Dear friend, are you in search of the UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus for 2023? If the answer is yes, then you are in the right place to know all about the exam pattern and syllabus of the year.
This article “UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus” gives you in-depth knowledge of the exam pattern and syllabus of the 2023 exam and related information as well.
Therefore read this post till the end to learn all the important information that you need to know about the UPSC exam pattern and syllabus.
We know that the UPSC conducts the UPSC civil services Exam to select administrative officers for the government. It offers excellent career opportunities to our dynamic and eligible youth every year.
The selection process through the UPSC civil services Exam is completed in three stages. A civil service aspirant has to pass all three stages of the exam to become a civil servant.
As already mentioned, the UPSC offers excellent career opportunities to talented and dynamic young individuals.
In this article, UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus, we are going to discuss various aspects of the UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2023 and important related topics.
An overview of the UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2023
The UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern consists of three stages.
- UPSC Civil Services Exam Preliminary Pattern and Syllabus in 2023
UPSC Preliminary Examination is an Objective Type examination conducted to select candidates for UPSC Main Examination.
| Name of the UPSC exam | Civil Services Exam (IAS) |
| Conducting Authority | (UPSC) Union Public Service Commission |
| Mode of the UPSC exam | Written examination (Offline) |
| Number of papers for UPSC Prelims examination | 2 (two) |
| Duration of UPSC Prelims examination | 2 hours (Each paper) |
| Type of UPSC Prelims Questions: | Objective type |
2. UPSC Main Exam Pattern and Syllabus
UPSC Main Exam Pattern is a descriptive type of written Examination for the selection of candidates for the UPSC Interview.
| Name of the UPSC exam | Civil Services Exam (IAS) |
| Conducting Authority | (UPSC) Union Public Service Commission |
| Mode of the UPSC Exam | Written examination (Offline) |
| Number of papers for UPSC Mains Examination | 9 (Nine) |
| Duration of UPSC Mains Examination | 3 hours (Each paper) |
| Type of UPSC Mains Questions: | Descriptive type (Subjective type) |
3. UPSC Interview Exam Pattern
The UPSC Interview or Personality Test is the final selection of candidates for all India Services and posts.
UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus
The Union public service commission conducts the UPSC civil services exam( IAS exam) in three different stages.
| 1 | Civil Services Prelims (IAS Prelims) |
| 2 | Civil Services Mains (IAS Mains) |
| 3 | Civil Services Exam Interview( IAS Interview). |
A candidate has to clear all the above stages to achieve their dream of civil service. The UPSC has designed the UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus in such a way that all stages are unique and assess the different qualities of a UPSC or an IAS aspirant.
The right approach to UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus and UPSC civil services exam (IAS) preparation can guarantee your success in the IAS exam.
The UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus are subdivided into the following three important categories.
| 1 | Civil Services Prelims Exam Pattern |
| 2 | Civil Services Mains Exam Pattern |
| 3 | Civil Services Exam Interview Pattern |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern is as follows.
| 1 | The Union public service commission (UPSC) conducts all the stages of the IAS exam process offline |
| 2 | In the UPSC prelims exam question pattern is of objective type or MCQs in nature, which the candidates have to answer in an OMR sheet |
| 3 | Students have to be careful while attempting the IAS prelims question because of a negative marking system |
| 4 | The commission conducts both papers of the IAS prelims exam in a single day |
Note: Download the UPSC exam pattern PDF, UPSC Exam pattern in Hindi, and UPSC Exam pattern for IPS from the UPSC official website.
UPSC( IAS Exam) Pattern
The structure of the UPSC Exam pattern ( IAS exam) is divided broadly into three stages.
| 1 | Stage I | UPSC Preliminary Examination (IAS Prelims exam) |
| 2 | Stage II | UPSC Mains Examination (IAS Mains exam ) |
| 3 | Stage III | UPSC Personality Test (IAS Interview) |
Stage I: IAS Exam – UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
| 1 | UPSC IAS Exam Paper – I | General Studies 2 Hours |
| 2 | UPSC IAS Exam Paper – II | General Studies (CSAT) 2 Hours |
The UPSC IAS Exam (Prelims) questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)or objective-type questions. A Negative Marking system is applied in the UPSC IAS (Prelims) Exam.
The General Studies (GS) Paper-II (CSAT) in the UPSC IAS exam is a qualifying exam. The applicants who secure a minimum of 33 per cent in the General Studies paper pass the subsequent step of the UPSC IAS exam i.e. the UPSC Mains exam.
The applicants must attend both the papers of the civil services prelims exam for the evaluation. The marks scored in the preliminary examination are not considered for the final score.
Stage II: IAS Exam – UPSC Mains Exam Pattern
The second stage of the UPSC IAS Exam is the UPSC civil services Mains Exam. It is a descriptive type written examination comprising 9 papers.
The UPSC mains Exam pattern is as follows.
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language ( 3 Hours) |
| 2 | Paper – B | English ( 3 Hours) |
| 3 | Paper –1 | ESSAY ( 3 Hours) |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies I (3 Hours) |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II ( 3 Hours) |
| 6 | Paper – IV | General Studies III ( is 3 Hours) |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV ( 3 Hours) |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I (3 Hours) |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II ( 3 Hours) |
UPSC Exam Syllabus Pattern
UPSC’s official website is the only official source of the UPSC Exam (IAS Exam) Syllabus. UPSC specifies all the details related to the UPSC Exam Pattern. UPSC Syllabus provides concrete information related to the UPSC IAS Exam.
Education Qualification For IAS
Education Qualification For IAS: A candidate must be a graduate or a degree holder from a Government recognized University to appear for the IAS exam.
According to the UPSC Education Qualification For IAS Exam Notification, the Educational Qualification needed to attend the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam is a Degree from a recognised university.
This implies that a candidate must degree holder of any University incorporated under the University Grants Commission Act.
A candidate who is in the final year of the degree course and is waiting for the results is also eligible to apply for UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
A Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Medicine, Technology, Engineering etc all are equally eligible to appear in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam. Download a free copy of the UPSC Exam Pattern, Syllabus and frequently asked questions from the official website of the UPSC.
UPSC Exam Eligibility Educational Qualification
UPSC exam (IAS Exam)Eligibility Educational Qualification: A candidate must be a graduate or a degree holder from a Government recognized University to appear for the UPSC exam.
This implies that a candidate must degree holder of any University incorporated under the University Grants Commission Act.
A candidate who is in the final year of the degree course and is waiting for the results is also eligible to apply for UPSC Civil Services Exam.
A Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Medicine, Technology, Engineering etc all are equally eligible to appear in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
UPSC Exam Eligibility Educational Qualification Percentage
The UPSC Civil Services Notification for the UPSC Civil Services Exam does not mention any minimum percentage.
Therefore a candidate who passed his Degree Examination is eligible to apply in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is a national level competitive exam for all university degree-holding candidates irrespective of the marks obtained in their university examination.
UPSC Exam Eligibility
The IAS exam process starts with the official UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria notification usually issued in the month of February.
The UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria notification is a carefully designed document which elaborates on the eligibility criteria for the IAS exam.
The document explains the eligibility criteria such as the nationality of the candidate, educational qualification of the candidate, number of attempts and UPSC Exam Age Limit.
Union Public Service Commission Number Of Attempts and UPSC Exam Age Limit
There is a UPSC Exam Age Limit Restriction on the maximum number of attempts on UPSC exams.
| For General Candidates | 6 attempts (Up to 32 Years) |
| Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates (SC/ST) | No Limits (Up to 37 Years) |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 9 attempts (Up to 35 Years) |
| Physically handicapped | 9 attempts for general and OBC, while unlimited for SC/ST |
UPSC Subjects
The UPSC Subjects and UPSC Optional Subject List for the UPSC Civil services (Main) exam is given below.
| 1. Agriculture | 2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science |
| 3. Anthropology | 4. Mathematics |
| 5. Physics | 6. Chemistry |
| 7. Zoology | 8. Botany |
| 9. History | 10. Geography |
| 11. Geology | 12. Economics |
| 13. Statistics | 14. Commerce and Accountancy |
| 15. Electrical Engineering | 16. Civil Engineering |
| 17. Mechanical Engineering | 18. Medical Science |
| 19. Political Science and International Relations | 20. Public Administration |
| 21. Law | 22. Management |
| 23. Sociology | 24. Philosophy |
| 25. Psychology | 25. Psychology |
You can browse the above given UPSC subjects list for the most suitable UPSC Subjects For Prelims and UPSC Subjects For Mains.
List of UPSC Prelims Exam Language for IAS
Below is a list of UPSC Prelims Exam Language you can select for the UPSC language paper.
| 1. Assamese | 2. Bengali |
| 3. Bodo | 4. Dogri |
| 5. Gujarati | 6. Hindi |
| 7. Kannada | 8. Kashmiri |
| 9. Konkani | 10. Maithali |
| 11. Malayalam | 12. Manipuri |
| 13. Marathi | 14. Nepali |
| 15. Odia | 16.Punjabi |
| 17. Sanskrit | 18. Santhali |
| 19. Sindhi | 20. Tamil |
| 21. Telugu | 22. Urdu |
| 23. English | 23. English |
UPSC Exam Syllabus
UPSC Exam Syllabus: The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for various posts such as IAS, IPS and IFS. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Exam Syllabus consists of three sections.
They are UPSC Preliminary exam syllabus, UPSC Mains Exam syllabus and the UPSC Interview. The UPSC Preliminary civil services exam syllabus is intended to evaluate a candidate’s understanding of current affairs and aptitude.
The preliminary paper is a mandatory exam. You can download the UPSC Exam syllabus at www upsconline nic in for free.
UPSC Exam Syllabus – IAS Syllabus for Prelims and Mains
Note: UPSC Exam syllabus (IAS syllabus) may change from time to time. Therefore always check the official website for the up to date syllabus for the UPSC examination before applying.
A candidate has to have a complete and comprehensive understanding of the IAS syllabus or the syllabus of UPSC to have a complete understanding of the UPSC exam,
Here is the complete and comprehensive UPSC Exam syllabus for the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Usually, the UPSC releases the official notification for the Civil Service Exam along with the UPSC Exam syllabus [UPSC Civil Services Prelims and Mains].
You can read the UPSC Exam syllabus pdf at the UPSC official website moreover you can also download the syllabus of UPSC PDF for both Prelims and Mains.
UPSC has a common UPSC exam syllabus pattern for all the civil service exams such as the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Revenue Service.
The UPSC Prelims Exam syllabus focuses on general studies, whereas the UPSC Mains Exam syllabus comprises nine theory papers.
UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus (IAS Prelims Syllabus)
The Preliminary Examination(UPSC prelims )is the primary step of the UPSC Exam selection process. An aspiring candidate has to attend two general studies papers for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam. The General Studies Paper-II is better known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT).
UPSC Prelims Exam syllabus for general studies (GS) Paper (Prelims Paper I)
UPSC Prelims Exam topic wise syllabus
| . CSE paper 1 current events of national and international importance |
| . History of India and Indian National Movement |
| . Indian and World Geography |
| . Indian Polity and Governance |
| . Economic and Social Development |
| . General issues on Environment |
| . General Science |
UPSC IAS Exam Syllabus for Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) Paper (Prelims Paper-II) Exam
| . Comprehension |
| . Interpersonal skills and communication skills |
| . Logical reasoning and analytical ability |
| . Decision-making and problem solving |
| . General mental ability |
| . Basic numeracy Data interpretation |
UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus -IAS Selection Procedure
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases a merit list of contestants selected for the Civil Services Main Exam based on the UPSC civil services results.
The second stage of the UPSC Exam judges the candidates on various subjects. The UPSC mains syllabus consists of nine descriptive type papers.
UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF
UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF: UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF is a document that contains all the relevant and related UPSC Mains Syllabus in a PDF format.
You can freely download the UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF from the official website of the union public service commission. The downloaded UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF document should be safely stored for future reference.
You can find the UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF and the following related documents on Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) official website.
UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF: The UPSC Mains Exam syllabus in PDF format is intended to assess the academic excellence of a candidate. The UPSC Mains examination (UPSC recruitment) syllabus in pdf form consists of 9 papers.
| 1 | Paper – A | Qualifying Paper- Indian Language |
| 2 | Paper – B | Qualifying Paper- English |
| 3 | Paper –1 | ESSAY |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies I |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II |
| 6 | Paper – IV | General Studies III |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Subject – Paper I |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Subject – Paper II |
Here is a complete and comprehensive overview of the UPSC Mains Syllabus. The same UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF format is available for free download. Let us go through the important points of the UPSC Mains Syllabus PDF.
IAS Mains Syllabus – Indian Language & English
Indian Language & English paper tests the candidates’ ability to read and understand ideas clearly and correctly in English and the Indian language.
IAS Mains Essay – Paper-I
In IAS Mains Essay – Paper-I Candidates have to write essays on diverse topics. The essay is expected to be close to the topic and as such arrange the ideas and contents of the essay in an orderly manner and write concisely. Weightage is awarded for the effective and exact expression of the IAS Mains Essay.
IAS Mains General Studies-I Syllabus
The IAS Mains General Studies-I Syllabus consists of History and Geography of the World, Indian Heritage and Culture etc.
| 1 | Indian Heritage |
| 2 | Modern Indian History |
| 3 | World History |
| 4 | Indian Society |
| 5 | Geography |
IAS Mains General Studies-II Syllabus
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
| 1 | Indian Constitution |
| 2 | Indian Polity |
| 3 | Social Justice |
| 4 | International Relations |
| 5 | Indian Governance |
IAS Mains General Studies-III Syllabus
Technology, Environment, Bio-diversity, Security and Disaster Management, Economic Development.
| 1 | Indian Economy |
| 2 | Security |
| 3 | Environment & Bio-diversity |
| 4 | Disaster Management |
| 5 | Science and Technology |
IAS Mains General Studies-IV Syllabus
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
| 1 | Ethics and Human Interface |
| 2 | Probity in Governance |
| 3 | Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public Administration |
| 4 | Attitude |
| 5 | Aptitude |
| 6 | Emotional Intelligence |
IAS Mains Optional Subject Syllabus
Aspiring Candidates are free to choose any optional subject from the list of given optional subjects.
IAS Interview Syllabus
Qualified candidates in the Civil Services Main Examination(UPSC exam)are called for the Personality Test or the Civil Services Examination Interview.
The UPSC Exam board evaluate the leadership qualities, intellectual and moral integrity, and knowledge of the current affairs of the candidate during the Personality Test or Interview.
Note: The IAS Interview has no specific UPSC syllabus, hence, candidates have to work more on their personality traits, leadership qualities, intellectual and moral integrity, knowledge of current affairs etc.
Where To Find UPSC Exam Syllabus?
You can find the UPSC Exam syllabus and the following related topics at Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) official site.
UPSC Exam Pattern PDF
UPSC Exam pattern PDF: The UPSC Exam pattern PDF is a UPSC document that contains all the relevant and related UPSC Exam patterns in a PDF format.
You can freely download the UPSC Exam pattern pdf from the official website of the union public service commission. The downloaded UPSC Exam pattern PDF document should be safely stored for future reference.
You can find the UPSC Exam pattern PDF and the following related documents at Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) official site.
UPSC Exam Pattern for IPS
UPSC Exam Pattern For IPS consists of three stages.
| . A preliminary examination is an objective type of examination conducted to select aspirants for the Main Examination |
| . The main Examination is a written examination to select personnel for the IPS( Indian police service) interview |
| . IPS Interview is the final selection process conducted by the UPSC interview board |
CSE Paper I-Current Events Of National And International Importance
CSE Paper I-Current Events Of National And International Importance covers all current affairs at the national and international levels. This important topic is on the increase because of the ever-increasing happening around the globe.
| . CSE Paper I-Current Events Of National And International Importance,(National Issues): candidates should Learn about the decisions taken by the Government of India on national policies and all the important recent cabinet decisions |
| . CSE Paper I-Current Events Of National And International Importance, (International Issues): Learn about International events which have an impact or importance in India. |
UPSC Exam Paper
It is always advised to refer to the Previous Year UPSC Exam Paper to keep track of the changing trend of the UPSC Exam Paper. The previous year’s UPSC Exam Paper play an important role in cracking the UPSC Exam Paper.
By analyzing these UPSC Exam Papers, one can get a complete and comprehensive idea of different topics of the UPSC Exam and the type of UPSC questions being asked over the years. Also, solving the previous year’s UPSC Exam Paper will boost one’s confidence and knowledge.
Own Self-assessment is very important and finding the solution to the previous year’s UPSC Exam Paper would boost one’s performance .solve more and more Previous Year UPSC Exam Paper for a better understanding of the UPSC exam pattern.
The UPSC Exam Paper is broadly divided into two categories
- The UPSC Preliminary Exam paper: The UPSC Preliminary Exam paper consists of two objective-type papers for a total of 400 marks. Each of these UPSC Exam Paper has 200 marks and is two hours duration.
- The UPSC mains Exam paper: The UPSC mains Exam paper consists of 9 papers. The answers to the UPSC Mains exam paper are descriptive and UPSC aspirants have to write the answers in the provided answer sheets.
UPSC Exam Pattern 2023
The UPSC Exam Pattern 2023 consists of three stages. They are as follows.
- UPSC Exam Preliminary Pattern 2023: UPSC Preliminary Examination is an Objective Type examination conducted to select candidates for UPSC Main Examination.
| Name of the UPSC exam | Civil Services Exam (IAS) |
| Conducting Authority | (UPSC) Union Public Service Commission |
| Mode of the UPSC exam | Written examination (Offline) |
| Number of papers for UPSC Prelims examination | 2 (two) |
| Duration of UPSC Prelims examination | 2 hours (Each paper) |
| Type of UPSC Prelims Questions: | Objective type |
2. UPSC Main Exam Pattern 2023: UPSC Main Exam Pattern 2023 is a descriptive type of written Examination for the selection of personnel for the UPSC Interview.
| Name of the UPSC exam | Civil Services Exam (IAS) |
| Conducting Authority | (UPSC) Union Public Service Commission |
| Mode of the UPSC Exam | Written examination (Offline) |
| Number of papers for UPSC Mains Examination | 9 (Nine) |
| Duration of UPSC Mains Examination | 3 hours (Each paper) |
| Type of UPSC Mains Questions: | Descriptive type (Subjective type) |
- UPSC Interview Exam Pattern 2023: The UPSC Interview or Personality Test is the final selection of personnel for all India Services and posts.
UPSC Eligibility criteria
The UPSC Eligibility criteria can be divided into the following categories
| 1 | The UPSC Exam Age Limit |
| 2 | The UPSC Exam Nationality |
| 3 | The UPSC Exam Educational Qualification |
| 4 | The UPSC Exam Number of Attempts |
| 5 | The UPSC Exam EWS Certificate Criteria |
UPSC Exam Age limit for IAS exam
An applicant applying for IAS Exam must have completed 21 years of age and must not be more than 32 years of age. (The UPSC Exam Age Limit is between 21 and 32 years for the General Category candidates).
Hence, candidates should verify the UPSC Exam Age Limit Eligibility specifications accurately before filling out the UPSC online application form.
IAS Age Limit for Female
The age limit for UPSC Exam for a female applicant applying for IAS Exam must also have a lower age limit of 21 years and the upper age limit is 32 years.
Union Public Service Commission IAS Exam Age Limit
The Prescribed union public service commission IAS Exam age limit is 21 – 32 years for the General Category candidates. This means that candidates above 21 years of age are eligible to write the UPSC exam.
The eligible IAS Exam age limit for the UPSC exam is between 21 and 32 years for the General Category. A relaxation of the IAS Exam age limit is permitted for candidates belonging to the following categories.
- The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates (SC/ST)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) Candidates
- Physically handicapped Candidates
UPSC Exam age limit
UPSC Exam Age Limit is an important factor because of the limited number of attempts permitted in the IAS Exam. As of now, the lower UPSC Exam Age Limit for the IAS exam is 21 years and the upper UPSC Exam Age Limit is 32 years.
The UPSC Exam age limit of a general category candidate has to 21 to 32 years at the time of the UPSC exam. The Prescribed UPSC Exam age limit varies for candidates belonging to reserved classes. The Prescribed UPSC Exam age limit varies for candidates belonging to reserved classes.
Relaxation For IAS Exam Age Limit
A relaxation of the IAS Exam age limit is permitted for candidates belonging to the following categories.
- Other Backward Castes (OBC) the upper age limit is 35 years.
- Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the limit is 37 years.
- Defense Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities, the limit is 40 years.
- For PwD candidates, the limit is 37 years.
- For Domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989, the limit is 32 years.
- For the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, the standard age limits apply.
IAS exam age limit relaxation for OBC SC/ST
- Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) or a Scheduled Tribe (ST) get an extension of a maximum of five years.
- Candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) get an extension of a maximum of three years.
- Candidates belonging to Defense Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area get an extension of a maximum of three years.
- Candidates belonging to differently-abled groups like blind, hearing-impaired and orthopedically handicapped persons get an extension of a maximum of ten years.
Age Limit for UPSC Exam
The eligible Age Limit For UPSC Exam for the General Category is between 21 and 32 years. This means that candidates above 21 years of age are eligible to write the UPSC exam. Relaxation for the Age Limit For UPSC Exam is permitted for candidates belonging to the following categories.
Therefore, it is advised that candidates should verify the Age Limit For UPSC Exam specifications accurately before filling out the UPSC online application form.
What is IPS Exam?
The Indian Police Service (IPS) is one of the best and most popular India Services in India. The IPS exam is a part of the UPSC (CSE) Civil Services Examination. The IPS selection is made through the Civil Services Examination (CSE). The application and selection process is common for all Civil services.
IPS Age Limit
The Prescribed union public service commission IPS Exam age limit is 21 – 32 years for the General Category candidates. This means that candidates above 21 years of age are eligible to write the UPSC exam.
The eligible IPS Exam age limit for the UPSC exam is between 21 and 32 years for the General Category. A relaxation of the IPS Exam age limit is permitted for candidates belonging to the following categories.
- The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates (SC/ST)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) Candidates
- Physically handicapped Candidates
IPS Exam age limit
IPS Exam age limit: The IPS Exam age limit of a general category candidate has to 21 to 32 years at the time of the IPS Exam.
The Prescribed IPS Exam age limit varies for candidates belonging to reserved classes. A relaxation of the IPS Exam age limit is permitted for candidates belonging to the following categories.
- Other Backward Castes (OBC) the upper age limit is 35 years.
- Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the limit is 37 years.
- Defense Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities, the limit is 40 years.
- For PwD candidates, the limit is 37 years.
- For Domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989, the limit is 32 years.
- For the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, the standard age limits apply.
IPS Exam age limit relaxation for OBC, SC/ST
- Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) or a Scheduled Tribe (ST) get an extension of a maximum of five years.
- Candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) get an extension of a maximum of three years.
- Candidates belonging to Defense Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area get an extension of a maximum of three years.
- Candidates belonging to differently-abled groups like blind, hearing-impaired and orthopedically handicapped persons get an extension of a maximum of ten years.
The IPS exam process starts with the official UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria notification usually issued in the month of February.
The UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria notification is a carefully designed document which elaborates the eligibility criteria for the IPS exam.
The document explains the eligibility criteria such as the nationality of the candidate, educational qualification of the candidate, number of attempts and UPSC Exam Age Limit.
UPSC Exam Eligibility
The UPSC Exam Eligibility criteria can be divided into the following categories:
| 1 | The UPSC Exam Eligibility | Age Limit |
| 2 | The UPSC Exam Eligibility | Nationality |
| 3 | The UPSC Exam Eligibility | Educational Qualification |
The UPSC Exam Eligibility – Age Limit
The lower UPSC Exam Eligibility – Age Limit for the UPSC exam is 21 years and the upper UPSC Exam Eligibility – Age Limit is 32 years for the General Category candidates.
The UPSC Exam Eligibility- Nationality
The candidate must be a citizen of India.
UPSC Exam Eligibility Educational Qualification
UPSC Exam Eligibility Educational Qualification: A candidate must be a graduate or a degree holder from a Government recognized University to appear for the UPSC exam.
According to the UPSC Civil Services Exam Notification, the UPSC exam Eligibility –Educational Qualification required to appear in the UPSC Civil Services Exam is a Degree from any recognized university.
This implies that a candidate must degree holder of any University incorporated under the University Grants Commission Act.
A candidate who is in the final year of the degree course and is waiting for the results is also eligible to apply for UPSC Civil Services Exam.
A Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Medicine, Technology, Engineering etc all are equally eligible to appear in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
UPSC Exam Eligibility Educational Qualification Percentage
The UPSC Civil Services Notification for the UPSC Civil Services Exam does not mention any minimum percentage. Therefore a candidate who passed his Degree Examination is eligible to apply for the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is a national level competitive exam for all university degree-holding candidates irrespective of the marks obtained in their university examination.
Education Qualification for IAS
A candidate must be a graduate or a degree holder from a Government recognized University to appear for the IAS exam.
According to the UPSC Education Qualification For IAS Exam Notification, the Educational Qualification required to appear in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam is a Degree from any recognized university.
This implies that a candidate must degree holder of any University incorporated under the University Grants Commission Act.
A candidate who is in the final year of the degree course and is waiting for the results is also eligible to apply for UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
A Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Medicine, Technology, Engineering etc all are equally eligible to appear in the UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Exam.
What is UPSC CSE?
The UPSC CSE is the UPSC Civil Service Exam (IAS Exam). An aspiring candidate can become an IAS officer, By cracking the UPSC Civil Service Exam (IAS Exams).
Similarly, By cracking the Indian civil service Exam you can also join other civil services in the Indian Administration such as IPS, IFS and IRS. Therefore, calling the UPSC Civil Service Exam as civil services examination or IAS Exam is not correct in the true sense.
Hence, you must have understood by now that the UPSC CSE Exam not only offers IAS Exams but also other civil services (civils exam)in the Indian Administration such as IPS, IFS, IRS etc.
The Indian civil service exam (UPSC Civil Service Exam) is conducted in three phases, the UPSC Prelims, the UPSC CSE Mains, and the Personal Interview.
Candidates who qualify for all three levels of the UPSC Civil Service Exam (CSE/IAS)get an All India Rank based on their civil service results.
The UPSC results and the UPSC mains mark sheet are published on the civil services website. Now, the service of the candidate is generally decided by these civil services results and the All India Rank.
The first phase of the UPSC CSE Exam is the UPSC prelims and it is a qualifier round. The UPSC Prelims Exam has two papers, General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-Il. A candidate must appear in both the IAS prelims papers.
The UPSC prelims questions are of objective type or MCQs in nature, which the candidates have to answer in an OMR sheet.
IAS Ka full form {Indian Administrative Service}
The UPSC CSE Mains Exam has subjective questions. The answers to all the India IAS questions are subjective or written. Finally, IAS ka full form is the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The IFS, IPS and IAS exams are also known as civil service exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs on UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus
Question. What is the basic syllabus of UPSC?
Answer. The basic syllabus of UPSC consists of the following;
• General Studies
• Indian Constitution
• Governance
• Federalism
• Economy
• Social Justice
• International Relations
• Defence and Security
Question. What is the pattern of the UPSC exam?
Answer. The UPSC (Civil Services) Exam pattern is broadly divided into three. They are as follows;
UPSC (Civil Services) Preliminary Exam
UPSC (Civil Services) Mains Exam
UPSC (Civil Services) Interview Exam
Question. What are the 7 papers of UPSC?
Answer. The 7 papers of the UPSC (Civil Services) Exam are as follows;
Paper‐I: (Essay)
Paper‐2: (General Studies 1)
Paper‐3: (General Studies 2)
Paper‐4: (General Studies 3)
Paper‐5: (General Studies 4)
Paper‐6: (Optional Subject Paper 1)
Paper‐7: (Optional Subject Paper 2)
Question. Is UPSC MCQ based?
Answer. UPSC (Civil Services) Prelims Exam is an objective (multiple choice – MCQ) type examination. However the UPSC (Civil Services) Mains Exam is a subjective type or written examination.
Question. Is math compulsory for UPSC?
Answer. No, maths is not mandatory in the UPSC exam. However, it is strongly recommended that candidates understand basic concepts of mathematics to have a better understanding of the questions asked in the exam.
Question. Which subject is best for UPSC?
Answer. There is no precise answer to this question. However, some of the most common subjects that are popular among UPSC aspirants include law, engineering, medicine and business administration.
Conclusion
This article explained various aspects of the UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus. We have learned that the civil services exam or the IAS Exam is divided into three important stages.
They are as follows. (1) Civil Services Prelims Exam (2) Civil Services Mains Exam (3) Civil Services Interview. A UPSC aspirant has to pass the three stages of the exam to become a civil servant.
The UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus helps the commission to evaluate the different qualities of a civil service aspirant.
We know by now that the UPSC conducts the Civil Services Exam to select personnel for the Indian administrative services. Our youth are offered excellent career prospects by the commission.
Are you excited to join the all-India administrative services as an administrator? Let us know in the comment box below.