UPSC Civil Services Examination: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Application Process, Syllabus and more by Plutus IAS
UPSC CSE (Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination) is one of the most prestigious and complex competitive examinations under the Government of India. The UPSC CSE is held every year for posts under the Indian Civil Services, including IAS, IPS, Indian Forest Service (IFoS), and various other Group A and Group B services. This comprehensive exam rigorously tests candidates on a broad syllabus to determine their aptitude for demonstrating knowledge, analytical skills, and suitability for public service. Lakhs of aspiring candidates make the competition very difficult in UPSC CSE, but then again, if one does so, it opens the door to promising careers in governance and public administration.
1. UPSC CSE Eligibility Criteria
UPSC publishes a notification every year entailing information related to eligibility criteria like age limit, educational qualification, and nationality. Here is an overview of the complete eligibility criteria for UPSC CSE:
Educational Qualifications:
A candidate must hold a Graduate degree from any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification.
Note I: Candidates who have appeared for a qualifying examination but have not received their results, or those intending to take such an exam, are eligible for the Civil Services (Preliminary)
Examination.
●Candidates qualified for the Civil Services (Main) Examination must provide proof of
passing the requisite qualifying examination with their application.
● This proof must be issued by the closing date of the Detailed Application Form-I for the Main Examination.
Note II: In exceptional cases, the Commission may accept candidates without the specified qualifications if they have passed an examination from another institution that meets the Commission’s standards.
Note III: Candidates with professional and technical qualifications recognized as equivalent to a degree by the Government are eligible for the Civil Services Examination.
Note IV: Candidates who have completed their final M.B.B.S. or equivalent exam but have not finished their internship can apply provisionally.
They must submit certification of passing the final examination with their application and provide proof of completing all requirements, including the internship, at the time of their interview.
Age Limits:
A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August, 2024 i.e., the candidate must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1992 and not later than 1st August, 2003.
The upper age limit relaxation is for the following categories:
● Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST): 5 years
● Other Backward Classes (OBC): 3 years
● Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign
country or in a disturbed area: 3 years
● Up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates belonging to Persons with
Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories
Nationality:
(1) For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, and the Indian Police
Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
(2) For other services, a candidate must be either:—
(a) a citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d), and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India.
2. UPSC Exam – Number of Attempts
Every candidate appearing at the examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted six (6) attempts at the CSE. However, relaxation in the number of attempts will be available to the SC/ST/OBC and PwBD category candidates who are otherwise eligible. The number of attempts available to such candidates as per relaxation is as under:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
|---|---|
| General | 6 |
| EWS | 6 |
| OBC | 9 |
| PwBD | 9 |
| SC/ST | Unlimited |
3. Various Posts Under UPSC
The Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination for Recruitment to the
Services and Posts are mentioned below:
All India Central Services:
(i) Indian Administrative Service
(ii) Indian Foreign Service
(iii) Indian Police Service
Group A Services:
(iv) Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(v) Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(vi) Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’
(vii) Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(viii) Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
(ix) Indian Information Service, Group ‘A’
(x) Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’
(xi) Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘A’
(xii) Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group ‘A’
(xiii) Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) Group ‘A’
(xiv) Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) Group ‘A’
(xv) Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Grade III)
(xvi) Indian Railway Management Service, Group ‘A’
Group B Services:
(xvii) Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)
(xviii) Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS), Group ‘B’
(xix) Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar
Haveli Police Service (DANIPS), Group ‘B’
(xx) Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group ‘B’
(xxi) Pondicherry Police Service (PONDIPS), Group ‘B’
4. UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern
The Civil Services Examination comprises the following stages:
A. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION: The Examination shall comprise two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.
Note:
(i) Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.
(ii) The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
(iii) The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.
B. MAIN EXAMINATION: The Written Examination will consist of the following papers:—
Qualifying Papers:
Paper-A (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution). 300 Marks
Paper-B English 300 Marks
Papers to be counted for merit :
Paper-I: Essay – 250 Marks
Paper-II: General Studies-I – 250 Marks
(Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
Paper-III: General Studies-II – 250 Marks
(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations)
Paper-IV: General Studies-III – 250 Marks
(Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management)
Paper-V: General Studies-IV – 250 Marks
(Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
Paper-VI: Optional Subject – Paper 1 – 250 Marks
Paper-VII: Optional Subject – Paper 2 – 250 Marks
Sub Total (Written test) = 1750 Marks
C. PERSONALITY TEST: 275 Marks
Grand Total – 2025 Marks
Optional Subject list
List of optional subjects for the Main Examination:
(i) Agriculture
(ii) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
(iii) Anthropology
(iv) Botany
(v) Chemistry
(vi) Civil Engineering
(vii) Commerce and Accountancy
(viii) Economics
(ix) Electrical Engineering
(x) Geography
(xi) Geology
(xii) History
(xiii) Law
(xiv) Management
(xv) Mathematics
(xvi) Mechanical Engineering
(xvii) Medical Science
(xviii) Philosophy
(xix) Physics
(xx) Political Science and International Relations
(xxi) Psychology
(xxii) Public Administration
(xxiii) Sociology
(xxiv) Statistics
(xxv) Zoology
(xxvi) Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
5. UPSC CSE Syllabus
Here is a detailed overview of the UPSC syllabus:
Part A. Preliminary Examination
Paper I – (200 marks), Duration: 2 hours
● Current events of national and international importance.
● History of India and Indian National Movement.
● Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the
World.
● Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public
Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
● Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,
Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
● General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do
not require subject specialization.
● General Science.
Paper II – (200 marks), Duration: Two hours
● Comprehension.
● Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
● Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
● Decision-making and problem-solving.
● General mental ability.
● Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data.
● interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. — Class X level).
Part B. Main Examination
The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of
understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.
The General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) feature questions designed for well-educated individuals, allowing them to answer without specialized study. These questions assess general awareness across various subjects relevant to a career in Civil Services, testing candidates’ basic understanding and analytical abilities regarding conflicting socio-economic goals. Candidates are expected to provide relevant, meaningful, and succinct answers. The optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) cover a syllabus at the honors degree level, which is higher than a bachelor’s degree but lower than a master’s degree, with Engineering, Medical Science, and Law aligning with the bachelor’s level.
Syllabi of the papers included in the scheme of the Civil Services (Main) Examination are given as follows:—
Qualifying Papers On Indian Languages And English:
The paper aims to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language concerned.
The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows :
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
Indian Languages:—
(i) comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.
PAPER-I
Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
PAPER-II
General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World andSociety.
It will cover key aspects of Indian culture, including art forms, literature, and architecture from ancient to modern times. It addresses significant events and personalities in modern Indian history since the mid-18th century, including the Freedom Struggle and post-independence consolidation. The world history component includes the Industrial Revolution, world wars, colonization, decolonization, and political philosophies like communism and capitalism. It explores the diversity of Indian society, focusing on women’s roles, population issues, poverty, urbanization, and globalization’s impact. Additionally, it examines social empowerment, communalism, regionalism, and secularism. The geography section addresses global physical geography, the distribution of natural resources, and critical geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and climate change, along with their effects on geographical features and biodiversity.
PAPER-III
General Studies-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations.
It focuses on governance, the Indian Constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations. It covers the historical evolution, features, and amendments of the Constitution, as well as the roles and challenges of the Union and State governments within the federal structure. The paper examines the separation of powers among governmental organs, the functioning of Parliament and State legislatures, and the structure of the Executive and Judiciary. It discusses significant constitutional bodies, statutory and regulatory institutions, and government policies for development, including the role of NGOs and welfare schemes for vulnerable populations. Additionally, it addresses social sector issues like health, education, poverty, and hunger, while highlighting governance aspects such as transparency, accountability, and e-governance. Finally, the paper explores India’s international relations, its neighborhood dynamics, and the impact of global policies on its interests, alongside the roles of key international institutions and agreements.
PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
It addresses various aspects of the Indian economy, including planning, resource mobilization, growth, development, and employment. It covers inclusive growth and related challenges, government budgeting, and the major crops and cropping patterns across the country, along with irrigation systems and agricultural marketing issues. The paper discusses farm subsidies, the Public Distribution System, food security, and the economics of animal husbandry, as well as the significance of food processing industries and land reforms. It examines the effects of liberalization on industrial policy and growth, infrastructure development in sectors like energy and transportation, and various investment models.
Additionally, the syllabus includes advancements in science and technology, their applications in daily life, and achievements in fields like IT, space, and biotechnology, while also addressing issues of intellectual property rights. Environmental concerns such as pollution, conservation, and disaster management are highlighted, alongside the link between development and extremism. The paper further explores internal security challenges posed by external actors, the role of media in security issues, the basics of cybersecurity, and organized crime’s connections
to terrorism. Finally, it reviews the mandates of various security forces and agencies in managing these challenges.
PAPER-V
General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
PAPER-VI & PAPER VII
Optional Subject Papers I & II: Candidates may choose any optional subject from amongst the List of Optional Subjects given above.
6. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR FILLING ONLINE APPLICATIONS
Candidates are required to apply Online using the website www.upsconline.nic.in.
● Salient features of the system of the Online Application Form are given hereunder:
● Detailed instructions for filling up online applications are available on the above-
mentioned website.
● Candidates will be required to complete the Online Application Form containing two stages viz. Part I and Part II as per the instructions available on the above-mentioned
site through drop-down menus.
● The candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs.100/- Rupees One Hundred only)[Except SC/ST/Female/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates who are exempted from payment of fee] either by remitting the money in any branch of the State Bank of India by cash, or by using the net banking facility of any bank, or by using any Visa /Master /RuPay /Credit /Debit Card/UPI Payment.
● Before starting filling up the Online Application, a candidate must have his photograph and signature duly scanned in the .jpg format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 300 KB each and must not be less than 20 KB in size for the photograph and signature.
● The candidate should have details of one Photo ID Card viz. Aadhar Card/ Voter Card /PAN Card / Passport/ Driving License / Any other photo ID card issued by the State /
Central Government. The details of this photo ID will have to be provided by the
candidate while filling up the online application form. This photo ID will be used for all future references and the candidate is advised to carry this Photo ID while appearing for the Examination/Personality Test.
● Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. However, if due to any
unavoidable circumstances, any applicant submits multiple applications then he/she
must ensure that the applications with higher RID are complete in all respects.
● In case of multiple applications, the applications with higher RID shall be entertained by the Commission, and the fee paid against one RID shall not be adjusted against any other RID.
● The applicants must ensure that while filling out their Application Forms, they are
providing valid and active E-Mail IDs as the Commission may use electronic modes of
communication while contacting them at different stages of the examination process.
● The applicants are advised to check their emails at regular intervals and ensure that the email addresses ending with @ nic.in are directed to their inbox folder and not to the SPAM folder or any other folder.
● Candidates are strongly advised to apply online well in time without waiting for the last date for submission of Online Applications.