UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2025: Check reporting time, important documents & key points to remember on exam day | Competitive Exams

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is scheduled to conduct the Civil Services Mains examination 2025 from Friday, August 22, 2025. The exams will be conducted in two shifts – the shift 1 will be held from 9 am to 12 pm, and shift 2 will be conducted from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

Also read: UPSC Civil Services Mains exam from tomorrow, admit card link and details here

On the first day, candidates will appear for the essay paper.

Candidates appearing for the exam must follow a set of instructions on the exam day to avoid any inconvenience. Some these guidelines are as follows:

1. Candidates must mandatorily bring print out of the e-Admit Card along with the original Photo Identity Card in each session to secure admission to Examination Hall. The E-Admit Card should be preserved till the declaration of the final result of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2025, as informed by the commission.
2. Reporting time: Entry into the exam venue will be closed 30 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the examination. In other words, entry will close at 8:30 AM for the Forenoon Session and 2 PM for the Afternoon Session. No candidate will be allowed the entry into the Examination Venue after closure of the entry.
3. Candidates are advised to enter the exam venue well in advance for identity verification and frisking.
4. Prohibited items: Candidate should not be carry or use mobile phone (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches, etc., or camera or Bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device during the examination. Infringement of these instructions will entail disciplinary action including ban from future Examinations.
5. Use of normal or simple wrist watches is allowed inside the exam hall. However, use of watches fitted with any special accessory that might be used as communication device or smart watches is strictly prohibited and candidates are not allowed to take such watches into the hall.
6. Candidates must not enter the examination premises with any bag, baggage, luggage, valuables/costly items, mobile phones, smart/digital watches, other IT gadgets, books, etc. Venue Supervisor will not make any arrangement for keeping these items at the venue. if candidates bring any such banned items, they will have to make their own arrangement for keeping the same outside the venue and the UPSC will not be responsible for any loss.
7. Items allowed/Documents: Candidates can take with them only the print of e-Admit Card, pen, pencil, identity proof, copies of self-photographs (whichever applicable) and any other items as specified in the Instructions of e-Admit Card to the venue.
8. Candidates are advised to bring black ballpoint pen to the exam hall for making entries in the Attendance List.
9. Candidates can use Scientific (Non-Programmable type) Calculators, and if considered necessary, may be brought by candidates. Programmable type calculators are not allowed in the examination.
10. Candidates whose photograph on the e-Admit Card is not clear or the photograph is without their name and date, will have to bring a photo identity card along with two passport size photographs (with name and date of photograph), one for each session for appearing in the examination with an undertaking.
11. Candidates are allowed only to carry water in the transparent bottles inside the Examination Hall/Room. Any other beverages (including cold drinks) or any eatable items are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall.

Also read: UPSC EPFO Recruitment 2025: Last date to apply extended till August 22, notice here

Notably, according to the official exam schedule, UPSC will conduct the Civil Services Mains Examination 2025 on August 22, 23, 24, 30, and 31, 2025.

The Civil Services Mains Exams 2025 is being conducted for only those candidates who have cleared the Preliminary Examination, the results of which were announced in June 2025.

For more details, candidates are advised to visit the official website of UPSC.