Everything you need to know about the IAS civil service examination
IAS (Indian Administrative Service) conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) is one of the most accredited civil service examinations on a national level. Every year 2-3 lakhs aspirants appear for the IAS exams to compete for approximately 8000-1000 public job vacancies for different administrative services ranging from railways to defense.
IAS exam course in Sector 35D, Chandigarh
The IAS exam encompasses 3 stages, namely- preliminary exams, main exams, followed personal interview round. The candidate is tested on various subjects as geography, history, politics, general knowledge, social welfare, science, economics, technology, arts & culture, and more. Considering these aspects, the course is designed meticulously for maximum results.
Professional IAS coaching institutes in Sector 35D, Chandigarh
Experienced and qualified IAS coaching institutes provide careful attention and assistance at every stage of the process. This involves support in the registration procedure for studying tips & tricks to coherently presenting themselves for the personal interview round.
IAS coaching fees in Sector 35D, Chandigarh
Professional IAS exam coaching fees vary with every institute. Some institutes provide partial services such as interview preparation or just test series services. Interview prep charges start from approximately Rs. 3000 and may go up to Rs 5000. Check out the FAQ to know more.
IAS Job opportunities
An IAS officer can serve under the central or state government for various administrative posts such as the head of departments, district collector, and personal secretary to central ministers, head of public enterprise, and more.
Eligibility criteria to apply for the IAS examination:
- The candidate must be a citizen of India, subject of Nepal/Bhutan or an Indian origin migrant permanently settled in India
- The candidate must be a graduate in a relevant field from a government recognized university
- The age limit of applying candidates against UPSC IAS Recruitment 2019 should be between 21 years to 32 years and age relaxation will be given to reserved category applicants. The age limit mentioned for various categories is General- 32, OBC-35, SC-37 and PWD-42. Also, the number of attempts defined by the UPSC is as follows:
About IAS: Exams, Papers/Subjects, Syllabus, and Marks Allocation
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the governing body for the 12 civil services exams held in the country annually, namely the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), IP & TAFS (Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service), IAAS (Indian Audit and Accounts Service), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), and Indian Trade Service (ITS). And the UPSC office is situated in Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, Delhi – 110069. The UPSC exams, which are conducted for the recruitment of officers for All India, Central and State services, are among the tough and most prestigious not just in this country, evidenced by the pass percentage of just 0.1%. The aspirants have to prove their proficiency in myriad subjects, including aptitude, languages, current affairs, history, geography, mathematics, technology, environment, ethics, and economic development, among others. And they also have to pass three different kinds of exams to stand a chance of securing an administrative position in the government. And here’s a complete lowdown of the three IAS exams, syllabus covered in each of them, exam pattern and marks distribution, and total papers.
IAS Exams Pattern
- IAS prelims
- IAS mains
- IAS interview (personality assessment for public service)
Prelims exam syllabus, subjects, marks & exam duration
Following are all the essential details about the first level of UPSC IAS exams, the prelims: The paper I syllabus comprises the following: ongoing national and international events, Indian history and national movement, physical, social, economic geography, constitution, public policy, political system, economic and social development, environmental ecology, biodiversity, etc. Prelims paper II is designed to assess the following skills in an aspirant: analytical, basic numeracy, comprehension, data interpretation, decision-making, general mental ability, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, etc.
Prelims Exam Pattern
- Paper I: Total marks: 200; duration: 2 hours (120 mins); subject: General Studies
- Paper II: T Total marks: 200; duration: 2 hours (120 mins); subject: Aptitude Note: Though you will write the two Preliminary exam papers for 200 marks each, this tally of marks will not count towards your overall UPSC score, which instead will be based on the Mains exam and personality interview.
Mains exam syllabus, subjects, marks & exam duration
In this section of the IAS exam, two papers count as qualifying papers and overall you will be writing seven papers and for 1750 marks (7x250). The following papers will be part of the Mains exam: essay, general studies I, general studies, II, general studies III, general studies IV, and optional papers I and II. For optional paper I, you can choose one from the following 25 elective subjects: agriculture, animal husbandry and veterinary service, anthropology, botany, chemistry, civil engineering, accountancy and commerce, economics, electrical engineering, geography, geology, history, law, management, math, medical science, mechanical engineering, political science and international relations, psychology, public administration, sociology, statistics, and zoology. And for optional paper II, IAS aspirants can choose one of the following 28 literary languages: Assamese, Arabic, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.
IAS Exam Syllabus
List of UPSC Optional Subjects:
List of UPSC literature optional subjects
IAS interview, personality assessment
An interview panel will assess your suitability to do public service. Some of the traits they will look for are as follows:
- Mental alertness
- Clarity and rationality
- Powers of understanding
- Level and depth of interest
- Intellect and moral integrity
Aspirants can answer the panel of members in the language they know best and the UPSC will arrange for translators. 275 is the marks allocation for personality interview. You will write the IAS exams for a total of 2025 marks, split into 1750 for mains and 275 for the interview.
UPSC Coaching in Sector 35D, Chandigarh
UPSC is one of the most popular and competitive set of examinations that take place in the country every year. UPSC exams serve as a qualifier for those who wish to establish a career in different public service departments under the Central Government. Here are a few questions that are frequently asked about UPSC examination and related practices:
What are civil services?
UPSC is one of the most popular and competitive set of examinations that take place in the country every year. UPSC exams serve as a qualifier for those who wish to establish a career in different public service departments under the Central Government. Here are a few questions that are frequently asked about UPSC examination and related practices:
- The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Foreign Service (IFoS), Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Police Service (IPS), Group ‘A’.
- The Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service (IAS), Group ‘A’.
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise), (IAS) Gr. “A".
- The Indian Defense Accounts Service (IAS), Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Revenue Service, (IT) Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group ‘A’. (Asstt. Works Manager—Administration).
- The Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’.
- Post of Assistant Security Commissioner, Group ‘A’ in Railway Protection Force.
- The Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’.
- The Indian Information Service, Junior Grade Group ‘A’.
- Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Gr. Ill).
- Indian Corporate Law Service. Group ‘A’.
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade).
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep. Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group ‘B’.
- Pondicherry Civil Service, Group ‘B’.
- Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B’.
What are the technical services?
Technical Services require special medical status in terms of vision, height, chest, chest expansion etc. and in general, need to pass a test on physical ability. The Technical services under CSE are as follows.
- The Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’.
- Railway Protection Force (RPF) Group A,
- Indian Police Service, Gr. A,
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service. Group ‘B’.
- Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B’
- Indian Ordinance Factories Service (IOFS) Group A.
What is the educational pre-requisite for writing the UPSC examination?
Any degree (graduation) is accepted. It may be a full-time or a distance degree. The candidate must hold a degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
What is the structure of the Civil Service Examinations?
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) comprises of two successive stages: the Preliminary Civil Services Examination (CSP) and the Main Civil Services Examination, which includes a written portion and an interview. An attempt at the Main Civil Services Examination will only count if the candidate has cleared the preliminary exams. The main examination will be multiple choice questions, the paper set in both Hindi and English. Both exams will last around 2 hours each. For further details into the syllabus of the papers, check the Examination Notice published by the government.
When do the Preliminary exams take place?
The Prelims are basically a screening test usually held in either May or June to assess your qualification to take the UPSC's. There are two papers- GS and CSAT, both of which you need 200 marks to clear. Their marks are not included in the final test.
How are the UPSCs scored?
The CSE's are scored with a negative marking. Candidates should keep in mind that for each incorrect question, 1/3 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. If one answers with more than one answer per question, it will automatically be marked incorrect. Questions that are left blank will not be penalized with any negative marking.
Are there any reservations set for SC, ST, OBC and physically disabled students?
Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes. Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Physically Disabled Categories in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.
What is the eligibility to avail reservation in the "Physically Disabled" quota?
The eligibility for availing reservation against the vacancies reserved for the physically disabled persons shall be the same as prescribed in the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. UPSC is one of the hardest examinations to prepare for and required a focused approach to the study procedure. Sulekha helps you identify the best UPSC coaching centers in Sector 35D, Chandigarh, which help you achieve the best results in the shortest duration possible. It is important that you get your study material and schedule tailored to optimize your preparation and ultimately achieve success. Scroll up and fill a simple registration form to get in touch with the best tutors in Sector 35D, Chandigarh.
