Syllabus
UPSC IES/ISS Syllabus 2026
The exam pattern and the official topic lists for UPSC IES/ISS, read from the recruiting body’s own notice — with the notice’s own caveats kept, not trimmed.
Written Examination — Indian Economic Service (Part I, 1000 marks; six papers of 3 hours each)
Syllabus, section by section
General English (100 marks)
An essay in English; other questions test understanding of English and workman-like use of words; passages set for summary or precis.
General Studies (100 marks)
General knowledge including current events and matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects, as expected of an educated person without special scientific study; Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature answerable without special study.
General Economics-I (200 marks)
The notice details each head in full (Section-II, General Economics-I).
Part A
- Theory of Consumer's Demand
- Theory of Production
- Theory of Value
- Theory of Distribution
- Welfare Economics
Part B: Quantitative Methods in Economics
- Mathematical Methods in Economics
- Statistical and Econometric Methods
General Economics-II (200 marks)
- Economic Thought
- Concept of National Income and Social Accounting
- Theory of employment, Output, Inflation, Money and Finance
- Financial and Capital Market
- Economic Growth and Development
- International Economics
- Balance of Payments
- Global Institutions
General Economics-III (200 marks)
- Public Finance
- Environmental Economics
- Industrial Economics
- State, Market and Planning
Indian Economics (200 marks)
- History of development and planning
- Federal Finance
- Budgeting and Fiscal Policy
- Poverty, Unemployment and Human Development
- Agriculture and Rural Development Strategies
- India's experience with Urbanisation and Migration
- Industry: Strategy of industrial development
- Labour
- Foreign trade
- Money and Banking
- Inflation
Written Examination — Indian Statistical Service (Part I, 1000 marks; six papers)
Syllabus, section by section
General English (100 marks, 3 hrs)
An essay in English; other questions test understanding of English and workman-like use of words; passages set for summary or precis.
General Studies (100 marks, 3 hrs)
General knowledge including current events and matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects; Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature answerable without special study.
Statistics-I (Objective; 200 marks, 80 questions, 2 hrs)
- Probability
- Statistical Methods
- Numerical Analysis
- Computer application and Data Processing
Statistics-II (Objective; 200 marks, 80 questions, 2 hrs)
- Linear Models
- Statistical Inference and Hypothesis Testing
- Official Statistics
Statistics-III (Descriptive; 200 marks, 3 hrs)
- Sampling Techniques
- Econometrics
- Applied Statistics
Statistics-IV (Descriptive; 200 marks, 3 hrs)
Seven sections; candidates have to choose any TWO out of them. All sections carry equal marks.
- Operations Research and Reliability
- Demography and Vital Statistics
- Survival Analysis and Clinical Trial
- Quality Control
- Multivariate Analysis
- Design and Analysis of Experiments
- Computing with C and R
Viva voce (200 marks)
Syllabus, section by section
Viva voce
An interview by a Board of competent and unbiased observers with a record of the candidate's career, to assess suitability for the service — supplementing the written examination in testing general and specialised knowledge and abilities. A natural, directed and purposive conversation, with special attention to intellectual curiosity, critical powers of assimilation, balance of judgment and alertness of mind, ability for social cohesion, integrity of character, initiative and capacity for leadership.