UPSC Exams

UPSC CSE (Civil Service Exam)

Union Public Service Commission Civil Service Exam is the most popular exams conducted by UPSC on a national level offline. Candidates appearing for UPSC CSE should have a minimum age of 21 years and a maximum of 32 years for the open and economically weaker section (EWS). SC/ST category candidate age relaxation is for 5 years i.e. 37 years, and for the OBC category, it is 3 years, i.e. 35 years.

UPSC CSE consists of three stages of examination:

• The Preliminary Examination: This exam is based on objective-type questions, and it is a screening test. Candidates who will be able to clear this exam will be qualified in the next stage.
• The Mains Examination: This exam is based on subjective type questions and comprises of English, Essay, General Studies, Optical subject paper.
• Interview/Personality Test: The interview or Personality Test is the last stage of the examination.

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 (UPSC CSE 2025) is set for May 25, 2025, while the Mains examination will commence on August 22, 2025

UPSC Prelims Exam

There are two papers for UPSC prelims exam – General Studies I and General Studies II. Both papers have a negative marking, and 1/3 of the marks will be deducted for every incorrect question. Both papers are taken on the same day, with an exam duration of 2 hours for each of the papers.

Both papers are of 200 marks each. General Studies I will have 100 questions, and General Studies II will have 80 questions. Candidates have to score cutoff marks to qualify for the prelims exam.

UPSC Mains Exam

There are a total of 9 (nine) papers with 1 paper on an essay, 4 general studies papers, 2 optional papers, and 2 language papers for UPSC CSE Mains exam papers all of pen paper format totalling 1750 marks.

UPSC CSE – Interview

Qualified UPSC CSE Mains exam candidates are only allowed for personal interviews. The marks for the interview are 275 marks. Candidates are evaluated based on mains and interview scores. The total marks are (1750 + 275) = 2025. The selected candidates will receive a four-month foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

UPSC CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test)

Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Aptitude Test (UPSC CSAT), or General Studies Paper III, is conducted by UPSC to check/test candidates' analytical skills. There will be 80 questions of multiple choice type objective questions and is an offline exam for 2 hours. There will be a negative marking for the exam, with 1/3 of the maximum marks deducted for every incorrect answer. The paper will have subjects like comprehension, logical reasoning, numeracy skills and data interpretation.

CSAT Eligibility Criteria:

• The applicant must be an Indian citizen or a citizen of Nepal/Bhutan/Tibetan refugees who were in India before 1st January 1962.
• The applicant must attain an age of at least 21 years, and the maximum age limit varies as per the position applied for.
• Candidates must hold a graduation degree from a recognized college or university. Students who are in the final year of their graduation are also eligible to apply.
• A general candidate aspirant is allowed to attempt the exam not more than 6 times.

IAS Exam (Indian Administrative Services Exam)

UPSC IAS is an Indian Administrative Services examination that has three stages for recruitment – IAS Prelims, IAS Mains and IAS Interview. IAS prelims will have Paper I (General Studies) will have 100 questions, and Paper II (CSAT) will have 80 questions; both of these papers are of 200 marks and to be attempted within 2 hours. There will be a negative marking with 1/3 of the marks deducted for each incorrect answer.

Eligibility Criteria for IAS Exam: Candidates' age must be 21 years and less than 32 years. Candidates who are graduated can apply for the exam. He/She should be a citizen of India.

Positions filled: Trainee Officer at LBSNAA, Sub-District Magistrate, Divisional Commissioner, Cabinet Secretary of India, Chief Secretary, Joint Secretary/Undersecretary

Salary: An IAS Officer is entitled to a monthly salary of INR 93,650. Apart from the in-hand salary, they also receive various perks and benefits from the government.

IPS Exam (Indian Police Services Exam)

UPSC conducts exams for Indian Police Service (IPS) vacancies. There is a priority given to physical requirements for getting selected as IPS officer.

Physical Requirements:

• Male: Height 165 cm (open category), 160 cm (ST category). Chest: Minimum 84 cm, Expansion 5 cm. Eyesight: 6/6 or 6/9 distant vision for good eye
• Female: Height 150 cm (open category), 145 cm (ST category). Chest: Minimum 79 cm, Expansion 5 cm. Eyesight: 6/12 or 6/9 for worst eye

Eligibility: Candidates applying for the IPS exam must be graduated. The UPSC demands that the application should come under the age of 21 to 32.

Positions filled: Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP), Superintendent Police (SP), Additional Superintendent Police (ASP)

Salary: The starting salary is Rs. 56,100, up to Rs. 225,000 per month.

IFS Exam (Indian Foreign Services Exam)

Along with IAS, IPS and IRS, the IFS (Indian Foreign Service) is one of the most popular services in the UPSC exam. An IFS officer represents the nation and handles matters about India's external relations, including trade, diplomacy and cultural ties. Indian Foreign Service exam is conducted in three phases: Prelims, Mains and personal interview.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Age Limit: Minimum 21 years. Upper age limit for general category is 32 years. OBC candidates get 3 years relaxation (35 years).
• Educational Qualification: Candidates who have graduated from a recognized institute or college can apply. Final year graduates are also eligible.
• Nationality: He/She should be a citizen of India and a subject of Bhutan or Nepal.

Positions filled: Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Counsellor Director, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Secretary

Salary: The IFS Officer gets a monthly salary of Rs. 120,000. The payout varies based on experience and the role chosen.

UPSC IFoS (Indian Forest Services Exam)

UPSC conducts the IFoS exam to select officers for Indian forest services. This exam is divided into three stages: Preliminary Examination, Mains examination, and Interview.

Eligibility: Candidates appearing IFoS examination should be 21 years of age and should not be more than 32 years old. He/She should be a citizen of India and the subject of Nepal, Bhutan. The candidates should have their bachelor's degree with a specialization in subjects like Animal Husbandry, Botany, Geology, Mathematics, Physics or Agriculture/Engineering/Forestry.

Positions filled: Assistant Inspector General of Forests, Additional Director General of Forests, Deputy Inspector General of Forests, Director-General of Forests, Inspector General of Forests

Salary: The UPSC IFOS Officer is eligible to receive a salary of Rs. 56,100 to Rs. 224,100.

UPSC IRS (Indian Revenue Services Exam)

UPSC conducts exams to recruit group A candidates for the Indian revenue services of the government of India. Indian Revenue Services have two divisions, IRS (Income Tax) and IRS (Customs and Central Excise). In IRS there is no physical requirement needed.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Age Limit: Minimum age is 21 years. Upper UPSC age limit for general category is 32 years.
• Educational Qualification: Candidates in the last stage of graduation can also apply. They should have their bachelor's degree from a recognized university or board.
• Nationality: He/She should be a citizen of India and a subject of Nepal and Bhutan.

Exam Stages: Prelims Exam, Mains Exam, Interview

IES Exam (Indian Engineering Services Exam)

UPSC conducts the IES exam once a year to recruit engineers in 4 domains: Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Electronics and Telecommunication for the Techno managerial posts.

The UPSC Engineering Services (IES) 2025 Preliminary Exam is set for June 8, 2025, followed by the Main Exam on August 10, 2025

Selection Process consists of two stages:

• Prelims and Mains Exam: A candidates have to pass both exams if he/she wants to get selected. The preliminary Exam has two components General Ability and Engineering Subjects. Candidates who pass both papers 1 and 2 of the Preliminary Examination will be eligible to give the Mains Examinations.
• Personal Interview: UPSC conducts personal interviews for all the candidates who clear the Mains. The Personality Interview Exam has 200 points.

Positions filled: Indian Telecommunication Service, Border Roads Engineering Service, Central Power Engineering Service, Central Electrical and Mechanical Service, Indian Supply Service, Indian Ordnance Factory, Defense Service Engineering Corps, Indian Navy Armaments Service, Central Engineering Service for Roads, Geological Survey of India, Central Water Engineering, Indian Army Engineering Service, Indian Railway Service

Salary: Monthly income for an IES officer, which includes base pay, dearness allowance, and other allowances, ranges from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 2,00,000.

UPSC CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces Exam)

CAPF exam is conducted for recruitment in police force such as Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force. The examination of UPSC CAPF is conducted in offline mode and the time provided to candidates to complete the examination is 5 hours.

The UPSC CAPF (Assistant Commandant) 2025 Exam is set to take place on August 3, 2025

Recruitment has following three stages of selection:

• Written exam
• Physical and Medical tests
• Personal Interview

Final Interview: Accounts for 150 marks. Candidates are finally selected based on their performance in all these phases.

UPSC CMS (Combined Medical Services Exam)

UPSC conducts the Combined Medical Services exam to recruit the candidates educated in medical profession for posts like Assistant Medical officer, divisional medical officer or General Duty officers in Government run hospitals and health departments across various states of India.

The UPSC Combined Medical Services (CMS) 2025 Exam is set to take place on July 20, 2025

The UPSC CMS exam has two stages:

• Computer-Based Online Test
• Interview

Eligibility: MBBS graduate. Maximum age limit is 32. Maximum age limit is 35 for Junior scale posts

Positions filled: Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in the Railways, Junior Scale Post in the Central Health Service, Assistant Medical Officer in the Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service, General Duty Medical Officer in the New Delhi Municipal Council

Salary: The UPSC CMS passing candidates can be entitled to receive a salary of Rs. 1,00,652 per month after the necessary deductions.

UPSC SCRA (Special Class Railway Apprentice exam)

Special Class Railway Apprentice exam conducted by UPSC to train candidates for the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering at the Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Jamalpur. Candidates who wish to appear in the SCRA exam should have passed the first year of a B.Sc. degree in Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics and must be of age 17 years and not more than 21 years on the 1st of August of the year candidate appears on the exam.

UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist

UPSC conducts a Combined Geo-Scientist exam to select suitable candidates for the Geologist, Geophysicist and Chemist Group 'A' post in GSI, Central Ground Water Board and Scientist 'B' and Junior Hydro-geologist.

The UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist 2025 Preliminary Exam took place on February 9, 2025, while the Main Exam is scheduled for June 21 and 22, 2025

Eligibility: Candidates with a degree in M.Sc. in Physics or Applied Physics, Geophysics or Integrated M.Sc. in Exploration Geophysics or Applied Geophysics can apply.

Exam Stages: Preliminary, Mains and Personality Test.

Positions filled: Senior Geologist, Senior Geophysicist, Additional Director, Senior Hydrogeologist, Chief Geologist, Senior Mining Geologist, Deputy Director, Director

Salary: A candidate who is hired as a geoscientist would receive an in-hand UPSC combined salary of about INR 50,000.

UPSC Steno (Stenographer)

The Union Public Service Commission conducts a Stenographer exam as a recruitment process to select group B stenographers and section officers. UPSC Steno exam has two stages of the recruitment process – written exam and evaluation of services. The candidate should be an Indian citizen to apply for the post of stenographer.

The UPSC SO/Steno exam is scheduled for December 13, 2025, with the official notification expected on September 17, 2025.

Selection Process:

• Offline written exam and evaluation procedure of the service
• Those who have secured qualified marks will be called for evaluation
• After completing the evaluation process, the selected candidates will get the recruitment offer letter from UPSC

Positions filled: Grade 'B' of the Railway Board Secretariat Stenographers Service, Section Officers (SO) Grade of the Central Secretariat Service, SO Integrated Grade of the General Cadre of the Indian Foreign Service, Private Secretary Grade, Grade I of the Stenographers' Cadre of the Indian Foreign Service, Grade 'A' & 'B' merged the Armed Forces Headquarters Stenographers' Service

Salary: UPSC Stenographer is entitled to receive a salary of Rs. 9,300 to Rs. 34,800 and a grade pay of Rs. 4,600.

UPSC EPFO (Employee Provident Fund)

UPSC organizes the Employee Provident Funds of India exam to recruit enforcement officers or accounts managers in employee provident fund organizations. EPFO exam will have 120 multiple-choice type of questions for the test, and the medium of the exam can be English and Hindi. There will be a negative markings for each incorrect answer and 1/3 of the marks will be deducted.

The UPSC EPFO exam date for 2025 is expected to be in June or July.

Syllabus includes: General Mental Ability & Quantitative Aptitude, Social Security in India, Current Affairs, Industrial Relations & Labour Laws, Indian Polity & Economy, General Accounting Principles, General English, Indian Freedom Struggle and Current Affairs

Positions filled: Enforcement Officer, Accounts Officer, Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner, Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner – I & II

Salary: According to the 7th CPC, Level 8 of the pay matrix corresponds to the UPSC EPFO Salary. The remuneration ranges between Rs. 47,600 and Rs. 58,600.

UPSC Exam Preparation Tips

One of the most prestigious exams in India is the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Every year, thousands of individuals across the nation attempt it. However, only a very small percentage of them successfully achieve their goals.

• Be sure of yourself: Candidates must be sure of going for the UPSC exam. Establish priorities and manage your time well. Prepare yourself physically and mentally for the test before you begin your study.
• Draft a timetable: It is essential to have a structured daily schedule. Before your preparation, you should establish a convenient timeline and follow it.
• Go through the latest syllabus: Familiarize yourself with the syllabus before reading the books. The Civil Services Preliminary and Main Exam Syllabus has been elaborately supplied by the UPSC.
• Read the newspaper daily: The most important aspect of the exam is having vast knowledge about the current happenings. Candidates must read a newspaper daily to boost their knowledge.
• Choose the optional subjects: The optional subject in UPSC carries a total of 500 marks. Candidates should choose their optional subjects correctly based on interest and availability of resources.
• Preparing notes: Making brief notes while preparing for the UPSC is beneficial. It is helpful to keep track of the material covered and acts as a reminder for revision.
• Practice writing: The UPSC exam requires conceptual clarity in your thinking and immaculate organization of your opinions, assumptions, and ideas. Applicants must respond to queries succinctly and effectively.
• Solve question papers: Solving previous year's question papers helps in understanding the UPSC question paper pattern, types of questions and difficulty level of the exam.
• Go for mock tests: Self-assessment at regular intervals is necessary when preparing for UPSC. Joining a mock exam series is strongly advised.
• Revise daily: When you are taking a test as difficult as the UPSC exam, revision is a very important aspect. Because the UPSC syllabus is broad, covering a wide range of disciplines, it is normal to forget stuff you have previously learned.

UPSC Exam Books

UPSC is considered to be one of the toughest exams of all exams in India. Students aspiring to take the UPSC exam must not restrict their knowledge until the syllabus is prescribed by UPSC. The aspirants must have a wide idea of the national and international happenings in recent days.

Below is the list of 10 essential books for UPSC exam preparation:

These books are recommended by candidates who have already cleared the exam. These books contain the explanation of the matters in a more simplified manner. Students who are planning to attempt the exam must start with these books and qualify for their exam.