UPSC IFoS Syllabus 2026: Check Detailed Prelims & Mains Syllabus

UPSC IFoS Syllabus 2026 is designed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for Indian Forest Service Exam 2026. The syllabus is structured into two stages, Prelims and Mains. The Prelims consist of two objective-type papers which test general awareness, aptitude and comprehension: Paper 1 or General Studies and Paper 2 or CSAT. The Mains exam has six descriptive papers, which cover General English, General Knowledge, and four optional papers for two optional subjects as selected by the candidate. In UPSC IFoS exam 2026, the Mains exam is followed by an Interview.

UPSC IFoS Mains Syllabus 2026

UPSC IFoS Mains has a total of six papers. Paper 1 has General English, Paper 2 is General Knowledge, Papers 3 to 6 contain two optional subjects, each optional subject having two papers. All Mains papers are descriptive in nature. Candidates need to choose any two optional subjects from a list of 14 optional subjects provided by UPSC. All questions will be set in English and need to be answered in English only. Given below are the topics for the Mains syllabus:

UPSC IFoS Mains Paper 1: General English

• Essay writing and to test understanding of English and workmanlike use of words

UPSC IFoS Mains Paper 2: General Knowledge

• Current events
• Indian polity- political system & the Constitution of India
• History of India
• Geography

UPSC IFoS Mains Papers 3 to 6: Optional Papers

Candidates need to choose 2 optional subjects from a list of 14 optional subjects as mentioned by UPSC. Each optional subject will have 2 optional papers. Each optional paper has two parts, Part A and Part B, each part having 4 questions. So, an optional paper will have a total of 8 questions. Out of 8 questions, only 5 are to be attempted, but attempting two questions from each part is mandatory.

UPSC IFoS Mains Optional Papers

UPSC has given 14 optional subjects for UPSC IFoS Mains exam, which are given below:

1. Agriculture
2. Agricultural Engineering
3. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Chemical Engineering
7. Civil Engineering
8. Forestry
9. Geology
10. Mathematics
11. Mechanical Engineering
12. Physics
13. Statistics
14. Zoology

UPSC IFoS Mains Optional Papers Selection Criteria

There are 4 optional papers for UPSC IFoS Mains. For this, UPSC has given a list of 14 Optional subjects. But UPSc has also ruled that the following combination of optional subjects can’t be selected while choosing optional subjects:

1. Agriculture and Agricultural Engg.
2. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
3. Agriculture and Forestry.
4. Chemistry and Chemical Engg.
5. Mathematics and Statistics.
6. Of the Engineering subjects, viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering- not more than one subject.

UPSC has classified the syllabus for IFoS into Prelims and Mains. UPSC has given a detailed syllabus for optional papers, which candidates need to check and study carefully. UPSC has laid down the IFoS syllabus indirectly, focusing on real-world challenges of forestry, wildlife management, and environmental conservation.

UPSC IFoS Interview 2026

UPSC IFoS Interview mainly evaluates a candidate's personality development and suitability for the posts. Through the interview, a candidate’s curiosity, clarity of thought, observation skills, balanced judgment, presence of mind, initiative, tact, leadership ability, teamwork, physical and mental energy, and practical application of knowledge are tested.