The Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) is a highly coveted and competitive examination that selects candidates for many different posts in the Indian Civil Services. UPSC CSE is conducted in three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test/Interview. The exam is known for its rigorous evaluation process and is considered one of the toughest examinations in India. It attracts thousands of candidates every year who aspire to become administrators, police officers, foreign service officers, and other high-ranking officials in the Indian bureaucracy.
The UPSC CSE 2025 will offer aspiring candidates a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills across various fields such as history, politics, geography, economics, science, and technology. The UPSC exam date for the preliminary exam is 25th May 2025, which will be an objective type test comprising two papers – General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II (CSAT). Candidates who qualify for the prelims will be eligible for the main exam. The Mains exam ( 22nd August 2025 ) consists of nine papers, including an essay paper, two language papers, four General Studies papers, and two optional papers chosen by the candidate. The final stage is the personality test/interview, conducted for candidates who qualify for the Mains examination.
The calendar for UPSC CSE 2025 has been released, and candidates aspiring to appear in the exam should commence their preparation without delay.
Below are the essential highlights of the UPSC CSE 2025 Recruitment examination:
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Stages | Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, Personality Test/Interview |
| Preliminary Exam Date | May 25, 2025 |
| Main Exam Date | August 22, 2025 |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university |
| Age Limit | An Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 |
| Nationality | Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 |
| Number of Vacancies | 979 |
| Application Process | Online through the UPSC website |
| Exam Pattern | Prelims: Objective type Mains: Subjective type |
| Selection Process | Based on the combined scores of the Prelims, Main Exam, and Personality Test/Interview |
| Exam Syllabus | Includes subjects such as history, polity, geography, economics, science, and technology |
| Admit Card | To be released on the UPSC website before the exam |
| Result | To be announced on the UPSC website after the exam |
| Official Website | https://www.upsc.gov.in/ |
The examination dates for UPSC CSE 2025 have been provided below as announced:
| Events of UPSC CSE Exam 2025 | UPSC CSE Exam Dates |
| UPSC CSE Notification 2025 Release Date | 22nd January 2025 |
| Application Start Date 2025 | 22nd January 2025 |
| Last date to apply for UPSC Exam 2025 | 11th February 2025 |
| UPSC Prelims Admit Card Release Date 2025 | 13th May, 2025 |
| UPSC Prelims Exam Date 2025 | 25th May 2025 |
| UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2025 | 11th June, 2025 |
| UPSC Mains Exam Date 2025 | 22nd August 2025 |
| UPSC CSE Mains Result 2025 | To be Announced |
| UPSC CSE Interview Dates 2025 | To be Announced |
| UPSC CSE Result 2025 (Final list of selected candidates) | To be Announced |
Candidates appearing for the UPSC CSE exam must go through the eligibility criteria before moving on to the registration process. A candidate’s eligibility will be measured on four grounds: educational qualifications, age limit, nationality, and number of attempts. The candidate must pass all these criteria in order to appear for the UPSC CSE examination.
The UPSC exam does not mandate applicants to hold an extensive educational qualification certificate. Candidates must possess a graduation-level degree from a government-recognized or UGC-approved university, regardless of the branch of study. Applicants in their last year of graduation can also apply for UPSC CSE, provided they receive their graduation results before the final exam. Be sure to check the UPSC CSE last date for application submission.
The age limit for the UPSC 2025 exam must be calculated as of August 1, 2025, and candidates must meet the age criteria specified in the notification.
| Category | Minimum Age for UPSC 2025 | Maximum Age |
| For General Candidate | 21 year | 32 year |
| For OBC candidates | 21 year | 35 year |
| For SC/ST | 21 year | 37 year |
Age relaxation for various categories is provided by UPSC, and it is essential for candidates to review the age relaxation details for the exam.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| Defense Services Personnel | 3 years |
| Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs | 5 years |
| Hearing problems, deaf, ex-servicemen, low vision, blindness, muscle deformity | 10 years |
The candidate must meet one of the following criteria:
The Union Public Service Commission has announced 979 UPSC Civil Services vacancies for 2025 for the posts of IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. The number has increased from the previously notified 816 vacancies. 37 vacancies will be reserved for the Persons with Disabilities category, the breakdown being: Deaf and Hard of Hearing – 05 vacancies, Locomotor Disability – 15 Vacancies, Multiple Disabilities – 10 vacancies, Blindness, and Low Vision – 07.
To complete the application process, candidates must visit the official UPSC website and carefully read the instructions provided. The following steps should be followed to successfully fill out the UPSC application form:
The application fee for UPSC CSE can be paid through both online and offline channels. Candidates can pay the fees by Credit Card/Debit Card or Net Banking portals or download the e-challan and pay the fee in cash at the nearest SBI Branch within a day. Given below is the fee structure for online applications.
| Category | Application Fee |
| General Category and Other Backward Category | Rs. 100/- |
| Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Persons with Disabilities and Females | Exempted from fees |
The UPSC exam admit card will be made available for download on the official UPSC portal. On the official website, candidates who have successfully applied for the UPSC CSE exam can download the admit cards using their login credentials. The following steps should be followed to download the UPSC admit card:
After downloading the admit card, the candidates must make sure that all the details are correctly mentioned in the admit card. If not, candidates must get them rectified by the latest. The Admit Card will contain:
Please find below the exam pattern for UPSC CSE. Additionally, you can refer to the Indian Administrative Services Exam Pattern.
The detailed exam pattern is outlined below:
| Paper | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| General Studies Paper I | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT) | 80 | 200 | 2 hours |
The written exam is comprised of the following papers:
| Paper | Subjects | Marks |
| Paper A | One Indian language to be selected by the candidate. | 300 marks |
| Paper B | English | 300 marks |
| Paper – 1 | Essay | 250 marks |
| Paper – 2 | General Studies – 1 | 250 marks |
| Paper – 3 | General Studies – 2 | 250 marks |
| Paper – 4 | General Studies – 3 | 250 marks |
| Paper – 5 | General Studies – 4 | 250 marks |
| Paper – 6 | Optional Subject – paper 1 | 250 marks |
| Paper – 7 | Optional subject – paper 2 | 250 marks |
The Personality test is comprised of the following papers:
| Exam | Marks |
| Personality test | 275 marks |
The Preliminary examination for the Civil Services comprises of two papers commonly referred to as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). These papers are categorized as general studies and cover a range of topics.
The UPSC CSE Prelims syllabus is as follows:
| Paper 1 | ● Comprehension ● General mental ability ● Logical reasoning and analytical ability ● Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, etc. — Class X level) ● Data interpretation ● Tables, charts, graphs, data sufficiency, etc. — (Class X level) ● Decision making and problem-solving Interpersonal skills including communication skills |
| Paper 2 | ● Comprehension ● General mental ability ● Logical reasoning and analytical ability ● Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, etc. — Class X level) ● Data interpretation ● Tables, charts, graphs, data sufficiency, etc. — (Class X level) ● Decision-making and problem-solving Interpersonal skills including communication skills |
The UPSC CSE 2025 Mains syllabus is as follows:
| Paper | Subjects |
| Paper A | One Indian language to be selected by the candidate. |
| Paper B | English |
| Paper – 1 | Essay |
| Paper – 2 | General Studies – 1 (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and geography of the world.) |
| Paper – 3 | General Studies – 2 (Governance, International Relations, Constitution, etc.) |
| Paper – 4 | General Studies – 3 (Environment, Technology, Disaster Management, etc.) |
| Paper – 5 | General Studies – 4 (Aptitude, Integrity, and Ethics.) |
| Paper – 6 | Optional Subject – paper 1 |
| Paper – 7 | Optional subject – paper 2 |
| English | Indian Language |
● Comprehension of Given Passages ● Short Essays ● Usage and Vocabulary ● Precis Writing | ● Comprehension of Given Passages ● Short Essays ● Usage and Vocabulary ● Precis Writing & Translation from the Indian language to English and English to the Indian Language |
| Optional subjects | · Agriculture · Animal husbandry and Veterinary Science · Anthropology · Botany · Chemistry · Civil Engineering · Commerce and Accountancy · Economics · Electrical Engineering · Geography · History · Law · Management · Mathematics · Mechanical Engineering · Medical Science · Philosophy · Political Science · Psychology · Political Administration · Sociology · Statistics & Zoology |
After conducting the UPSC Exam 2025, the UPSC will publish the answer key and candidates’ scores on its website. The minimum scores required to qualify for the exam will also be announced after the final results are declared. To access the UPSC Answer Key 2025, candidates should follow these steps:
The cut-off marks for the year 2025 have not yet been made available. However, the cut-off marks for the year 2021 are provided below:
| Exam | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwBD-1 | PwBD-2 | PwBD-3 | PwBD-4 |
| Prelims | 87.54 | 80.14 | 84.85 | 75.41 | 70.71 | 68.02 | 67.33 | 43.09 | 45.80 |
| Mains | 745 | 713 | 707 | 700 | 700 | 668 | 712 | 388 | 560 |
| Final | 953 | 916 | 910 | 886 | 883 | 892 | 932 | 689 | 701 |
Upon the conclusion of the UPSC Exam 2025, the UPSC will publish the exam results, including candidates’ scores and the minimum scores required to pass the exam in different categories, on its website.
To check the UPSC Result 2025, follow the steps below:
How to check the UPSC CSE Personality Test Schedule
In 2025, the UPSC offers a starting basic salary of 55,000 (excluding DA, TA, HRA, etc.) that can go up to 2,50,000. Additionally, the candidates are entitled to various allowances and benefits, listed as follows.
If you are planning to take the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) in 2025, then be aware that it is one of the most highly competitive exams in India. Achieving success in this exam demands a methodical approach and unwavering commitment. To assist you in preparing for the UPSC CSE 2025, here are a few tips:
Stay motivated: Preparing for UPSC CSE can be overwhelming, so it’s important to stay motivated. Surround yourself with positive people, take breaks when needed, and remember why you started preparing for the exam in the first place
Recommended Reads:
Ans. The application process for UPSC CSE 2025 is conducted online on the official website of UPSC. Candidates will have to register themselves on the website and fill in the application form with all the necessary details. The application fee can be paid online.
Ans. The UPSC CSE 2025 exam consists of three stages:
Preliminary examination (objective type questions)
Main examination (written exam)
Personality Test (interview)
Ans. The syllabus for UPSC CSE 2024 includes topics like Indian Polity and Governance, Indian Economy, Indian History and Culture, Geography of India, Environment and Ecology, General Science, etc.
Ans. To prepare for UPSC CSE 2025, candidates should follow a structured study plan, refer to standard textbooks and study materials, solve previous years’ question papers and mock tests, current affairs, and practice answer writing. Coaching institutes can also be helpful, but they are not mandatory.
Ans. SEVEN – Candidates’ should aim to answer questions within 7 minutes per question. FIVE – Write 5 points in their answers related to the keyword. It would be better to break down the answer into bulleted points. THREE – Elaborate each point in 3 dimensions as per the requirements listed in the question.
Authored by, Amay Mathur | Senior Editor
Amay Mathur is a business news reporter at Chegg.com. He previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. His areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. He is a Columbia University graduate.
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Chegg India does not ask for money to offer any opportunity with the company. We request you to be vigilant before sharing your personal and financial information with any third party. Beware of fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with our company and promising monetary rewards or benefits. Chegg India shall not be responsible for any losses resulting from such activities.
