CMS is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and covers General Medicine and Paediatrics and Surgery, OBG and PSM. This page summarises the CMS exam pattern, marking scheme and syllabus as a study snapshot for previous year question practice. Confirm eligibility, dates and marking in the latest official notification on upsc.gov.in.
Official notification wins
The notification for your cycle fixes dates, vacancies, age limits and any pattern change. Use this page to plan practice, not to replace it.
Pattern
The written test has two objective papers of 2 hours and 250 marks each. Paper I carries General Medicine (96 questions) and Paediatrics (24 questions). Paper II carries Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and Preventive and Social Medicine, 40 questions each. Together that is 120 questions per paper and 500 marks. Wrong answers lose one-third of the marks for the question. A 100-mark Personality Test follows for those who qualify.
| Stage or paper | Subject | Marks and format |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Medicine (96 Q) and Paediatrics (24 Q) | 120 questions, 250 marks, 2 hours |
| Paper II | Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Preventive and Social Medicine (40 Q each) | 120 questions, 250 marks, 2 hours |
| Marking | Negative marking | One-third of the marks for a wrong answer |
| Personality Test | Interview | 100 marks |
Syllabus areas
General Medicine and Paediatrics
Cardiology, respiratory, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology, haematology, infectious disease, dermatology and psychiatry, plus neonatology, growth and development, and childhood infections.
Surgery
General surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, traumatology, urology and radiology.
Gynaecology and Obstetrics
Antenatal and intranatal care, complications of pregnancy, gynaecological disorders and family planning.
Preventive and Social Medicine
Epidemiology, biostatistics, nutrition, occupational health, environment, health programmes and demography.
Eligibility
Candidates need an MBBS degree. The final MBBS examination may be pending at the time of application only where the notification allows it, and internship rules apply. Check the current notice.
Using the papers
The papers on the UPSC CMS hub follow the pattern above, so a full paper sat at the real duration is a fair mock. Years 2019 to 2026 are hosted.