The IAS Selection process is set by the Union Public Service Commission and comprises of different stages of exam. There are both objective and subject exams which are followed by a Personality Test.
The UPSC conducts the civil services exam every year to recruit officers to the Indian civil services. The civil services exam, commonly called the IAS exam due to the popularity of its most coveted service, is considered one of the toughest nuts to crack among all the selection examinations in the country. In this article, we give you the whole selection procedure of the UPSC CSE.
Candidates can also get detailed about the IAS Exam at the linked article.
| Start your IAS Exam preparation now with the UPSC Previous Year Question Papers! Also, compliment your preparation with the links given below: |
UPSC Civil Services Selection Process
The release date for the official IAS notification 2023 is February 1, 2023, and the set exam pattern, eligibility, syllabus, etc. is mentioned in the recruitment notification. Discussed below is the IAS selection process as per the UPSC CSE 2023 notification.
There are three stages of the IAS Selection Process:
- Prelims [Objevtive type]
- Mains [Descriptive type]
- Personality Test and Interview
To get the detailed UPSC Exam Pattern for the Civil Services Exam, aspirants can visit the linked article.
Pattern of the UPSC CSE
The civil services exam is conducted in three stages, each stage eliminating candidates who couldn’t make the cut. Starting with a few lakh candidates at the preliminary stage, just about a thousand candidates are chosen into the service each year.
Stage 1: UPSC Prelims exam
This stage consists of two objective type-papers namely, the General Studies Paper I and the General Studies Paper II.
You can check the syllabus for the two papers by clicking on the link below:
You can clear this stage and move on to the next stage only if you secure the minimum required marks for both the papers.
Minimum required score for GS Paper II (a.k.a CSAT): 33%
Minimum required score for GS Paper I: The cut-off prescribed by the UPSC
In the CSAT paper, you only have to clear it by scoring the minimum required marks; the marks obtained do not count for the rank list for the mains qualifier.
The prelims results are announced generally within two months of the exam. The UPSC releases a list of candidates who have cleared the prelims and qualified to take the UPSC Mains exam, which is the second stage of the IAS exam.
To get all relevant details about UPSC Prelims including the exam pattern, important dates, notes, study material, etc., candidates can visit the linked article.
From the links given below, IAS aspirants can download/view the NCERT books needed for UPSC Prelims preparation:
Stage 2: UPSC Mains exam
In this stage, you have to take nine papers all of which are descriptive in nature. The list of papers is given below:
- Essay paper – 250 marks
- Compulsory Indian language – 300 marks
- Compulsory English language – 300 marks
- General studies paper 1 – 250 marks
- General studies paper 2 – 250 marks
- General studies paper 3 – 250 marks
- General studies paper 4 – 250 marks
- Optional paper 1 – 250 marks
- Optional paper 2 – 250 marks
To read in detail about the UPSC mains exam papers and syllabus, click on the link below:
In order to clear the mains exam, you will have to score the required cut-off marks in total. (The cut-off marks prescribed for both the prelims and the mains will be revealed only after the entire process of the UPSC CSE is over, i.e., after the final results are out).
If you clear the mains exam and score the required cut-off, you will be summoned for the UPSC Personality test which is the final stage of the civil services exam.
Get updated with information about UPSC Mains and accordingly start your preparation. Given below are the links that may help candidates with their exam preparation:
Get updated with information about UPSC Mains and accordingly start your preparation. Given below are the links that may help candidates with their exam preparation:
Stage 3: UPSC Personality Test
In this stage, candidates will be subject to a panel interview by the UPSC board. In this round, candidates will be assessed on various parameters like the overall personality, presence of mind, mental toughness, ability to stay calm under pressure, etc. Basically, they evaluate whether a person is ‘civil servant material’ or not.
As such, there is no prescribed syllabus for this round. Candidates will have to go prepared on various aspects like current affairs, their subjects of interest, general awareness, social issues and so on.
The final result of the UPSC exam is generally announced a few days after the final day of the personality test. Candidates can prepare for the Personality Test with the IAS Interview Questions at the linked article.
The candidates, when they apply for the mains exam, have to give their preference of cadre and service. The cadre indicates the places where you would work. Based on the vacancies in each cadre for all the categories, and your rank obtained, you will be allocated a cadre and a service after the final result. Read more about the new cadre policy of the UPSC here.
Candidates should know that the UPSC Prelims exam is the same for those wishing to take the Indian Forest Services also. Hence, while applying for the prelims exam, you can opt for taking the CSE and/or the forest service.
Apart from the IAS Selection Process, refer to the links below for information about the recruitment process:
| UPSC Notification | UPSC Online Application Form 2023 |
| UPSC Syllabus | UPSC Admit Card |
| UPSC Result | UPSC Vacancy |
The civil services are the perfect choice of career for people who are willing to work hard and sincerely for contributing towards the progress of the nation. Not only would the work be challenging and satisfying, it also entails a high prestige in society.
BYJU’S Free IAS prep website offers the best online free guidance for the civil services exam. We also offer the amazing BYJU’S Tablet Course for IAS exam. Click on the link below to learn more.
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