People consider UPSC to be a tough nut to crack. But with strong determination, you can crack this exam. Along with it, a proper strategy and accurate knowledge about this exam are also very important. Firstly, one needs to know the UPSC eligibility criteria. After knowing about it, one can kickstart with his or her preparation. The candidates applying for UPSC Civil Service Exam must ensure that they fulfill all the Eligibility Criteria for the UPSC or IAS Exam. In this article, we are mainly going to guide you through the details of the Educational Qualification (or criteria) for the UPSC or IAS Exam. Hence, go through this article to a clear insight on UPSC Eligibility Criteria.
Educational Qualification for UPSC Exam
Go through the list of basic educational qualification (or criteria) for UPSC (or IAS) Exam:
- A candidate aspiring for UPSC Exam must hold a degree of:
- Any of the Universities affiliated by the Government of India, or
- Any educational institutions established under the Indian Government, or
- Possess an equivalent qualification.
- A candidate who holds a professional or technical qualification is also eligible for the UPSC exam. However, it must be recognized by the Government or its equivalent
- A candidate who has passed M.B.B.S or any other medical examination, but has not been able to complete the internship at the time applying for the UPSC exam. In that case, provisional admission to the exam will be given, provided that the candidate must submit a copy of the certificate from the concerned authority of the University or Institution. It should state that the candidate had passed the requisite final professional medical examination. Moreover, this copy of the certificate must be submitted along with the application.
- A candidate who has appeared an exam but is waiting for the result can also apply for the UPSC Preliminary exam.
- All the candidates who are declared qualified by UPSC to sit for the Mains exam are required to produce the proof of passing the prerequisite exam. Moreover, they must provide this proof along with the application for the UPSC Mains Examination. If they fail to do so, the commission will not allow them to sit for the Mains examination.
An additional criteria for appearing in the UPSC IFS Category
There is an additional educational criterion for appearing in the UPSC IFS category. A candidate who is aiming for the UPSC IFS category must hold a bachelor’s degree in any one of the following subjects:
- Physics
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Forestry
- Agriculture
- Engineering
Some other important eligibility criteria required for IAS Exam
Besides the educational qualifications, the candidate needs to fulfill some other requirements to satisfy the eligibility criteria for the IAS (or UPSC) Exam. Thus, we are providing a list of other criteria required for the exam.
Nationality
The candidate must fulfil one of the following criteria in order to be eligible for the UPSC Exam.
- The candidate must be a citizen of :
- India or
- Nepal or
- A Subject of Bhutan.
- The candidate must be of Indian origin.
- The candidate must be a refugee from Tibet and has permanently settled in India before 1st January 1962.
Age Limits
The minimum age limit for the candidate must be 21 years. The maximum age limit is 32 years. In addition to it, the maximum age limit is given relaxation for the candidates belonging to the following categories:
- 5 years for the SC and ST category, which makes their maximum age limit 37 years.
- 3 years for the OBC category, which makes their maximum age limit 35 years.
- 3 years for Defense service personnel, which makes their maximum age limit 35 years.
- 5 years for Ex-Servicemen, which makes their maximum age limit 37 years.
- 10 years for physically challenged people, which makes their maximum age limit 42 years.
- 5 years for ECOs or SSCOs, which makes their maximum age limit 37 years.
Number of Attempt
The number of attempts a candidate can take for appearing the exam is varies for different category. Thus, we are providing a list for it:
- 6 attempts for General Category and the EWS ( Economically Weaker Section ) category, up to the age of 32 years
- 9 attempts for the OBC Category, up to the age of 35 years
- No limitation in the number of attempts for the SC and ST category, up to the age of 37 years
- 9 attempts for physically challenged people. Provided that they belong to the General or OBC or EWS category, up to the age of 42 years
- No limitation in the number of attempts for physically challenged people. Provided that they belong to the SC or ST category, up to the age of 42 years
To know more about the eligibility criteria for UPSC Exam, check out the following link : Click here. By clicking on this link, you get all the details of the UPSC Exam.
Some Basic Information about the UPSC Exam
Although this article is mainly concerned with the basic educational qualification required for IAS Exam. But, before applying for this exam, one must have a basic idea about the exam. This includes the type of exam and its categories. This exam mainly consists of three parts, namely:
- Preliminary Exam ( UPSC Prelims )
- It consists of two papers. The nature of both the papers is Multiple Choice Questions. One paper includes questions from general studies. The other paper is the CSAT paper. CSAT is the Civil Service Aptitude Test. The CSAT paper is a qualifying paper.
- Mains Exam ( UPSC Mains )
- It consists of nine papers. It consists of four general studies paper. English and Modern Indian language paper are only qualifying papers. It also consists of an essay paper and two papers on the optional subject.
- Interview Round ( Personality Test )
- This round tests the personality of the candidate. The interview round is held for around thirty minutes.
In order to go through this exam, one needs to stay motivated. A strong will is needed in order to succeed. Along with it, the correct preparation strategy is extremely important. The first question that comes up while talking about IAS preparation (i.e.preparing for the UPSC Exam) is when to start. Firstly, we need to chalk
out in our mind about when to appear for the exam and then start the preparation accordingly. We should always keep in mind that the whole exam
the procedure takes around one year and the preparation for the exam takes at least another year.
FAQs | UPSC Eligibility Criteria
Yes, you are eligible for the UPSC exam. Since you possess the minimum educational criteria required to appear for the UPSC exam.
Yes, you can apply for the exam. But the candidates who qualify for the UPSC Mains exam must produce proof of passing the prerequisite exam. Moreover, this proof must be provided along with the application for the UPSC Mains Examination.
Yes, you are eligible to sit for the UPSC exam. But if you are allotted the IAS or IFS service, then you are not eligible to reappear for the exam. Moreover, you must keep in mind the other eligibility criteria for the UPSC exam.
No, this will not be considered an attempt. However, if you have appeared in any one of the papers of the UPSC Preliminary exam, the commission will count that as an attempt.
No, not at all. There is no minimum grade in graduation which is required. Your graduation grade is not a criterion needed to apply for the UPSC Exam. But, having a good grade will make a good impression of the candidate.
Editor’s Note | UPSC Eligibility Criteria
This article basically makes the readers aware of the basic Eligibility Criteria required for the UPSC Exam. In this particular article, we have emphasized the educational qualification required for the exam. In addition to it, a few other criteria are also discussed in brief. This article will help the UPSC aspirants to have a clear idea of UPSC Eligibility Criteria while applying for it. We hope that the readers will find this article to be useful.
