Understand the exam
Exam overview
UPSC competitive recruitment examination for IAS, IPS, IFS and other notified services.
UPSC-CSE
Recruitment
Professional
National
Civil Services Examination
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
UPSC competitive recruitment examination for IAS, IPS, IFS and other notified services.
Who can appear
Eligibility to appear
Graduation
A recognised graduate degree or an officially accepted equivalent. Nationality, age, attempts and relaxations are service/category-specific. Follow the current UPSC Civil Services Examination notice.
Eligibility to appear is not the same as eligibility to be admitted. Individual institutions add their own criteria on top of the exam's rules.
Overview
What this exam is
The single competitive examination through which the Union Public Service Commission recruits to the IAS, IPS, IFS and the other central services. It runs in three stages - an objective preliminary screen, a written main examination, and a personality test - and a candidate must clear each to reach the next.
Subjects
What the paper tests
Preliminary has a general studies paper and an aptitude paper that is qualifying only. Mains is descriptive: an essay, four general studies papers covering governance, history, geography, society, economy, environment, ethics and international relations, and two papers in an optional subject you choose. Language papers are qualifying. The interview assesses judgement and clarity, not knowledge.
PreparationPlan
How to prepare
Answer writing decides this examination far more than reading does, and most candidates start it too late. Build a base from standard textbooks and one newspaper read analytically rather than exhaustively, then practise timed answers from early on. Choose an optional you can sustain for years, not one with a reputation. Preparation typically spans multiple attempts; decide in advance how many years you will give it and what you will do otherwise.
AdmissionProcess
Who can take it, and how it runs
Who can appear. Bachelor's degree in any discipline; age and attempt limits apply.
How often. Once a year (Prelims, Mains, Interview).
Format. Pen and paper plus interview.
Conducted by. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Dates, eligibility and the paper pattern change from year to year. Check the current official notification before you plan around any of this.
Where the score is used
Courses connected to this exam
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a specific degree to apply?
No. A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university is the requirement, and final-year students may sit the preliminary stage. Your subject does not restrict which service you can enter.
How should I choose my optional subject?
Choose one you can study for years without losing interest, where good material and answer-writing support exist. Subjects do not carry fixed advantages - candidates clear with almost every option on the list. Familiarity and sustainable interest beat reputation.
Is coaching necessary to clear it?
No. Candidates clear this examination every year through self-study using standard textbooks and past papers. Coaching provides structure and answer evaluation, which some people need and others do not. What is not optional is sustained answer writing.
How many years should I give to preparation?
Decide the limit before you begin, not during. Most sincere candidates never clear it, so a plan that only works on success is not a plan. Keep a qualification or income running alongside so stopping is a change of direction rather than starting over.
What is Civil Services Examination used for?
IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services recruitment.
Who is eligible to appear for Civil Services Examination?
Bachelor's degree in any discipline; age and attempt limits apply. Confirm this against the current official notification, because eligibility rules are revised between sessions.
How often is Civil Services Examination held, and in what format?
Once a year (Prelims, Mains, Interview). Pen and paper plus interview.
Who conducts Civil Services Examination?
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).