IAS Exam Dates The Civil Services Examination, also known as the IAS exam, is organized annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The official notification for the IAS Exam 2024 is scheduled to be published on 14th February 2024. The IAS Exam for 2023 is currently ongoing, with the prelims phase for 2024 set for 26th May 2024. The IAS Mains for 2024 will start on 20th September 2024. Following the conclusion of the IAS 2023, including the interview stage, the IAS 2024 will commence, and further details will be provided in the article. For additional information, please refer to the link provided.
IAS Exam Dates 2024
| IAS Exam Conducting Body | UPSC |
| Mode of IAS exam | Offline |
| Number of times conducted | Once every year |
| Prescribed age limit | 21 – 32 years (upper age relaxation for reserved candidates) |
| IAS Exam – Prelims 2024 | Sunday – 26th May 2024 (Prelims 2023 was on 28th May 2023) |
| IAS Exam – Mains 2024 | 20th September 2024 onwards (exams for five days) |
| IAS Exam Pattern | Prelims (MCQs), Mains (Descriptive papers) |
IAS Exam Pattern
- Stage I: Preliminary Examination (IAS Prelims)
- Stage II: Mains Examination (IAS Mains)
- Stage III: UPSC Personality Test (IAS Interview)
Stage I: IAS Exam – UPSC Prelims
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Paper |
Nature of the Paper |
Duration of the Exam |
Questions |
Marks |
|
1 |
IAS Exam Paper – I: General Studies |
Merit Ranking Nature |
2 Hours |
100 |
200 Marks |
|
2 |
IAS Exam Paper – II: General Studies (CSAT) |
Qualifying Nature |
2 Hours |
80 |
200 Marks |
Stage II: IAS Exam – UPSC Mains
| Sl. No. | IAS Exam Paper | Name of the Paper | Nature of the Paper | Duration of the Exam | Marks | ||
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language | QUALIFYING NATURE | 3 Hours | 300 Marks | ||
| 2 | Paper – B | English | 3 Hours | 300 Marks | |||
| 3 | Paper – I | ESSAY | MERIT RANKING NATURE | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | ||
| 4 | Paper – II | General Studies I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 6 | Paper – IV | General Studies III | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| TOTAL | 1750 Marks | ||||||
| Interview or Personality Test | 275 Marks | ||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | 2025 Marks | ||||||
Stage III: IAS Exam – UPSC Interview/Personality Test
Candidates who pass the Mains stage of the IAS exam with the necessary cut-off scores will advance to the final stage, known as the Personality Test or Interview round with UPSC Board Members. Successful candidates will receive an e-summon from the Commission for a one-on-one discussion with the board members. During this stage, candidates’ personality traits will be evaluated, and they will be questioned on various topics such as hobbies, current affairs, general knowledge, and situational scenarios to determine their suitability for a career in civil services. The UPSC personality test is conducted exclusively at the UPSC Bhavan in New Delhi.
IAS Exam Age Limit and Attempts
In order to appear for the IAS exam, candidates must meet specific criteria related to nationality, age, number of previous attempts, and educational background. For general category applicants, eligibility requirements include being an Indian citizen or a PIO, holding a bachelor’s degree, aged between 21 and 32 years, and not having made more than 6 prior attempts at the exam. However, there are exceptions and additional conditions that apply.
Total vacancies, eligibility
This year, the commission has announced a total of 1,056 vacancies for CSE and 150 for IFoS. The UPSC CSE examination is conducted in three stages — prelims, mains, and the personality test. The preliminary exam for UPSC CSE will comprise objective-type questions. Candidates who score above the specified cut-off marks will be eligible to apply for the UPSC IAS Main examination. For eligibility, candidates must be between 21 and 32 years of age as of August 1, 2024, meaning they should have been born between August 2, 1992, and August 1, 2003, as per the CSE notification released by the Commission.
When is UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2024?
The Civil Services Examinations (CSE) 2024, originally planned for May 26, 2024, have been rescheduled by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to June 16. This adjustment in the exam timetable was made following the Election Commission’s announcement of the 18th Lok Sabha elections schedule for April – June 2024. The UPSC Civil Services mains exams are scheduled to take place from September 20 and will run for five days. The registration deadline for the Civil Services Examinations (CSE) 2024 was extended by the Commission. According to the official statement, the registration deadline was moved to March 6 (6 pm), with the correction window available from March 7 to March 13.