The UPSC IAS Notification is made available on the UPSC website. The notification contains important details such as UPSC CSE exam date, application dates, eligibility, exam pattern, etc., for the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Candidates who have applied for the UPSC CSE 2024 must know important information about the recruitment process, right from the applications until the final result declaration to be well prepared for each exam stage. Below are quick highlights of the UPSC Civil Services Notification that you should be aware about –
| UPSC Civil Services Exam Notification 2024 – Highlights | |
| Aspect | Details |
| Application Start Date | 14th February, 2024 |
| Application End Date | 6th March, 2024 |
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Exam |
| Exam Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Level of Exam | National |
| Frequency of exam | Annual |
| Mode of Exam | Written Exam |
| Exam Stages | Prelims, Mains and Interview cum Personality Test |
| Purpose | To recruit candidates in central government services including the IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS etc. |
| Language of Exam | English & Hindi |
| Test Centres | 80+ exam centers |
| Official Website | https://upsc.gov.in/ |
| Exam Help Desk | Helpline – SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD (1800-118-711) |
The direct link to download the UPSC IAS Notification PDF is given below.
Download UPSC IAS Notification 2024 PDF
UPSC Civil Services Exam Dates 2024
The important dates for the IAS Exam 2024 cycle are mentioned in the table below.
| IAS Exam – Overview & Important Dates | |||
| Name of Organization | UPSC | ||
| UPSC Full Form | Union Public Service Commission | ||
| Official Website | UPSC Website | ||
| Exam Cycle | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Total Vacancy | 1105 | 1056 | TBA |
| Civil Service Exam Notification Released on | 1st February 2023 | 14th February 2024 | 22nd January 2025 |
| Last Date to Apply | 21s February 2023 | 11th February 2025 | |
| Prelims Admit Card Release Date | 8th May 2023 | To be announced | TBA |
| Prelims Exam Date | 28th May 2023 | 16th June 2024 | 25th May 2025 |
| Prelims Result Date | 12th June 2023 | To be announced | TBA |
| Mains Admit Card Release Date | 28th August 2023 | To be announced | TBA |
| Mains Exam Date | 15th, 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th September 2023 | 20th September 2024 | 22nd August 2025 |
| Mains Result Date | 8th December 2023 | To be announced | TBA |
| Personality Test | 2nd January 2024 onwards | To be announced | TBA |
| Final Result | 16th April 2024 | To be announced | TBA |
| Qualification | Graduates Government Jobs | ||
UPSC CSE Latest Updates
25th April 2024: UPSC Civil Services 2025 Exam Dates Out!
UPSC Civil Services 2025 Exam Dates have been announced. The UPSC CSE 2025 Prelims Exam is scheduled to be conducted on 25th May 2025 while the Mains Exam will be conducted on 22nd August 2025.
19th April 2024: UPSC Civil Services Marks Out
UPSC has released the marks for the 2023 cycle. Candidates can check their names along with the marks obtained in the official notification.
Download UPSC CSE Marks PDF
16th April 2024: UPSC Civil Services Result Out
The UPSC Civil Services Final Result for the 2023 cycle has been announced on the commission’s website. Candidates can check the results using the direct link given above.
19th March 2024: UPSC Civil Services Exam Dates 2024 Out!
UPSC Civil Services Exam Dates 2024 has been postponed. Due to schedule of the General Election, the Commission has decided to postpone the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination – 2024 from 26-05-2024 to 16-06-2024.
Download UPSC Civil Services 2024 New Exam Dates PDF
5th March 2024: UPSC Civil Services 2024 Application dates Extended!
UPSC Civil Services 2024 Application dates has been extended. Candidates can now apply till 6th March 2024 (6:00pm). A total of 1056 vacancies have been announced for recruitment through the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2024 (UPSC CSE).
Direct Link to Check UPSC CSE 2024 Date Extension Notice
UPSC Civil Services Vacancies 2024
A total of 1056 vacancies have been announced for recruitment through the UPSC CSE 2024. These vacancies are for various posts and services. The detailed UPSC vacancy distribution will be updated once notified officially.
UPSC Civil Services Apply Online 2024
Only those candidates who are eligible as per the requirements given above can register for this exam. If you are looking to learn how to apply for this exam, follow the steps given below –
Step 1 – Visit the Official Website
Click on the direct link provided above to go to the online registration portal. Alternatively, visit the official UPSC Online Recruitment Application (ORA) page for carrying out the registration process.
Step 2 – Online Registration
In Part – I registration, candidates will have to fill in all the personal information like name, age, address, etc.
Step 3 – Corrections in Online Application
After the completion of this section, candidates must ensure/double-check that they have filled in all details correctly. Corrections cannot be made after clicking on the submit button.
Step 4 – Uploading of Documents
In Part – II registration candidates have to submit all the requisite documents, namely; educational certificates, ID proof, age relaxation if applicable, photograph, signature, payment details, and declaration. (Photograph & Signature should be uploaded in JPG format).
Step 5 – Selection of Exam Centre
Candidates must also choose the exam center they wish to write the examination.
Step 6 – Final Submit
Candidates can finally click on the “I Agree” button and submit the application form after filling in all the details. A Registration Number will be provided to the candidates, make sure to keep it safe and also take copies of the application form for future reference.
Note – Candidates must also ensure that they give a valid email address as all communication and follow ups will be sent to the candidates on this very email ID.
UPSC Civil Services Application Fee 2024
Candidates applying for the UPSC Civil Services Exam are required to pay the following application fee as per their category:
| Category | Fee |
| General, EWS & OBC | INR.100 |
| SC, ST, PwD & Female | Nil |
UPSC Civil Services Eligibility Criteria 2024
Along with the official UPSC CSE notification, the Union Public Service Commission has also released the UPSC Civil Services Eligibility Criteria. All candidates must fulfill all the eligibility requirements in order to be shortlisted for the various posts under the Civil Services Exam. The eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services exam is as follows.
- In terms of education, candidates must hold a degree from a recognized university or its equivalent. The minimum age to appear for the exam is 21 years while the maximum age is 32 years as on August 1 of the year of examination.
- There are age relaxations provided for candidates belonging to reserved categories like SC, ST and OBC.
- Candidates must be citizens of India or subject of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugees or persons of Indian origin migrated from certain African countries.
- The number of attempts allowed for general candidates is 6, for OBC it is 9 and for SC/ST category, there is no limit on number of attempts till the prescribed age limit.
Aspiring candidates must ensure they meet these eligibility norms before applying for this prestigious civil service examination.
UPSC Selection Process 2024
The selection process for the Civil Services exam takes place over three stages – Prelims, Mains and Interview. Each stage is a gradual filtering process to select the most suitable candidates for the coveted IAS, IFS, IPS and other Central Services. Let us look at the detailed UPSC CSE Selection Process below –
Prelims (Phase-1)
The UPSC CSE Prelims is a screening test consisting of two objective papers of 200 marks each – General Studies and the CSAT Exam. Candidates have to qualify by obtaining minimum marks separately in each paper. The papers are designed to shortlist around 12-15 times the number of vacancies. Important highlights of the UPSC CSE Prelims paper are –
- Paper I is the General Studies test which evaluates candidates’ General Knowledge and Awareness.
- Paper II tests aptitude through questions on comprehension, interpersonal skills etc.
- It is held annually in the month of June.
- The Prelims is conducted for a total of 400 marks, with each paper carrying 200 marks.
- The duration of both GS and CSAT papers is 2 hours each.
Mains (Phase-II)
The Mains exam is the second stage of the selection process. It consists of 7 Descriptive papers including two Language papers, 1 Essay paper, 4 General Studies papers, and two Optional papers. Only the candidates who clear the Prelims will be allowed for Mains. Important highlights of the UPSC CSE Mains are as follows –
- Written exam of 1750 marks in 9 papers held in September-October
- The papers include General Studies, Essay, Language and optional subjects
- The duration of each of the papers will be 3 hours.
- Questions will be both of objective-type and descriptive type.
- There is a negative marking in the objective type paper where 1/3rd of marks will be deducted for wrong answers.
Interview (Phase-III)
Candidates are called for the Interview, which is the final stage of the selection process, in the ratio of 1:5. The following are some of the important details for this final selection stage –
- Interview is of 275 marks with no minimum qualifying marks
- Conducted in January-February by UPSC board members
- Candidates are judged for their intelligence, manner, alertness of mind etc.
- Final merit list and selection done basis marks of candidates in the Mains and Interview
The selection process evaluates candidates on various parameters using multiple stages to pick the most suitable ones for the nation’s premier administrative services.
UPSC Civil Services Syllabus & Exam Pattern
The UPSC Civil Services Syllabus and Exam Pattern is designed to recruit suitable candidates for India’s various Civil Services. As per the official UPSC CSE Exam Pattern, the exam consists of three stages – Prelims, Mains and Interview. The prelims exam has two objective papers of 200 marks each to shortlist candidates for the mains. The mains exam comprises 9 papers of descriptive nature with a total of 1750 marks. The papers include General Studies, Essay, one Indian language and two optional subjects. The Interview carries 275 marks. The Syllabus of UPSC CSE Exam is vast covering subjects like history, geography, polity, economics, science and technology. Candidates must prepare according to the official exam pattern and syllabus released by UPSC to be able to crack this highly competitive exam in their first attempt. Thorough preparation is essential to clear each stage of this multi-tier civil services recruitment process.
UPSC Civil Services Books
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is perhaps the country’s most challenging exams that require years of dedicated preparation. Choosing the right books for preparation is essential for clearing the UPSC CSE. NCERT textbooks are a must-have for subjects like History, Geography, Polity and Environment. For comprehensive knowledge of Current Affairs, books like Spectrum, Yojana, Kurukshetra and Indian Year Book are useful. For Polity, Laxmikant and DD Basu are considered the bible. Books by Sumit Ganguly and Raj Kumar help with International Relations. For Economics, ND Vohra, MC Shukla and Micro & Macro guides suffice. Additionally, GIST of newspapers like The Hindu, Anthropic Optional books and other study materials aid revision and practice tests. Proper reading and revision of the right UPSC CSE Books recommended for each subject will help aspirants gain in-depth knowledge required to crack this prestigious exam.
UPSC Civil Services Preparation Tips
There are several effective tips and strategies for preparation of UPSC Civil Services Exam which can help aspirants clear this challenging test with flying colors. Some of the key preparation tips recommended by experts –
- Make a detailed study plan and practice discipline in adhering to a routine.
- Focus on NCERT textbooks and revise regularly instead of jumping to other books.
- Pay attention to taking notes and analyze previous year papers.
- Track current affairs daily from multiple sources like newspapers and monthly magazines.
- Choose an optional subject based on your strengths, interest and availability of study material.
- Practice answering questions in a timed manner to build speed and accuracy.
- Learn from mentors, join coaching and online test series for evaluation and improvement.
- Take mock tests at regular intervals and analyze results to strengthen weak areas.
- Maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being through exercises, yoga and meditation.
- Have confidence in your abilities and stay motivated by focusing on your goal.
UPSC Civil Services Cut Off
The UPSC announces category-wise cut-off marks after each of the Prelims and Mains exams. The cut-off varies each year based on the difficulty level of the paper and number of vacancies. It is the minimum marks required to qualify for the next phase. The UPSC CSE Cut Off of prelims is based on the GS Paper 1 while the Mains cut-off helps shortlist candidates for the interview round. Aspirants must obtain marks higher than the prescribed cut-off to have a chance of getting recommended for the Civil Services. For the 2023-24 cycle, the Union Public Service Commission announced the Prelims cutoff marks which were in the range of 85-90 for the General category. Candidates must keep a tab on the latest updates related to the cutoff to benchmark their preparation accordingly.
UPSC Civil Services Admit Card
The admit card is an important document issued by the UPSC for appearing in the Civil Services Prelims, Mains and Interview. It contains details of the exam date, timing, venue and guidelines to be followed. Candidates must download their e-admit card well in advance to avoid last-minute hassles. No one is allowed to enter the exam center without a valid UPSC CSE Admit Card. It acts as a proof for identifying candidates appearing for the prestigious civil services exam.
UPSC Civil Services Answer Key
After completion of each exam stage, the UPSC releases the Answer Keys on the official website for candidates to cross-check their responses. These official Answer Keys help calculate the probable score before the declaration of official results. Aspirants must analyze the UPSC Civil Services Answer Key to assess their performance and identify areas requiring improvements. Any discrepancy observed can be raised through representations within the stipulated time frame, based on the instructions specified in the official notification.
UPSC Civil Services Result
The final result for UPSC CSE is declared after the successful completion of all three stages – Prelims, Mains and the Interview. A comprehensive merit list is prepared by the UPSC based on the cumulative scores of candidates in the mains written exam and viva round. The final UPSC CSE Result contains roll numbers and names of recommended candidates in order of merit for appointment to IAS, IFS and other coveted civil services. Every year, candidates eagerly await the UPSC CSE Result and merit list as it marks the culmination of, often, years of dedicated effort.
UPSC Civil Services Salary 2024
The starting monthly basic pay for an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer is Rs. 56,100. The gross monthly salary ranges from Rs. 56,000 to approximately Rs. 1,50,000. During the initial two-year training period, IAS officers receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 56,100. The maximum salary for an IAS officer can reach up to Rs. 2,50,000, particularly for those holding the esteemed position of Cabinet Secretary. These figures represent the current salary structure for IAS officers, reflecting the various stages of their careers and responsibilities.
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