Exam Dates, Eligibility, Exam Pattern & Online Application
UPSC CSE is a competitive examination held across our country; it is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) to recruit some of the finest candidates eligible for various Civil Services posts in India. The conducting body UPSC is India's central recruitment agency for candidates willing to serve the Nation as government public servants. UPSC is one of the mandated agencies in our constitution for candidate recruitment in Unions and All India Services. Since UPSC is mandated in the constitution and one of the institutions that function with autonomy, it holds a vital role in the appointment, promotion, and transfer of candidates who the Government counsels.
For UPSC Exam 2021 Official Notification: www.upsc.gov.in
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is generally held to recruit citizens who can be trained to serve in All India Services (IAS, IPS, and IFS) and other Central Services. The Civil Services exam is conducted every year, and it has been going on since the British era, where it was referred to as the Imperial Civil Service test. It is considered one of the most competitive and most challenging exams in India. The average number of applications received by UPSC ranges from 9 lakh to 11 lakh candidates, and it obtains the most prestigious and coveted positions in the Government of India. You will require sheer dedication and years of preparation to crack the Civil Services Exam and gain glory.
UPSC had rolled out the recruitment forms on 4th March 2021 for 712 vacancies. Due to the pandemic, the Prelims date got shifted to 10th October 2021, and the dates for mains and interviews have yet to be announced. Follow the official site for more updates: www.upsc.gov.in
Here are some key highlights and information for the upcoming Civil Services exam:
Exam Name | UPSC Civil Service Examination |
---|---|
Conducting Body | UPSC |
Mode of Exam | Offline |
Exam Level | National |
Exam Frequency | Once Every Year |
Exam Stages | 3 (Prelims, Mains and Interview) |
UPSC Vacancies | 712 (2021) |
Language | English and Hindi (Prelims) |
Test Centers | PAN India |
Application Fee | 100 (Prelims) |
Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
The UPSC Civil Service examination is broadly categorized into 'Group A' and 'Group B,' whose recruitments are done through various civil services examinations. Generally, the President of India's appointment of 'Group A' candidates is made, whereas the exams for Group B are conducted by SSC (Staff Selection Commission) and are appointed by authorities specified by the President of India in a generalized order. The list of services in ‘Group A’ and ‘Group B’ services are specified below:
Group A | Group B |
---|---|
Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service | Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service |
Indian Audit and Accounts Service | Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service |
Indian Customs & Central Excise Service | Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service |
Indian Defence Accounts Service | Pondicherry Civil Service |
Indian Revenue Service (I.T.) | Pondicherry Police Service |
Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration) | |
Indian Postal Service | |
Indian Civil Accounts Service | |
Indian Railway Traffic Service | |
Indian Railway Accounts Service | |
Indian Railway Personnel Service | |
Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection | |
Force | |
Indian Defence Estates Service | |
Indian Information Service (Junior Grade) | |
Indian Trade Service | |
Indian Corporate Law Service |
UPSC notification was released on 4th March 2021 for the commencement of registration for the Civil Services examination. However, due to the pandemic, there were specific changes in the examination dates. Key highlights of UPSC exam dates and the schedule of 2021 have been provided below:
Date of Notification | 4th March 2021 |
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Last date for applications | 24th March 2021 |
Prelims Exam Date | 10th October 2021 (Prelims) |
Duration of the exam (Prelims) | 1 day |
Mains Exam Date | To be announced |
Interview Date | To be announced |
Tentative Result Date | To be announced |
There are certain guidelines and eligibility criteria set by the UPSC, which have to be thoroughly followed by a candidate to qualify to appear for the Civil Services exam. The eligibility criteria are generally categorized based on nationality, age, number of attempts, and educational candidates. To check certain relaxations and specific eligibility criteria, follow the table below:
Criteria | Eligibility | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality |
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Age |
21-32 years Age Relaxations for specific categories
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The UPSC Civil Services exam has been primarily divided into two stages Prelims (Objective type paper) and Mains (Descriptive type paper). The preliminary exam is considered as the screening test where the marks secured by a candidate are not included in the IAS final results. At the same time, the mains examination is conducted to generate a merit list according to the marks secured by the candidate.
The preliminary stage has two phases comprised of 2 papers:
Phases | Exams | Pattern | Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1 | General Studies -I | MCQ | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
Paper 2 | General Studies–II (CSAT) | MCQ | 80 | 200 | 2 hours |
Total | 400 | 4 hours |
Both the papers are conducted on the same day. Paper I is aimed to assign a merit rank for the candidates. In contrast, Paper-II, called CSAT, has qualifying marks where a candidate has to score 33% of the total marks in Paper-II to qualify for the UPSC mains examination.
The Mains Examination involves a certain number of stages. It has 9 papers, and it reaches out as long as 9 days of testing competitors based on their constancy and learning throughout their range of readiness, which differs from each candidate appearing for the examination.
S.No | Papers | Total Marks | Duration | Significance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Indian Language (Compulsory) | 300 | 3 hours | Qualifying |
2 | English | 300 | 3 hours | Qualifying |
3 | Paper-I | Essay Writing | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
4 | Paper-II | General Studies-I | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
5 | Paper-II | General Studies-II | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
6 | Paper-III | General Studies-III | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
7 | Paper-IV | General Studies-IV | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
8 | Optional-I | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
9 | Optional-II | 250 | 3 hours | Allocation of Merit Rank |
Total | 1750 | Allocation of Merit Rank |
Candidates who clear both the examinations then become eligible for the UPSC Personality test, a personal interview taken up by a panel of experts recruited by the UPSC board. The Personality test aims to identify a candidate's personality traits to gauge if they are fit for the coveted roles. You can also read more about the UPSC Exam Pattern.
UPSC Civil Services examination forms were released on 4th March 2021, and the registration closed on 24th March 2021 at 6 PM. ORA (Online Recruitment Application) was floated for the recruitment in various posts. Before filling up the form, the candidates must go through the eligibility criteria given on the website and follow them diligently to avoid getting debarred from the examination. The UPSC forms are non-editable, and the candidates must fill in the details correctly in the form. At the same time, the last date for the withdrawal of the application was 3rd April 2021.
For a new registration, applicants are required to visit the official website of UPSC: www.upsc.gov.in/apply-online.
After filling in the application form's basic information, the candidates will be asked to upload certain documents such as signature, photograph, and photo I.D. card. Completion of all the requirements will then lead the candidate to the payment portal.
Applicants can pay the fees in online and offline mode.
Online mode: Payment can be made through the payment gateway that will be provided on the website.
Offline mode: The candidates who are willing to pay the application fees through cash must visit the official website and visit the section of Applicants who opt for 'Pay by Cash' Mode, which will generate a slip. The generated slip is then supposed to be deposited at any nearby SBI branch by paying cash to complete the registration process.
Category | Preliminary Exam Fee | Mains Exam Fee |
---|---|---|
General/ OBC | Rs 100 | Rs 200 |
Females/ SC/ ST/ Persons with Benchmark Disability | Nil | Nil |