The UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 is a competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of candidates into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and other Central Services Group A and Group B. The UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 will be held in two phases – Preliminary and Main.
The Prelims Exam 2023 will be held on the 17th of April 2023 and will consist of two papers – Paper I and Paper II. Paper I of the Prelims Exam 2023 will be a General Studies paper of 200 marks, while Paper II will be an Aptitude Test of 200 marks. The Minimum Qualifying Marks for the Prelims Exam 2023 will be 33%.
The Main Exam 2023 will be held on the 10th of October 2023 and will consist of nine papers. The papers include:
Paper I – Essay – 250 marks
Paper II – General Studies I – 300 marks
Paper III – General Studies II – 300 marks
Paper IV – General Studies III – 300 marks
Paper V – General Studies IV – 300 marks
Paper VI – Optional Subjects I – 300 marks
Paper VII – Optional Subjects II – 300 marks
Paper VIII – Optional Subjects III – 300 marks
Paper IX – Interview – 275 marks
The Minimum Qualifying Marks for the Main Exam 2023 will be 40%.
In order to apply for the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023, candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized educational institution or equivalent. Candidates must also be between the ages of 21 and 32 years.
Candidates must also fulfill the Physical and Medical Standards specified by the UPSC. The Physical and Medical Standards can be found on the UPSC website.
The application fee for the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023 is Rs. 100/- for General and OBC candidates and Rs. 0/- for SC/ST/PwD candidates. The application fee must be paid online mode or through a bank challan.
The UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023 is an excellent opportunity for candidates to compete for a chance to serve the nation and become a part of civil services. The UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023 will test the candidates’ knowledge and aptitude in a wide range of topics. With the right preparation and dedication, a candidate can be successful in this prestigious examination.
Important Dates for UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023:
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is one of the most prestigious competitive examinations in India, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The exam is conducted annually to recruit candidates for various Civil Services of the Government of India, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS). The UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 will be conducted in three stages – Preliminary, Main, and Interview. The following table provides important dates for the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023.
Preliminary Examination:
Release of Notification: March 3rd, 2023
Last date for submission of application form: April 2nd, 2023
Prelims Exam Date: June 18th, 2023
Declaration of Preliminary Exam Result: August 31st, 2023
Main Examination:
Release of Admit Card: September 22nd, 2023
Main Examination Date: October 18th, 2023 – October 28th, 2023
Declaration of Main Exam Result: December 31st, 2023
Interview:
Release of Interview Letter: January 15th, 2024
Interview Dates: February 25th, 2024 – March 12th, 2024
Declaration of Final Result: May 31st, 2024
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 Vacancy Details:
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the central agency authorized to conduct the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for entry into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other Group A and Group B Central Services. The UPSC CSE is a three-stage competitive examination conducted annually by UPSC in order to select the best-suited candidates for the various Central Government Services.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 is expected to have a total of 15000 vacancies for various services. The vacancies will be divided among the different All India Services, Central Civil Services, and State Services.
The UPSC CSE 2023 will consist of three stages- Preliminary, Mains, and Personality Test. The Preliminary Examination will be a qualifying examination while the Mains Examination will be the final selection examination. Candidates who qualify for the Preliminary Examination will be eligible to take the Mains Examination.
The UPSC CSE 2023 will have two papers in the Preliminary Examination- General Studies and Aptitude Test. The General Studies Paper will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions and the Aptitude Test will consist of 80 multiple-choice questions. The Mains Examination will consist of nine papers- two qualifying papers, four General Studies papers, one optional paper, and two essays.
The Personality Test will be the final stage of selection. The marks scored in the Personality Test will be added to the total marks secured by the candidate in the Mains Examination. The final merit list will be drawn based on the marks secured in the Mains Examination and the Personality Test.
The UPSC CSE 2023 will be conducted in various centers across the country. The notification for the UPSC CSE 2023 is expected to be released by the end of 2021. Candidates interested in appearing for the UPSC CSE 2023 should keep an eye on the official website of UPSC for updates.
UPSC 2023 Age Limit:
The minimum age to appear in the UPSC Civil Services Examination is 21 years. The upper age limit for various categories is as follows:
- For General category candidates: 32 years
- For OBC category candidates: 35 years
- For SC/ST category candidates: 37 years
- For Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) candidates: 42 years
- For Ex-servicemen (ESM) and Commissioned Officers including ECOs/SSCOs: 35 years
- For Jammu & Kashmir domiciled candidates: 37 years
- For Widows/Divorced Women/Women judicially separated from their husbands who are not re-married: 35 years
- For Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof: 35 years
- For ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues certificates that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months’ notice on selection from the date of receipt of an offer of appointment: 35 years
Note that the upper age limit for the UPSC Civil Services Examination can be relaxed for certain categories of candidates. Also, the government can provide age relaxation for candidates from certain states for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
UPSC Age Relaxation:
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) provides certain age relaxation for certain categories of candidates for the various examinations conducted by them. These relaxations are as follows:
- Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe Candidates:
A relaxation of 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories. - Other Backward Classes (OBC) Candidates:
A relaxation of 3 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the candidates belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC). - Ex-Servicemen (ESM):
A relaxation of 3 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) candidates. - Widows/ Divorced Women/ Women Judicially Separated from their Husbands:
A relaxation of up to 35 years of age is provided to Widows, Divorced Women, and Women Judicially Separated from their Husbands who are not remarried. - Persons with Disabilities:
A relaxation of 10 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category. - Persons Ordinarily domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period of 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989:
A relaxation of 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the persons who were ordinarily domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period of 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989. - Defence Services Personnel Disabled in Operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof:
A relaxation of 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Defence Services Personnel who were disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof. - Regular Government Servants:
A relaxation of up to 40 years of age is provided to Regular Government Servants who have put in 3 years of continuous service. - Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989:
A relaxation of 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989. - Central Government Civilian Employees:
A relaxation of up to 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Central Government Civilian Employees who have completed 3 years of continuous service in a post. - Existing Reservations:
A relaxation of up to 10 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the candidates belonging to the Existing Reservations. - National Cadet Corps (NCC) ‘C’ Certificate Holders:
A relaxation of up to 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the National Cadet Corps (NCC) ‘C’ Certificate holders. - Sports Persons:
A relaxation of up to 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Sports Persons. - Commissioned Officers:
A relaxation of up to 5 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the Commissioned Officers including Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs)/ Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) who have completed their initial period of assignment of 5 years of Military Service. - Economically Weaker Sections (EWS):
A relaxation of up to 10 years in the prescribed age limit is provided to the candidates belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Educational Qualification for UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023:
Candidates who wish to appear for the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University or equivalent qualification.
Candidates who have completed their graduation (10+2+3) in any discipline from a recognized University or Institute are eligible to appear for the Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates who have passed the final year of the three-year degree course and are awaiting results can also apply. However, they must produce proof of passing the degree examination at the time of the interview.
Candidates who have obtained a degree through distance education are also eligible to apply. However, they must produce a recognized University/Institute certificate at the time of the interview.
Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Classes are eligible to avail of the reservation benefits in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates belonging to other minority communities such as Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, and Jains are also eligible to avail of the reservation benefits in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates who have served in the Indian Armed Forces are also eligible to avail of the reservation benefits in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates who have obtained a degree by attending an Open University or an Institute which is not recognized by the UPSC are not eligible to appear for the Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates who have attained a degree from a foreign University and do not have a valid Indian equivalent degree are not eligible to appear for the Civil Services Exam 2023.
Candidates who have not completed their graduation are not eligible to appear for the Civil Services Exam 2023.
UPSC Civil Services 2023: Selection Process
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is a highly competitive exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to various Civil Services posts in India. The selection process for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023 is as follows:
- Preliminary Examination: The Prelims examination is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam. This is an objective-type paper consisting of two papers of 200 marks each. The questions are based on General Studies and Aptitude Tests. Candidates who qualify in the Prelims are qualified to appear for the Main Examination.
- Main Examination: The Main Examination is the second stage of the exam and consists of nine papers of 300 marks each. The subjects covered in the Main Examination are Indian Language, English, Essay, General Studies, Optional Subject, and Personality Test. The marks obtained in the Main Examination are considered while preparing the final merit list.
- Personality Test: The Personality Test is the final stage of the selection process. This is a face-to-face interview conducted by the UPSC board members. The board evaluates the candidate’s knowledge, personality, aptitude, leadership qualities, and other skills. The marks obtained in the Personality Test are considered for the final selection process.
- Merit List: The UPSC releases the final merit list of successful candidates based on the marks obtained in the Prelims, Main Examination, and Personality Test. The candidates who secure the minimum qualifying marks are selected for the post.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted every year to select the best candidates for the various posts in the Indian Civil Services. It is important for the candidates to be well-prepared for the exam to ensure selection. The UPSC also provides various coaching and guidance programs to help the candidates in their preparation.