UPSC Mains English Literature: Syllabus, Preparation Tips & More
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Civil Services Main Examination Schedule
- Civil Services Main Examination Subjects and Marking Scheme
- Qualifying Papers of UPSC CSE Mains
- UPSC CSE Mains Marking Scheme
- UPSC Mains English Literature as an Optional Paper
- UPSC Mains English Literature Marking Scheme
- UPSC Mains English Literature Optional Paper Preparation Tips
- How can we help you?
- UPSC Mains English Literature Syllabus
- UPSC Mains English Literature Paper I Syllabus
- UPSC Mains English Literature Paper II Syllabus
We have compiled UPSC CSE Mains English Literature syllabus in detail covering all topics and works.
UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts India’s most coveted exam CSE (Civil Services Examination) for selection of IAS (Indian Administration Services), IPS (Indian Police Services) and other civil services positions.
The exam for UPSC CSE is conducted in three tiers, in tier 1 all applicants get to attend Prelims (objective based MCQs).
Thereafter, selected students in Prelims get to attend Mains exam in the subject of candidate’s choice.
For example, if you choose English Literature, then you will get to appear in UPSC CSE Mains English Literature exam.
And then finally, shortlisted students in UPSC CSE Mains get to appear for interview.
Based on overall score, selected candidates are given options among all the positions such as IAS, IPS, IFS etc.
UPSC CSE Mains English Literature is one of the popular options in humanities subject.
However, the syllabus is vast with variety of works to cover.
That’s why understanding UPSC CSE Mains English syllabus is crucial for your UPSC CSE preparation journey.
Here, we have provided detailed analysis of UPSC CSE Mains schedule, marking scheme and exam structure along with UPSC CSE Mains English Literature preparation tips and syllabus.
At the end of the article, we have provided PDF version of UPSC Mains English syllabus for download as well.
Civil Services Main Examination Schedule
According to the revised Annual Calendar, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2025 is going to be conducted on 25th May, 2025 (Sunday).
After clearing the UPSC Prelims 2025 exam, eligible candidates will have to appear for UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2025 which will commence from 22nd August, 2025 (Friday) for 5 days in which students have to appear for UPSC Mains Exams.
The Civil Services Mains Exams are conducted in two sessions, Forenoon session (9 AM – 12 PM) and Afternoon Session (2:30 PM – 5:30 PM).
There can be a single paper in a day or there can be two papers in two shifts (Forenoon and afternoon shifts) in a single day.
The detailed schedule of the Mains Exams will be available on UPSC official website.
Civil Services Main Examination Subjects and Marking Scheme
According to the latest pattern of UPSC Civil Services (Main Examination), the Main exam will consist of nine (9) Papers out of which two (2) papers are of qualifying nature.
The marks of the qualifying papers will not be added to the total marks of the candidate.
A candidate needs to qualify it. Paper I – VII are compulsory papers and marks obtained in these papers will be added to the total marks list.
Qualifying Papers of UPSC CSE Mains
Paper A (One of the Indian Languages selected by the candidate from the languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution).
The total Marks of this Paper are 300 Marks. Students need to qualify this paper.
Paper B is of the English Language.
The total Marks of this Paper are 300 Marks. Students need to qualify this paper.
The marks obtained in these two qualifying papers will not be counted for ranking.
Students need to score minimum 25% marks in Paper A (Indian Language) and minimum 25% in Paper B (English).
UPSC CSE Mains Marking Scheme
Paper 1 – Essay (250 Marks)
Paper 2 – General Studies I (250 Marks)
(Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
Paper 3 – General Studies II (250 Marks)
(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations)
Paper 4 – General Studies III (250 Marks)
(Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
Paper 5 – General Studies IV (250 Marks)
(Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
Paper 6 – Optional Subject – Paper 1 (250 Marks)
Paper 7 – Optional Subject – Paper 2 (250 Marks)
The grand total of all UPSC Civil Services Main Papers are 1750 (Excluding Qualifying papers).
Apart from the marks of the CSE Mains Exams, there will be a Personality Test (Interview Session) for UPSC Civil Services.
The total Marks for Personality Test will be 275 Marks.
So the combined total of UPSC Mains Written test and Personality Test will be 2025 Marks.
UPSC Mains English Literature as an Optional Paper
Candidates may choose English Literature as an optional subject for Civil Services Mains examination from the list of optional subjects given by UPSC.
Selecting English Literature as an optional paper can help students in their overall preparation for UPSC Mains Examination.
One of the major benefits is that English Literature enhances students ability to think critically and analyze things from different perspectives.
It also improves student’s reading ability as you are going to read lengthy novels, dramas and poems in English Literature.
Studying English Literature also helps in improving writing skills which is very essential to score good in competitive exams.
It helps in writing exams which are of conventional essay form.
The question Paper for the UPSC Mains English Literature Optional Paper will be in conventional essay format.
While attempting answers, Students need to keep in mind that their answers are clear and structured.
The factual details provided by the students in the answers should be accurate.
The answer should have a proper beginning, middle and concluding section.
UPSC in its guidelines clearly says that no marks will be allotted for mere superficial knowledge.
So make sure that you understand the topic thoroughly before writing an answer.
Provide detailed explanation with examples and other important details.
UPSC Mains English Literature Marking Scheme
UPSC English Literature Mains Exam consists of two papers called Paper I and Paper II.
For each paper, the allotted time is three hours.
The maximum marks for English Literature Mains Paper 1 are 250 Marks.
In UPSC Mains English Literature Paper 1, Candidates are given Eight questions divided in two sections called Section – A and Section – B.
Each section contains 4 questions.
Questions number 1 from Section A and Question number 5 from Section – B are compulsory questions and out of the remaining 6 questions, students need to attempt three questions, choosing at least one question from each section.
It means that the students can’t attempt all three questions of their choice from a single section.
They have to attempt at least one question from each section as per the UPSC Mains English Literature Exam guidelines.
No other language except English can be used to write the UPSC Mains English Literature Exam.
In order to attempt questions, students are given the Question – cum – Answer (QCA) Booklet.
Students have to write all the answers in the given booklet.
It is important to know that the attempt of all questions should be in sequential order.
This means that students have to attempt their selected questions according to numbering.
Since, first question is compulsory, students will attempt the first question first and so on.
Even if a student writes an answer partly or an answer is incomplete, the attempt of that question will be counted.
If a student attempts more than 5 questions in total then the last answers will not be counted.
All answers will be checked in sequential order only.
For each question, the number of marks will be described against the question.
UPSC Mains English Literature Part 1 Section A, Question 1 carries 5 questions.
Since question 1 is compulsory, students need to attempt all 5 questions coming under question 1.
Question 1 carries 50 marks which means all 5 questions carry 10 marks each (10 X 5). For each question, marks will be mentioned against it.
If a word limit has been given to answer a question, then students need to adhere to the word limit and answer the question within the given words limit only.
UPSC Mains English Literature Optional Paper Preparation Tips
It is important to know exactly what your English Literature Optional Paper syllabus covers so that you can focus on the right areas.
Your UPSC Mains English Literature syllabus doesn’t cover the entire history of English Literature.
So, if you are anywhere guided by anyone that you have to cover the entire History of English Literature then you are either misguided or you are using the wrong strategy.
In each part of your syllabus, you are given a list of topics like the Renaissance, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Modernism and Postmodernism etc.
But these topics don’t require the detailed coverage of the History of English Literature.
Students need to focus upon the background information, major events, historical and cultural context and popular literary works of that time period.
You don’t need to know about every author or work coming under these periods.
Most of the questions coming from this section are very direct. You are expected to write a short note on the background topics.
Your UPSC Mains English Literature syllabus is designed around specific novels, poems and dramas that you have been asked to study.
These are called “prescribed texts”. This is your main syllabus.
You have to focus upon the background context, the author’s life, the text’s major themes, settings, language, characters, plot, imagery etc.
Again, it is very important to know that the questions’ difficulty level is moderate to high in UPSC Mains English Literature exam, so the mere coverage of syllabus will not help you in writing answers.
We recommend all students to go through the previous years question papers of UPSC English Literature so that you can have a basic idea about the type of questions asked and what strategies you need to implement to answer such questions.
You should understand these texts in detail.
Along with this, you should be able to give a critical analysis of the given texts.
Do remember that writing plain summaries or basic information will not help you to score well in your exam.
If you go through previous year question papers, then you will understand that no such questions are asked from any text where you can just write down the summaries.
How can we help you?
We have designed our course according to the pattern and demand of the exam.
Our UPSC Mains English Literature Coaching is highly structured and targeted.
There are 150 videos in the course which cover all the syllabus in a detailed manner.
We have given the critical analysis in all the videos with major facts and other important details required to write a good answer.
Our UPSC Mains English Literature course aims to improve students’ critical thinking, critical writing, memorization of facts and their answer writing.
We encourage students to write answers based on their text readings, review and provide detailed analysis of their answers, also check their grammatical abilities and answer presentations.
Because in the final exam, it is not about how much you know, it is all about what you have written in your answer sheet.
UPSC Mains English Literature Syllabus
The syllabus of UPSC Mains English Literature consists of two papers – Paper 1 and Paper 2.
There are prescribed texts for Novel, Poetry and Drama.
Apart from the prescribed texts, the syllabus also includes different ages in English Literature, Literary Movements, Popular Literary theories and History of Indian English Literature.
UPSC Mains English Literature Paper I Syllabus
Foundational Knowledge of the below mentioned topics:
| 1. Introduction to the Renaissance Period |
| 2. Brief History of Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama |
| 3. Metaphysical Poetry: Major characteristics and Poets |
| 4. The Difference between the Epic and the Mock Epic |
| 5. Neoclassicism in Literature |
| 6. The major features and types of Satire |
| 7. The Romantic Movement and Literature |
| 8. The Rise of the Novel and 18th Century Literature |
| 9. The Victorian Age Background and Literature |
Section A – Prescribed Texts in UPSC Mains English Literature Paper I Syllabus
| 1. William Shakespeare’s King Lear |
| 2. William Shakespeare’s The Tempest |
3. John Donne’s Poems:
|
| 4. John Milton’s Paradise Lost Book I, II, IV and IX. |
| 5. Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock |
6. William Wordsworth’s Poems:
|
| 7. Alfred Tennyson’s In Memoriam |
| 8. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House |
Section B – Prescribed Texts in UPSC Mains English Literature Paper I Syllabus
| 1. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels |
| 2. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice |
| 3. Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones |
| 4. Charles Dickens’ Hard Times |
| 5. George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss |
| 6. Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles |
| 7. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
UPSC Mains English Literature Paper II Syllabus
Foundational Knowledge of the below mentioned topics:
| 1. Modernism Movement and the 20th Century Literature |
| 2. Poets of the Thirties: The Auden Group Poets and their works |
| 3. The Stream of Consciousness Novel |
| 4. Absurd Drama and Background of The Theatre of Absurd |
| 5. A Brief history of Colonialism to Postcolonialism Period |
| 6. Indian Writing in English: Origin, Major Developments and Contemporary Readings |
| 7. Marxism Theory and Marxist Approach to Literature |
| 8. Psychoanalytic Theory and Psychoanalytic Approach to Literature |
| 9. Feminism Theory and Feminist Approach to Literature |
| 10. Postmodernism Movement and Literature |
Section A – Prescribed Texts in UPSC Mains English Literature Paper II Syllabus
1. William Butler’s Poems:
|
2. T. S. Eliot’s Poems:
|
3. W. H. Auden’s Poems:
|
| 4. John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger |
| 5. Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot |
6. Philip Larkin’s Poems:
|
7. A. K. Ramanujan’s Poems:
|
Section B – Prescribed Texts in UPSC Mains English Literature Paper II Syllabus
| 1. Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim |
| 2. James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man |
| 3. D. H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers |
| 4. E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India |
| 5. Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway |
| 6. Raja Rao’s Kanthapura |
| 7. V. S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas |
| Download PDF of UPSC Mains English Literature Syllabus here |
- UPSC Mains English Literature: Syllabus, Preparation Tips & More - January 6, 2025
- CUET PG 2025 COQP11 General Paper Entrance Exam - January 5, 2025
- MA English Entrance Previous Year Question Papers – CUET PG, DU, JNU, JMI, UoH, EFLU, BHU & More - January 5, 2025