UPSC

● Age: An open category students must have completed at least 21 years of age before August 1 of the year in which he/she is to appear for the examination. For general category applicants, maximum age allowed is 32 years. For OBC applicant maximum age is 35 years and for SC/ST applicant maximum age is 37 years.

● Educational Qualification: The candidate must hold a degree from any Indian university or a deemed university or possess an equivalent qualification. (Candidate’s marks at degree level or the course duration are not considered.)

● A candidate who is in the final year of his degree course can apply and appear for the Preliminary Examination. However, she/he should submit proof of her/his degree qualification while applying in August for the Main Examination, if selected in Prelims

● Number of Attempts :
● Open Category – 6 Attempts
● Other backward classes (OBC) – 9
● Backward Classes (SC/ST ) – Any number of times

The UPSC exam pattern for the Preliminary stage consists of two papers, conducted on one day. Both the papers comprise objective type questions with multiple choice of answers. The prelims examination is a qualifying stage to filter candidates for the mains exam. The marks secured at this stage are not counted towards the final merit list, though candidates have to prepare well for this exam as cut-offs are unpredictable and depend on the average score every year. The details of UPSC Prelims Exam are given below:

The UPSC exam pattern for the Mains stage consists of 9 papers conducted over a period of 5-7 days. Only those candidates who secure at least the declared cut off in General Studies I and 33% in General Studies II in Prelims will be allowed to appear for the Mains Examination. As per the exam pattern of UPSC Mains, all of the papers consist of descriptive answer type questions. The details of UPSC Mains Exam are given below:

This is the final stage of the IAS/IPS/IFS Exam before the final results are declared. Officially it is called the Interview/Personality Test and counted as a part of the Mains Examination for merit ranking purposes. From a preparation standpoint, it is considered the third stage as preparation strategies for the written and interview stages are different. As per the IAS/IPS/IFS exam pattern, this consists of an interview by the UPSC board to assess the candidates’ suitability for a civil services career and associated responsibilities. The board consists of competent and unbiased observers who have a record of the candidates’ career. The board would judge the candidates mental and social traits by asking questions of general interest. Some of the qualities that the board looks for are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, a balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

The maximum marks allotted for the interview stage is 275, thus bringing the total marks for the merit list consideration to 2025. The whole exam pattern of the UPSC IAS/IPS/IFS examination is comprehensive and the competition is intense. One should start preparing in-depth as the examination process lasts for almost a year and not making the cut means starting from scratch next year.

• ● Indian Administrative Service
• ● Indian Foreign Service
• ● Indian Police Service