Intro, Eligibility and Exam Pattern | Additional Study Material for UPSC PDF Download

Welcome to EduRev UPSC platform. Civil Services Examination is conducted every year by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which upon selection will be allotted posts such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS etc., depending on the rank in the final list. Preparing for the prestigious UPSC Civil Services examination is a demanding yet deeply enriching experience. It is an examination that aims to choose the best talent for a career in public services of the Union of India. Clearing this exam will enable you to embark on a very rewarding and satisfying career in the service of the nation.
Aspirants, who begin their IAS preparation journey, naturally find themselves having many questions and few answers. They are usually in search of the best IAS coaching study material.
Common questions by IAS aspirants include:

• When is UPSC 2021 examination going to happen?
• What is the eligibility criteria?
• What is the pattern of the examination?
• What is the syllabus that I have to read to become IAS?
• What are the types of services that comes under UPSC CSE?
• What are the Study Materials for GS preparation for IAS?
• How do I choose an optional?
• How do I cover current affairs when the IAS preparation syllabus is so vast?
• Where do I download UPSC study materials/IAS study material PDF?
• Is self-preparation for the IAS exam enough to clear it? 
• How to write a good essay for IAS exam?
• How to prepare for Prelims in 90 days?

In fact, a good period of 3-4 months of valuable study time can easily be wasted away if such questions are not answered at the beginning of a preparation cycle.
To answer all your questions and doubts related to the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2021 and how to study for it, we at EduRev have created a course which covers all UPSC related current affairs, Video based lectures, Important NCERTS, notes on every topic, gist of famous books, mind maps for revision, tests on individual topics and many more. In this series of articles, we will explain you everything in detail to make your preparation streamlined. 

What is the UPSC Civil Services Examination date?
Civil Services Examination for the year 2021 preliminary examination is going to happen on 27th June, 2021. UPSC has released the detailed notification on 4th March 2021. The online application can be filled via UPSC website till 27th March, 2021 6 PM. For detailed notification, click the link:

What is the Eligibility Criteria?
As per the Civil Services Age Limit, the candidate Should be between 21 and 32 years, as on 1st August 2021 (for the UPSC CSE 2021), i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd August 1989 and not later than 1st August 2000.
Civil Services Age Limit is an essential factor in the eligibility criteria. Therefore, candidates applying for UPSC Exam should check these details properly before filling the online application form.
(Civil Services Age limit relaxations, as discussed below, will apply).

Candidates should also check the EWS Reservation Category in the linked article for in-depth understanding.
For details on the physically handicapped category, check the images below:

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 2020 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.

IAS Eligibility- Educational Qualification

• The various academic requirements as per the IAS Eligibility Criteria are given below:
• Minimum qualification for UPSC exam: The candidate must hold a degree from Government recognised Universities or possess an equivalent qualification.
• Candidates who are in their final year or awaiting results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination. All such candidates who are likely to appear for IAS exams must produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the main IAS examination.
• Candidates having professional and technical qualifications recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees.
• Medical students who have passed the final year of MBBS, but are yet to complete their internship also have eligibility for IAS. Although, along with the Main Examination application, a certificate of course completion (including internship) from the concerned authority of the University/Institution has to be submitted.

IAS Eligibility- Nationality

For IAS and IPS:

• Candidate must be a citizen of India

All other Services:

• Candidate must be either: -
  (i) A citizen of India, or
  (ii) A subject of Nepal, or
  (iii) A subject of Bhutan, or
  (iv) A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 intending to settle in India permanently, or
  (v) A person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire and Vietnam intending to settle in India permanently.
• The candidates belonging to categories (2), (3), (4) and (5) should furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates may take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but he/she would get the offer of appointment only after the Government of India has issued the certificate.
• Point to Note: A person belonging to categories (2), (3) and (4) are not eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

UPSC Eligibility related queries
What is the age limit for the UPSC Civil Services Exam?

• 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.

How many attempts are there for the IAS 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.

Is there any reservation for ex-servicemen in the UPSC exam?

• 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.

Is there a minimum percentage required in graduation for the IAS exam?

• No. Candidates only have to be graduates from a recognised university. There is no minimum graduation percentage required for IAS eligibility.

What is the salary of an IAS officer?

• The basic entry-level pay of an IAS officer is Rs. 56,100. Officers are given other benefits too like residences, official vehicles, etc.

What is the highest post an IAS officer can reach in his career?

• The highest position an IAS officer can aspire to is the Cabinet Secretary of the country.

UPSC Exam Pattern 2021

The pattern of UPSC examination is officially divided into two stages called Preliminary and Main Examination while in practice, it is a three-stage exam.
As per the IAS exam pattern, candidates who clear the Prelims are eligible for Mains and candidates who clear the Main reach the interview stage.
The three stages of the IAS exam are Prelims, Mains and Personality Test.

IAS exam pattern for UPSC Prelims

The UPSC exam pattern for the Preliminary stage consists of two papers, conducted on one day (27th June,2021). Both the papers comprise objective type questions with multiple choice of answers. The prelims examination is a qualifying stage to filter candidates for the mains exam. The marks secured at this stage are not counted towards the final merit list, though candidates have to prepare well for this exam as cut-offs are unpredictable and depend on the average score every year. The details of UPSC Prelims Exam are given below:

IAS Exam Pattern for UPSC Mains
The UPSC exam pattern for the Mains stage consists of 9 papers conducted over 5-7 days. Only those candidates who secure at least the declared cut off in General Studies I and 33% in General Studies II in Prelims will be allowed to appear for the Mains Examination. As per the exam pattern of UPSC Mains, all of the papers consist of descriptive answer type questions. The details of UPSC Mains Exam are given below:

All of the mains papers except for the language papers A and B are of a merit ranking nature. Paper A and B are of qualifying nature and candidates must score at least 25% in each for the marks from their Paper I – Paper VII to be given weightage. Paper A is not compulsory for candidates from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim as well as candidates with hearing impairment, provided they can prove that they have been exempted from such 2nd or 3rd language courses by their concerned board or university. The subjects which are covered by the General Studies Papers in Mains Exam are:

 
All the papers except the Language papers A and B can be answered in English or any of the languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The optional papers can be answered in English even if none of the other papers has been answered by the candidate in English
The Indian Language paper covers any of the languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Stage 3: UPSC Interview

• This is the final stage of the IAS Exam before the final results are declared. Officially it is called the Interview/Personality Test and counted as a part of the Mains Examination for merit ranking purposes. 
• From a preparation standpoint, it is considered the third stage as preparation strategies for the written and interview stages are different. As per the IAS exam pattern, this consists of an interview by the UPSC board to assess the candidates’ suitability for a civil services career and associated responsibilities. 
• The board consists of competent and unbiased observers who have a record of the candidates’ career. The board would judge the candidates mental and social traits by asking questions of general interest. 
• Some of the qualities that the board looks for are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, a balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
• The maximum marks allotted for the interview stage is 275, thus bringing the total marks for the merit list consideration to 2025.
• The whole exam pattern of the UPSC IAS examination is comprehensive, and the competition is intense. One should start preparing in-depth as the examination process lasts for almost a year and not making the cut means starting from scratch the following year.