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UPSC IAS Statistics 2024 - UPSC CSE 2024 Statistics reveal that every year, approximately 1 million aspirants take their shot at the UPSC exam and only 0.2% candidates pass the exam. Even though the total number of vacancies is just around 1000 for all 24 services combined, UPSC CSE Statistics notes that the number of candidates who appear for the exam are ever increasing.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Civil Services Exam (CSE) every year to recruit candidates for different posts in the Indian government including the prestigious posts of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
An analysis of the previous year UPSC CSE statistics reveals a shift in trends after 2009 regarding the total number of applicants and success rates. The results are tabulated below to help predict the UPSC CSE Statistics 2024.
Years | UPSC CSE Statistics |
UPSC CSE 2006 to 2009 | Total UPSC vacancies - 3157 (993 per year) Total applicants: 14.52 lakh students (on an average 3.63 lakhs per year) Qualifying students in UPSC Mains - 40,413 (on an average 10,103 per year) Only 7858 students qualified for interviews (on an average of 2435 per year) |
UPSC CSE 2020 to 2023 | Total vacancies: 3823 No of applicants for Prelims: Around 46.03 lakhs. Qualifying students in Mains - 48,214 students. Students who qualified for UPSC CSE interviews - 10,000 students. Number of students who qualified for an interview - 1204 |
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The table below analyses the previous years UPSC CSE Statistics to get clarity on the number of candidates who applied for the exam, cleared prelims, cracked mains, attended the interviews and made the final cut. Analysing the previous year UPSC CSE Statistics also aids in predicting cut offs and getting an approximate on safe scores.
Year | Total No. of candidates who applied for the CSE exam | Total No. of candidates who appeared in the CSE prelims | Total No. of candidates who qualified for CSE mains | Total No. of candidates who appeared in the IAS mains exam | Total No. of candidates who appeared for the CSE interview | Total no. of candidates who got selected finally for the posts |
2023 | Around 13 Lakh | Around 6 Lakh | 14624 | - | 2916 | 1016 |
2022 | 11,35,697 | 5,73,735 | 13090 | - | 2526 | 933 |
2021 | 1112318 | 513192 | 9214 | - | 1823 | 761 |
2020 | 1056835 | 486952 | 10564 | - | 2049 | 833 |
2019 | 1154769 | 574980 | 11845 | - | 2034 | 829 |
2018 | 1065552 | 500484 | 10419 | 10246 | 1994 | 759 |
2017 | 969065 | 46284 | 13300 | 13060 | 2564 | 1056 |
2016 | 1128262 | 459659 | 15382 | 15149 | 2961 | 1099 |
2015 | 945908 | 465882 | 15008 | 15,008 | 2797 | 1078 |
2014 | 947428 | 446623 | 16706 | 16286 | 3308 | 1236 |
2013 | 776604 | 324279 | 14800 | 14178 | 3001 | 1122 |
2012 | 550080 | 271442 | 12795 | 12190 | 2674 | 998 |
2011 | 499120 | 243236 | 11837 | 11237 | 2415 | 999 |
2010 | 547698 | 269036 | 12271 | 11865 | 2589 | 965 |
2009 | 409110 | 193091 | 11894 | 11516 | 2431 | 989 |
2008 | 325433 | 167035 | 11669 | 11330 | 2136 | 881 |
2007 | 333680 | 161469 | 9158 | 8886 | 1883 | 734 |
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The UPSC CSE statistics given above makes it evident that the success rate of this competitive exam is less than 1% making the candidates feel like they don’t have a chance at cracking this exam. However this data can also be interpreted on a positive note.
Even though UPSC CSE Statistics reveal that every year a lot of candidates apply for the exam, only around 50% of candidates show up. The example of the year 2025 is a case in point with approximately 9,45,908 applicants for UPSC CSE exam but only 4,65,882 candidates actually showing up.
Even amongst this 4,65,882 applicants, a good majority only show up on the insistence of their parents or due to peer pressure and are not serious or dedicated towards cracking the exam. Considering this new approach at interpreting data, even though lakhs of candidates apply for the UPSC CSE exam, only a few thousands are serious about it.
Considering the 2024 statistics again, the final list of qualified candidates is 1078 and if according to the previous assumption, the number of serious candidates is around 45000, the success rate of the exam becomes 2% which is higher than its previous record of less than 1%.
On the basis of the Mains statistics, the number of candidates who qualify the Mains exam is approximately 14 times the number of openings which show that around 15008 candidates cleared the Prelims. Hence out of 62,000 candidates, 1 in 4 serious candidates crack the exam making the success rate of clearing Prelims 25%.
The competition for a spot under UPSC CSE is not with the 4,65,882 candidates who showed up but with these 62,000 candidates who are serious. Furthermore, out of the 15,008 candidates who qualify for Mains, 2797 candidates qualify for the final interview making the success rate approximately 15%. In the final personality test interview, one out of two candidates are selected making the success rate 50%.
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With this logical analysis in mind it becomes evident that it is possible to clear the UPSC CSE exam if the candidate is serious and has a solid UPSC IAS study plan crafted from a deep understanding of the syllabus and UPSC IAS previous year papers. Even though the table and numbers denote a success rate of less than 1%, the competition is never with the total number of candidates who apply for the exam.
The chance of clearing every competitive exam is half preparation and half mindset, so don't let the big terrifying numbers of UPSC CSE and UPSC IAS Statistics scare you and grind on with a positive attitude and a can-do spirit.
There are approximately 1056 vacancies according to the official UPSC CSE notification.
Ideally students should spend around 12-15 hours daily on different topics to crack IAS.
Students can opt for history, geography, political science as their domains after 12th as these subjects make the base for UPSC Civil Services Exam.
As per the UPSC IAS statistics 2024, approximately 13 lakh candidate appear for the UPSC IAS exam.
The UPSC form 2024 was released on February 14, 2024.
Candidates must meet the age eligibility of 21 - 32 years for UPSC IAS 2024
According to the UPSC CSE statistics, the success rate of UPSC Prelims is just 25% so it is considered tough.
Others:28 January,2025 - 30 April,2025
Others:31 January,2025 - 30 April,2025
Application Date:28 March,2025 - 29 April,2025
Others:31 March,2025 - 30 April,2025
Application Date:07 April,2025 - 03 May,2025
Hello!
IRAS (Indian Railway Accounts Service) officers can be posted in both cities and rural areas since Indian Railways has offices and operations nationwide. They typically work in divisional offices, zonal offices, workshops, and production units. Transfers do happen but are usually not very frequent and depend on government policies and organizational needs.
Hope this helps!
To become an IAS officer, you must clear the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and then undergo training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). While any bachelor's degree is acceptable, choosing a degree that aligns with the UPSC syllabus, particularly in humanities and social sciences, can be advantageous.
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE):
This is the primary exam for becoming an IAS officer, involving three stages: Preliminary, Main, and Personality Test (Interview).
Any Bachelor's Degree:
A graduate degree from a recognized university is the basic requirement to be eligible for the CSE.
Beneficial Degrees:
Degrees in humanities and social sciences, such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), can be helpful due to the syllabus overlap with subjects like History, Political Science, Sociology, and Economics.
Optional Subject:
You can choose an optional subject in the Mains exam, and a BA degree can provide a wide range of options.
Hope it helps!!
Hello!!
That's a great goal—and your background as a research scholar can actually be a big asset in preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), which is the path to becoming an IAS officer.
Step-by-Step Guide to Become an IAS Officer:
1. Understand the Exam Structure
The UPSC CSE has three stages:
Prelims: Objective (GS Paper + CSAT)
Mains: Descriptive (9 papers)
Interview: Personality Test
2. Check Eligibility
Age: 21 to 32 (for General category)
Degree: Any graduate degree (you already qualify)
3. Choose Your Optional Subject
Choose something you’re comfortable with (can be from your research field if it's available).
Popular optionals: Sociology, Geography, PSIR, Anthropology, etc.
4. Build a Study Plan
Since you're a research scholar, time management is key.
Daily 4–6 hours of focused study can work if you're consistent.
Focus on:
NCERTs (6th–12th)
Standard books (like Laxmikanth for Polity, Spectrum for History)
Current Affairs (The Hindu, Indian Express, or PIB + Monthly compilations)
5. Join a Test Series (Optional but Helpful)
For Prelims and Mains: to build speed, writing skills, and clarity.
6. Practice Answer Writing
Mains is all about articulation. Practice with previous year questions and mock tests.
7. Appear for the Exam
Notification comes out around February.
Prelims is in May/June, Mains in September, and Interview early next year.
How to Align This With Your Research Schedule:
Create a realistic time-table that includes 2–3 hours on weekdays, and more on weekends.
Use your research experience for deeper understanding and essay writing.
If your goal is to become an IAS officer, choose a degree that supports UPSC preparation and also provides a good backup:
BA in Political Science, History, Geography, or Economics is ideal for IAS.
BSc or BCom is fine too, but you'll need to study humanities separately for UPSC.
For backup, pick a subject with good job prospects like BBA or Computer Science.
KCET is required only if you're planning professional courses like Engineering or Agriculture. It's not needed for BA or general degrees.
Hello aspirant,
For becoming IAS , you have to first complete your graduation from any background from any recognised university or college. If you are in your final year, then also you are eligible. After that you have to give an entrance exam name UPSC . If you will clear this exam then according to your marks you may get the IAS position.
To know about UPSC entrance exam, kindly go through the given link:
https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse
All the best!!
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