The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 was conducted smoothly across 19 centers in Visakhapatnam on May 25, marking a peaceful and well-organized start to India’s most prestigious competitive examination process.

Approximately 8,000 aspirants from across the region appeared for the exam, which was held in two sessions—the General Studies Paper I in the morning from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, and the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) in the afternoon from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM.

District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad personally inspected several centers, including Vignan Engineering College (Duvvada) and Kendriya Vidyalaya (Akkayyapalem), to ensure proper arrangements were in place. He reviewed critical amenities like seating, security, drinking water, and medical facilities, expressing satisfaction over the smooth and peaceful conduct of the examination.

Candidates reported that the General Studies paper was moderately difficult, while the CSAT paper posed a challenge due to a higher number of comprehension-based questions.

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted in three stages—Prelims, Mains, and Interview—with the preliminary exam serving as a qualifying round. While the scores from this round are not counted in the final merit list, it is a crucial filter that determines progression to the next level.

The successful execution of the prelims in Visakhapatnam highlights the city’s growing importance as an educational hub and its capability to manage large-scale competitive examinations with efficiency and integrity.