The IES (Indian Economic Service) and ISS (Indian Statistical Service) exams are highly competitive examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit candidates for positions in the Indian Economic Service and Indian Statistical Service, respectively. Both exams follow a similar structure but differ in the subjects tested.
Below is a comprehensive and updated breakdown of the exam pattern and marking scheme for both exams.
1. Indian Economic Service (IES) Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme:
The IES exam consists of three stages:
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
- Main Examination (Descriptive Type)
- Personality Test (Interview)
A. IES Preliminary Examination:
The IES Preliminary Exam is the first stage of the selection process and is designed to test general knowledge and subject-specific knowledge in economics. It consists of two papers:
Note:
- The Preliminary Examination is a screening test and the marks scored in this stage are not counted for the final ranking.
- Candidates who clear the preliminary examination are eligible to appear for the Main Examination.
B. IES Main Examination:
The IES Main Exam is the second stage and is more comprehensive and detailed. It consists of four papers.
Paper I: General English
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 100
- Type of Questions: Descriptive (Essay writing, comprehension, precise writing, etc.)
- Syllabus: English comprehension, précis writing, essay writing, grammar, and vocabulary.
Paper II: Economics (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive (Answering theoretical and practical questions in economics)
- Syllabus: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Economic theory, Indian Economy, and Economic planning.
Paper III: Indian Economy (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive (Answering theoretical questions on the Indian economy, planning, policies, etc.)
- Syllabus: Economic development, planning, agricultural policy, industrial policy, poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
Paper IV: Economic Statistics (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive (Answering questions related to statistical methods and their applications in economics)
- Syllabus: Descriptive statistics, probability theory, sampling methods, and econometrics.
Note:
- The Main Examination is of descriptive type and is the most significant part of the selection process.
- Total Marks for Main Exam: 200 (General English) + 600 (Economics, Indian Economy, Economic Statistics) = 800 Marks.
C. Personality Test / Interview:
- Marks for Interview: 200
- The interview stage tests a candidate's personality, knowledge, and ability to articulate ideas. It assesses candidates' communication skills, general awareness, and suitability for a career in the Indian Economic Service.
Final Selection:
- The final selection is based on the combined total marks obtained in the Main Exam (out of 800) and the Personality Test (out of 200), with the final merit list prepared accordingly.
2. Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme:
The ISS exam also follows a similar three-stage process:
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
- Main Examination (Descriptive Type)
- Personality Test (Interview)
A. ISS Preliminary Examination:
The ISS Preliminary Exam is the first stage and consists of two papers:
Note:
- Like IES, the Preliminary Examination is a screening test. The marks scored here are not counted in the final ranking.
B. ISS Main Examination:
The ISS Main Exam is the second stage and consists of four papers:
Paper I: General English
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 100
- Type of Questions: Descriptive (Essay writing, comprehension, précis writing)
- Syllabus: English comprehension, précis writing, essay writing, and grammar.
Paper II: General Statistics (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive
- Syllabus: Descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency, correlation, regression, probability theory.
Paper III: Mathematical Statistics (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive
- Syllabus: Probability theory, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, and mathematical models.
Paper IV: Applied Statistics (Descriptive Type)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Total Marks: 200
- Type of Questions: Descriptive
- Syllabus: Statistical methods applied to economics, industry, and social sciences. Topics like index numbers, regression, and time series analysis.
Note:
- The Main Examination is descriptive and focuses on in-depth understanding and application of statistical methods and concepts.
- Total Marks for Main Exam: 100 (General English) + 600 (Statistics) = 700 Marks.
C. Personality Test / Interview:
- Marks for Interview: 200
- Similar to IES, the interview stage for ISS evaluates the candidate’s overall personality, analytical thinking, and communication skills.
Final Selection:
- The final merit list is based on the total marks obtained in the Main Examination (out of 700) and the Interview (out of 200).
Summary of Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme:
| Stage | IES Exam | ISS Exam |
|---------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Preliminary Exam | 2 papers (Objective) | 2 papers (Objective) |
| Main Exam | 4 papers (Descriptive) | 4 papers (Descriptive) |
| Total Marks (Main) | 800 Marks | 700 Marks |
| Interview | 200 Marks | 200 Marks |
| Final Selection | Based on Main + Interview Marks | Based on Main + Interview Marks |
Important Points to Remember:
- Preliminary Exam: Objective-type questions, serves as a screening test.
- Main Exam: Descriptive-type papers, with a detailed evaluation of your subject knowledge and analytical skills.
- Interview: Focuses on overall personality, communication skills, and the ability to apply knowledge in practical situations.
- Final Merit: Decided by the combined performance in the Main Exam and Interview.