Tools To India

UPSC — Union Public Service Commission

Conducts the Civil Services Examination and recruits for Group A and Group B posts across the central services.

Official sources last verified

Where the official notifications are

These are the only authoritative sources for notifications, admit cards and results in this sector. Apply nowhere else.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)Notifications, examination calendar, results and cut-off marks.https://www.upsc.gov.in/(opens the official website in a new tab)UPSC Online Application PortalThe official portal for submitting UPSC applications.https://upsconline.gov.in/(opens the official website in a new tab)

What UPSC conducts

What UPSC conducts
ExaminationRecruits for
Civil Services ExaminationIAS, IPS, IFS and the other central civil services
Indian Forest Service ExaminationIndian Forest Service — conducted with the CSE preliminary
Engineering Services ExaminationGroup A engineering posts in central services
Combined Defence Services ExaminationIndian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy ExaminationNDA and Naval Academy cadet entry
Combined Medical Services ExaminationMedical officer posts in central services
Indian Statistical and Indian Economic Service ExaminationStatistical and economic service posts
Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants)Assistant Commandant in the CAPFs

How the Civil Services Examination is structured

  1. Preliminary examination: two objective papers. The General Studies paper decides who qualifies; the CSAT paper is qualifying only, at the prescribed minimum. Preliminary marks do not count towards the final merit.
  2. Main examination: nine descriptive papers, of which two — an Indian language paper and an English paper — are qualifying only. The remaining seven count towards merit.
  3. Personality test, commonly called the interview, for candidates who clear the main examination.
  4. Final merit is based on the main examination marks that count plus the personality test.

Attempts and age limits

The Civil Services Examination limits both the number of attempts and the upper age, with relaxations for reserved categories, persons with benchmark disabilities and certain other groups. Appearing in the preliminary examination counts as an attempt; merely applying does not.

The exact limits, relaxations and cut-off date are stated in each year’s notification, and have been revised over the years. Read the current notification rather than relying on remembered figures.

Preparation, honestly

UPSC publishes the full syllabus, previous years’ question papers and the marks of recommended candidates on its own website. Those three documents tell you more about what the examination actually rewards than most commentary about it.

The most useful and least glamorous advice is to read the syllabus closely and repeatedly. A large share of candidates prepare material that the syllabus does not ask for.

Frequently asked questions

Do preliminary examination marks count towards the final rank?
No. The preliminary examination is a screening stage only. Final merit is decided by the main examination papers that count towards merit plus the personality test. The CSAT paper in the preliminary is qualifying only, at the prescribed minimum.
How many attempts do I get?
The number of permitted attempts and the upper age limit depend on your category, and both have been revised over the years. Appearing in the preliminary examination counts as an attempt. The current limits are stated in each year’s official notification on upsc.gov.in.
Where do I find the official syllabus and past papers?
On upsc.gov.in. The Commission publishes the complete syllabus in the annual notification, and hosts previous years’ question papers and the marks of recommended candidates. These are the primary sources and they are free.
Is UPSC only about the Civil Services Examination?
No. UPSC also conducts the Engineering Services, Combined Defence Services, NDA and Naval Academy, Combined Medical Services, Indian Economic and Statistical Services and CAPF Assistant Commandant examinations, along with direct recruitment to a range of Group A and B posts.

Official sources

Every figure on this page is traceable to the official source below. If a source has changed since the date shown, please tell us and we will correct it.