The duration of the preliminary examination in the UPSC Civil Services Exam is two hours for each of the two papers. The first paper focuses on general studies, while the second paper evaluates the aptitude of candidates. Each paper consists of 200 marks, totaling 400 marks for the preliminary stage. This time constraint demands effective time management and quick decision-making skills from aspirants. Since it is an objective-type examination, candidates must be adept at understanding questions promptly to maximize their scores.