- Timetable for IAS Mains-2018 is out
- 5 days to revise Optional Subject, Sunday is not OFF
- Last SIX years’ Mains-Timetables
- Timetable of Mains-2013
- Timetable of Mains-2014
- Timetable of Mains-2015
- Timetable of Mains-2016
- Timetable of Mains-2017
- Timetable of Mains-2018
Timetable for IAS Mains-2018 is out
UPSC has uploaded the time table for Civil Services Mains exam 2018.
- Exam starts from 28th September 2018. Each day the morning (9AM to 12 noon) and Afternoon (2 PM to 5PM) schedule is as following:
- 28/9-Friday: Essay paper in the morning. Nothing in the afternoon. (may be to give warmup and then rest to the first-time players)
- 29/9-Saturday: GSM1 and GSM2 in the morning and afternoon respectively.
- 30/3-Sunday: GSM3 and GSM4 (Ethics) in the morning and afternoon respectively.
- Then continuous holidays till 6th October.
- 6/10-Saturday: Indian Language and English language paper.
- 7/10-Sunday: Optional Subject Paper 1 and Paper 2.

5 days to revise Optional Subject, Sunday is not OFF
- In a significant departure from the past, there will be five days gap between GS Papers and Optional Papers.
- In the past, UPSC used to organize the exam on almost continuous basis, with barely one holiday in between the papers. And they’d keep Sunday as holiday in past, wherein 2018 they’ll conduct Mains on Sunday as well.
- 2017’s exam: one holiday between Essay and GSM1. Then one holiday between Compulsory language vs. Optional Paper.
- 2016’s exam: same pattern as 2017. One holiday each between (Essay vs GSM1) and (English vs Optional)
Last SIX years’ Mains-Timetables
- The Timetables of past UPSC exams are attached herewith, for those who want to do PHD on this matter. [क्योकि आजकल उम्मीदवार पढाई से ज्यादा ऐसी आनुषांगिक प्रवृतिओमें ज्यादा दिलचस्पी लेते है.]
- There is no point researching over timetables before 2013, since before that year the Mains exam format was different (two GS papers and two optional subjects)
Timetable of Mains-2013
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
02-12-13 |
Monday |
Essay |
English |
03-12-13 |
Tuesday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
04-12-13 |
Wednesday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
05-12-13 |
Thursday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
06-12-13 |
Friday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
07-12-13 |
Saturday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
08-12-13 |
Sunday |
Indian Language |
Nothing |
Timetable of Mains-2014
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
14-Dec |
Sunday |
Essay |
English |
15-Dec |
Monday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
16-Dec |
Tuesday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
17-Dec |
Wednesday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
18-Dec |
Thursday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
19-Dec |
Friday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
20-Dec |
Saturday |
Indian Language |
Nothing |
Timetable of Mains-2015
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
18-12-15 |
Friday |
Essay |
English |
19-12-15 |
Saturday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
20-12-15 |
Sunday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
21-12-15 |
Monday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
22-12-15 |
Tuesday |
Indian Language |
Nothing |
23-12-15 |
Wednesday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
Timetable of Mains-2016
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
03-12-16 |
Saturday |
Essay |
Nothing |
04-12-16 |
Sunday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
05-12-16 |
Monday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
06-12-16 |
Tuesday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
07-12-16 |
Wednesday |
Indian Language |
English Language |
08-12-16 |
Thursday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
09-12-16 |
Friday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
Timetable of Mains-2017
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
28-10-17 |
Saturday |
Essay |
Nothing |
29-10-17 |
Sunday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
30-10-17 |
Monday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
31-10-17 |
Tuesday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
01-11-17 |
Wednesday |
Indian Language |
English Language |
02-11-17 |
Thursday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
03-11-17 |
Friday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
Timetable of Mains-2018
Date |
Day |
Morning (9AM to 12 Noon) |
Afternoon (2PM to 5) |
28-09-18 |
Friday |
Essay |
Nothing |
29-09-18 |
Saturday |
GSM1 |
GSM2 |
30-09-18 |
Sunday |
GSM3 |
GSM4 |
01-10-18 |
Monday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
02-10-18 |
Tuesday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
03-10-18 |
Wednesday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
04-10-18 |
Thursday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
05-10-18 |
Friday |
Holiday: But a Soldier Is Never Off Duty #so-lengthy-syllabus |
06-10-18 |
Saturday |
Indian Language |
English Language |
07-10-18 |
Sunday |
Optional Paper2 |
Optional Paper2 |
UPSC won’t be taking down optional anytime instead they are giving time to revise , giving rest to speculations by UPSC arm chair analysts
According to me, the main reason to change the schedule is to organise the papers on a weekends instead of weekdays which disturb the studies of the students studying in those schools where exams are conducted.
valid point
Why has the time table been released early? .. is there any possibility of result being declared early ..?
Very nice