LAW AND PUBLIC SERVICE
Civil services (UPSC: IAS, IPS, IFS and more)
Running districts, policing, diplomacy, taxes and national policy — through India's toughest exam.
Facts checked 17/10/2026
- Class 11–12 subjects
- Any stream.
- First degree
- Any bachelor's degree. Final-year students can apply but must show the degree before the interview.
- Entrance exams
- UPSC Civil Services Examination: Prelims, Mains, Personality Test — once a year.
- Licence or registration
- None. Selection is by UPSC; training follows at LBSNAA and the service academies.
What the work is like
IAS: district administration and policy. IPS: policing. IFS: diplomacy. IRS: taxes. And about 20 other central services.
Professional qualificationRun by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). You can start after: Any degree (age 21+). Minimum time: About 1 year from notification to final result, after your degree.
The full route: exams, training, registration
- EligibilityAny degree. Age 21–32 for General/EWS on 1 August of the exam year (OBC to 35, SC/ST to 37, PwBD to 42). Attempts: 6 General/EWS, 9 OBC, unlimited SC/ST within the age limit. (reported — check with the official body)
- Notification · Jan–FebCSE 2027: notice 13 Jan 2027, apply by 2 Feb 2027 (UPSC calendar). (reported — check with the official body)
- Prelims · MayTwo objective papers (GS 200 + CSAT 200). CSAT only needs 33%; GS marks decide who goes on. CSE 2027 Prelims: 23 May 2027. (reported — check with the official body)
- Mains · August9 written papers: 2 qualifying language papers + Essay, GS I–IV and two optional-subject papers (1,750 marks). CSE 2027 Mains from 20 Aug 2027. (reported — check with the official body)
- Interview · early next yearPersonality test, 275 marks. Final rank on 2,025 marks.
- TrainingIAS: two years at LBSNAA Mussoorie, including a year of district training. Other services: LBSNAA foundation course, then their own academy.
Ways in
- Other UPSC exams
- Who
- Indian Forest Service (science/engineering/agriculture degree; via CSE Prelims) · Engineering Services (engineering degree, age 21–30) · Combined Medical Services (MBBS, up to 32) · CAPF Assistant Commandant (any degree, age 20–25) · Indian Economic / Statistical Service (economics or statistics, age 21–30).
- Age
- As listed, with the usual category relaxations.
- Selection
- Written exams and interview; CAPF adds physical tests.
- Training
- Each service's own academy.
- You get
- 2027 calendar: ESE Prelims 31 Jan; IFoS with CSE Prelims 23 May; CAPF 4 Jul; CMS 18 Jul; IES/ISS from 18 Jun.
- State civil services (e.g. Karnataka KAS)
- Who
- Any graduate. Each state's Public Service Commission runs its own exam for posts like Assistant Commissioner, DSP and Tax Officer.
- Age
- Varies by state (Karnataka: 21–40 General, more for reserved categories).
- Selection
- Prelims → Mains (Karnataka has qualifying Kannada and English papers) → interview.
- Training
- State administrative training institute.
- You get
- Karnataka KAS 2026–27: 319 posts; Prelims tentatively 15 Nov 2026.
- From CSE 2025: age, category and education documents must be uploaded with the application, or candidature is cancelled.
- From CSE 2026: one-time registration, live photo and face checks at centres; serving IAS/IFS officers can't sit again; IPS officers can sit but can't get IPS again (reported).
Good to know
- Most serious candidates prepare for 1–2 years. Pick an optional subject you genuinely like — you'll study it deeply.
- Have a parallel plan (a job, a master's) while preparing; the numbers are small.
About pay: it varies a lot by city, employer and skill, and changes year to year, so we don't print salary numbers. Ask us in a session and we'll show you current, sourced figures for your case.
Sources: UPSC calendar 2027 (official PDF) · UPSC calendar 2027 (summary) · CSE 2026 notification summary (ClearIAS) · CSE 2026 rule changes (summary) · LBSNAA: IAS training · KPSC (Karnataka Public Service Commission) · KPSC KAS 2026 summary
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