About UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE)

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most competitive exams in India, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit candidates for prestigious posts like:

  • IAS (Indian Administrative Service)
  • IPS (Indian Police Service)
  • IFS (Indian Foreign Service)
  • and around 20+ other Group A & Group B services.

The exam has three stages:

  1. Prelims – Objective type (GS Paper I + CSAT). Acts as a screening test.
  2. Mains – Descriptive, 9 papers (Essay, GS I–IV, Optional Subject, and qualifying Language papers).
  3. Interview / Personality Test – Final assessment of personality, communication, and suitability for civil services.

Some quick facts:

  • Eligibility: Graduate degree from a recognized university.
  • Age limit: Generally 21–32 years (with relaxations for reserved categories).
  • Attempts: 6 for General category, 9 for OBC, unlimited till age limit for SC/ST.
  • Competition: Over 10 lakh applicants each year, with less than 1,000 final selections.

1. Stages of the Exam

The exam has 3 stages, conducted over nearly a year.

(A) Preliminary Examination (Prelims)

  • Purpose: Screening test (marks not counted in final merit).
  • Papers:
    1. General Studies Paper I
      • 100 questions (200 marks)
      • Subjects: History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, Current Affairs.
    2. General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
      • 80 questions (200 marks)
      • Aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, basic numeracy.
      • Qualifying only → Need 33% (66 marks).
  • Negative marking: ⅓rd of marks deducted for wrong answers.
  • Duration: 2 hours each.
  • Held: Usually in May–June.

(B) Main Examination (Mains)

  • Purpose: To test depth of knowledge, analytical ability, writing skills.
  • Nature: Descriptive, 9 papers.
  • Total marks considered: 1750.
  • Papers:
  1. Qualifying Papers (not counted in merit but must pass):
    • Paper A: Indian Language (300 marks) – Any one from the 22 languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
    • Paper B: English (300 marks).
  2. Merit Papers:
    • Paper I: Essay (250 marks).
    • Paper II: GS I (250 marks) – Indian Heritage & Culture, History, Geography, Society.
    • Paper III: GS II (250 marks) – Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, IR.
    • Paper IV: GS III (250 marks) – Technology, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment, Security, Disaster Management.
    • Paper V: GS IV (250 marks) – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude.
    • Papers VI & VII: Optional Subject (2 papers, 250 marks each). Candidate chooses one subject (e.g., History, Sociology, Public Administration, Geography, Literature, etc.).
  • Held: Usually in September–October.
  • Duration per paper: 3 hours.

(C) Personality Test (Interview)

  • Marks: 275.
  • Purpose: Judge overall personality, leadership, communication, presence of mind, awareness, integrity, decision-making.
  • Final Merit: Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks.
  • Held: Usually in March–April.

2. Eligibility Criteria

  • Nationality:
    • IAS & IPS → Must be Indian citizen.
    • Other services → Indian citizen or certain other categories (Nepal, Bhutan, etc.).
  • Educational Qualification: Graduate degree (any discipline). Final-year students can apply.
  • Age Limit (as of 1st August of exam year):
    • General: 21–32 years.
    • OBC: 21–35 years.
    • SC/ST: 21–37 years.
    • EWS: Same as General.
    • Extra relaxations for PwBD, Defense personnel, etc.
  • Attempts:
    • General: 6
    • OBC: 9
    • SC/ST: Unlimited (till age limit).

3. Success Rate

  • Applicants: ~10–12 lakh each year.
  • Sit for Prelims: ~5 lakh.
  • Clear Prelims: ~12,000.
  • Clear Mains: ~2,500.
  • Final Selection: ~800–1,000.
  • Success rate: <0.2%.

4. Services Allotted through UPSC CSE

1. All India Services (AIS)

(Cadre allocated by the Central Government, but work under State Governments too)

  • IAS – Indian Administrative Service
  • IPS – Indian Police Service
  • IFoS – Indian Forest Service (though technically a separate exam, prelims are common with CSE)

2. Central Services – Group A

(High-ranking central services, often with nationwide postings)

Diplomatic & Foreign

  • IFS – Indian Foreign Service

Revenue & Finance

  • IRS (IT) – Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
  • IRS (C&CE) – Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
  • IAAS – Indian Audit and Accounts Service
  • ICAS – Indian Civil Accounts Service
  • ICoAS – Indian Cost Accounts Service

Administrative & Allied

  • IA&AS – Indian Accounts and Audit Service (sometimes grouped under IAAS)
  • IPoS – Indian Postal Service
  • IDES – Indian Defence Estates Service
  • IDAS – Indian Defence Accounts Service
  • IIS – Indian Information Service (Group A)

Railways & Transport

  • IRTS – Indian Railway Traffic Service
  • IRAS – Indian Railway Accounts Service
  • IRPS – Indian Railway Personnel Service

Trade & Commerce

  • ITS – Indian Trade Service

3. Central Services – Group B

(Relatively junior compared to Group A, but still prestigious and central government-controlled)

  • DANICS – Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Civil Service
  • DANIPS – Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Police Service
  • Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (AFHQCS)
  • Pondicherry Civil Service (PCS)
  • Pondicherry Police Service (PPS)

5. Exam Calendar (Typical Timeline)

  • Notification: February.
  • Prelims: May–June.
  • Prelims Results: July–August.
  • Mains: Sept–Oct.
  • Mains Results: Jan.
  • Interview: March–April.
  • Final Results: May.