All organisationsCivil Services
UPSC
Civil Services Examination (IAS / IPS / IFS)
India's flagship administrative service exam, open to graduates of every discipline.
Salary: Level 10 entry — approx ₹56,100 basic, ₹85K–₹1L gross per month plus service benefits
Eligibility
- Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university
- Age 21–32 years for general category (relaxations apply)
- 6 attempts for general category
Required skills
- Current affairs
- Answer writing
- Analytical reasoning
- Essay writing
- Optional subject depth
Exam pattern
- Prelims: GS Paper 1 (200 marks) + CSAT Paper 2 (qualifying, 33%)
- Mains: 9 papers including essay, 4 GS papers and 2 optional papers
- Personality Test (interview): 275 marks
- Final merit from Mains (1750) + interview (275)
Preparation roadmap
- Read NCERTs class 6–12 for history, polity, geography and economy.
- Follow one newspaper daily and make monthly current-affairs notes.
- Choose an optional subject you genuinely enjoy and finish its syllabus early.
- Write 2 answers daily and take weekly full-length tests.
- Revise 4 times before prelims — revision beats new sources.