UPSC Civil Services Examination Eligibility – IAS, IPS, IRS and IFSCheck the complete eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, including educational qualification, age limit, category-wise relaxation, nationality, number of attempts and selection process.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Eligibility 2026
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE), one of India’s major competitive examinations. Through this examination, eligible candidates can compete for prestigious services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and other Central Group A and Group B services.
To apply for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, candidates must satisfy the prescribed conditions relating to nationality, age, educational qualification and number of attempts. The eligibility requirements below are based on the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 cycle, for which the notification was issued on 4 February 2026 and the Preliminary Examination was held on 24 May 2026.
Exam Conducting Authority
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Civil Services Examination (CSE) |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Major Services | IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other Central Civil Services |
| Examination Stages | Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test |
Educational Qualification
A candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent qualification from a recognised university or educational institution.
- Candidates from any academic stream may apply.
- There is no requirement that a candidate must hold a degree in a particular subject.
- Professional and technical qualifications recognised as equivalent may also be accepted according to UPSC rules.
- Candidates who are appearing in their qualifying degree examination may be provisionally eligible, subject to fulfilling the documentary requirements prescribed by UPSC.
Therefore, candidates with degrees in Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, Medicine and other recognised disciplines can apply if they satisfy the remaining eligibility conditions.
UPSC Age Limit
For the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026, a candidate was required to be at least 21 years old and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the relevant cut-off date specified in the notification.
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| General / EWS | No standard category relaxation |
| OBC | Up to 3 years |
| SC / ST | Up to 5 years |
| PwBD | Up to 10 years, subject to applicable rules |
Additional relaxation may also be available for eligible candidates belonging to specified categories, including certain Defence personnel and Ex-servicemen, according to the conditions mentioned in the official UPSC notification.
Nationality Requirement
Nationality requirements differ depending on the service. For the IAS, IPS and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the candidate must generally be a citizen of India.
For certain other services, eligibility may also extend to specified categories such as subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, eligible Tibetan refugees and certain persons of Indian origin, subject to the conditions and eligibility certificate requirements prescribed by the Government of India and UPSC.
Number of Attempts
| Category | Permitted Attempts |
|---|---|
| General / EWS | 6 attempts |
| OBC | 9 attempts |
| SC / ST | No fixed limit within the applicable age limit |
| PwBD | Subject to applicable UPSC rules and category conditions |
UPSC Civil Services Examination Selection Process
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted in three major stages:
- Preliminary Examination: This is the first stage and acts as a screening examination. Candidates who qualify become eligible to compete for the Main Examination.
- Main Examination: The Main Examination consists of written papers designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge, analytical ability, understanding and writing skills.
- Personality Test / Interview: Candidates who qualify in the Main Examination are called for the Personality Test. The final merit and service allocation are determined according to the applicable examination rules.
Important Eligibility Points
- A recognised graduate degree is the basic educational requirement.
- The standard age requirement for CSE 2026 was 21 to below 32 years, subject to applicable relaxation.
- Age relaxation depends on the candidate’s category and eligibility under UPSC rules.
- Nationality requirements are especially important for candidates applying for IAS, IPS and IFS.
- General and EWS candidates are generally permitted six attempts, while eligible OBC candidates receive nine attempts and SC/ST candidates may use attempts within the prescribed age limit.
- Candidates should always read the official UPSC notification for the examination year in which they plan to apply, as eligibility rules and cut-off dates may change.
UPSC CSE Eligibility Summary
The UPSC Civil Services Examination offers graduates an opportunity to compete for prestigious services including IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other Central Civil Services. Candidates must meet the requirements related to education, age, nationality and number of attempts. Before submitting an application, aspirants should carefully verify their eligibility against the latest official UPSC examination notification for their respective examination year.
