UPSC CSE
Latest cycleUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC)
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is India's premier civil services recruitment exam, selecting officers for IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A/B central services through a three-stage process.
Facts are checked against linked official sources.
Last verified 2026-07-04About Exam
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is India's premier civil services recruitment exam, selecting officers for IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A/B central services through a three-stage process.
- Conducting body
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Eligibility
- Graduation
- Current cycle
- UPSC CSE (per UPSC's published annual calendar)
- Official source
- UPSC official portal
Highlights
- Vacancies
- Not announced
- Application deadline
- Not announced
- Exam schedule
- Not announced
- Selection stages
- 3 stages in the current guide
- Negative marking
- Check the current official notification
Important Dates
View full lifecycle- UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 was uploaded to upsc.gov.in on 20 May 2026 — check it for exact CSE 2027 notification/exam dates.Notification
- Not announcedApplications open
- Not announcedLast date to apply
- Not announcedExam date
Prepare for UPSC CSE
UPSC CSE (per UPSC's published annual calendar)
Eligibility summary
- Qualification
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised university, any stream
- Age limit
- Typically 21-32 years, with category-based relaxations and a cap on number of attempts
Process
Selection process
- Preliminary exam — two objective papers (General Studies + CSAT, CSAT qualifying only).
- Main exam — nine descriptive papers including an optional subject.
- Personality Test (Interview), followed by the final merit list and service allotment.
Exam pattern
- Prelims Paper 1 (GS)
- 100 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours
- Prelims Paper 2 (CSAT)
- 80 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours, qualifying (33% required)
Latest
UPSC CSE current affairs
SC directs authorities to ensure peaceful protesters are not illegally detained, movement remains unhindered
The Supreme Court today directed authorities to ensure that people gathering peacefully are not illegally detained and that the free movement of people is allowed, subject to traffic regulations.
BJP questions Congress leadership’s silence on allegations against MP Bimol Akoijam
BJP today hit out at the Congress party for failing to act against its Member of Parliament, Bimol Akoijam, following his termination from Jawaharlal Nehru University over allegations of sexual misconduct.
PM Modi Launches Development Projects Worth ₹13,000 Crore in Tamil Nadu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for a series of development projects worth more than 13,000 crore rupees across Tamil Nadu at an event held at IIT-Madras in Chennai today.
RBI Raises Daily CRR Maintenance Requirement for Banks to 99% from October 16
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that banks will need to maintain 99 per cent of the required cash reserve ratio (CRR) daily starting from October 16, up from 90 per cent at present.
ndia to Reassess US Interim Trade Deal Amid Changing Tariff Landscape: Piyush Goyal
India has said the proposed interim trade agreement with the United States will be finalised in light of changing circumstances. Addressing members of industry chamber PHDCCI in New Delhi today, Commerce and Industry Mi…
Election Commission sets limits on Form-7 applications to curb bulk filing
The Election Commission has imposed limits on Form-7 applications filed by individual electors, allowing a maximum of 10 applications during the claims and objections period and five applications per month during the co…
Source
Official links
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UPSC CSE stage guides
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Common questions
UPSC CSE FAQ
How many attempts are allowed for UPSC CSE?
The number of attempts and upper age limit vary by category (General/OBC/SC-ST/PwBD) — check the current notification for the exact attempt/age matrix.
Does CSAT count toward the Prelims merit rank?
No — CSAT (Paper 2) is qualifying only (minimum 33%); only Paper 1 (General Studies) marks are used to rank candidates for Mains eligibility.