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Civil Services Examination(CSE)

What is CSE ?

The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most competitive and prestigious exams in India, conducted by UPSC to recruit candidates for key posts such as Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and various Group 'A' and Group 'B' Central Services.

It offers premier job opportunities and a challenging career. The selected candidates play a major role in the bureaucracy, holding strategic posts across the country. These candidates recruited as officers are involved in various key responsibilities like policymaking, implementation, law and order, general administration, development of new projects, etc.

Opportunities after clearing UPSC (CSE)

The officers will get a chance to work in diverse fields and hold key posts such as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), District Magistrate (DM), Superintendent of Police (SP), Divisional Commissioner (DC), Principal Secretaries, Financial Commissioners, and Chief Secretary of State, Cabinet Secretary etc.

The Civil Services Examination is conducted for recruitment to the Services and Posts mentioned below:

Group A Services

  • Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
  • Indian Police Service (IPS)
  • Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
  • Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
  • Indian Revenue Service (I.T.)
  • Indian Audit and Accounts Service
  • Indian Defense Accounts Service
  • Indian Defense Estates Service
  • Indian Information Service
  • Indian Postal Service
  • Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service
  • Indian Railway Protection Force
  • Indian Trade Service
  • Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
  • Indian Civil Accounts Service
  • Indian Corporate Law Service

Group B Services

  • Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service
  • Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)
  • Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS)
  • Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS)
  • Pondicherry Police Service (PONDIPS)

Scheme of Examination

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) consists of three stages:

  • Preliminary Examination
  • Main Examination
  • Personality Test/Interview

Note:

  • The question papers will be both in Hindi and English.
  • If a candidate appears in the preliminary examination, an attempt will be counted; only submitting an online application will not be counted as an attempt.

State 2: Main Examination

The main examination is a written examination consisting of 9 papers.

Qualifying Papers

  • English
  • One language paper selected by the candidate from the languages included in the 8th Schedule to the Indian Constitution
  • Minimum qualifying marks: 25% of the total marks (300)

Nationality

1. For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
2. For other services, a candidate must be either:
    a. a citizen of India, or
    b. a subject of Nepal, or
    c. a subject of Bhutan, or
    d. a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
   e. a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories b, c, d, e shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the government of India. Provided further that candidates belonging to categories b, c, d above will not be eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the government of India.

Minimum Educational Qualification

  • The candidate must hold 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.
  • Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination.
  • In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who has not any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he/she has passed examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his/her admission to the examination.
  • Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the examination.
  • Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical Examination but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree.
Category Upper Age Limit No. Of Attempts
Gen 32 Year 06
OBC 35 Year 09
SC/ST 37 Year Till upper age limit
PH

Gen: 42 Year

OBC: 45 Year

SC/ST: 47 Year

Gen: 09 attempts

OBC: 09 attempts

SC/ST: Till upper age limit
Disabled Serviceman

Gen: 37 Year

OBC: 38 Year

SC/ST: 40 Year

 Till upper age limit

Ex-servicemen

(Military Service)

Gen: 37 Year

OBC: 40 Year

SC/ST: 42 Year

 Till upper age limit

Note

  • A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years.
  • An attempt at a preliminary examination shall be deemed to be an attempt for the Civil Services examination.
  • If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the preliminary examination, he/she shall be deemed to have made an attempt at the examination.
  • Notwithstanding the disqualification/cancellation of a candidate of his/her candidature, the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.

The civil services Examination consist of three stages :

1. Preliminary 

2. Main Exam

3. Personality Test

  • Question paper is set in English and Hindi.
  • If you apply online but remain absent in prelims, then your attempt is NOT counted.
 
Preliminary Examination
Subject Paper Type Duration No. of Question Marks Negative Marking
Paper-I GeneralStudies Objective 2 Hours 100 200 1/3 of Marks allotted to the ques.
Paper-II CSAT Objective 2 Hours 80 200 1/3 of Marks allotted to the ques.

NOTE 1: 33% marks are the minimum qualifying marks for paper-II.

NOTE 2: Preliminary examination will be conducted for screening purpose only. Only those candidates who qualify preliminary examination will be eligible for main examination.

Stage 2 Main

Main Examination is a written type of examination conducted in IX papers. Out of those IX papers marks obtained by a candidate in I to VII papers i.e of Four papers of General Studies, Two papers of optional and an essay paper will be counted for merit. Language papers are of Qualifying Nature.

Stage 3 Interview

Interview according to UPSC is described to be a test of candidate’s overall personality which includes analytical ability, lateral thinking, logical decision making etc. The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a board of competent and unbiased observers.

Personality Test (Interview)
Marks 275 marks

Grand Total = 1750 (Witten) + 275 (Personality Test ) = 2025

 

NEXT IAS, an initiative of MADE EASY Group, under the tutelage of Mr. B. Singh renowned educationist and founder of MADE EASY Group, has successfully transformed many candidates into future bureaucrats of the country.

NEXT IAS provides Classroom programme, Online/Live Classes, Online/Offline test series, Postal Study Package, Interview Guidance Program. We offer the courses for GS, Essay, CSAT and Optional Subjects.

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