The Civil Services Examination is a competitive exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. It is one of the most prestigious and sought-after exams in the country. The exam is conducted to recruit candidates for various civil services posts in the Indian Government, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and other central services.
Eligibility for the Exam: To be eligible for the Civil Services Examination, a candidate must be a citizen of India and have attained the age of 21 years on August 1 of the year in which he/she is appearing for the exam. The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. There is no specific requirement for the subject of the Bachelor’s degree.
Exam Pattern: The Civil Services Examination consists of three stages:
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
- Main Examination (Descriptive Type)
- Personality Test (Interview)
Preliminary Examination: The Preliminary Examination is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination. It is an objective type exam and consists of two papers: General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II (also known as Civil Services Aptitude Test or CSAT). The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination are not counted for the final selection, but candidates who qualify for the Preliminary Examination are eligible to appear for the Main Examination.
Main Examination: The Main Examination is the second stage of the Civil Services Examination. It is a descriptive type exam and consists of nine papers. The Main Examination is the most important stage of the Civil Services Examination, and the marks obtained in this stage are counted for the final selection.
The nine papers in the Main Examination are:
- Paper A – Indian Language (Qualifying Paper)
- Paper B – English (Qualifying Paper)
- Essay Paper
- General Studies Paper I
- General Studies Paper II
- General Studies Paper III
- General Studies Paper IV
- Optional Subject Paper I
- Optional Subject Paper II
Candidates have to choose two optional subjects from a list of 26 subjects.
Personality Test: The Personality Test is the final stage of the Civil Services Examination. Candidates who qualify for the Main Examination are eligible to appear for the Personality Test. The Personality Test is conducted by a panel of experts and aims to assess the candidate’s personality, intelligence, and suitability for the civil services.
Conclusion: The Civil Services Examination is a highly competitive exam, and candidates need to work hard and prepare well to crack the exam. However, the rewards of clearing the exam and joining the civil services are immense, as it offers an opportunity to serve the nation and make a positive impact on society.
