Civil Services Exam (India) 2022 – Selection Process, Eligibility, Services, Vacancies, Cutoffs, Syllabus and FAQs

The Civil Services Exam (CSE) in India is a nationwide competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Civil Service posts are categorized into two groups: Group A and Group B. About 24 services are there which comes under the civil services exam and includes the IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), etc. Click here to view the full list of Civil Services.

The complete process of  the Indian Civil Services Examination starts from the official notification of the preliminary exam, until the declaration of the final results takes place within a year.

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Selection Process and Exam Pattern

It is conducted in three phases – a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II also popularly known as Civil Service Aptitude Test or CSAT), and a main examination consisting of nine papers of conventional (essay) type, in which two papers are qualifying and only marks of seven are counted followed by a personality test (interview).

1. Stage 1 – UPSC CSE (Preliminary) – Objective Type 
   • UPSC Preliminary exam is qualifying in nature. It is a screening test to select the students for the further selection process. The marks of preliminary exams are not considered in the final merit list. It comprises of two objective type papers of 200 marks each.
     

Paper	Subjects	Total Marks	Duration
I	General studies	200	2 hours
II	CSAT	200	2 hours

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (Preliminary) consists of two papers (objective type), each of 200 marks (with a total of 400 marks) and two hours’ duration. To qualify for the CSE Mains, a candidate needs to clear both the papers.

• General Studies (GS) paper- consists of 100 questions, while the second paper – CSAT consists of 80 questions. Both papers have negative marking. Each correctly answered GS question will be given two marks.
• Similarly, in the CSAT paper, since we have 80 questions for 200 marks, correctly answered CSAT question would attract 2.5 marks each, while every wrongly marked question would attract a negative marking of 0.833 for each wrong answer, which will be deducted from the total marks.
• The Prelims Admit Cards are released on the official website of UPSC 2-3 weeks before the date of the examination. 

Note- Questions that are not attempted will not attract any negative marks.

1. Stage 2 – UPSC CSE (Main) – Descriptive Type
   • Mains exam is the second stage in CSE selection process it comprises of 9 descriptive type papers –One Essay paper, four General Studies paper, two optional papers (You can choose as per your choice from CSE Optional subjects), two Language papers (Marks scored in this paper will not be included at final ranking order, but the candidate needs to score at least 25% in each paper to qualify).
   • Duration- All papers are of 3 hours
   • Total (Written test) – 1750 Marks

1. Stage 3 – UPSC CSE Personality Test / Interview – Personality is test is the final round in the CSE selection process. Only those candidates who got shortlisted after mains exam are allowed to attend the interview 
   • 275 Marks
   • Grand total – 1750+275 = 2025 Marks

Candidates who get selected are recruited and trained for various services by the Central Government and then different State Cadres are allotted as per preference and ranking.

All candidates are requested to carefully read the Rules of Civil Services Examination notified by the Government (Department of Personnel and Training) and the Notice of Examination. The Candidates applying for the examination should ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions for admission to examination. Their admission to all the stages of the examination will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. Mere issue of e-Admit Card to the candidate will not imply that his/her candidature has been finally cleared by the Commission. The Commission takes up verification of eligibility conditions with reference to original documents only after the candidate has qualified for Interview/Personality Test.

Name of the Examination	Civil Services Exam (UPSC CSE | UPSC Civils)
Exam Level	All India / National Level
Conducing Body	Union Public Service Commission
Exam Mode	Offline / Pen and paper mode
Number of Vacancies	796
Eligibility	The Civil Services Age Limit for Indian Citizens is between 21 – 32 years.
Number of Attempts	Six attempts are allowed for General Category aspirants in UPSC Civil Services
UPSC CSE Date	05 June, 2022

Eligibility Criteria

Qualification	Age Limit	Nationality
Graduation	21-32 years (Age relaxation as per category)	Indian Citizens Only

• Candidates those who are applying for the Civil Services Exam 2022 are required to fulfil the following criteria:
  
  • Candidates who are in their final years and yet to appear for the final exam or those who are waiting for the results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination. All such candidates must produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the main examination.
  • Candidates who have a professional and technical qualification recognized by the Government or equivalent are also eligible to apply.
  • Students who passed the final year of MBBS or any Medical Examination, but are yet to complete their internship can also appear for the examination. Although, they must submit the certificate of course completion (including internship) from the concerned authority of the University/Institution along with the Main Examination application.

1. Nationality
   • For the Indian Administrative Service(IAS), the Indian Foreign Service(IFS) and the Indian Police Service(IPS) a candidate appearing for the exam must be a citizen of India.
   • For other services, a candidate must be either-
     1. a citizen of India, or
     2. a subject of Nepal, or
     3. a subject of Bhutan, or
     4. Tibetan Refugees who came to India before 1st January 1962, to be settled permanently in India, or
     5.  he/she should be a person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from the countries like – Pakistan, Burma, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire and Vietnam, the United Republic of Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Uganda, East African countries of Kenya,  intending to settle in India permanently.
   • The candidates those who belong to categories (2nd), (3rd), (4th) and (5th) should possess a certificate showing the eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates can take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but only after the Government of India has issued the certificate, he/she would get the offer of appointment.
2. Educational Qualification
   • Candidates those who are applying for the Civil Services Exam 2020 are required to fulfil the following criteria:
     • Candidates who are in their final years and yet to appear for the final exam or those who are waiting for the results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination. All such candidates must produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the main examination.
     • Candidates who have a professional and technical qualification recognized by the Government or equivalent are also eligible to apply.
     • Students who passed the final year of MBBS or any Medical Examination, but are yet to complete their internship can also appear for the examination. Although, they must submit the certificate of course completion (including internship) from the concerned authority of the University/Institution along with the Main Examination application.

Eligibility related queries

Age Limit

• As per the Civil Services Age Limit criteria, the candidate should be a minimum of 21 years old as o1st August 2020 (for UPSC CSE 2020) and maximum 32 years as of 1st August 2020, i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier tha2nd August 1988 and not later tha1st August 1999.
• Age Limit is an essential factor in the Eligibility criteria. Therefore, candidates those who are applying for UPSC Exam should properly check the details before filling the online application form.
• Age limit relaxations for Civil Services Exams are discussed below:

Category	UPSC Age Limit- Upper Relaxation	Number of Attempts
General	32	6
OBC	35 (3 years relaxation)	9
SC/ST	37 (5 years relaxation)	Unlimited (Up to age limit)
Defense Services Personnel	35 (3 years relaxation)	9
Persons with Benchmark Disability EWS (Economically weaker section)	35 (3 years relaxation)	9

• As per the Eligibility for Defense Servicemen, during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area, the person Disabled in operations, therefore, has unique age limit relaxation.
• In case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Services as o1st August 2020 and whose assignment that has been extended beyond five years and in whose cases the Ministry of Defense issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be getting released on three months’ notice on a selection from the date of receipt of an offer of appointment.
• Maximum of 10 Years relaxation – in case of Blindness, deaf-mute, orthopedically handicapped persons and acid attack victims.
• For further details, related to age limitations, aspirants should refer to the latest UPSC Notification.

Exam Frequency

• The Civil services exam is conducted every year (Once in a year)
• The examination schedule is announced in January or February of each year, after which the selection is made in three stages. (Preliminary, Mains and Interview)
• The Prelims exam is usually scheduled in June or July of each year, Main exam is usually scheduled for January of each year and the Personality test is scheduled for April or May of each year. Please note these schedules are tentative, the final dates are updated on the website as and when UPSC announces the yearly calendar.

How to Apply

• Candidates are required to apply online on the official website – https://upsconline.nic.in
• Use the mentioned detailed instructions to fill the form.
• Candidates should have details of one id card viz. Aadhar Card/ Voter Card/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving license, etc.
• The facility of withdrawal is available for those who do not want to appear for CSE.

Roles and Responsibilities

The role of a civil servant is very venerable; it demands great responsibility and reverence. To handle the continuous work pressure without giving in, it is also important that an officer is physically and mentally fit and healthy.

Government affairs handling that involves framing and implementation of policy in consultation with the concerned Minister, etc.

Vacancies and Cut-Offs

The number of vacancies to be filled through the civil services examination in 2022 is expected to be approximately 712 which include 22 vacancies reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability Category:

• 5 vacancies for candidates of (a) blindness and low vision
• 6 Vacancies for (b) deaf and hard of hearing
• 6 Vacancies for (c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
• 5 Vacancies for (e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (c) including deaf-blindness.

However, the final number of vacancies may change. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, the Economically Weaker Sections and Persons with Benchmark Disability in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.

Preliminary (Prelims) Exam Syllabus

The Preliminary Examination of the Civil Services Examination for recruitment to the Services and Posts mentioned below will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on 05 June, 2022.

The fresh UPSC application form for IAS Exam will be out on 2nd February 2022.

Candidates appearing in Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2022 will be required to indicate information such as:

• Detail of Centres for Civil Services (Main) Examination and Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination
• Optional subject to be selected for the examination
• Medium of examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination
• Medium of Examination for Optional Subject if he/she chooses any Indian Language as the Medium of Examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination
• Compulsory Indian Language for Civil Services (Main) Examination at the time of the filling up online application itself.

• Negative marking will be by One –Third marks [ (0.66-paper1)/(0.83-paper2)] for each wrong answer.
• Paper 2 is qualifying in nature; you need only 33% marks to clear this paper.
• In the PwD category, blind candidates are allotted 20 minutes extra for each paper.
• The Prelims Admit Cards would be released on the official website of UPSC 2-3 weeks before the date of the examination.

The number of candidates to be admitted to the Civil Services Mains Examination will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this Examination. Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Civil Services Mains Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Civil Services Mains Examination.

UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination Centres

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination will be held at the following centres:

AGARTALA	GORAKHPUR	PATNA
AGRA	GURGAON	PORT BLAIR
AJMER	GWALIOR	PRAYAGRAJ (ALLAHABAD)
AHMEDABAD	HYDERABAD	PUDUCHERRY
AIZAWL	IMPHAL	PUNE
ALIGARH	INDORE	RAIPUR
ANANTPUR (ANDHRA PRADESH)	ITANAGAR	RAJKOT
AURANGABAD	JABALPUR	RANCHI
BANGALORE	JAIPUR	SAMBALPUR
BAREILLY	JAMMU	SHILLONG
BHOPAL	JODHPUR	SHIMLA
BILASPUR	JORHAT	SILIGUDI
CHANDIGARH	KOCHI	SRINAGAR
CHENNAI	KOHIMA	THANE
COIMBATORE	KOLKATA	THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
CUTTACK	KOZHIKODE (CALICUT)	TIRUCHIRAPALLI
DEHRADUN	LEH	TIRUPATI
DELHI	LUCKNOW	UDAIPUR
DHARWAD	LUDHIANA	VARANASI
DISPUR	MADURAI	VELLORE
FARIDABAD	MUMBAI	VIJAYAVADA
GANGTOK	MYSORE	VISHAKHAPATNAM
GAYA	NAGPUR	WARANGAL
GAUTAM BUDDH NAGAR	NAVI MUMBAI
GHAZIABAD	PANAJI (GOA)

The Centres and the date of holding the examination subject to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. Applicants should note that there will be a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the Centres, except for Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur.

Allotment of Centres will be on the “first‐apply‐first allot” basis, and once the capacity of a particular Centre is attained, the same will be frozen.

Applicants, who cannot get a Centre of their choice due to ceiling, will be required to choose a Centre from the remaining ones. Applicants are, thus, advised that they may apply early so that they could get a Centre of their choice.

No request for changes in these details once online application is submitted shall be entertained by the Commission.

Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper 1)

• National and international – current affairs.
• Indian History and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography- Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
• Indian Policy and Governance
  1. Constitution
  2. Political System
  3. Panchayati Raj
  4. Public Policy
  5. Rights Issues

• Economic and Social Development – such as -Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, etc.
• General issues on the Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – no subject specialization is required.
• General Science

Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (such as- numbers and their relations, the orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class Xth level), DI (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)

Mains Exam Syllabus (1750 Marks)

The Mains Examination of the Civil Services Examination will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on 16th September, 2022.

The candidates who are declared to have qualified Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to mandatorily indicate order of preferences only for those services participating in the Civil Services Examination for the year, for which he is interested to be allocated to, in the on-line Detailed Application Form-II [DAF-II], before the commencement of Personality Tests (Interview) of the examination.

All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite qualifying examination along with their application (i.e. Detailed Application Form-I) for the Main Examination, failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination. Such proof of passing the requisite qualifying examination should be dated earlier than the due date (closing date) of Detailed Application Form-I of the Main Examination.

Candidates admitted to the Main Examination will be required to pay a further fee of Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two hundreds only).

The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Civil Services (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper-II of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.

• This phase examines the candidates on various subjects. The Main Exam consists of nine conventional (descriptive) papers out of which two papers are qualifying.
• The candidate is only allowed to write the IAS Mains after successfully qualifying in the prelims exam.
• Mains exam evaluates the candidate’s academic talent and his/her ability to present his/her idea/understanding of the particular topic according to the requirements of the question in a time-bound manner.
• UPSC CSE 2021 Mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each.

These are the two qualifying papers:

1. Any Indian Language
2. English Language

If a candidate does not qualify, then the marks obtained by such candidates will not be considered for the final shortlisting.

The Structure of the language papers is as follows:

• Types of questions are as follows –

1. Essay writing – consists of 100 marks
2. Reading comprehension –  consists of 60 marks
3. Precis Writing –  will be of 60 marks
4. Translations:
   • English to compulsory language  –  consists of 20 marks
   • Compulsory language to English –  will be of 20 marks
5. Grammar and basic language usage –  consists of 40 marks.

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the candidates’ ability to evaluate and understand serious issues and to express his ideas clearly on the table.

The pattern of questions is as follows:

• Comprehension of given passages
• Precis Writing
• Usage and Vocabulary
• Short Essay

Syllabus for Mains Paper 1

Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance, and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Essay: Candidates may be required to write articles on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

Syllabus for Mains Paper 2

General Studies (GS) 1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.

• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.Modern Indian history will cover the facts from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues.The Freedom Struggle — This topic will cover its various stages and significant contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redraw of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.Salient features – Indian Society, Diversity of India.Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.Effects of globalization on Indian society.Impacts of Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.Salient features of world’s physical geography.Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Syllabus for Mains Paper 3

General Studies (GS) 2: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.

• Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.Separation of powers between various organs disputes redressed mechanisms and institutions.Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.Issues relating to poverty and hunger.Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications,models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizen’s charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.Role of civil services in a democracy.India and its neighbourhood- relations.Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and affecting India’s interests.Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Syllabus for Mains Paper 4

General Studies (GS) 3: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.Government Budgeting.Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; PublicDistribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.Land reforms in India.Effects of liberalization on the Economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.Investment models.Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.Disaster and disaster management.Linkages between development and spread of extremism.Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.Challenges to internal security through communication networks, the role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cybersecurity; money-laundering and its prevention.Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Syllabus for Mains Paper 5

General Studies (GS) 4: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude.

This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered:

• Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; the role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion. Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
  Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and integrity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.Case Studies on the above issues.

Syllabus for Mains Paper 6 & 7

Optional Subject Papers I & II – Candidate may choose any optional subject from the List of Optional Subjects mentioned down below.

Paper	Subject	Marks
Paper A (Qualifying paper)	Indian language	300
Paper B  (Qualifying paper)	English	300
Paper – I	Essay	250
Paper-II	General studies- I	250
Paper – III	General Studies – II	250
Paper – IV	General Studies – III	250
Paper – V	General  Studies – IV	250
Paper – VI	Optional subject – Paper I	250
Paper – VII	Optional subject – Paper II	250
Sub Total	Written Test	1750
	Personality Test (Interview)	275
	Grand Total	2025

Optional Subject Papers I & II – Candidate may choose any optional subject from the List of Optional Subjects mentioned down below.

List of optional subjects for Mains Examination:

1. Agriculture
2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil Engineering
7. Commerce and Accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical Engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical Engineering
17. Medical Science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political Science and International Relations
21. Psychology
22. Public Administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
26. Literature of any one of the following languages.

Note- For detailed syllabus click on the link – UPSC Official Syllabus – and download the notification pdf.

UPSC Civil Services Main Examination Centres

The UPSC Civil Services Main Examination will be held at the following centres:

Ahmedabad	Dehli	Patna
Aizawl	Dispur (Guwahati)	Prayagraj (Allahabad)
Bangaluru	Hyderabad	Raipur
Bhopal	Jaipur	Ranchi
Chandigarh	Jammu	Shillong
Chennai	Kolkata	Shimla
Cuttack	Lucknow	Thiruvananthapuram
Dehradun	Mumbai	Vijayawada

The Centres and the date of holding the examination subject to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. Applicants should note that there will be a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the Centres, except for Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur.

Allotment of Centres will be on the “first‐apply‐first allot” basis, and once the capacity of a particular Centre is attained, the same will be frozen.

Applicants, who cannot get a Centre of their choice due to ceiling, will be required to choose a Centre from the remaining ones. Applicants are, thus, advised that they may apply early so that they could get a Centre of their choice.

Interview or Personality Test Syllabus

The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of his career. He/she will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a job in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is designed to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms, this is an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interest in current affairs.Some of the qualities of an ideal candidate to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but a natural, though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate. Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance, and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

The interview test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their particular subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their State or Country as well as in modern currents of thought and in discoveries which should arouse the curiosity of well-educated youth.

• Candidates who have qualified or cleared the Civil Services Mains Exam will be shortlisted for the Personality Test (Interview).
• The personality Test or Interview has a total weightage of 275 marks.

The panel will judge/examine the candidates on various departments starting from his/her academic interest and specialization.  The assessment will be based on intellectual qualities along with their social and communication skills and his/her interests in current affairs/general knowledge.

Ideal UPSC Civil Services Candidate

The qualities the UPSC board members seek in an ideal civil services candidate are as follows-

• Mental alertness
• Critical thinking or powers of assimilation
• Clear and logical exposition
• Balance of judgement
• Variety and depth of interest
• The ability for social cohesion and leadership
• Intellectual and moral integrity

The official UPSC CSE notification mentions, “The technique of the interview is based on a natural approach towards the candidate’s knowledge, but it can include directed and purposive conversations which  will reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.”

For clarification, “The personality test is not intended to be a test for either the specialization or the general knowledge of the candidates because it has been already tested through their written papers.

All Candidates are expected to possess a keen interest in their academic subjects but as well in the events and changes which are happening around them both within and outside their own Country.

Note:

• There is no specific syllabus for UPSC personal Interview. Hence, candidates need to work more on their personality, communication and business etiquettes.
• The final merit will be based on the marks obtained in the Main Examination and Personality Test.

Group ‘A’ Civil Services

• Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
• Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
• Indian Police Services (IPS)
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
• Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service
• Indian Audit and Accounts Service
• Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
• Indian Defence Accounts Service
• Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)
• Indian Postal Service
• Indian Civil Accounts Service
• Indian Railway Traffic Service
• Indian Railway Accounts Service
• Indian Railway Personnel Service
• Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection Force
• Indian Defence Estates Service
• Indian Information Service (Junior Grade)
• Indian Trade Service
• Indian Corporate Law Service

Group ‘B’ Civil Services

• Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (Section Officers Grade)
• Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)
• Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service
• Pondicherry Civil Service (DANIPS)
• Pondicherry Police Service

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

State Public Service Commissions and Services

The ‘State Civil Services,’ also known as ‘Provincial Civil Services, ‘ provide a lucrative alternative to the All India Services like the IAS, IPS, and IFS. The State Civil Services (SCS) examinations and recruitment are conducted by the individual states’ public service commissions across the states in India.

Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC)

Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC)

Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC)

Karnataka Administrative Service (KAAS)

Kerala Administrative Services (KAS)

Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC)

Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC)

Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC)

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC)

Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC)

These services are often considered the feeder services of All India Services. The Governors make all appointments to State Services (Group A) of States. Every state has its own separate ‘Public Service Commission’ responsible for conducting competitive examinations to recruit new candidates into a particular State’s Civil Service.

State civil services officer is a highly reputed post among State level government employees. Each state conducts its own PSC exams. Only the eligible citizens of that particular state can sit for the entrance. Many aspirants see it as an alternative for UPSC or Civil Service exams at the national level.

Government jobs are something that the citizens need and are also essential for the entire nation. Stable pay to people and stable running of the system is only possible via governmental jobs. But this whole process of selecting people to fill in the job sector isn’t easy.

And that’s what the Public Service Commission does. It’s the process of a board that controls the whole slot filling job. PSC is through what the governmental body recruits people through a series of examinations.

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