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About IAS Exam
The IAS Exam (officially known as the Civil Services Examination) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually.
Those who clear all the three stages of the IAS exam enter into the prestigious civil services of the country, and become officers in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and a host of other services. Although regarded as one of the toughest exams in the country, with the right approach and strategy, an aspirant can crack the IAS examination in the very first attempt. It is essential for aspirants to know and understand the requirements of the IAS exam 2022 such as the UPSC syllabus for IAS Exam (Prelims and Mains), pattern, eligibility criteria, application procedure and other such significant details before kick-starting the preparations. Here, we present all the relevant UPSC Exam details for aspirants planning to crack the IAS Exam. Reliable Academy is best coaching classes in Thane, Mumbai for UPSC - IAS exam.
Aspirants of Civil Services Examination are at the right place to get the details of the UPSC Syllabus. Here, at Reliable Academy, you will find the complete UPSC Syllabus for all the stages of the examination:
IAS Eligibility
The complete IAS eligibility criteria for the IAS exam is explained in detail in this article.
The IAS preparation procedure starts with incurring accurate knowledge on Eligibility criteria for the exam. The IAS Eligibility and UPSC Age Limit for the Civil Services Exam 2022 are discussed here.
The UPSC notification for 2022 has been released on 2nd February 2022 by the commission. The Prelims 2022 is scheduled to take place on June 5, 2022. The candidates can check and download the official notification PDF from the linked article.
The UPSC 2022 Notification was out on 2nd February 2022. The interested candidates who want to apply this year, can check the eligibility criteria in this article.
An extra chance in UPSC 2021 for the candidates who stayed away from their final shot at the civil services exams in 2020 has been consistently in the news. Recently, the Supreme court had allowed candidates to submit a representation before the Central government for what it termed as ‘lenient view’ over this appeal.
IAS Exam Age Limit | 21 to 32 years |
Age Relaxation | As per category (mentioned below) |
Educational Qualification for IAS | Graduation |
Nationality | Indian citizens only |
UPSC Age Limit for Civil Services Exam 2022
The candidates must have attained 21 years of age and be less than 32 years of age as of 1st August 2022 i.e., the candidate must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1990 and not later than 1st August, 2001. The official notification will carry UPSC Age Limit 2022 details. The official notification will carry the details about the age for UPSC Exam 2022.
Category | Minimum Age Limit for UPSC | Maximum Age Limit for UPSC |
---|---|---|
IAS exam Age Limit for General Category | 21 | 32 |
EWS | 21 | 32 |
SC/ST | 21 | 32 |
IAS OBC Age Limit | 21 | 35 |
Civil Services Age Limit is an essential factor in the eligibility criteria. Therefore, candidates applying for UPSC Exam should check what is the age for IAS exam before filling the online application form.
(Civil Services Age limit relaxations, as discussed below, will apply).
UPSC Exam Age Limit for General, SC/ST, OBC & Other categories | ||
---|---|---|
Category | UPSC Age Limit- Upper Relaxation | Number of Attempts |
General | 32 | 6 |
OBC | 35 | 9 |
SC/ST | 37 | Unlimited (Up to age limit) |
Disabled Defence Services Personnel | 35 | 9 |
Ex-Servicemen | 37 | 9 |
Persons with Benchmark Disability – EWS (Economically Weaker Section) |
42 | 9 |
Note:
As per the IAS Eligibility for Defence Servicemen, the persons Disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof have special Civil Services age limit relaxation.
The IAS Eligibility states that ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of 5 years Military Service as on 1st August 2022 get five years of age relaxation, provided whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defense issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months’ notice on the selection from the date of receipt of an offer of appointment.
The various academic requirements as per the IAS Eligibility Criteria are given below:
For IAS and IPS:
All other Services:
Given below is a summary of IAS eligibility criteria mentioning the UPSC maximum age limit, count of attempts, relaxations, and more. Candidates must satisfy the following conditions to be eligible for the UPSC IAS Exam:
Nationality for IAS exam: Must be a citizen of India, a person of Indian origin or a subject of Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet settled in India before 1st January 1962.
Education Qualification for IAS exam: Candidate must hold a Graduate Degree from a recognised University.
UPSC Civil Services Exam Age Limit: Candidate must be a minimum of 21 years of age and must not be more than 32 years of age.
Category wise UPSC CSE age limit, relaxation and maximum attempts
A candidate belonging to the General category giving the UPSC prelims should not have completed 32 years as on 1st August of that year. Candidates belonging to other categories have relaxations to the upper age limit. The age limit for UPSC CSE is clearly mentioned in the official notification released by the conducting body. Candidates must carefully go through the same before applying for the exam.
A general category/EWS category candidate has 6 attempts in the UPSC IAS exam. OBC candidates have 9 attempts; SC/ST candidates have no bar on the number of attempts (they can take the exam until they reach the upper age limit). EWS category with benchmark disability have 9 attempts, general and OBC physically disabled candidates have 9 attempts. SC/ST physically disabled candidates have no bar on the number of attempts.
Yes, ex-servicemen are given age relaxations of up to 5 years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of 5 years Military Service.
No. Candidates only have to be graduates from a recognised university. There is no minimum graduation percentage required for IAS eligibility.
The basic entry-level pay of an IAS officer is Rs. 56,100. Officers are given other benefits too like residences, official vehicles, etc.
The highest position an IAS officer can aspire to is the Cabinet Secretary of the country.
There is a lateral recruitment scheme in civil services since 2018. The RTI revealed that the government tried to bring in 10 joint secretaries through lateral recruitment. Lateral entry refers to the induction of private sector specialists in government departments. (Source – India Today)
One must also remember that there are no relaxations for civil service age limit for general category.
As per the official notification, the UPSC civil services age limit generally varies between 21 and 32, however, there are upper age limit relaxations for specific categories. Thus, if a candidate has not exhausted their number of attempts, he/she can take the IAS exam at the age of 30 years.
As per the official notification, the Civil Services age limit for UPSC is between 21 and 32 years of age. Age relaxation of 3 years is added to the civil service age limit for OBC, making the maximum age for UPSC 35 years for the OBC category.
No, one must fulfil both the criteria of number of attempts and cut off age for IAS exams.
No, there are no separate relaxations for female candidates. The UPSC age criteria are only dependent on the category.
IAS Exam Pattern
The IAS Exam pattern is:
Sl. No. | Name of the Paper | Nature of the Paper | Duration of the Exam | Questions | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | IAS Exam Paper – I: General Studies | Merit Ranking Nature | 2 Hours | 100 | 200 Marks |
2 | IAS Exam Paper – II: General Studies (CSAT) | Qualifying Nature | 2 Hours | 80 | 200 Marks |
The second stage of the IAS Exam is called the Mains Exam, which is a written descriptive examination and comprises 9 papers. The 9 papers in IAS Exam (Mains) are as follows: Paper-A (Compulsory Indian Language); Paper –B (English) which are qualifying in nature, while the other papers like Essay, General Studies Papers I, II, III, and IV, and Optional Papers I and II are considered for the final ranking.
Sl. No. | IAS Exam Paper | Name of the Paper | Nature of the Paper | Duration of the Exam | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language | QUALIFYING NATURE | 3 Hours | 300 Marks |
2 | Paper – B | English | 3 Hours | 300 Marks | |
3 | Paper – I | ESSAY | MERIT RANKING NATURE | 3 Hours | 250 Marks |
4 | Paper – II | General Studies I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
5 | Paper – III | General Studies II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
6 | Paper – IV | General Studies III | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |
TOTAL | 1750 Marks | ||||
Interview or Personality Test | 275 Marks | ||||
GRAND TOTAL | 2025 Marks |
NOTE:
For a detailed IAS exam syllabus for prelims and mains, click on IAS Exam Syllabus 2022.
Candidates who clear the Mains stage of the IAS exam with the required cut-off marks qualify for the final stage of the IAS exam i.e., the Personality Test or Interview round with the UPSC Board Members. The candidates who qualify to the final stage will be sent an e-summon by the Commission for a face-to-face discussion round with the board members. In this round, the board assesses the personality traits of the candidates and questions will be asked on their hobbies, current affairs, general knowledge, situation questions, etc. to evaluate if they are fit for a career in the civil services or not. The UPSC personality test will be held only in the UPSC Bhavan in New Delhi.
IAS Syllabus
It is important to know the syllabus for UPSC Prelims as it is the screening test that qualifies candidates for the next stage, i.e. Mains. All UPSC Exam aspirants must familiarise themselves with the exam pattern and UPSC Exam syllabus first, and then move on with the preparation.
Exam Pattern & Syllabus for UPSC Prelims | |
---|---|
Two Compulsory Papers | General Studies Paper-I |
General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) | |
Number of Questions asked in GS Paper-I | 100 |
Number of Questions asked in CSAT | 80 |
Total Number of Marks | 400
|
Negative Marking | ⅓ of the total marks allotted to the question will be deducted for every wrong answer |
Time Allotted | Two hours each
|
The two papers of the UPSC prelims are discussed in detail below:
To be noted:
The subjects included in the prelims are common for all. However, there is an option to opt for a few subjects in the mains phase of the examination. Reliable Academy gives you best coaching class in Thane for UPSC Examination.
UPSC Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)UPSC Mains Exam Pattern
Paper | Subject | Marks |
---|---|---|
Paper-I | Essay (can be written in the medium of the candidate's choice) | 250 |
Paper-II | General Studies – I (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society) | 250 |
Paper-III | General Studies – II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations) | 250 |
Paper-IV | General Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management) | 250 |
Paper-V | General Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude) | 250 |
Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper I | 250 |
Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper II | 250 |
General Studies‐I is also called Paper-II of UPSC Mains. It covers – Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
The detailed UPSC Syllabus for this paper is given below:
General Studies-II is also called Paper-III of UPSC Mains. It majorly covers Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
The detailed UPSC syllabus for this paper is given below:
General Studies-III is also called Paper-IV of the UPSC Mains. The major topics covered are Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
The detailed UPSC syllabus for this paper is given below:
General Studies Paper-IV is also called Paper-V of UPSC Mains. The major topics covered under it are 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:
Essay Paper – It is the Paper-I of UPSC Mains
Candidates may be required to write essays 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.
Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English
Structure of the language papers:
The types of questions asked are -
The rest of the seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India or in English.
The aim of the papers is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language concerned.
The pattern of questions would broadly be as follows:
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
Indian Languages:-
(i) comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.
Known as Personality Test, UPSC Interview is the last stage of the examination. There is no defined UPSC syllabus for the interview. Questions are asked from wide-ranging issues.
Candidates should note that there are no changes in UPSC Syllabus 2022 in comparison to UPSC Syllabus 2021 and UPSC Syllabus 2020.
UPSC syllabus has mentioned different subjects under headings from GS-I to GS-IV. GS Paper 1 has History, Geography and Indian Society as main subjects; GS Paper 2 has Indian Polity, Governance, Constitution, and International Relations; GS Paper 3 has Indian Economy, Science & Technology, Agriculture, Environment as important subjects while GS Paper 4 has Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude.
Candidates have to pay Rs. 100 for an application form. There is an exemption for SC/ST/PH categories and female candidates. Learn more about it at the UPSC Online Registration Application Form page.
Known as one of the toughest examinations of the country, Civil Services Examination has a comprehensive syllabus. The UPSC syllabus is designed in such a way that it tests candidates’ knowledge, not in one but multiple areas of interest. Given the length and breadth of the IAS syllabus, it is usually considered to be on the tough end However, with a proper strategy, it can be covered in a due span of time.
Yes, the UPSC syllabus contains complete prelims, mains and optional subjects syllabus for the aspirants.
IAS Syllabus is published in English/Hindi languages. One can download the official IAS Syllabus PDF in the same languages only.
IAS Officer Salary
IAS Officer Salary (Basic Pay i.e. excluding DA, TA, and HRA) in India, according to 7th Pay Commission
Under State Secretariat | for District Administration | Under Central Secretariat | Grade | Basic Pay (INR) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Undersecretary | Sub-Divisional Magistrate | Assistant Secretary | Junior scale | 56,100 |
Deputy Secretary | Additional District Magistrate | Undersecretary | Senior Scale | 67,700 |
Joint Secretary | District Magistrate | Deputy Secretary | Junior Administrative Grade | 78,800 |
Special Secretary-cum-Director | District Magistrate | Director | Selection Grade | 1,18,500 |
Secretary-cum-Commissioner | Divisional Commissioner | Joint Secretary | Super Time Scale | 1,44,200 |
Principal Secretary | Divisional Commissioner | Additional Secretary | Above Super Time Scale | 1,82,200 |
Chief Secretary | - | Secretary | Apex scale | 2,25,000 (Fixed) |
- | - | Cabinet Secretary of India | Cabinet Secretary Grade | 2,50,000 (Fixed) |
The allowances forms a major part of this gross monthly salary. It is important to have an understanding of it.
HRA (House Rent Allowances)
DA (Dearness Allowances)
TA (Travel Allowances)
Apart from these other allowances and perks include medical expenses, electricity bills, water bills, mobile bills, abroad study option, pensions and retirement benefits, etc.
IAS Results
A total of 685 candidates have been recommended for the various posts including IAS, IPS, IRS, etc. Shruti Sharma has bagged the UPSC 2021 AIR 1. Ankita Agarwal and Gamini Singla are the second and third rank holders respectively. The UPSC Interview took place in the months of April and May.
Let’s find out the deets of the IAS 2021 Final Results:
AIR | Candidate's Name |
1 | Shruti Sharma |
2 | Ankita Agarwal |
3 | Gamini Singla |
4 | Aishwarya Verma |
5 | Utkarsh Dwivedi |
6 | Yaksh Chaudhary |
7 | Samyak S Jain |
8 | Ishita Rathi |
9 | Preetam Kumar |
10 | Harkeerat Singh Randhawa |
The details of the UPSC 2021 results are given in the table below:
Stage | Exam 2021 | Exam Date | Results |
1 | UPSC Prelims | 10th October 2021 | October 29, 2021 |
2 | UPSC Mains (Written) | 7th January 2022, onward | 17th March 2022 |
3 | UPSC Personality Test (Interview) | April-May 2022 | 30th May 2022 |
IAS Exam FAQ
ANS: The full form of IAS is Indian Administrative Services, formerly known as Imperial Civil Service (ICS). It is conducted annually by UPSC.
ANS: To be eligible for the IAS 2022 examination a candidate must be between the age of 21 to 32 years. However, the candidates from reserved categories get some age relaxations.
ANS: The IAS 2022 registration process had started from February 02, 2022 and the last date to apply was February 22, 2022. IAS Prelims examination 2022 will be held on June 5, 2022. Future aspirants will be able to apply for IAS 2023 when the applications are available.
ANS: Yes, if you are dedicated and focused, one year is enough for IAS preparation. The preparation and the performance of the candidates depend upon them and their regularity.
ANS: No, UPSC has not changed the age limit in the 2022 notification. The upper age limit for general candidates is still 32 years.
ANS: No, there are no set rules for height or weight for the candidates who qualify Mains. The candidates just have to clear the cutoff marks of their respective category in order to appear for Interview.
ANS: According to the 7th Pay Commission, the basic salary of an IAS officer is Rs 56,100. Candidates can check the detailed salary of an IAS officer in the above article.
ANS: Candidates for the Indian Administrative Service examination must have a graduate degree from a recognized institution. Candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination must be at least 21 years old and no more than 32 years old. Candidates in the General Category and EWS must be 32 years old and have six attempts to pass the test. IAS officers who pass their tests are eligible for employment in various government departments, most typically in the Center. They serve in a range of capacities within the government, ranging from Cabinet Secretaries to Joint Secretaries. These people are responsible for overseeing policy formation and financial resource allocation. They are accountable to both the state and the Parliament, and they play an essential role in developing policy in their area of expertise.
ANS: IAS officials supervise the execution of government policies and the management of different finances. IAS officials typically work nine to five, implementing government policies, attending meetings, reading reports, and supervising additional responsibilities, depending on their position. They must be on the ground, collaborating with numerous agencies and dealing with elected officials. An IAS officer’s duties are broad and diverse. They often endeavor to safeguard the people’s interests under their jurisdiction, but they may also be in charge of different development initiatives. They also confer with the minister in charge of a specific department. The task requires a great deal of concentrated attention and a great deal of patience. Most applicants aspire to a high-powered career as an IAS official, and many succeed.
ANS: The first is frequent transfers, which may disrupt family life, job life, and functioning. The second is persistent intervention and political threats. The regular shifts in location constitute a significant source of concern. It is feasible for an IAS officer to be stationed in a distant place without access to amenities that satisfy modern standards. The work demands a lot of dedication and patience. Even if they are standard conveniences, frequent inquiry from political officials may be a cause of aggravation. Despite these challenges, the overall work exposure is excellent.
ANS: The answer is dependent on the aspirant. The UPSC curriculum is extensive and complex, with several disciplines and IAS Current Affairs that a candidate must be familiar with. The IAS Syllabus is comprehensive, with several topics from many streams. Thus, the candidate must have a broad and deep grasp of the sector. One of the first things you should know about the IAS test is how it is prepared. Ideally, you should read one or two novels and then reread them if required. You must have the correct supervision, clever work, and current events understanding. The IAS test is one of the most demanding in India, so make sure you devote enough time to studying. Furthermore, the correct strategy is critical.
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