Overview
The MaargX GS Foundation Course (1 Year) is a 12-month, three-phase live course for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It covers General Studies for Prelims and Mains, the CSAT paper and current affairs, with 980 hours of teaching across 490 classes of two hours each.
Alongside the classes, every student gets daily answer writing with instant evaluation, a bank of 10,000+ topic-wise MCQs, an AI-based performance dashboard and mentor access for doubts.
Course at a glance
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Duration | 12 months in 3 phases |
| Total teaching time | 980 hours across 490 classes |
| Class format | Live classes in a controlled learning zone, 2 hours per class, 2 classes a day |
| Papers covered | General Studies (Prelims and Mains), CSAT and current affairs |
| Practice and tests | 10,000+ topic-wise MCQs, weekly sectional tests, daily answer writing |
| Support | Doubt Resolution Desk, peer mentorship pods and a faculty portal |
| Study material | Complete hard copy and soft copy |
How the year is organised
Phase 1 (7 months) builds the Pre cum Mains foundation in seven core subjects. Phase 2 (4 months) moves to twelve Mains-specific subjects. Phase 3 (1 month) is a full CSAT course. Current affairs, newspaper analysis, tests and mentoring run alongside all three phases.
Related courses and resources
Students who want extra practice can add the GS Mains Test Series, the Prelims Test Series (GS & CSAT) or the CSAT Batch + Test Series. For a longer plan, see the Two Year and Three Year Foundation Batches, or the GS Prelims + Mains Mentorship.
Curriculum
Phases Compared
The three phases differ in purpose, workload and subject scope. Phase 1 is the largest block of the course, Phase 2 is the most specialised, and Phase 3 is the shortest and most intense.
| Detail | Phase 1: The Cores | Phase 2: The Advanced | Phase 3: The Inevitable Aptitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Broad Pre cum Mains foundation | Targeted Mains-specific mastery | CSAT qualification and tactical readiness |
| Duration | 7 months (28 weeks) | 4 months (16 weeks) | 1 month (4 weeks) |
| Hours and classes | 560 hours, 280 classes | 320 hours, 160 classes | 100 hours, 50 classes |
| Workload | Highest volume | High complexity | High intensity |
| Subject scope | 7 broad subjects (Polity, History, Geography, Economics and more) | 12 niche subjects (Governance, Internal Security, Ethics and more) | 3 analytical areas (Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English Comprehension) |
Together the three phases add up to 12 months, 980 hours and 490 classes. The standard pace is two hours per class and two classes a day.
Weekly Rhythm
Current affairs in this course follow a six-day weekly cycle, with one subject on each of the first five days and a doubt-and-test day to close the week. Every day also includes newspaper reading, editorial discussion and MCQs.
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Current Affairs: Economy |
| Day 2 | Current Affairs: Polity |
| Day 3 | Current Affairs: Science and Technology |
| Day 4 | Current Affairs: Environment |
| Day 5 | Current Affairs: International Relations |
| Day 6 | 1:1 doubt resolution and weekly test |
This weekly rhythm keeps the dynamic part of the UPSC syllabus moving in step with the core subjects taught in the three phases.
Current Affairs
Current affairs are taught through four regular modules that run through the whole year. Together they train students to read the news the way the UPSC examination expects. You can also follow MaargX UPSC's daily UPSC current affairs articles and the Maarg Manthan knowledge hub.
EEE classes
Editorial understanding, Explained (from The Indian Express) and English comprehension, taught together so that students learn to read editorials critically and build their English skills.
Weekly newspaper analysis
A subject-wise and issue-based breakdown of The Hindu, The Indian Express and PIB.
Mapping modules
State-wise and international "places in news" mapping, so that every location in the news is placed on the map.
Weekly MCQ skill development
Live tactical classes built around analysis of UPSC Prelims previous year questions.
Tests & Evaluation
Evaluation is continuous and runs on two tracks, one for Prelims and one for Mains. Each track has daily or weekly practice and a clear way to measure progress.
Prelims (objective)
- AI-powered LMS integration, so practice and progress are tracked in one place.
- 10,000+ topic-wise Prelims MCQs.
- Weekly sectional objective tests.
Mains (descriptive)
- Mains Studio: daily answer writing through Daily Practice Problems (DPPs).
- Instant evaluation protocols for written answers.
- Weekly essay-crafting workshops and sectional descriptive tests.
AI & Mentorship
Saarthipedia is the AI-powered learning platform behind the course. It connects the learning management system (LMS), the 10,000+ MCQ database and a personal performance dashboard, and it covers Prelims, Mains and current affairs.
The LMS core
Seamless integration with the 10,000+ MCQ database for targeted practice.
My Performance Dashboard
AI-based progress tracking with real-time analytics on strengths and blind spots, so students can see where to focus next.
Three layers of mentorship and support
- Let's Talk portal: direct faculty interaction channels for deeper conceptual clarity.
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) mentorship pods: integrated peer pods for shared academic and strategic guidance.
- Doubt Resolution Desk: mentor access available anytime to remove roadblocks quickly.
The aim is no blind spots: the macro strategy of the three phases and the micro daily execution run together inside a controlled, AI-tracked learning zone.
What's Included
The course is a complete preparation ecosystem, not only a set of classes. It includes:
- A 12-month phased academic masterplan for General Studies and CSAT.
- Live classes within a controlled learning zone.
- Complete hard copy and soft copy study material.
- Immersive current affairs and newspaper analysis modules.
- Mains Studio daily answer writing with instant evaluation.
- Saarthipedia AI performance tracking and 10,000+ MCQs.
- Tiered mentorship: faculty access, P2P pods and a doubt desk available anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MaargX GS Foundation Course (1 Year)?
It is a 12-month, three-phase live course for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It covers General Studies for Prelims and Mains, CSAT and current affairs, with daily answer writing, 10,000+ MCQs and mentor support.
How many hours and classes does the course have?
The course has 980 hours and 490 classes in total. Phase 1 has 560 hours (280 classes), Phase 2 has 320 hours (160 classes) and Phase 3 has 100 hours (50 classes). Each class is two hours long, with two classes a day.
Which subjects are covered in each phase?
Phase 1 covers Indian Polity, History, Geography, Economics, Art and Culture, Environment, and Science and Technology. Phase 2 covers twelve Mains subjects, including Governance, International Relations, Internal Security, Disaster Management and Ethics. Phase 3 covers CSAT.
Does the course include CSAT?
Yes. Phase 3, called The Inevitable Aptitude, is a one-month CSAT course of 100 hours and 50 classes. It covers Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and English Comprehension.
How is current affairs taught in this course?
Current affairs follow a six-day weekly cycle: Economy, Polity, Science and Technology, Environment and International Relations on Days 1 to 5, and 1:1 doubt resolution with a weekly test on Day 6. Newspaper analysis, EEE classes and mapping modules support it.
How does answer writing and test evaluation work?
Mains Studio gives daily answer writing practice through DPPs with instant evaluation. Weekly essay-crafting workshops and sectional descriptive tests cover Mains, and weekly sectional objective tests with 10,000+ topic-wise MCQs cover Prelims.
What is Saarthipedia and the My Performance Dashboard?
Saarthipedia is the AI-powered learning platform that connects the LMS with the 10,000+ MCQ database. The My Performance Dashboard tracks progress with real-time analytics on a student's strengths and blind spots.
What doubt-clearing and mentoring support is included?
There are three layers of support: the Let's Talk faculty portal for direct conceptual clarity, peer-to-peer mentorship pods for shared academic and strategic guidance, and a Doubt Resolution Desk with mentor access available anytime.
What study material do students receive?
Students receive complete study material in both hard copy and soft copy.
How can I enrol in the GS Foundation Course (1 Year)?
Use the Explore Course / Enroll Now button at the top of this page, or call MaargX UPSC on +91-7877885089 or write to contact@maargxupsc.com.
