UPSC Steno: Exam Syllabus, Pattern, Books & Preparation Tips

UPSC Steno Syllabus And Exam pattern

The UPSC or Union Public Service Commission sets the UPSC Steno exam 2021 syllabus for the UPSC Steno/SO recruitment exam. As per the same, there are two stages of recruitment of the candidates.

• Written exam
• Evaluation of the services

In the written exam, the exam pattern is categorized into three. Candidates who qualify for the exam will move onto the next step which is the evaluation of services. And once the candidate completes his/her services, they will be considered for the post.

The candidates while preparing for the exam have to keep in mind the UPSC steno 2021 exam pattern and have an understanding of the UPSC Steno exam 2021 syllabus which you can find on the official website http://upsc.govt.in This will help them efficiently prepare for the exam.

Exam pattern for UPSC Steno exam

Before we dive into the UPSC Steno exam 2021 syllabus, we will learn about the exam pattern in detail:

The exam pattern of the exam comes in three parts. The first part of the paper is the multiple-choice questions related to the constitution of India, Rules, and regulations of Lok sabha and Rajya sabha. The mode of the examination is offline. The maximum mark for paper is 150 marks. The second paper is an Objective type of questions related to various topics like manual procedure, Handbook of orders regarding use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, etc. Total marks 150.

The third and final paper consists of descriptive questions on different topics like preparing notes and drafts on specific problems and precise answers from the given passage. Total marks are 200 and the duration is 3 hours.

The exam pattern is divided into three parts. And we will see in detail about the same in a tabular form:

Paper I Exam Pattern for UPSC Steno exam 2021

Exam Mode	Offline Mode
Timing	120 Minutes
Question Type	Multiple Choice Question
Maximum Marks	150 Marks

Paper-II Exam pattern for UPSC Steno exam 2021

Exam Mode	Written Exam
Duration	120 Minutes
Question Type	Objective Type
Maximum Marks	150 Marks

Paper III Exam Pattern for UPSC Steno exam 2021

Exam Mode	Written Exam
Timing	03 hours
Question Type	Descriptive
Maximum Marks	200

Know More – UPSC Steno Important Date & Notifications

UPSC Steno exam 2021- Syllabus

The syllabus of the UPSC Steno exam is divided into three parts. They are:

Paper I:

• The principles of the Constitution of India

Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

• The organization of the machinery of the Govt. of India, Designation and allocation of subjects between Ministries, Departments and Attached & Subordinate Offices and their relation intersection.
• RTI Act, 2005.

Paper-II:

Few topics are mentioned here for each category of Paper-II.

(For Category I, IV, and VIII & IX)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition)
• Notes on office procedure issued by the Institute of Secretarial Training and Management.
• Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. (for Category I & IV only)
• Fundamental and Supplementary Rules (A.G.P. &T’s compilation, Chaudhury’s compilation, Swamy’s compilation). and more

(For Category II & V)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition).
• Notes on office procedure issued by the I.S.T.M.
• Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Min. of Home Affairs.
• The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules.
• The Central Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules. and more

(For Category III & VII)

• Indian Railway Establishment Code Vol. I.
• Manual of Office Procedure issued by the Min. of Railways (Railway Board).
• The Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966.
• The Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rule, 1968

(For Category VI)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition).
• The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.
• The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules.
• Financial Regulations Part I (Revised Edition).
• Central Civil Service (Leave) Rules.

Paper III:

In the third paper, candidates are required to prepare notes and drafts on specific problems and precise from the given passage.

Papers	Subjects
Paper I	·         The principles of the Constitution of India Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha ·         The organization of the machinery of the Govt. of India, Designation and allocation of subjects between Ministries, Departments and Attached & Subordinate Offices and their relation intersection. ·         RTI Act, 2005.
Paper-II	(For Category I, IV, and VIII & IX) ·         Latest edition of Manual of office procedure and ·      Important   Notes on office procedure that is issued by the Institute of Secretarial Training and Management. and ·      A  Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union that is issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.   (for Category I & IV only)   ·         Fundamentals and Supplementary Rules (A.G.P. &T’s compilation, Chaudhury’s compilation, Swamy’s compilation). and more           (For Category II & V)   ·  The new Manual of office procedure. and ·  Notes on office procedures      by the I.S.T.M. and ·       The  Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi language for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Min. of Home Affairs. and ·         The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules. and ·         The Central Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules. and more (For Category III & VII)   ·         Indian Railway Establishment Code Vol. I. ·        The Manual of Office Procedure that is issued by the Min. of Railways (Railway Board). and ·         The Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966. and ·         The Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rule, 1968   (For Category VI)   ·         Manual of office procedure (latest edition). ·         The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules. and ·         The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules. and ·         Financial Regulations Part I (Revised Edition). and ·         Central Civil Service (Leave) Rules.
Paper III	Candidates are required to prepare notes and drafts on specific problems and precise from the given passage.

Reference books for UPSC Steno exam

• Companion for Sectional officers/P.S Examinations by V.Sivaprakasam
• Noting and Drafting, Precis writing by V. Sivaprakasam
• Question Bank SO/ PS departmental exam
• UPSC SO/Steno previous year solved question paper by Plutus academy

Apart from these, the candidates can also refer to previous years’ question papers on the official website. This way candidates can get to know expected questions for the exam.

Preparation tips for UPSC Steno exam

The preparation strategy for the UPSC SO/Stenographer Recruitment 2021 exam is quite different from other competitive exams. This is because apart from the written exam, candidates must also prepare for the typing tests. Therefore, these are some of the very important preparation tips to qualify for the UPSC SO/Stenographer 2021 exam.

• Firstly, make a study plan. Paper-1 which is based on General Studies and General Knowledge carries 150 marks. Similarly, Paper-2 is based on the procedures and practices of the Indian Government Secretariat. Make sure that your fundamentals, concepts, and a basic understanding of these topics are deep.
• To understand governmental processes and similar functions of the Secretariat, use flow charts and diagrams. This way, candidates can memorize and recall answers readily without much effort.
• Make use of diverse learning resources. Also, guides and preparation books, utilize other resources such as practice papers, readymade notes, reference books, etc.
• Utilize previous year’s question papers to give an extra edge in the exam. This way the aspirant can be better accustomed to the anticipated question pattern.
• Candidates can also solve mock tests and sample papers to learn how to use their time efficiently. Attempt to solve the mock tests within the specified duration for each paper.
• Make short notes and objective notes for last-minute revisions. Document these notes in clear handwriting and preferably with headings. This will make it easier to revise efficiently at a glance before the exam.

Know More – UPSC Steno Admit Card and Interview call letter

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FAQ’s

Q. What is the exam pattern for the UPSC Steno exam?

A. The exam pattern of the exam comes in three parts. The first part of the paper is the multiple-choice questions related to the constitution of India, Rules, and regulations of Lok sabha and Rajya sabha. The mode of the examination is offline. The maximum mark for paper-I is 150 marks. The second paper is an Objective type of questions related to various topics like manual procedure, Handbook of orders regarding use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, etc. Total marks 150.

The third and final paper consists of descriptive questions on different topics like preparing notes and drafts on specific problems and precise answers from the given passage. Total marks are 200 and duration is 3 hours

Q. Are there any divisions in the syllabus of the UPSC Steno exam?

A. Yes, there are three divisions in the syllabus of the exam and they are:

Paper I:

• The principles of the Constitution of India

Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

• The organization of the machinery of the Govt. of India, Designation and allocation of subjects between Ministries, Departments and Attached & Subordinate Offices and their relation intersection.
• RTI Act, 2005.

Paper-II:

Few topics are mentioned here for each category of Paper-II.

(For Category I, IV, and VIII & IX)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition)
• Notes on office procedure issued by the Institute of Secretarial Training and Management.
• Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. (for Category I & IV only)
• Fundamental and Supplementary Rules (A.G.P. &T’s compilation, Chaudhury’s compilation, Swamy’s compilation). and more

(For Category II & V)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition).
• Notes on office procedure issued by the I.S.T.M.
• Handbook of orders regarding the use of Hindi for the official purpose of the Union issued by the Min. of Home Affairs.
• The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules.
• The Central Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules. and more

(For Category III & VII)

• Indian Railway Establishment Code Vol. I.
• Manual of Office Procedure issued by the Min. of Railways (Railway Board).
• The Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966.
• The Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rule, 1968

(For Category VI)

• Manual of office procedure (latest edition).
• The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.
• The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules.
• Financial Regulations Part I (Revised Edition).
• Central Civil Service (Leave) Rules.

Paper III:

In the third paper, candidates are required to prepare notes and drafts on specific problems and precise from the given passage.

Q. What are the preparation tips for the UPSC Steno/SO exam?

There are certain preparation tips that you have to follow while getting ready for the exam:

• Firstly, make a study plan. Paper-1 which is based on General Studies and General Knowledge carries 150 marks. Similarly, Paper-2 is based on the procedures and practices of the Indian Government Secretariat. Make sure that your fundamentals, concepts, and a basic understanding of these topics are deep.
• To understand governmental processes and similar functions of the Secretariat, use flow charts and diagrams. This way, candidates can memorize and recall answers readily without much effort.
• Make use of diverse learning resources, guides and preparation books etc. Use other things such as practice papers, readymade notes, reference books, etc.
• Solve previous year’s question papers to have an extra edge in the exam. This way the aspirant can be better accustomed to the anticipated question pattern.
• And Candidates can also solve mock tests and sample papers to learn how to use their time efficiently. Attempt to solve the mock tests within the specified duration for each paper.
• Make short notes and objective notes for last-minute revisions. Document these notes in clear handwriting and preferably with headings. This will make it easier to revise efficiently at a glance before the exam.

Q. What are the reference books for the UPSC Steno exam?

The reference books for the UPSC Steno exam are as follows:

• Companion for Sectional officers/P.S Examinations by V.Sivaprakasam
• Noting and Drafting, Precis writing by V. Sivaprakasam
• Question Banks for SO/ PS departmental exam
• UPSC SO/Steno previous year solved question paper by Plutus academy

However, the candidates can also refer to the previous year’s question paper from the official website. This way, the candidates can get an idea about the expected questions in the recruitment exam.