UPSC CMS 2025 Overview
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Medical Services (CMS) Examination annually to recruit Medical Officers (Group A/B) for various central government organizations like Railways and Central Health Services. For the 2025 cycle, the notification was released on February 19, 2025, for 705 vacancies. Eligibility requires an MBBS degree, with an upper age limit generally set at 32 years as of August 1, 2025 (relaxations apply for reserved categories). The selection process consists of a computer-based written examination covering medical subjects (scheduled for July 20, 2025), followed by a Personality Test (interview) for those who qualify the written stage. Applications for 2025 closed on March 11, 2025.
Exam Date
- Notification Release: February 19, 2025 (Already released)
- Application Period: February 19, 2025 - March 11, 2025 (Already closed)
- Written Exam Date: July 20, 2025
- Personality Test (Interview): Tentatively Oct-Nov 2025
Conducting Body
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Format
- General Ability
- General Medicine & Paediatrics
- Surgery
- Gynaecology & Obstetrics
- Preventive & Social Medicine
Important Dates
- Notification Release: February 19, 2025
- Application Period: February 19, 2025 - March 11, 2025
- Written Exam Date: July 20, 2025
- Personality Test (Interview): Tentatively Oct-Nov 2025
UPSC CMS 2025 Exam Pattern
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | UPSC CMS |
| Full Form | Combined Medical Services Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Annually (Once a year) |
| Exam Mode | Part-I: Written Exam (CBT - Objective MCQs) Part-II: Personality Test (Interview - Offline) |
| Total Marks | 600 (Written: 500 + Interview: 100) |
| Total Questions | 240 (Paper I: 120 + Paper II: 120) |
| Posts/Services Offered |
Medical Officer Grade in Central Health Service Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in Railways GDMO in NDMC |
| Exam Fees | ₹200 (Gen/OBC) No Fee for Female/SC/ST/PwBD |
| Exam Duration | 4 hours (Paper I: 2 hrs + Paper II: 2 hrs) |
| Marking Scheme | Objective Type with Negative Marking (1/3rd per wrong answer) |
| Medium of Exam | English only |
| Official Websites | upsc.gov.in upsconline.nic.in |
| Contact Details |
UPSC, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069 Facilitation Counter: 011-23385271 / 011-23381125 / 011-23098543 (Working Days: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM) |
Section-wise Exam Pattern
| Paper | Subjects | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I |
General Medicine – 96 Paediatrics – 24 |
120 | 250 | 2 Hours |
| Paper II |
Surgery Gynaecology & Obstetrics Preventive & Social Medicine |
120 | 250 | 2 Hours |
| Total (Written Exam) | 240 | 500 | 4 Hours | |
UPSC CMS 2025 Exam Syllabus
Paper-I
1. General Medicine
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Respiratory diseases
- Infectious diseases
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Haematology
- Dermatology
- Psychiatry
- Emergency Medicine
- Common Poisonings
- Tropical Medicine
- Critical Care
- Genetics
- Nutrition
- Vitamin deficiency diseases
2. Paediatrics
- Growth & Development milestones
- Neonatal care
- Common childhood emergencies & illnesses
- Immunization schedules
- Birth defects
- Nutrition
- National Health Programs relevant to children
- Recognizing children with special needs
Paper-II
1. Surgery
- General Surgery principles (shock, wound healing, fluid management)
- Perioperative care
- Common surgical conditions in Gastrointestinal tract, Urology
- Basics of Anaesthesia
- Trauma management
- Relevant imaging techniques
2. Gynaecology & Obstetrics
- Antenatal, Intranatal, and Postnatal care
- Management of normal and complicated labour
- Common gynaecological conditions (infections, neoplasms, displacements)
- Family planning methods and Contraception
- Medicolegal aspects (e.g., rape examination)
3. Preventive & Social Medicine (Community Medicine)
- Concepts of Health & Disease
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Demography and Environmental Health
- Nutrition and MCH (Maternal & Child Health)
- Communicable & Non-communicable disease prevention and control
- National Health Programmes
- Health Administration and Medical Sociology
UPSC CMS 2025 Syllabus & Key Information
Exam Syllabus
The UPSC CMS 2025 exam consists of main sections:
- General Medicine
- Paediatrics
- Surgery
- Gynaecology & Obstetrics
- Preventive & Social Medicine (Community Medicine)
Key Dates
- Notification Release: February 19, 2025 (Already released)
- Application Period: February 19, 2025 - March 11, 2025 (Already closed)
- Written Exam Date: July 20, 2025
- Personality Test (Interview): Dates announced after written results (Tentatively Oct-Nov 2025)
Admit Card Download
- Visit UPSC Website: Go to the official UPSC website (upsc.gov.in or upsconline.nic.in).
- Find Admit Card Link: Navigate to the "Admit Cards" or "e-Admit Cards" section.
- Select Exam: Click on the link for "Combined Medical Services Examination, 2025".
- Enter Credentials: Log in using your Registration ID (RID) or Roll Number, Date of Birth, and captcha code.
- Download: Your e-Admit Card will appear on the screen. Download the PDF file.
- Print: Take a clear printout of the downloaded admit card.
UPSC CMS 2025 Answer Key
Answer Key Release:
- No Provisional Answer Key: UPSC typically does not release a provisional answer key for the written exam.
- Final Answer Key: Released only after the complete selection process (likely late 2025 or early 2026).
Question Papers:
- UPSC usually uploads question papers a few days or weeks after the written exam.
- Candidates may use unofficial keys from coaching centers for early score estimation.
Result Calculation:
- Written Exam Score (Part-I): Based on two objective papers (250 marks each = 500 total).
- Correct answers add marks; incorrect answers deduct one-third (1/3rd) marks.
- No deduction for unanswered questions.
Shortlisting for Interview:
- Minimum qualifying cut-off is set by UPSC.
- Qualified candidates proceed to the Personality Test (Part-II).
Personality Test Score (Part-II):
- Evaluates personality, awareness, and suitability (maximum 100 marks).
Final Result Calculation:
- Final Score = Written Exam Marks (out of 500) + Personality Test Marks (out of 100).
- Total = 600 marks. Rank and post allocation are based on final score, preferences, category, and vacancy availability.
Understanding the UPSC CMS 2025 Exam
Nature of the Exam
The exam tests core knowledge and application skills acquired during the MBBS course. It's a competitive gateway for medical graduates seeking positions in central government services.
Structure
Part I (Written Exam): Computer-Based Test (CBT) with two objective papers (MCQs), each carrying 250 marks and lasting 2 hours.
- Paper I: General Medicine & Paediatrics
- Paper II: Surgery, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, and Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM)
Note: There is significant negative marking (1/3rd of the marks for incorrect answers).
Part II (Personality Test): An interview (100 marks) assessing personality, suitability, communication skills, and general awareness.
Syllabus Scope
Covers the vast MBBS curriculum. Requires a comprehensive understanding rather than just rote learning.
Key Areas
While all subjects are important, PSM (especially National Health Programmes, Epidemiology, Biostatistics) is often considered high-yield. Clinical case-based questions, questions on common emergencies, recent guidelines, and management protocols are frequent across subjects.
Difficulty Level
Generally considered moderate to challenging, requiring thorough preparation and revision. Time management during the exam (120 questions in 120 minutes per paper) is crucial.
UPSC CMS 2025 Preparation Tips (Approx. 3.5 Months Remaining)
Recommended Books for UPSC CMS 2025
📘 General Medicine
- Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (Selective)
- Matthews' Manual of Medicine
- Archith Boloor (Concise Clinical Medicine)
👶 Paediatrics
- Ghai Essential Pediatrics
- Review by OP Tandon / Arvind Arora
🔪 Surgery
- Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery
- Manipal Manual of Surgery
- SRB's Manual of Surgery
- Pritesh Singh (Quick Review)
👩⚕️ Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Dutta's Textbook of Obstetrics
- Dutta's Textbook of Gynaecology
- Sakshi Arora Hans
- Punit Bhojani
📗 Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM)
- Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine
- Vivek Jain (Review of PSM)
📝 MCQ Practice & Revision
- UPSC CMS Previous Years’ Solved Papers (Various Publishers)
- Subject-wise MCQ books (Across, Arora, Bhatia series)
- Review of PGMEE series
- Online Q-banks from PrepLadder, Marrow, DAMS, Bhatia eGurukul (if subscribed)
