How this page is made: the TakeMockTest Editorial Team maintains this series. Every pattern figure below is taken from the official source linked with it and carries the date it was last checked. Questions are written in-house to the published syllabus and audited before release. Read the editorial policy.

UPSC CSE exam pattern

GS Paper I

Official CSE 2026 pattern

Questions: 100

Marks: 200

Duration: 120 minutes

History of India and Indian National Movement · Indian and World Geography · Indian Polity and Governance · Economic and Social Development · Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change · General Science · Current events of national and international importance. Negative marking: 0.667 per wrong answer. Single 120-minute timer for the whole paper: GS Paper I is not divided into separately timed sections..

GS Paper I marks count towards the qualifying threshold for the Main Examination. UPSC does not publish an official question-wise split across its syllabus topics: the breakdown below reflects how this mock test's questions are organized, not an official UPSC-published distribution.

Official source · checked 5 August 2026

CSAT (Paper II)

Official CSE 2026 pattern

Questions: 80

Marks: 200

Duration: 120 minutes

Comprehension · Interpersonal skills including communication skills · Logical reasoning and analytical ability · Decision making and problem solving · General mental ability · Basic numeracy and Data interpretation. Negative marking: 0.833 per wrong answer. Single 120-minute timer for the whole paper: CSAT is not divided into separately timed sections..

Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying only: candidates must score at least 33% (66/200) to qualify for the Main Examination; it does not count towards merit ranking. UPSC does not publish an official question-wise split across CSAT's syllabus topics: the breakdown below reflects how this mock test's questions are organized, not an official UPSC-published distribution.

Official source · checked 5 August 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many UPSC CSE mock tests are available here?

This page currently has 15 syllabus-checked tests for UPSC CSE: 2 full-length mocks, and 13 sectional tests.

Are these UPSC CSE tests based on the official pattern?

Yes. Each checked test's question count, marks, duration, and negative marking match the official pattern shown above, with its source and checked date linked.

How long does a UPSC CSE mock test take?

A full-length UPSC CSE mock here runs 120 minutes, matching the official working time for the paper it reproduces. The timer starts when you begin and the test submits itself when time runs out, so it is worth starting one only when you can sit it through. The shorter tests on this page run from 9 minutes, for when you do not have a full sitting free.

Do these UPSC CSE mock tests have negative marking?

It depends on the paper. The deduction for a wrong answer across UPSC CSE tests here ranges from 0.667 to 0.833 marks, because the stages are marked differently in the official scheme. Each test states its own marks and deduction before you start, and your result shows what the deduction cost you.

Should I start with a full-length UPSC CSE mock or a sectional test?

Start with a full-length mock if you have not sat the whole UPSC CSE paper under its official timer before: it is the only thing here that tells you whether you can finish in time. Move to the 13 sectional tests once the full mock has shown you which section is costing you marks, and use them to rebuild that one section rather than re-sitting the whole paper each time.

Are these UPSC CSE mock tests free?

Yes. All 15 UPSC CSE tests on this page are free to attempt, with no account and no paid tier holding back better questions.

UPSC CSE exam details