Kashmiri/ Konkani / Maithilli / Malayalam / Manipuri / Marathi / Nepali / Odia / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Santhali (Devanagari / Olchiki Script)/ Sindhi (Devanagari / Arabic Script) / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu} |
Paper-B English |
| 29th September 2024 (Sunday) | Paper-VI Optional Subject-Paper-1 Agriculture Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Anthropology Botany Chemistry Civil Engineering Commerce & Accountancy Economics Electrical Engineering Geography Geology History Law Management Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Medical Science Philosophy Physics Political Science & International Relations Psychology Public Administration Sociology Statistics Zoology Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese Bengali Bodo Dogri Gujarati Hindi Kannada Kashmiri Konkani Maithilli Malayalam Manipuri Marathi Nepali Odia Punjabi Sanskrit Santhali Sindhi Tamil Telugu Urdu English |
Paper-VII Optional Subject-Paper-2Agriculture Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Anthropology Botany Chemistry Civil Engineering Commerce & Accountancy Economics Electrical Engineering Geography Geology History Law Management Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Medical Science Philosophy Physics Political Science & International Relations Psychology Public Administration Sociology Statistics Zoology Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese Bengali Bodo Dogri Gujarati Hindi Kannada Kashmiri Konkani Maithilli Malayalam Manipuri Marathi Nepali Odia Punjabi Sanskrit Santhali Sindhi Tamil Telugu Urdu English… Read more at: https://www.studyiq.com/articles/upsc-mains/ |
UPSC Mains Time Table 2024 (Official Notice)
The UPSC CSE 2024 Mains will be conducted over five days, from September 20 to 29, 2024. The examination will take place at designated centers nationwide. Please refer to this article for the full official schedule and detailed subject-wise timetable.

UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2024
The UPSC CSE 2024 mains examination consists of 9 descriptive papers. While Paper A (Indian Language) and Paper B (English) are qualifying in nature, the marks from papers I through VII contribute directly to the final merit list. Each paper has a 3-hour duration. Review the complete UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2024 here for more details.
| UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2024 | |||
| Papers | Subjects | Marks | Duration |
| Paper A | Any Indian language (compulsory) – [Qualifying paper] | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper B | English – [Qualifying paper] | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper I | Essay (you can choose to write it in a medium of your choice) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Studies 1 (Indian and World History, Culture, Heritage, &Geography) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies 2 (Polity, Constitution, Governance, International Relations & Social Justice) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | General Studies 3 (Economic Development, Technology, Disaster Management & Security, Biodiversity) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | General Studies 4 (Aptitude, Ethics, & Integrity) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject: Paper 1 | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VII | Optional Subject: Paper 2 | 250 | 3 hours |
UPSC Mains Exam Date 2024- FAQs
Q1. What is the UPSC Mains Exam Date 2024?
The official dates for the UPSC Mains Exam 2024 are confirmed as September 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29, 2024.
Q2. In how many shifts UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2024 will be conducted?
Each day of the UPSC CSE Mains examination will feature two distinct sessions.
Q3. How many papers are there in UPSC Mains Exam?
The UPSC CSE Mains structure includes 9 compulsory papers that every qualified candidate must attempt.
Q4. Who will conduct the UPSC Mains Exam 2024?
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the sole authority governing the administration and conduct of the UPSC Mains Exam 2024.
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