Target Batch for
UPSC CSE 2026
Aarambh (आरंभ) Foundation Batch
(Bilingual)
Start Date 30th November 2024
Learn with India’s Top Educators
Highlights
1 2
Learn live from the comfort of Dedicated doubt-solving
your home with the Top batches by top Faculties
Educators of India
3 4
Unlimited access to all Comprehensive notes,
courses of all educators covering the entire syllabus of
UPSC
5 6
CSAT - Verbal, Analytical Special focus on Answer
Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, Writing
and Reading Comprehension
7 8
Live Test Series for Prelims Dedicated course on Essay
and Mains Writing
9 10
Ask your doubts through the Exhaustive coverage of
‘Raise a Hand’ feature syllabus
Civil Services (Preliminary)
Examination: Objective Type
Preliminary Exam
General Studies CSAT
PAPER 1 PAPER 2
Max. Marks: 20 Max. Marks: 20
Duration: 2 Hour Qualifying (33% marks
required
Negative Marking: 1/3 of marks
assigned to a question will be Duration : 2 Hour
deducted as penalty for each
wrong answer. Negative Marking : 1/3 of
marks assigned to a question
will be deducted as penalty for
each wrong answer.
Prelims Examination - May 2026
UPSC Prelims 2015 - 2023 Cutoff Trend
Prelims General EWS OBC SC ST PH Total
Marks
2023 75.41
68.02
74.75
59.25
47.82
33.68-40.40
200
2022 88.2
82.83
87.54
74.08
69.35
40.40-58.59
200
2021 87.54
80.14
84.85
75.41
70.71
43.09-68.02
200
2020 92.51
77.55
89.12
74.84
68.71
40.82-70.06
200
2019 98
90
95.34
82
77.34
40.66-53.34
200
2018 98
N/A
96.66
84
83.34
40 to 73.34
200
2017 105.34
N/A
102.66
88.66
88.66
40 to 85.34
200
2016 116
N/A
110.66
99.34
96
40 to 75.34
200
2015 107.34 N/A 106 94 91.34
40 to 90.66 200
Mains Examination Pattern and Syllabus
If a candidate successfully completes the Preliminary Examination stage, the next
step is to appear for the Mains Examination. There are a total of nine papers at the
Mains stage, seven of which are merit-based and two of which are qualifying.
Mains Paper VI
examination Optional Subject – Paper 1
Duration: 3 hour
Paper i
Maximum marks: 250
Essay
Duration: 3 hour Paper VII
Maximum marks: 250 Optional Subject – Paper II
Duration: 3 hour
Paper iI
Maximum marks: 250
General Studies – I
Duration: 3 hour
Maximum marks: 25
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Qualifying
Geography of the World and Society papers
Paper iII
Paper A
General Studies – Ii Indian Language*
Duration: 3 hour
Maximum marks: 25 Minimum qualifying requirement: 25
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Duration: 3 hour
Justice and International Relations
Maximum marks: 300
Paper iV
Paper B
General Studies – Iii English
Duration: 3 hour Minimum qualifying requirement: 25
Maximum marks: 25 Duration: 3 hour
Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Maximum marks: 300
Environment, Security and Disaster Management
Paper V
General Studies – IV
Duration: 3 hour
Maximum marks: 25
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
September 2026
*The Indian Language Paper will not be compulsory for candidates hailing from the states of Arunachal
Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
RoadMap
Nov Nov-May 2025
We are targeting aspirants preparing for This sub-segment of learners will be
UPSC 2026 through this batch. provided with comprehensive courses for the
Inevitably, on average, people take at least UPSC CSE exam
15-18 months to prepare comprehensively Each class will be organized 6 days a week
for this demanding exam with a duration of 2-2.5 hours long.
This batch is starting from Nov 30, 2024
Jun-Dec 2025
The batch will also have additional 50-55 classes to cover CSAT Portion.
There will be test series for prelims and mains, notes, doubt solving, current
affairs material and practice tests along with comprehensive courses.
Apart from this, we believe that the preparation for Preliminary and Mains
Exams should be done simultaneously, and not separately because most topics
are asked in both the exams.
Jan-Feb-March 2026 April May
Parallel to the ongoing Batch completion with Prelims 2026 Exam.
comprehensive courses this sub- ongoing Revision.
segment of learners will be looking
forward to crash courses 4-5
months before the examination.
Dec-Apr Sept Jun - Aug
Unacademy Last Mile Mains 2026 Exam. Mains Quality Enhancement
Interview Guidance Batch - (Expected) Jun - Aug.
Program. After announcement of 2026
Prelims Results.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Course Flow
U nder Aarambh (आरंभ) Batch for UPSC CSE - GS 2026, the top Educators will cover important concepts for Prelims and
M ains in a very comprehensive manner. Learners at any stage of their preparation will be benefited from the batch. The
lessons will be delivered in Hindi and English and the notes for the same will be provided in English. The batch will
a e 23 subjects with dedicated doubt-solving sessions, class handouts, Notes and Test Series.
h v
Subjects Educators Start Date End Date No. of session
(2.5 Hours)
Modern India History Pratik Nayak Nov 30, 2025 Feb 6, 2025 45
World Physical Sudarshan Gurjar Jan 6, 2025 Feb 8, 2025 30
Geography
Post Independance Arti Chhawari Jan 15, 2025 Feb 6, 2025 20
Indian Geography Sudarshan Gurjar Feb 12, 2025 Mar 12, 2025 26
Indian Economy for Dr. Mrunal Patel Feb 20, 2025 May 14, 2025 70
Prelims
Indian Economy for Dr. Mrunal Patel Jun 11, 2025 Jul 14, 2025 20
Mains
World Geography Sudarshan Gurjar Mar 19, 2025 Apr 14, 2025 17
Ancient India History Pratik Nayak Jun 3, 2025 Jun 30, 2025 26
Medieval India History Pratik Nayak Jun 27, 2025 Jul 24, 2025 24
Art and Culture Pratik Nayak Jul 22, 2025 Aug 19, 2025 25
Indian Polity Dr. Sidharth Arora Aug 15, 2025 Oct 10, 2025 45
Environment and Sudarshan Gurjar Sep 8, 2025 Oct 24, 2025 40
Ecology
International Relations R akesh Verma Oct 13, 2025 Nov 10, 2025 25
Governance and Social Dr. Sidharth Arora Nov 17, 2025 Dec 10, 2025 24
Issues
Science and Technology R akesh Verma Dec 10, 2025 Jan 8, 2026 30
World History Arti Chhawari Dec 23, 2025 Jan 12, 2026 21
Ethics, Integrity and akesh Verma Dec 26, 2025 Jan 29, 2026 35
Aptitude R
Indian Society and Aman Sharma Jan 26, 2026 Feb 17, 2026 20
Social Justice
Internal Security R akesh Verma Feb 11, 2026 Feb 25, 2026 15
Disaster Management Sumit Konde Feb 23, 2026 Mar 6, 2026 12
Essay Writing Strategy Chandramouli Mar 9, 2026 Mar 23, 2026 10
Choudhary
Human and Economic Sudarshan Gurjar Mar 18, 2026 Apr 1, 2026 15
Geography
Current Affairs Aman Sharma Monthly Monthly -
CSAT Madhukar Kotawe Sep 2, 2025 Nov 5, 2025 55
Prelims 2026 Exam Break - May 15, 2026 June 1, 2026 -
Q uality Enhancement Program June 10, 2026 Aug 30, 2026
(QEP) Batch for Mains
- -
Disclaimer: The course plan and educators are subject to change.
Meet Your Educators
Aarambh (आरंभ): Foundation Batch of GS for UPSC CSE
Dr. Mrunal Patel Madhukar Kotawe Sudarshan Gurjar
Economy
CSAT Geography, Environment
& Ecology
Pratik Nayak Dr. Sidharth Arora Arti Chhawari
History, Art and Culture Indian Polity, Governance History
and Social Issues
Rakesh Verma Aman Sharma Chandramouli Choudhary
Science & Technology, Current Affairs, Indian Society Essay
Ethics, Integrity & and Social Justice
Aptitude, IR and IS
Anuj Garg Sumit Konde
History Disaster Management
Prelims & Mains Test Series and Practice Section
Prelims & Mains test series along with Practice Section are extremely important parts of
the preparation. It will help you in tackling the dynamism and demand of the exam.
How do I Practice Questions?
Prelims Test Series Mains Test Series Practice Section
Click Here Click Here Click Here
Features of Unacademy Prelims Test Series
50+ objective tests in a year revising the syllabus of UPSC multiple time
Well organised Sectional, Revision and Full length Tests to intensify your
preparatio
Questions are framed on the exact pattern of the UPSC Examinatio
Detailed and informative explanations for every questio
Re-attempt the test for practice and revision purposes
Take the test live, compete with the best & know your All India Rank
Features of Mains Test Series
30+ subjective tests in a yea
Sectional and Full length Test
Questions curated by the top educator
Detailed and informative model answer
Timely evaluation with the detailed feedbac
Analysis classes by India’s top educators at Unacademy
Practice Section
One of the most unique and important features of the Unacademy platform
Consists of the 24000+ MCQs in English and Hind
Practice the questions in subject wise as well as topic wise manne
Solved UPSC Prelims PYQs of last 10 year
Addition of current affairs questions on a monthly basis
PubLIC
Sociology AdMINISTRATION
Confused about selecting your
PSIR Anthropology
Optional Subject?
What can you expect from
Unacademy Optional Subscription?
Unlimited access to Live and Recorded Classes
Full syllabus coverage by India’s Top Educators
Test Series with 20+ Sectional and Full-length tests
Basu: wht is that madam?
did nt undrstand
Basu: wht is that madam?
did nt undrstand
Regular doubt solving sessions and revision classes
Answer writing practice with detailed evaluation
Innovative and interesting teaching methodology
Optional Educators on Unacademy
Pratik Nayak Himabindu Dr. Sidharth Arora Aman Sharma
History Anthropology PSIR Sociology
Hinglish English Hinglish Hinglish
Abhishek Mishra Arvindsingh Rajpurohit Mukesh Kumar Jha Sumit Konde
History PSIR Geography Geography
English Hinglish English Hinglish
Chandramouli G Rajput Rajneesh Kumar Ankit Kumar
Srivastava Sociology
Geography Public Administration
Hinglish Hinglish Mathematics Hindi
Hinglish
Rinku Singh Sanjay Kumar Thakur
History PSIR
Hindi Hindi
What Unacademy Offers
Unacademy Subscription is a one-stop solution designed to provide learners with all
the features and essentials for their preparation journey. With live classes by Top
educators, notes, and quick doubt solving etc to help them get the maximum output
for their efforts.
Plus Subscription
INDIA'S TOP
LIVE DOUBT Evaluated
EDUCATORS SOLVING Mains test
series
STRUCTURED LIVE TESTS &
UNLIMITED
COURSES & PDF’S QUIZZES ACCESS
Iconic Subscription
Apart from the above mentioned plus benefits, Iconic features are
PERSONAL COACH AND 1:1 DAILY MAINS Q&A ACCESS TO DAILY CONTENT
LIVE MENTORING EVALUATION (MCQS, ARTICLES)
ASK A DOUBT PHYSICAL ALL BENEFITS OF
FEATURE NOTES PLUS SUBSCRIPTION
Difference between Iconic and
Plus Subscriptions
A Learner can subscribe for Unacademy GS or Iconic Subscriptions. Under
the Iconic Subscription, a Learner gets all features of the GS Subscription.
In addition to this, Iconic Learners also get additional features like
mentorship for personalised guidance.
Benefits Iconic Plus
India’s Top Educators
Interactive Live Classes
Structured Courses & PDFs
Live Tests & Quizzes
1:1 Live Mentorship
Notes on the Unacademy App and Web
Curated Test Series
Daily Static MCQs
Daily Mind-maps
Daily Current Affairs Articles
Daily Answer Writing with Evaluation
Unacademy last mile Interview
Guidance program
Should I prepare questions How important is the
on my graduation subject? interview?
What can be expected
during the UPSC interview? Is the interview round
difficult?
Live
What can you expect from the Unacademy Last
Mile Program?
Free Mock Interviews with Top Educator
Pre-DAF and DAF analysis Session
Interaction sessions with previous years’ toppers and
serving bureaucrat
Performance evaluation and feedback session
A high-quality video of the Mock Interview session
Current Affairs classes and study material for Interviews
State-specific content
Interview panel that consists of bureaucrats, Top Educators,
professors and experts in various fields of General Studies
Unacademy Notes
Unacademy notes are a set of 20 books covering the entire syllabus of UPSC
in comprehensive and unique manner, also available on Flipkart & Amazon
Notes cover the entire
syllabus of UPSC Integration of Mains PYQs
Prelims and Mains from 2013-2020
Examination
Compressed
Includes summaries of information in the
important books like form of tables,
‘Era of Darkness’
flowcharts, bullet
points and
timelines
Contemporary Issues
including, the Taliban Discussion on various
takeover of critical opinion based
Afghanistan, Supreme questions like ‘Why Did
Court on Internet Congress accept the
Suspension, Quota partition of India? Was
within SC Quota etc. the partition of India
are covered
avoided?’
Examples of Timelines in Notes
A few timelines from Modern Indian History book
Unacademy Study Materials
Unacademy Notes
Unacademy Notes, Prelims Practice Booklets and Articulate Monthly Magazine are
available on Unacademy App as well as Unacademy Web Platform.
