OVERVIEW OF IAS EXAM / CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

The Indian Civil Services examination, which is popularly known as IAS exam,  is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. The examination schedule is usually announced during January – February, and once a candidate has applied he / she has to undergo the selection process in 3 stages.  At each stage candidates are filtered through a process of elimination, and the candidates who are ranked higher go to next stage of selection process.



Three Stages of the Selection Process are as follows :



(a)    Civil Services – Preliminary Examination – Objective Type (Qualifier) – These are held usually in May / June and results announced in July / August.  The candidates declared qualified go to the next stage of selection process;

(b)   Civil Services – Main Examination – Written Test.   This exam is held in October / November and the candidates who qualify even this process are called for next stage of selection process;

(c)    (c ) Interview / Personality Test.  These are held in March – April of the next year.



The final recruitment and posting of candidates depends on their ranking and the available vacancies for different posts to be filled during that particular year.



First of all, the candidates are required to first apply for the Preliminary Examination only.  The candidates who are declared qualified for appearing in the Main Examination will have to apply again, in a detailed Application Form which would be supplied to them by UPSC



Eligibility Criteria



Age Limit

The candidate applying for the examination should be between the age 21 years and 30 years on August.  He/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1983.



Educational Qualification



The candidate must possess a degree of any of 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.



Application Fee



The candidates are required to pay fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees Hundred only)



[All the above details are based on previous IAS exam ads and are subject to change in the coming years.  Therefore, candidates are advised to check the details from current year’s UPSC advertisement / UPSC website.]