UPSC Age Limit 2023 - UPSC Eligibility Criteria, IAS Officer Qualification

FAQs on UPSC Eligibility and Age Limit for UPSC

• What is the required UPSC age limit?

  As per the UPSC Age Limit, the minimum age of the candidate must be 21 years, and the maximum age must be 32 years as of 1st August 2023. This means to be eligible for the UPSC Exam 2023, a candidate should not have been born earlier than 2nd August 1991.

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• Can a foreigner become an IAS officer according to UPSC eligibility critera?

  As per the official IAS Officer qualification in accordance with the UPSC eligibility criteria, an applicant must be an Indian National to become an IAS officer. A non-Indian citizen is not eligible for the post of IAS. The Nationality has some relaxation for other posts such as the subject of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugee and more are eligible for UPSC exam.

• What is the UPSC age limit for SC ST?

  The UPSC age limit for SC and ST candidates is 37 years as of 01 August 2022. UPSC provides an age relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST applicants. Applicants must go through the detailed UPSC eligibility criteria 2023 before applying for the exam to avoid later-stage disqualification.

• What is the minimum percentage required for IAS?

  There is no such requirement of UPSC exam eligibility educational qualification percentage in the official notification. As per UPSC Qualification, an applicant must have a valid graduate degree from a recognized university. Even degrees such as MBBS, ICAI, ICWAI, or ICSI are welcome to apply. 

• How many times can SC and ST applicants give exam according to the UPSC eligibility criteria?

  The UPSC number of attempts varies as per various reservation categories. Applicants from SC/ST category have unlimited attempts as long as they are eligible as per IAS qualification. As per the official notification, the UPSC age limit for SC is 37 years. Therefore, up to 37 years of age, candidates have endless attempts.

• Is there any UPSC age relaxation for female candidates?

  No, there is no relaxation for female candidates in UPSC. The minimum required IAS age limit for females is 21 years, and the maximum age required is 35 years. The UPSC age limit relaxation is dependent on the category only.

• Can I become IAS at the age of 40?

  If you belong to the reserved category of Persons with Benchmark Disability – EWS (Economically Weaker Section), the UPSC age limit is 42 years. Candidates in the Physically Handicapped category can also apply at 40 depending on their reservation category. For applicants with J&K domicile and belonging to OBC, SC, ST, and PH categories, the IAS Age Limit is 40- 50 years depending on the category.

• Did UPSC reduce the age limit in 2023?

  No, as per the latest news, DoPT and UPSC have not reduced the UPSC Age Limit for any category. The age limit for UPSC Exam 2023 remains the same i.e. 32 years for the General category.

• Is 26 too late for UPSC?

  The minimum UPSC Age Limit as per the official eligibility details is 21 Years and the maximum age is 32 years for the General category. 26 is an excellent age to appear for UPSC Exam. However, it should not be noted that as long as you are eligible for IAS Exam, no age is a bad one to appear for UPSC CSE.

• Can final year students apply for UPSC 2023?

  Yes, applicants in their final year of graduation can apply for the IAS Exam. As per the IAS qualification, candidates with a valid graduate degree from a recognized university can apply for the exam. The candidates must submit proof of their degree when asked to ensure their eligibility.

• What is UPSC eligibility?

  The UPSC eligibility for the exam is that the applicants must have a graduate degree from a recognized university and must be within the UPSC age limit. The age limit for UPSC for the general category is 32 years, for OBC the IAS age limit is 35 while the SC /ST candidates must be less than 37 years of age.

• Who can take the UPSC exam?

  Candidates fulfilling the UPSC eligibility criteria can take the exam. It is of utmost importance for the candidates to check the eligibility criteria before filling up the application form. The candidates must fulfill the UPSC age limit, the minimum being 21 years and the maximum being 32 years for General candidates. The age limit and the eligibility criteria for other candidates differ category-wise. The candidates must be in possession of a graduate degree. They must be of Indian nationality for becoming IAS, IPS, and IFS.

• What qualification is required for IAS?

  The aspirants aspiring to become IAS officers must be having complete knowledge of the UPSC eligibility criteria and age limit. They must be having a graduate degree. The aspirants must fulfill the UPSC age limit, eligibility criteria, and educational qualification. The minimum age limit is 21 years, and the maximum age limit will be 32 years.

• What is the age limit for UPSC?

  The UPSC age limit is an essential factor that the candidates must fulfill to consider themselves eligible for the posts. The minimum UPSC age limit is 21 years while the maximum age limit is 32 years. The age limit varies according to different categories. The minimum age limit remains the same. The maximum age limit varies, for OBC it is 35, the maximum age limit for SC and ST is 37 and for candidates belonging to Economically weaker sections is 32.

• Is Graduation necessary for UPSC?

  Yes, graduation is the minimum eligibility criteria for taking the UPSC exam. It is highly important for the candidates to fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria for considering themselves eligible for taking the exam. The candidates in the final year, awaiting the results can also take the exam, but they will have to present proof of passing the exam later.

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• What is the maximum age for UPSC?

  The maximum age required for the candidates passing the UPSC eligibility is 32 years for general candidates. It is of prime essentiality and importance for the candidates to fulfill the minimum and maximum age limit requirements, to be considered eligible for the post. The maximum age limit for the candidates belonging to the General category is 32 years, and for OBC is 35. The maximum age limit for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories is 37 years, and for the candidates belonging to Economically Weaker sections, it is 32 years.

• Is the 12th pass eligible for UPSC?

  No, the minimum education qualification for UPSC candidates is graduation. Candidates not fulfilling the minimum eligibility criteria are liable to be disqualified. The aspirants who are in their final year of graduation and awaiting results can also take the exam but will have to present proof of passing the exam at the later stages of the recruitment process.

• Can I become IAS at the age of 38?

  It is of high importance for the candidates to fulfill the UPSC eligibility criteria to be considered eligible for the post. You must fulfill the UPSC age limit to be considered eligible for the post. The minimum age limit criteria are 21 years, and the maximum age limit criteria vary according to caste. For general it is 32, for OBC it is 35 and for SC and ST it is 37 years. So, you are not eligible for becoming IAS at 38 years.

• What is the UPSC eligibility criteria for females?

  The UPSC eligibility criteria for females are the same as that for males. There are no special provisions or criteria for female candidates. The female candidates must note the eligibility criteria and apply after ensuring that they fulfill the eligibility criteria.

• Can I apply for the UPSC exam after my number of attempts have finished?

  No, the candidates must keep in mind that the number of attempts is highly essential for the exam. If your number of attempts have exhausted, you will not be considered eligible for the exam according to the prescribed UPSC eligibility criteria. The General category candidates have six attempts. The OBC category receives 9 attempts, and SC and ST category receives an unlimited number of attempts. The candidates must keep in mind the upper age limit as well while applying for the exam.

• What is the IAS qualification criteria?

  The IAS qualification is also prescribed by the official authorities of the Union Public Service Commission. The age limit varies category-wise. The minimum IAS age limit is 21 years. The maximum is 32 for General category candidates. The age limit for OBC is 35 years, SC and ST are 37 years, and 32 years for the EWS category. They must be possessing Indian nationality and graduation degree to fulfill IAS qualification.

• What is exam pattern of IAS?

  The UPSC exam pattern comprises three major stages that are Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The prelims exam is the qualifying round and the candidates must pass this round to be able to proceed further. The IAS exam pattern comprises two papers, having a duration of 2 hours. Paper 1 carries 100 questions, whereas paper 2 comprises 80 questions. The total marks carried by the papers is 200 each.

• What are the subjects in IAS exam?

  The mains exam comprises optional subjects. The main list of optional subjects includes agriculture, botany, anthropology, animal husbandry, psychology, sociology, statistics, zoology, geology, history etc. The candidates must check the syllabus of the optional subjects and then pick it for the exam. This highly influences the chances of the candidates getting selected for the exam.

• What is the syllabus for IAS exam?

  The prelims syllabus includes Paper 1 and CSAT. Paper 1 comprises history, geography, current events of national and international interest, social development, general issues etc. The main syllabus includes the subjects such as the compulsory Indian language, English, essay writing, General studies 1 to 4, and optional subjects. The optional subjects are agriculture, history, psychology, botany, anthropology etc.

• What is the qualification for IAS exam?

  It is essential for the candidates to fulfill the UPSC eligibility. The minimum age limit is 21 years, while the maxim age limit varies category-wise. For General and EWS candidates the maximum age limit is 32 years, and for the OBC it is 35 years. The maximum age limit for the qualification is 37 years. They must possess a graduation degree. The candidates must be Indian to be considered eligible for the post.

• What is the total marks of IAS exam?

  The total marks of the prelims paper is 400. There is a negative marking as well in the prelims exam. 1/3rd of the allotted marks will be deducted in case of wrong answers. The 100 questions are asked in the IAS exam, and 80 questions are asked in the CSAT paper. The questions are asked in the format of Multiple choice questions [MCQs].