UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) — Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus, Salary & Vacancy 2026
Conducting Body: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
UPSC CSE is India's most prestigious Sarkari exam — recruiting officers for the All India Services (IAS, IPS, IFS) and Group A/B central services. Conducted annually with three stages: Prelims, Mains, Interview. Around 10 lakh candidates compete for ~1,000 posts.
About UPSC CSE
The Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) is the apex Sarkari recruitment exam of India. It selects officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and 24 other Group A and Group B central services — collectively known as the 'Civil Services'. Approximately 10 lakh candidates apply each year, ~5 lakh appear for Prelims, ~12,000 clear to Mains, and 900–1,100 are selected after the Interview.
The exam is conducted in three sequential stages: (1) Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Prelims) — 2 objective papers of 200 marks each, qualifying-only, (2) Civil Services Main Examination (Mains) — 9 descriptive papers totalling 1750 marks (English compulsory + Indian Language compulsory + Essay + 4 General Studies + 2 Optional Subject papers), and (3) Personality Test (Interview) — 275 marks. Final merit is Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 maximum.
Top ~150 ranks typically opt for IAS, next ~150 for IFS, next ~200 for IPS, and the remaining ~600 are allocated to Indian Revenue Service (IT and Customs), Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Defence Accounts Service, and other Group A services. Service allocation is based on rank, preference order submitted in DAF, and category. Cadre allocation (state of posting for IAS/IPS) is via the All-India Civil Services Cadre Allocation Policy.
UPSC CSE Eligibility 2026
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Final-year students can apply for Prelims; degree must be obtained before Mains DAF submission. |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 21 years |
| Maximum Age (General) | 32 years (relaxed for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/ESM as per rules) |
| Nationality | For IAS and IPS: Indian citizen only. For other services: Indian citizen, subject of Nepal/Bhutan, Tibetan refugee, or PIO from specified countries. |
UPSC CSE Salary & Pay Scale 2026
| Pay Level | Level 10 (₹56,100) entry, rising to Level 17 (₹2,25,000) |
|---|---|
| Basic Pay (entry) | ₹56,100 (entry) |
| Approx. Gross Salary | ₹86,000 – ₹95,000 per month at IAS/IPS Junior Scale entry (with DA, HRA, post-specific allowances) |
| Application Fee (General) | ₹100 (Prelims) |
| Application Fee (Reserved) | Free for SC/ST/PwBD/Women |
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2026
| Stage | Mode | Duration | Questions | Marks | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims Paper-1 (GS) | Objective (offline OMR) | 120 min | 100 | 200 | -0.66 per wrong (1/3 of 2) |
| Prelims Paper-2 (CSAT) | Objective (offline OMR) | 120 min | 80 | 200 | Qualifying-only (33% required) — -0.83 per wrong |
| Mains — 9 Papers | Descriptive (offline) | 180 min | — | 1750 | No negative marking; partial credit allowed |
| Personality Test (Interview) | Board interview at UPSC Bhavan, Delhi | 30 min | — | 275 | Qualifying minimum required |
UPSC CSE Syllabus Highlights
- Prelims Paper-1 (General Studies) — History, Polity, Economy, Geography, Environment, Science & Tech, Current Affairs
- Prelims Paper-2 (CSAT) — Comprehension, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude (Class 10 level), Decision Making
- Mains GS Paper-1 — Indian Heritage, Modern History, World History, Indian Society, Geography
- Mains GS Paper-2 — Indian Polity, Constitution, Governance, Social Justice, International Relations
- Mains GS Paper-3 — Economy, Agriculture, Science & Tech, Environment, Internal Security, Disaster Management
- Mains GS Paper-4 — Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude, Case Studies
- Optional Subject — 2 papers of 250 marks each, choose from 48 subjects (commonly Geography, History, PSIR, Sociology, Anthropology)
- Compulsory Indian Language and English — qualifying papers (300 marks each, 25% required)
UPSC CSE — Important Points to Remember
- 6 attempts for General; 9 for OBC; unlimited (up to age 37) for SC/ST
- Optional subject selection is critical — affects 500 marks; analysis of recent toppers shows PSIR, Geography, History, Sociology highly favoured
- Mains essay paper (250 marks) tests writing skill across two sections — choose 1 of 4 topics in each
- Interview at UPSC Bhavan, Dholpur House, New Delhi — board chaired by a UPSC member
- Service allocation reform 2017: 4-month foundation course at LBSNAA before service allocation, based on assessment + preference
UPSC CSE Vacancy Trend (Recent Years)
UPSC CSE 2024 announced 1,056 vacancies. CSE 2023 had 1,105 vacancies, 2022 had 1,011, 2021 had 712, 2020 had 796. Vacancies depend on retirements and DOPT-notified cadre needs across services.
Frequently Asked Questions — UPSC CSE 2026
Q1. What is the age limit for UPSC CSE for General candidates?
Minimum 21, maximum 32 years as on 1 August of the recruitment year. OBC: 35, SC/ST: 37, PwBD: 42 (General) / 45 (OBC) / 47 (SC/ST). EWS gets no age relaxation — treated as General for age purpose.
Q2. How many attempts can I make at UPSC CSE?
General: 6, OBC: 9, SC/ST: unlimited within age. PwBD: 9 General/OBC, unlimited SC/ST. An attempt is counted only if you actually appear in any paper of Prelims — registering without appearing is not an attempt.
Q3. Is there a separate exam for IFS (Indian Foreign Service)?
No. IFS is allocated through CSE based on rank and preference. Candidates aspiring for IFS appear in the same CSE — IFS is typically allocated to top 150–200 ranks who have IFS in their first 3 preferences and meet the language proficiency requirements.
Q4. Is graduation marks important for UPSC CSE?
No. Only a graduation degree is needed — not a specific percentage. UPSC does not consider your graduation marks in any way for selection or service allocation. Pure CSE performance decides everything.
Q5. What if I qualify Prelims but don't qualify CSAT (Paper-2)?
CSAT is qualifying-only — you need 33% (66/200). If you score below, you are out of CSE that year, regardless of Paper-1 score. CSAT failures are a known stumbling block; ~25% candidates fail to qualify CSAT despite clearing Paper-1 cut-off.
Official Information
For the most current notification, eligibility updates, and application links, always visit the official website: https://upsc.gov.in. ExamResultDekho.com – Sarkari Job Alert is an information portal — we do not conduct any exam or process applications. Always verify deadlines and apply through the conducting body's official portal.
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Related Sarkari Terms
Understand key concepts used in this exam — see our Sarkari Glossary for definitions of cut-off marks, normalisation, EWS, OBC-NCL, Pay Matrix, document verification and more.