The Examination
The long road to Raisina Hill.
One examination, three stages and a year of work decides entry into two dozen services of the Union. Here is how it is built — and where it leads.
Three stages · over a year
Where the rank is built
Stage 1 · Prelims
The screening test
Qualifying
GS Paper I — 200 marks, 100 questions on current affairs, history, polity, geography, economy, environment and science.
CSAT Paper II — 200 marks, qualifying at 33%; tests comprehension, reasoning and basic numeracy.
Objective, negative-marked, and held on a single day in May.
Stage 2 · Mains
Nine written papers
1,750 marks
Essay, four General Studies papers, and two papers of your optional subject — 250 marks each.
Two language papers (one Indian language, one English) that only have to be passed.
Written over about five days; this is where your rank is genuinely built.
Stage 3 · Interview
The personality test
275 marks
A considered conversation at UPSC in New Delhi with a board of senior members.
Not a test of knowledge so much as of judgement, balance and clarity of thought.
Added to the Mains total to decide your final rank and service.
Before you begin
Who may sit the exam
Nationality
An Indian citizen for the IAS, IPS and IFS. Some other services also admit certain long-settled migrants and people of Indian origin.
Age
Between 21 and 32 for a general candidate, reckoned on the 1st of August in the exam year. OBC, SC and ST candidates get the usual relaxations.
Attempts
Six for general candidates, nine for OBC, and no limit for SC/ST — each within the matching age cap. An attempt counts only if you sit a Prelims paper.
Qualification
A degree from a recognised university. Final-year students may apply provisionally and show their result before the Mains. No minimum percentage.
Where it leads
The services at the top
IAS
Indian Administrative Service
Runs the administration — a district as Collector, later a department or ministry as Secretary. The path to Chief Secretary and Cabinet Secretary.
IPS
Indian Police Service
Leads the police and internal security — law and order, crime, intelligence — rising from Superintendent up to Director General of Police.
IFS
Indian Foreign Service
Represents India abroad as a diplomat, in our embassies and missions and at the Ministry of External Affairs.
IRS
Indian Revenue Service
Administers the country’s taxes — income tax, customs and GST — and investigates evasion.
Two dozen services in all
One exam, many paths
All-India Services
Recruited by the centre; you serve a state cadre and the Union both.
Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
Indian Police Service (IPS)
Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
Group A Central Services
Specialised services run by central ministries and departments.
Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
Indian Revenue Service — Income Tax
Indian Revenue Service — Customs
Indian Audit & Accounts Service
Indian Railway Management Service
Indian Postal Service
Indian Information Service
Indian Corporate Law Service
Group B Central Services
For Delhi, the Union Territories and Puducherry — with a route up into the All-India Services.
DANICS — Delhi & UT Civil Service
DANIPS — Delhi & UT Police Service
Pondicherry Civil Service
Pondicherry Police Service
Armed Forces HQ Civil Service
A career, not a job
From the district to Delhi
Sub-Divisional Magistrate / Asst. Collector
Entry
₹56,100
Deputy Secretary
After ~9 years
₹67,700
Director
After ~13 years
₹78,800
Joint Secretary
Senior
₹1,44,200
Additional Secretary
Senior
₹2,05,400
Cabinet Secretary
Apex — the senior-most civil servant
₹2,50,000
Indicative monthly basic pay under the 7th Pay Commission; allowances and an official residence, vehicle and staff are additional.
The year, month by month
The exam calendar
Jan – Feb
The notification is published and the application window opens.
May
The Preliminary exam — usually a Sunday.
June
Prelims results; those who clear move on to the Mains.
August
The Main exam — nine papers across about five days.
November
Mains results are declared.
Dec – Mar
The Personality Test (interview), held at UPSC in New Delhi.
Apr – May
The final ranks come out, and services and cadres are allotted.
Plainly answered
Questions we are asked
How many times can I sit the exam?
General candidates get 6 attempts up to age 32, OBC 9 up to 35, and SC/ST as many as they like up to 37. An attempt only counts if you actually appear in a Prelims paper.
Can I apply while I’m still in my final year?
Yes. You apply provisionally, and simply show your degree result before the Mains. There is no minimum percentage.
Is the CSAT paper added to my marks?
No. CSAT — the second Prelims paper — only has to be passed, at 33%. It does not count towards your rank.
Do my Prelims marks count in the final rank?
No. The Prelims is purely a screening test. Your rank is built from the Mains (1,750 marks) and the interview (275).
Which language can I write in?
The GS papers and most optionals can be written in English, Hindi or another scheduled language. The Sindhi Literature optional is written in Sindhi, in either script.
Is Sindhi a sensible optional to pick?
If you are comfortable in the language, yes. The syllabus is compact and changes little, and very few candidates take it. It also happens to be the subject we teach best.
How long does preparing really take?
For most people, a year or more of steady, daily work. Our residential year is built around exactly that.