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UPSC 2025 Exam: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released its revised annual calendar for 2025, detailing the schedule for various recruitment exams. According to the updated calendar, the Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination is scheduled for February 9, while both the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary). Examination and the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will take place on May 25. The calendar also includes information on notification dates, exam commencement and duration for each examination.
UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam begins: January 11
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: September 4, 2024
- Last Date of Application: September 24, 2024
- Exam: February 9, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: September 18, 2024
- Last Date of Application: October 8, 2024
- Exam: February 9, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
CBI (DSP) LDCE, 2025
- Date of Notification: January 1, 2025
- Last Date of Application: January 14, 2025
- Exam begins: March 8, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
CISF AC (EXE) LDCE, 2025
- Date of Notification: December 4, 2024
- Last Date of Application: December 24, 2024
- Exam begins: March 9, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
NDA & NA I Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: December 11, 2024
- Last Date of Application: December 31, 2024
- Exam begins: April 13, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
CDS I Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: December 11, 2024
- Last Date of Application: December 31, 2024
- Exam begins: April 13, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: January 22, 2025
- Last Date of Application: February 11, 2025
- Exam begins: May 25, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2025 (through CS(P) Examination 2025)
- Date of Notification: January 22, 2025
- Last Date of Application: February 11, 2025
- Exam begins: May 25, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam Date: June 14, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
IES/ISS Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: February 12, 2025
- Last Date of Application: March 4, 2025
- Exam begins: June 20, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 3 days
Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination, 2025
- Exam: June 21, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2025
Exam: June 22, 2025
Duration of Exam: 1 day
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam: July 5, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Combined Medical Services Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: February 19, 2025
- Last Date of Application: March 11, 2025
- Exam begins: July 20, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: March 5, 2025
- Last Date of Application: March 25, 2025
- Exam begins: August 3, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam: August 9, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2025
- Exam: August 22, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 5 days
NDA & NA II Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: May 28, 2025
- Last Date of Application: June 17, 2025
- Exam begins: September 14, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
CDS II Examination, 2025
- Date of Notification: May 28, 2025
- Last Date of Application: June 17, 2025
- Exam begins: September 14, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 1 day
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam: October 4, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam: November 1, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2025
- Exam: November 16, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 7 days
S.O./Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE, 2025
- Date of Notification: September 17, 2025
- Last Date of Application: October 7, 2025
- Exam: December 13, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination
- Exam: December 20, 2025
- Duration of Exam: 2 days
PRELIMS VS MAINS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
The Civil Services (Main) Examination, following the preliminary tests, includes a Written Examination and an Interview/Personality Test. The Written Examination comprises nine conventional essay-type papers, with two of these being qualifying in nature.
Paper I of the CSE Mains 2024 is dedicated to Essay writing, carrying 250 marks. Candidates have three hours to complete this paper. As in previous years, the question paper is divided into two sections: Section A and Section B, each containing four essay topics. Candidates are required to choose one topic from each section and write an essay of 1000 to 1200 words.
The UPSC Candidates are may be the required to write essays on a multiple topics. They are expected to stay close to the subject of the essay, organize their ideas logically and write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and precise expression. As such it is essential for a candidate to know the art of essay writing, and thereby secure the maximum number of marks out of the total 250.
Now it is understandable that writing an essay may not be as easy as it sounds, especially for an exam as crucial as the UPSC civil service exams. To make it easier for the candidates, team Hindustan Times spoke to experts from academic circles who have substantial experience in the field.
UPSC 2025 Exam: Here what they Recommend:
1. A POWERFUL INTRODUCTION
The first significant point about an essay is its introduction. The success of the essay lies in its ability to place the matter at hand in a way that it immediately arouses the curiosity of the reader. Dr Gautam Sarma, former HOD of English at Cotton University, said “It is imperative that the introduction of an essay carries, as it were, a gist of the entire argument that is going to be presented in the essay.
“While there are different ways of beginning an essay, an appropriate quote or a proverb stands to make the introduction impressive. A good introduction always sets the tone and tenor of the argument,’ added Dr Sarma.
2. FOCUS ON ORGANIZATIONAL HARMONY
Dr Sangeeta Goswami, a retired teacher of English, said“What is most important while writing an essay is the fact that the subject of the essay should be understood properly so that a unified logical and coherent argument can be built up. It should be kept in mind that a streak sense of organizational harmony be observed without allowing any irrelevant or unnecessary details nearly in order to increase the length of the essay.
Dr Goswami, who has more than three decades of experience in teaching, added the points of the essay should be so organized that they appear to come automatically to establish themselves as inevitable and integrated elements of the essay itself.
3. PRACTICE WRITING FOR EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE
The language of the essay is what can make or mar the prospect and quality of the essay, believes Dr Mayuri Pathak, a former faculty of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM). She said, “Language plays an important role while writing an essay. While the language when used should be simple and free from glitches, it should also be at the same time appropriate and capable of conveying the sense of what is meant to be said.
4. CLARITY OF THOUGHT
The style of an essay is also responsible for maintaining the quality of the essay. Depending on the context of the essay, the candidate may take recourse to various styles such as formal, candid, argumentative, or analytical. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Champak Goswami, faculty at the Department of English at University Law College, and a researcher, said, “It is imperative that the essay in question is guided by a clarity of thought, aptness of diction and lucidity of expression. Slang and colloquial expressions are to be completely avoided while writing a formal essay.
5. EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION
Dr Gautam Sarma stated further, “Having written all the important points of the argument in the body of the essay, it now remains to be seen as to how the essay is concluded in a manner convincing and satisfactory to the reader. It should sum up the argument in a way that nothing important is left out, nor any superficial details added. In all, the conclusion should be both intellectually stimulating and emotionally gratifying.
