# UPPSC Combined State Service (PCS) Prelims (UPPSC PCS) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for UPPSC Combined State Service (PCS) Prelims, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS

## Exam pattern
- Category: STATE_LEVEL · state: UP
- Questions: 250 · Total marks: 400 · Marks per question: 2
- Duration: 240 minutes
- Negative marking: −0.33 per wrong answer
- Languages offered: EN, HI

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Age: 21–40 years (before category relaxation: OBC +3, SC/ST +5)
- Education: Bachelor's degree from a recognized university in any discipline
- Approximate annual vacancies: 200
- Note: UP domicile required only for reserved category benefits; final-year graduates can apply provisionally
- Official portal: https://uppsc.up.nic.in (Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC))

## Key dates
- 2026-07-27 — Application deadline
- 2026-07-28 — Admit card download begins
- 2026-08-03 — Application last date
- 2026-08-03 — Application deadline (extended)
- 2026-08-03 — Application correction window closes
- 2026-08-03 — Application deadline
- 2026-08-03 — Application correction window closes
- 2026-08-10 — Application correction window closes

## Syllabus outline
### General Studies Paper 1 (weight 1)
Current Events of National & International Importance · Environment & Ecology · Climate Change · Ecology & Biodiversity · Pollution & Conservation · Protected Areas · General Science · Biology · Chemistry · Physics · Science & Technology · Economic & Social Development · Agriculture · Banking & Finance · Indian Economy — Basics · Budget & Fiscal Policy · Industry & Services · Social Sector & Inclusion · Indian Geography · Economic Geography · Physical Geography of India · Social Geography · History of India · Ancient India · Medieval India · Modern India · Indian National Movement · Indian Polity & Governance · Constitutional & Statutory Bodies · Constitution of India · Federal Structure & State Govt · Judiciary · Panchayati Raj & Local Bodies · Parliament · Union Executive · World Geography

### Uttar Pradesh — Special Knowledge (weight 1)
UP Administration · UP Climate, Soil & Agriculture · UP Art & Culture · UP Current Affairs · UP Demographics · UP Economy · UP in Freedom Struggle · Geography of Uttar Pradesh · History of Uttar Pradesh · UP Industries · UP Famous Personalities · UP-specific Schemes · UP Tourism & Heritage Sites

### Civil Services Aptitude Test (Paper 2) (weight 1)
Comprehension · Data Interpretation (Class X level) · Decision Making & Problem Solving · General English (Class X level) · General Hindi (Class X level) · Interpersonal Skills incl. Communication · Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability · General Mental Ability · Basic Numeracy (Class X level) · Algebra · Arithmetic · Geometry & Mensuration · Time, Speed, Work

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 175–190 marks / 400 (43.75–47.5%) |
| EWS | 165–180 marks / 400 (41.25–45%) |
| OBC | 160–175 marks / 400 (40–43.75%) |
| SC | 145–160 marks / 400 (36.25–40%) |
| ST | 140–155 marks / 400 (35–38.75%) |
| PwD (Gen) | 135–150 marks / 400 (33.75–37.5%) |
| PwD (OBC) | 125–140 marks / 400 (31.25–35%) |
| PwD (SC/ST) | 120–135 marks / 400 (30–33.75%) |

**Guidance:**
- General-OBC gap typically ranges 15–20 marks; OBC-SC differential is 10–18 marks. The spread widens in moderately difficult years and compresses when papers are easier or candidate pool expands.
- Year-to-year cutoff shifts are driven by paper difficulty (especially General Studies-II legalistic questions), number of vacancies announced, and candidate turnout. A 10–15 mark swing across categories is common between consecutive cycles.
- These figures place successful candidates in the "Borderline qualifying range" to "Safe Mains qualification" bands; scoring 60%+ (240/400) dramatically improves Mains rank prospects and service allocation outcomes.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/UP_UPPSC_PCS/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

Everything is free — no paywall, no subscription, no credit card. Platform index for LLMs: https://shishya.in/llms.txt and https://shishya.in/llms-full.txt