UPSC Age Limit and Relaxation for SC and ST Category
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
The UPSC Age Limit for SC and ST Candidates is 37 years (32 years + 5 years relaxation). Candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities can have unlimited attempts until their mentioned UPSC Age limit. The IAS Age Limit varies depending on the kind of reservation. According to the official UPSC Age Limit, a candidate must be at least 21 years when he sits for the IAS Exam.
As of August 1, 2022, the general category candidate’s maximum age to take the UPSC Exam is 32 years. Every year, UPSC holds the Civil Services Examination to select applicants for various services, including IAS, IPS, IFS, and many others.
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UPSC Age Relaxation for SC
The UPSC Age Limit for SC is 37 years. The official notification regarding the SC Age Limit for UPSC proclaims – ‘Candidates who fall under the SC category must be at least 21 years old on August 1 of the exam year, although they cannot be older than 37.’
Candidates for the SC Category may apply as often (unlimited UPSC attempts) as necessary until they satisfy the Union Public Service Commission’s requirements.
UPSC Age Limit for ST
The UPSC Age Limit for ST Category is 37 years (32 years + 5 years relaxation), according to the UPSC Eligibility. The ST category candidates must be at least 21 years old on August 1 of the exam year, although they cannot be older than 37. The Union Public Service Commission sets the age requirements that a candidate must meet is defined as:
“A candidate must have reached the age of 21 and not yet reached the age of 32 on August 1, 2021, which means that he must have been born between August 2, 1989, and August 1, 2000. If a candidate is a representative of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the upper age limit specified above may be relaxed by a maximum of five years.’
UPSC Age Limit for Other Categories
Age restrictions vary depending on the type of reservation. The candidate must be at least 21 years old in accordance with the official UPSC age limit. The Upper Age Limit varies according to the category. Below we have mentioned the category-wise UPSC eligibility criteria:
| Category | Minimum Age Limit | Maximum Age Limit |
| UPSC Age Limit for General | 21 | 32 |
| UPSC Age Limit for OBC | 21 | 35 |
| UPSC Age Limit SC | 21 | 37 |
| UPSC Age Limit for Scheduled Tribe | 21 | 37 |
| UPSC Age Limit for EWS | 21 | 32 |
Age Limit Relaxation in UPSC
The upper UPSC age limit is relaxed for candidates who fall under the SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories. Applicants from the OBC group receive a 3-year age exemption, bringing their maximum age to 35. Applicants from the SC/ST category will have a 5-year age relaxation, raising their maximum age to 37.
Maximum Age Limit for UPSC: Different Categories
| Category | IAS Age Limit Relaxation |
| General | No Age Relaxation |
| OBC | 3 Years |
| Disabled Defense Services Personnel | 3 Years |
| SC / ST | 5 Years |
| EX-Servicemen | 5 Years |
| Benchmark Disability- EWS | 10 Years |
