The Syllabus for the RAS/RTS Combined Competitive Exam is set by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).
The primary difference between the UPSC Syllabus and the syllabus for state PSC exams is that for states, candidates have to learn the topics from the state’s perspective as well.
E.g., if candidates are preparing for RPSC, then they also need to study History, Economics, Geography, Polity, and Current Affairs related to the Rajasthan state as mentioned in the RAS Syllabus.
The RAS Exam is conducted in three stages (similar to the UPSC IAS Exam)
- Stage 1: RAS Pre – One Paper – Objective Type – 200 Marks
- Stage 2: RAS Mains – 4 Papers – Theory/Descriptive – 800 Marks Total
- Stage 3: RAS Interview/Personality Test/Viva-voce – 100 Marks
The RPSC Syllabus for RAS exam can be divided into two parts:
- RAS Pre Syllabus
- RAS Syllabus – Mains
RPSC RAS Pre Syllabus
The RAS Pre Exam is a screening test and marks are not counted for the final merit list.
The Syllabus for all RPSC exams can be viewed on the official website of the commission – (https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/)
RAS Pre Syllabus and Pattern is as follows:
- One Exam
- Subject Name – General Knowledge and General Science
- Max Marks – 200
- Duration – 3 Hrs
- Negative Marking – Yes (1/3rd of the marks allocated for the question)
- Number of Questions – 150
- RAS Pre Exam 2023 Date – Yet to be announced
- Syllabus – The syllabus can be subdivided into topics/sections focusing on Rajasthan and general topics
The RAS Pre 2023 exam will be conducted tentatively in August 2023 and candidates can download the official RPSC syllabus from the link below.
The RPSC RAS syllabus (Prelims) is similar to the UPSC Prelims Syllabus. However, as aspirants can see on the linked page, the UPSC Prelims comprises 2 papers, and there are other subtle but significant differences.
RPSC Syllabus for RAS Mains
The RAS Mains 2023 exam will be conducted tentatively in December.
The RAS Syllabus for Mains comprises 4 theory papers of 200 marks each. The papers consist of short, medium, and long answer questions.
There are no optional papers in the syllabus for RAS Mains, unlike the UPSC Mains Syllabus.
RPSC RAS Mains Syllabus
Note: Like in RAS Pre, candidates have to also focus on Rajasthan-specific topics in the Mains. For general topics, like Indian Polity, and Economy, the preparation would be on the lines of UPSC Mains, i.e. reading the standard reference books by authors like M.Laxmikanth, Ramesh Singh, Bipin Chandra, etc.