UPSC CSE
Recruitment to the IAS, IPS, IFS (Foreign Service), IRS and other Group A and Group B central services. The same Preliminary sitting also screens candidates for the Indian Forest Service (IFoS).
Eligibility
You need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Final-year students may apply but must show proof of passing at the Mains stage. Age must be 21-32 years on 1 August of the exam year, with relaxation of 3 years for OBC, 5 years for SC/ST and 10 years for PwBD. General/EWS candidates get 6 attempts, OBC and PwBD candidates get 9, and SC/ST candidates have no limit up to the age cap.
Age limit: 21-32 years (relaxation for reserved categories)
Exam pattern
There are three stages. The Prelims has two objective papers of 2 hours each on the same day: General Studies Paper I (100 questions, 200 marks), which decides the merit list, and CSAT/Paper II (80 questions, 200 marks), which is qualifying at 33%. A wrong answer costs one-third of that question's marks. The Mains has nine descriptive papers. Paper A (an Indian language) and Paper B (English), at 300 marks each, are qualifying only. Seven papers count towards merit: the Essay, four General Studies papers and two Optional Subject papers, each worth 250 marks, for a total of 1,750. The Personality Test (interview) carries 275 marks, so the final merit list is out of 2,025.
Syllabus at a glance
The Prelims GS paper covers history and the national movement, Indian and world geography, polity and governance, economy and social development, environment and ecology, general science and current affairs. CSAT tests comprehension, logical reasoning, decision-making and basic numeracy up to Class 10 level. The four Mains GS papers cover heritage, history and society (GS I), polity, governance, social justice and international relations (GS II), economy, agriculture, science and technology, environment, disaster management and internal security (GS III), and ethics, integrity and aptitude, including case studies (GS IV). You also take one optional subject chosen from a list of about 48.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 2027 notification and online application opens (upsconline.nic.in) | 13 Jan 2027 | confirmed |
| Last date to apply | 2 Feb 2027 | confirmed |
| Preliminary Examination 2027 (same sitting as IFoS Prelims) | 23 May 2027 (Sunday) | confirmed |
| Prelims result | Mid-June 2027 | expected |
| Main Examination 2027 (5 days) | From 20 Aug 2027 | confirmed |
| Personality Test and final result | Jan-Apr 2028 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Indian Polity - M. Laxmikanth
- A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum) - Rajiv Ahir
- Indian Economy - Ramesh Singh
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography - G.C. Leong
- Indian Art and Culture - Nitin Singhania
- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude - Niraj Kumar (Chronicle)
How toppers play it
- CSAT is qualifying, but every year aspirants with strong GS scores fail it. Take timed CSAT mocks early and make sure you can reliably score above 66 out of 200.
- With one-third negative marking, attempt questions where you can confidently eliminate two options. Toppers typically attempt 80-90 of the 100 GS questions, not all of them.
- Pick your optional by syllabus overlap and past scoring trends, not popularity. It carries 500 of the 1,750 merit marks in the Mains.
- Start answer writing at least 6 months before the Mains. Each GS paper requires 20 answers in 3 hours, so speed and structure (introduction, body, conclusion, diagrams) matter as much as content.
- Prepare for Prelims and Mains together through one integrated plan, but switch to Prelims-only revision and mocks in the final 2-3 months before May.