UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) – Complete Overview: Eligibility, Services, Syllabus and Rank-wise Allocation

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) remains one of the most prestigious and competitive exams in India. Every year, thousands of graduates dream of entering services like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and many more. So, it is very important for the aspirants to understand exactly who can apply, what services are available, how the exam works, and which ranks tend to get which services.

This comprehensive guide covers:

• Services under UPSC
• Detailed exam structure and syllabus
• Eligibility criteria – age, attempts, nationality, education and relaxations
• Rank-wise service allocation trends
• Why UPSC remains a top goal, and how to start preparation

What Is UPSC CSE – And What Services Can You Get Through It

The CSE is conducted by UPSC to recruit officers into All-India Services, Central Civil Services (Group A/B), and other central cadres. Clearing UPSC CSE opens the door to high responsibility jobs across administration, foreign affairs, taxation, railways, corporate law, defence, and more.

• Major Services Recruited via UPSC

Here are the core categories and some of the prominent services under each:

All-India Services (AIS):

• IAS – Indian Administrative Service
• IPS – Indian Police Service
• IFoS – Indian Forest Service (via separate mains, after common prelims)

Central Civil Services – Group A and other Central Cadres:

• IFS – Indian Foreign Service
• IRS (IT) – Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
• IRS (CE / Customs & Indirect Taxes)
• IAAS – Indian Audit & Accounts Service
• ICAS – Indian Civil Accounts Service
• IIS – Indian Information Service
• IPoS – Indian Postal Service
• IRTS – Indian Railway Traffic Service
• IRMS – Indian Railway Management Service (for railway administration / management cadre)
• IDAS – Indian Defence Accounts Service
• IDES – Indian Defence Estates Service
• ICLS – Indian Corporate Law Service
• IOFS – Indian Ordnance Factory Service / similar defence-industrial cadres
• ITS – Indian Trade Service
• IP&TAFS – Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts & Finance Service

Central Services – Group B / Union Territory Civil/Police Services:

• DANICS (Delhi/Andaman & Nicobar Civil Service)
• DANIPS (Delhi/Andaman & Nicobar Police Service)
• AFHQ Civil Service (Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service)
• Pondicherry Civil Service / Police Service

Note: The availability of services can vary each year depending on vacancies, cadre allocations, and candidate preferences.

Eligibility Criteria for UPSC CSE – Who Can Apply

As per the latest updates, the eligibility conditions for CSE are summarized below.

Nationality / Citizenship Criteria

• For core services like IAS, IPS, IFS (Foreign Service) – the candidate must be a citizen of India.
• For other services, the candidate can be:
  • A citizen of India, or
  • A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or
  • A refugee from Tibet (who came to India before 1 Jan 1962 with the intention to settle permanently), or
  • A person of Indian origin (PIO) who migrated from certain countries (e.g. Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, East African countries, etc.).
• Non-Indian citizens (from the latter categories) must produce a valid eligibility certificate from Government of India.

Educational Qualification

• Applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree of any discipline from a recognized university or equivalent institute.
• No minimum percentage is required. Even if you passed with just “passing marks,” you’re eligible.
• Final-year students (awaiting result) can also apply but must submit proof of passing before Mains/Interview.
• Degrees from distance education / open universities, and foreign universities (recognized by Government of India) are also valid, subject to attested certificate if required.

Age Limit and Number of Attempts (As on 1 August 2025)

Category / Reservation	Minimum Age	Maximum Age	Number of Attempts
General / EWS	21 yrs	32 yrs	6 attempts
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	21 yrs	35 yrs	9 attempts
SC / ST	21 yrs	37 yrs	Unlimited (till age limit)
PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability):	21 yrs	Up to 42/45/47 yrs depending on sub-category	9 (Gen/EWS/PwBD-General/OBC) or Unlimited (PwBD SC/ST)

Additional relaxations:

• Defence-personnel disabled in service: +3 years over upper age limit.
• Ex-servicemen (on defined conditions): +5 years.

Note: Even if a candidate just appears in one paper of Prelims, it counts as an “attempt.”

Physical / Medical Standards (Service-Specific)

Because UPSC CSE leads to varied services, certain services like IPS and IFoS have additional physical / medical standards. For example: vision requirements, minimum height, chest measurements, general fitness, etc.
For IAS and many other central services, there is no special physical requirement, just general medical fitness.

Other Important Eligibility Notes

• There is no percentage-based bar on graduation result. Just passing is sufficient.
• Married women are fully eligible – subject to medical/physical requirements of specific services (if any).
• If a candidate has already been selected and appointed to IAS or IFS earlier, they cannot attempt CSE again for those services.
• Government/PSU employees can appear provided they meet standard criteria – but post-selection they must resign to join the service.

UPSC CSE Exam Structure and Detailed Syllabus

Clearing CSE involves three main stages: Prelims → Mains → Interview. Each stage tests different attributes: general knowledge, analytical skills, writing ability, personality and decision-making.

Stage-1: Prelims (Screening)

Two objective papers on same day:

Paper I – General Studies (200 marks)
Covers: Indian History and Culture, Indian and World Geography, Polity and Governance, Indian Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, Social Issues, International Relations, Current Affairs (national and international).

Paper II – CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) (200 marks, but qualifying only)
Covers: reading comprehension, logical reasoning, basic numeracy (up to class 10 level), data interpretation, decision making. Minimum 33% to qualify.

Only those who clear both papers (or at least meet cutoff for Paper I and qualifying for CSAT) move to Mains.

Stage-2: Mains (Written + Descriptive)

Mains is a detailed written exam spread over several days. It tests depth of knowledge, analytical thinking, writing skills, clarity of thought, language skills, ethics, and optional subject expertise.

Papers in Mains:

• Paper A – Indian Language (300 marks) (Qualifying)
• Paper B – English (300 marks) (Qualifying)

Both papers are for pass/fail only – actual marks don’t count for final merit.

Merit Papers (Total 1750 marks):

1. Essay (250) – two essays from topics such as society, economy, polity, philosophy, ethics, current affairs.
2. General Studies I (250) – Indian heritage and culture, history (ancient to modern), world history, society, geography (physical and human).
3. General Studies II (250) – Governance, Constitution, polity, social justice, international relations, public policy, social issues.
4. General Studies III (250) – Economy, agriculture, infrastructure, science & tech, environment, biodiversity, security, disaster management.
5. General Studies IV (250) – Ethics, integrity, aptitude, emotional intelligence, public service ethics, case studies.
6. 6–7. Optional Subject Paper I & II (each 250 marks) – you select 1 subject from a long list: Political Science & IR, Public Administration, Sociology, History, Anthropology, Geography, Law, Agriculture, Psychology, Philosophy, Mathematics, Literature etc.

Final Mains result determines who gets shortlisted for Interview.

Interview / Personality Test (275 marks)

This stage assesses:

• Personality and presence of mind
• Communication and articulation
• Mental alertness
• Decision-making ability
• Integrity, ethics, values
• Awareness about national and international issues

Final merit list = Mains (1750) + Interview (275).

Rank-Wise Service Allocation – Which Rank Typically Gets Which Service

One of the most searched topics by aspirants is: “What rank do I need to get IAS / IPS / IFS / IRS / IRMS / etc.?” While there is no official “cut-off rank for each service” as it changes every year based on vacancies, service-preferences filled by candidates, cadre-availability, and category reservations, we can observe general trends from past years. Below is a trend-based estimation (for General category) which can be useful for aspirants to set target ranks.

Top Ranks: All India Services

• IAS: ~ Rank 1–90 – topmost
• IFS (Foreign Service): ~ Rank 1–120
• IPS: ~ Rank 1–230 or more (sometimes more than 200)

(These ranges can shift depending on number of vacancies, number of candidates opting for that service, and their category.)

Middle Tier: Central Civil Services (Group A, Central Cadres)

Services like IRS (IT), IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes), IAAS, ICAS, IIS, Postal, etc. are often allotted in roughly Rank 80–300 (or 80–350) range, depending on preferences and seat availability.

Railway / Management / Technical Services

With the addition of services like IRMS (Indian Railway Management Service), IRTS, and other technical/railway-admin cadres, these generally go to candidates in roughly Rank 100–350, often with a background/education matching the cadre requirements (e.g. engineering for IRMS/IRTS).

Lower Group A / Group B / UT Cadres / Other Central Services

Services such as DANICS, DANIPS, AFHQ Civil, UT civil/police services, etc. are tend to be allocated in Rank ~300–700+ depending on availability, preferences, and vacancies.

Important caveats:

• These are approximate trends, not fixed rules.
• Reservation (OBC/SC/ST/EWS/PwBD) significantly affects cutoffs.
• Cadre preferences (home state, service vs cadre trade-offs) affect final choice and allotment.
• Number of vacancies changes year to year.

Why UPSC CSE Still Remains the Gold Standard of Government Career in 2025

• Wide range of services and career options: From administration (IAS) to foreign affairs (IFS), policing (IPS), railways (IRMS / IRTS), revenue (IRS), defense accounts / estates, corporate-law, postal, trade and international business. UPSC gives you a broad choice.
• Equal opportunity: Any graduate from any discipline (even final year) can apply. No need for specific stream or prior specialization. Even degrees from open universities or foreign institutions are accepted (with proper certification).
• Eligibility relaxations: Age and attempt relaxations for OBC, SC/ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen, disabled defence personnel give flexibility and fairness.
• Multiple attempts: Especially for reserved categories and PwBD, giving multiple chances to learn, improve, and attempt again.
• Prestige, Power and Impact: Offers posts which let you shape public policy, law and order, development work, foreign diplomacy which provides a real chance to make meaningful difference for society.
• Diverse roles and lifestyle: From diplomacy abroad to field administration, from forensic policing to forest conservation, roles vary widely, suiting a range of interests and skills.

Starting Your UPSC Journey – What to Keep in Mind

1. Check your eligibility first: Confirm your age, category, number of allowed attempts, graduation status, nationality criteria (especially if you belong to Nepal/Bhutan/Tibetan refugee / PIO categories).
2. Choose services and optional carefully: Based on your background (arts, engineering, science), capability, preference, and long-term interest. For example, IRMS/IRTS for engineering grads, IFS / IRS / Postal / Admin for humanities/commerce grads, etc.
3. Build a strong foundation: Start with NCERTs + basic history, polity, geography, economy. Simultaneously follow current affairs (newspaper, government schemes, global events).
4. Practice CSAT + Reasoning + Writing: For Prelims, CSAT is mandatory; for Mains, good writing + answer structuring + conceptual clarity matters.
5. Take mock tests and previous years’ papers: Helps manage time, understand paper pattern, refine strategy.
6. Maintain physical fitness (if opting for IPS/IFoS): Meet eyesight, height/chest and medical norms.
7. Stay consistent and mentally prepared: With up to 6–9 attempts (or more), perseverance matters more than last-minute cramming.

Conclusion

The 2025 guidelines reaffirm that UPSC CSE remains open, flexible, and inclusive: any graduate (even final year), from any discipline, with no minimum marks’ requirement, can attempt, provided they meet age, nationality, and physical norms. With a wide array of services, and necessary relaxations for reserved / PwBD / ex-servicemen categories, UPSC still provides a fair chance to lakhs of aspirants seeking stable, prestigious, and impactful government careers.

If you are committed, prepared to work hard, and clear-headed in your goals then you can aim for any service from IAS, IPS, IFS to IRMS, IRS, or others.

Reference:

education.indianexpress.com