The Civil Services Exam (CSE) is a competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. It is conducted for the recruitment of candidates into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other civil services posts in the Government of India. The CSE consists of two stages: the Preliminary Exam and the Main Exam. Candidates must clear the Preliminary Exam to be eligible to appear for the Main Exam. The Preliminary Exam consists of two objective-type papers of 200 marks each. The Main Exam consists of nine papers of varying marks and duration. The CSE is considered one of the toughest competitive examinations in the world.
Audience
The audience for the Civil Services Exam is aspiring government administrators and public sector professionals. This includes individuals from a variety of educational backgrounds who want to prepare for a career in public service. The exam is challenging and requires a great deal of preparation and dedication. Therefore, individuals who take the exam are typically highly motivated and have the willingness to put in the required effort to become successful.
Prerequisites
There is as such no prerequisite; any candidate preparing for the Union Public Service Commission exam can take advantage of this.
Structure of Examination
The list clearly illustrates the structure of the Civil Services Exam.
1. Preliminary Exam: It is the first stage of the Civil Services Exam. It consists of two papers- Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (Aptitude Test).
2. Main Exam: Candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Exam are eligible to appear for the Main Exam. It consists of nine papers- Essay, General Studies I, General Studies II, General Studies III, General Studies IV, Optional Subject I, Optional Subject II, Optional Subject III, and a Viva Voce.
3. Personality Test: Candidates who qualify in the Main Exam are called for a Personality Test. It is the final stage of the Civil Services Exam. It assesses the overall personality of the candidates.
4. Final Selection: The final selection of the candidates is based on the performance in the Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Personality Test.
Eligibility
Following are the major eligibility criteria required to appear in the civil services exam:
1. The candidate must be a citizen of India.
2. The candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not exceed the age of 32 years.
3. The candidate must possess a degree from a recognized university or equivalent qualification.
4. The candidate must be physically fit according to the prescribed physical standards.
5. The candidate must be of good character and should not have any criminal record.
6. The candidate must not have more than four attempts at the Civil Services Exam.
How to Apply
1. Familiarize Yourself With the Exam: Before you decide to apply for the Civil Services Exam, make sure you understand the exam and its requirements. Read up on the exam syllabus, expected topics, and examination pattern.
2. Prepare for the Exam: Once you have a clear idea of the exam, begin preparing for it. Make sure you are familiar with the syllabus and have a strong command over the topics. Read through the recommended books and practice with previous year question papers.
3. Register for the Exam: The next step is to fill out the online application form and register for the exam. Make sure you fill in all the details correctly and provide the right documents. Also, keep a copy of the form safe for future reference.
4. Appear for the Exam: After registering, you will receive an admit card that will allow you to appear for the exam. Make sure you reach the exam hall on time and carry all the necessary documents.
5. Check Your Score: After appearing for the exam, you can check your score online. The Civil Services Exam is a competitive exam, so make sure you perform to the best of your ability.
Examination Center
The section of examination center can be categorized as −
Examination Centers for Preliminary Test
The cities where the Preliminary Test is conducted are:
1. Delhi
2. Mumbai
3. Kolkata
4. Chennai
5. Bangalore
6. Hyderabad
7. Pune
8. Ahmedabad
9. Jaipur
10. Lucknow
11. Patna
12. Nagpur
13. Bhubaneswar
14. Kochi
15. Visakhapatnam
Examination Centers for Written Exam
The cities in which the Civil Services Exam Written Exam is conducted are:
1. Ahmedabad
2. Allahabad
3. Bengaluru
4. Bhopal
5. Chandigarh
6. Chennai
7. Cuttack
8. Delhi
9. Dispur
10. Hyderabad
11. Jaipur
12. Jammu
13. Kolkata
14. Lucknow
15. Mumbai
16. Patna
17. Raipur
18. Ranchi
19. Shillong
20. Shimla
Examination Center for Personality Test
The Personality Test for the Civil Services Examination is conducted at the UPSC Examination Center in New Delhi. The Personality Test is conducted by a Board of UPSC Examiners composed of experienced and knowledgeable members. The Personality Test is conducted to assess the overall personality of the candidate and to ascertain his/her suitability for the Civil Services.
Categories of Services
All the the important categories of civil services
1. Judicial: This includes judges, magistrates, and court clerks.
2. Law Enforcement: This includes police officers, sheriffs, and border patrol agents.
3. Regulatory: This includes inspectors, regulators, and compliance officers.
4. Diplomatic: This includes ambassadors, foreign service officers, and consular officials.
5. Administrative: This includes clerks, secretaries, and office managers.
6. Public Safety: This includes firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and search and rescue personnel.
7. Public Health: This includes doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
8. Social Services: This includes caseworkers, counselors, and social workers.
9. Information Technology: This includes computer programmers, web developers, and network administrators.
10. Education: This includes teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Civil Services Syllabus for Preliminary Exam
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam consists of two papers of objective type (multiple choice questions). Both papers are of two hours duration each.
Paper I
• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and Indian National Movement
• Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization
• General Science
Paper II
• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)
Civil Services Syllabus for Written Exam
The Civil Services Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year to select candidates for various civil services like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS and other Group A and Group B services. The exam is conducted in three stages:
Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers:
Paper I – General Studies
• History
• Indian and World Geography
• Indian Polity and Governance
• Economic and Social Development
• Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
• General Science
Paper II – Aptitude Test
• Comprehension
• Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills
• Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Basic Numeracy
• English Language Comprehension Skills
Main Examination
The Main Examination consists of nine papers:
Paper A – Indian Language
Paper B – English
Paper I – Essay
Paper II – General Studies I
• Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
Paper III – General Studies II
• Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
Paper IV – General Studies III
• Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
Paper V – General Studies IV
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Paper VI – Optional Subject I
Paper VII – Optional Subject II
Paper VIII – Optional Subject III
Paper IX – Optional Subject IV
Personality Test
The Personality Test is also known as the Viva-Voce or Interview. It is conducted to assess the personal qualities of the candidate. The interview is conducted by a board of examiners and the marks obtained in the interview are added to the marks obtained in the written examination.
List of Languages
The languages from which candidates have to choose one in Civil Services Exam are:
1. English
2. Hindi
3. Assamese
4. Bengali
5. Gujarati
6. Kannada
7. Kashmiri
8. Konkani
9. Malayalam
10. Manipuri
11. Marathi
12. Nepali
13. Oriya
14. Punjabi
15. Sanskrit
16. Sindhi
17. Tamil
18. Telugu
19. Urdu
20. Bodo
List of Optional Subjects
The list of optional subjects from which candidates have to choose one in Civil Services Exam
• Public Administration
• Anthropology
• Geography
• History
• Political Science and International Relations
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Philosophy
• Economics
• Law
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Management
• Mathematics
• Statistics