The aspirants are well advised to go check the UPSC age limit , educational qualifications, number of attempts, etc. before starting to prepare for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). As you probably know, that Civil Services Examination (CSE) is conducted by the New Delhi-based Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It is one of the country’s most coveted and demanding competitive examinations. Through this exam, successful candidates are recruited into various government services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), etc.
At any time, about 15 lakh aspirants prepare for this exam. Of these, about 10 lakh, fill out the examination form, and about half of them appear for the first stage of the exam. Click here to know more about the stages and process of the exam. If you are planning to prepare for the exam or planning to appear for the exam, you are required to check the official website of UPSC as well.
Table of Contents
UPSC Age Limit and Other General Requirements
The eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services Examination are as follows.
Nationality
For the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) the candidate must be a citizen of India.
For all other services, the candidate must be a citizen of India or Nepal or a subject of Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India.
UPSC Age Limit
The prescribed UPSC age limit varies for different category. The candidate must have attained the age of 21 years on 1st August of the year in which he/she is appearing for the examination. The upper age limit for the General category candidate is 32 years. However, maximum age relaxation has been given to candidates of various categories. The relaxation for various categories and the maximum age of these categories’ candidates is given below:
| SN | Category | Minimum Age | Relaxation in Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | General | 21 | – | 32 |
| #2 | OBC | 21 | 3 Years | 32+3=35 |
| #3 | SC & ST | 21 | 5 Years | 32+5=37 |
| #4 | PwD – General & OBC | 21 | 10 Years | 32+10=42 |
| #5 | PwD – SC & ST | 21 | 15 Years | 32+15=47 |
Note #1: OBC means candidate belonging to Other Backward Class (OBC) category. A person belonging to the “Creamy Layer” of the OBC category is not entitled to reservations under the OBC category and such candidates are to be considered as General Category candidates.
Note #2: SC means candidate belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
Note #3: ST means candidate belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
Note #4: PwD means candidate belonging to Person with Disabilities (PwD).
Educational Qualification
The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university. Candidates who are in the final year of their degree program are also eligible to apply, provided they submit their proof of passing the degree examination at the time of the interview.
The percentage of the bachelor’s degree does not matter. The candidates must have passed the exam for an undergraduate bachelor’s degree. The degree and university must be from a university recognized by the UGC.
Candidates who have appeared or intend to appear for the graduation examination and are awaiting results are also eligible to appear for the Preliminary Examination. Candidates who have passed the final year of MBBS or any Medical Examination but are yet to complete the internship can also appear for the Preliminary as well as the Main Examination.
Some of the bachelor’s degree courses recognized in the country are: BA (Bachelor of Arts), BCom (Bachelor of Commerce), BSc (Bachelor of Science), BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications), BTech (Bachelor of Technology), BE (Bachelor of Engineering), BArch (Bachelor of Architecture), BBA (Bachelor of Business Application), BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), LLB (Bachelor of Law), BDS (Bachelor of Dental Science), MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine), BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathy), BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science), BJMC (Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication), BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management), CA (Chartered Accountants), etc.
Number of Attempts
The number of maximum attempts for the Civil Services Examination is limited. The number of maximum attempts for a General category candidate is 6 (six). Candidates belonging to other categories have been given additional attempts. This is given below:
| SN | Category | Maximum Attempts | Additional Attempts | Total Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | General | 6 | – | 6 |
| #2 | OBC | 6 | 3 | 6+3=9 |
| #3 | SC & ST | No attempt counts. The candidate can give any number of attempts till the maximum age allowed for the category. | ||
| #4 | PwD – General & OBC | 6 | 3 | 9+3=9 |
| #5 | PwD – SC & ST | No attempt counts. The candidate can give any number of attempts till the maximum age allowed for the category. | ||
Note: Candidates who have exhausted their attempts count are not eligible to apply for the exam.
When an Attempt is counted?
It is to be noted that merely filling out the examination form is not counted as an attempt. The attempt is counted when the candidate appears in the Preliminary examination in at least one of the papers. If a candidate has filled or applied for the Civil Services Examination but does not appear in any of the papers in the Preliminary Examination, then that won’t be counted as an attempt.
Restrictions for All India Services
A candidate who has been selected and is appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) on the results of an earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to appear for the Civil Services Examination.
In the case where the candidate has been selected and has not been allocated the services and appears in the Preliminary Examination, but later on, gets Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), then such candidates will not be eligible to appear in the Civil Services (Main) Examination.
Physical Requirements
The physical requirements for the candidates may vary depending on the specific requirements of the administrative service one is applying for. However, generally speaking, the physical requirements for the candidates are not very strict. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) does not have any specific physical standards for candidates. However, candidates who are selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS) or the Indian Forest Service (IFS) are required to meet certain physical standards, including height, chest measurement, and eyesight.
Here are some of the physical requirements for the candidates appearing in the Civil Services Examination:
- Height: For male candidates, the minimum height required is 165 cm (for some services, it may be 160 cm). For female candidates, the minimum height required is 150 cm (for some services, it may be 145 cm).
- Chest: For male candidates, the minimum chest measurement should be 84 cm when expanded (for some services, it may be 79 cm). There should be a minimum of 5 cm expansion during the chest measurement. There are no chest measurement requirements for female candidates.
- Vision: Candidates should have a minimum distant vision of 6/9 in the better eye and 6/12 in the other eye. They should also have binocular vision and should be able to read without glasses.
- Hearing: Candidates should not have any hearing impairment.
- Physical Fitness: Candidates should be physically fit to carry out the duties of the job. They should not have any physical deformities that may interfere with their work.
It is important to note that these are just general guidelines, and candidates should check the specific physical requirements for the administrative service they are applying for.
These are the basic eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Candidates must ensure and check with official notifications by the UPSC that they fulfill all the eligibility conditions before applying for the exam.
Also read:
- UPSC Civil Services Exam Syllabus
- UPSC Civil Services Exam Books
- Government Websites useful for UPSC aspirants
- Private Websites useful for UPSC aspirants
- Blogs by UPSC Toppers useful for UPSC aspirants
- How to study for UPSC Civil Services Exam
- UPSC Official Website
