IAS 2025 - Notification (Out), Application form (Released), Vacancies, Exam Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility

IAS 2025 - Notification (Out), Application form (Released), Vacancies, Exam Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility

Edited By Meghana Mohana Krishnan | Updated on Apr 12, 2025 05:06 PM IST | #UPSC CSE
Upcoming Event
UPSC CSE  Exam Date : 25 May' 2025 - 25 May' 2025

IAS 2025 - Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC IAS 2025 prelims exam on May 25, 2025. The UPSC IAS application form 2025 correction window was available from February 22 to 28, 2025 in online mode at upsc.gov.in/ upsconline.nic.in. The UPSC IAS 2025 application form was closed on February 21, 2025. The UPSC IAS application form was released on January 22, 2025. UPSC released the IAS 2025 notification on the same date.

This Story also Contains
  1. UPSC IAS 2025 - Highlights
  2. What is the UPSC CSE exam?
  3. UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025
  4. UPSC IAS 2025 - Posts
  5. UPSC IAS 2025 Preparation
  6. UPSC CSE 2025 Exam Date
  7. UPSC IAS 2025 Application Form
  8. UPSC IAS 2025 Eligibility Criteria
  9. IAS Exam Pattern 2025
  10. IAS 2025 Syllabus
  11. UPSC IAS Exam Centre 2025
  12. UPSC IAS 2025 Admit Card
  13. UPSC IAS Exam Day Guidelines 2025
  14. UPSC IAS 2025 Answer Key
  15. UPSC IAS Exam Analysis 2025
  16. UPSC IAS Question Papers 2025
  17. UPSC IAS 2025 Cut off
  18. IAS 2025 Result
  19. UPSC IAS Vacancies 2025
  20. UPSC IAS salary 2025
IAS 2025 - Notification (Out), Application form (Released), Vacancies, Exam Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility
IAS 2025 - Notification (Out), Application form (Released), Vacancies, Exam Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility

Candidates interested in appearing in the UPSC IAS exam can go through the material below for an in-depth discussion of every aspect of the exam. Candidates must ensure that they meet the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria 2025 before submitting the application form. Candidates who successfully submit the online application form will be issued the IAS 2025 admit card.

The UPSC Civil Services exam is considered one of India’s toughest competitive exams. The reasons for this include a vast UPSC syllabus, a low selection rate and the competition with the many lakhs of candidates attempting the exam each year. Therefore, IAS aspirants must pursue their preparation strategically and with the utmost care. Here, we also discuss UPSC 2025 preparation, including how to prepare an IAS study plan, tips and tricks, mistakes to avoid and much more.

UPSC IAS 2025 - Highlights

Particulars

Details

Exam Name

Civil Services Examination (CSE) / Indian Administrative Services (IAS)

Conducting Body

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Official website

upsc.gov.in / upsconline.nic.in

UPSC IAS 2025 vacancy

979

Exam Level

National

Exam stages

Preliminary exam

Main exam

Personality Test

Mode of exam

Offline

Number of Papers

Preliminary - Two papers

Mains - Nine Papers

Duration of Exam

Preliminary - Each paper is of 2 hours

Mains - Each paper is of 3 hours

Language of exam

Prelims - English and Hindi

Application fee Prelims

Rs. 100

Exam Centres

For Preliminary exam - 80

For Mains exam - 24

What is the UPSC CSE exam?

The UPSC Civil Services exam 2025 (also known as the IAS exam) is a competitive exam conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The purpose of this exam is to recruit capable candidates to various posts in the government. The UPSC Civil services posts are considered prestigious and so they are extremely sought after. This makes the IAS exam one of the toughest, most competitive exams in India.

UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025

To be eligible for the above posts, candidates must go through the famously competitive IAS 2025 selection process. As a part of the UPSC CSE 2025 selection process, candidates must go through 3 stages. These are the IAS prelims exam, mains exam and interview round.

The UPSC Civil Services prelims exam is an objective type exam holding 400 marks in total. This round is a screening test, so the marks scored here will not be considered in the final UPSC 2025 selection process. The number of candidates considered successful in the prelims and deemed eligible to attempt the mains exam will be around 12 times the number of UPSC CSE 2025 vacancies.

The IAS mains exam 2025 consists of a series of 9 papers holding a total of 1750 marks. The IAS mains is a subjective, written exam, with each paper having a duration of three hours. The marks obtained in this round will be considered in the final UPSC IAS selection.

Finally, the IAS 2025 interview round will be held. In this round, candidates will be judged based on their intellectual qualities, social traits and awareness of current happenings. The IAS interview will be conducted by a panel of unbiased jury members. Candidates who clear this round of the UPSC IAS 2025 exam will be considered successful and will be appointed to a Civil Services post.

UPSC IAS 2025 - Posts

Candidates who pass all three rounds of the UPSC CSE exam 2025 will be appointed to one of many different kinds of government posts. UPSC CSE posts can largely be categorized into two types, All India Posts (of which is IAS, a highly sought after post where the colloquial name of the Civil services exam comes from) and posts in Central services. Below is a list of Civil Services posts candidates can be appointed to after cracking the UPSC IAS exam 2025.

UPSC Civil Services Posts

  • Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

  • Indian Police Service (IPS)

  • Indian Foreign Services (IFS)

  • Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Information Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Railway Management Service (Traffic), Group ‘A’

  • Indian Railway Management Service (Personnel), Group ‘A’

  • Indian Railway Management Service (Accounts), Group ‘A’

  • Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group ‘A’

  • Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) Group ‘A’

  • Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) Group ‘A’

  • Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Grade III)

  • Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)

  • Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS), Group ‘B’

  • Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS), Group ‘B’ (xxii) Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group ‘B’

  • Pondicherry Police Service (PONDIPS), Group ‘B’

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UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
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Also read:

UPSC IAS 2025 Preparation

Given the competitive nature of the UPSC Civil Services exam, aspirants must be extremely diligent in their preparation efforts. It is quite a challenge to cover such a vast portion so thoroughly, and many candidates beginning preparation may not know where to start. Here, we discuss some general preparation tips to help candidates attempting the exam get a general idea of how to prepare for the UPSC CSE 2025.

How to prepare for the UPSC exam

  • First and foremost, look up the UPSC IAS syllabus and exam pattern. This will let you know the structure of the exam paper paper and the topics that will be covered there. Overall, after this, you will get a good idea of how the UPSC IAS paper will be.

  • To get an even more thorough idea of how the paper will look and how much weightage each topic will hold, consider looking into previous years’ UPSC IAS exam analysis.

  • Formulate a proper UPSC IAS study plan based on the above. Be sure to give all the topics in the exam appropriate attention in your IAS 2025 study strategy and be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses. Ensure your IAS study plan is practical and realistic. That being said, don’t spend too much time in the planning stage and actually implement your UPSC IAS study plan. If any amendments are required you can make them later.

  • Listen to the interviews of successful IAS toppers for additional advice.

  • Study using the best books for UPSC IAS 2025 preparation. It is important to pick out up to date and reliable study material for the IAS exam. Take notes from the study material and revise it frequently.

  • Apply what you have learned using mock tests and old UPSC IAS question papers.

For more in- depth preparation tips and guidance, candidates are encouraged to visit these pages:

UPSC CSE 2025 Exam Date

UPSC announced the UPSC CSE 2025 exam dates online in the official calendar. Candidates must keep track of the official exam dates of UPSC CSE 2025 so as not to miss any important events pertaining to the exam. Candidates can find the UPSC IAS exam dates 2025 in the table below.

UPSC IAS Important Dates 2025

Events

Prelims

UPSC CSE Mains exam date

UPSC IAS 2025 notification

January 22, 2025

To be announced

UPSC IAS application form 2025 start date

January 22, 2025

To be announced

Last date to fill UPSC CSE application form

February 21, 2025 (extended date)

To be announced

Application form withdrawal window

February 22 to 28, 2025 (revised dates)

To be announced

UPSC IAS Admit Card 2025

To be announced

To be announced

UPSC IAS 2025 exam date

May 25, 2025

August 22, 2025

Declaration of UPSC IAS 2025 result

To be announced

To be announced

IAS 2025 Personality Test

To be announced

Declaration of final Civil Services Result 2025

To be announced

UPSC IAS 2025 Application Form

UPSC has closed UPSC IAS application form 2025 correction window on the official website. Candidates could access the UPSC IAS application form 2025 correction window from February 22 to 28, 2025. The IAS 2025 application form was released online on the official website on January 22, 2025. The last day to submit the application form was extended to February 21, 2025.

Candidates looking to attempt the UPSC CSE 2025 exam must ensure that they fulfil the UPSC IAS 2025 eligibility criteria before filling out the application form. The UPSC IAS application process consists of 2 stages, One Time Registration (OTR) and the UPSC CSE application form. The UPSC IAS application form 2025 is only be released in online mode on upsconline.nic.in. The IAS application fee is Rs 100 for general category candidates. Reserved category candidates are exempt from paying the Civil Services exam fee.

How to apply for UPSC IAS exam

Candidates can follow the instructions given below to fill out the IAS 2025 application form.

  • Visit the official UPSC portal, upsconline.nic.in.

  • Complete one time registration (otr process)

  • In case you have already completed your OTR, log in to the website using your credentials.

  • After logging in, check your dashboard and click on the apply online link.

  • Fill out the UPSC IAS application form as prompted

  • Upload the necessary documents only to the website

  • Pay the UPSC CSE application fee as prompted

  • Submit the form

Note: In case you notice any mistake in the IAS application form after submitting, there is still an opportunity to fix it. The Commission activates an IAS application form correction window for a few days to allow candidates to rectify any mistakes in the application form.

UPSC IAS 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Before filling out the application form, it is important for candidates to check if they fulfil the UPSC IAS 2025 eligibility criteria. Union Public Services Commission prescribes the IAS eligibility criteria 2025 based on nationality, age and educational qualifications. The UPSC IAS eligibility criteria are as follows:

IAS Eligibility Criteria

Details

Criteria

Nationality

Indian Citizen

Age

21 to 32 years of age (reserved candidates are entitled to relaxation, as described below)

Educational qualification

Graduation in any subject from any University.

Additionally, there are limits on the number of times a candidate can attempt the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The limit on the number of times one can attempt the IAS exam is as follows:

Category wise limit on UPSC attempts

Category

Attempt limit

General

6 times

OBC

9 times

SC/ST

Unlimited attempts until upper age limit.

IAS Exam Pattern 2025

UPSC specified the IAS 2025 exam pattern online in the official notification. Candidates must be aware of the UPSC CSE 2025 exam pattern so that they can plan their studies accordingly. The UPSC IAS exam pattern 2025 contains information about the division of marks in the exam, the duration of the exam, topics covered by that particular exam and much more. Candidates appearing for the UPSC CSE 2025 exam can find out about the exam pattern from the tables below.

IAS prelims exam pattern

Particulars

Details

Number of papers

2

Language of paper

English, Hindi

Duration of exam

4 hours (2 hours each)

Number of questions

General Studies paper 1: 200
General Studies paper 2: 200

Maximum marks

400 (200 each)

Qualifying marks

33%

IAS mains exam pattern

Particulars

Details

Number of papers

9

Language of paper

English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali

Duration of exam

3 hours each

Subjects

Compulsory Indian language
English
Essay
General Studies I
General Studies II
General Studies III
General Studies IV
Optional I
Optional II

Number of questions

Part A and B: 300 each
General studies and optional paper: 250 each

Maximum marks

1750 marks

IAS 2025 Syllabus

UPSC shared the syllabus of IAS 2025 in the official notification. The UPSC CSE 2025 syllabus is a comprehensive list of topics prescribed by the commission that appears in the exam. It is important for candidates to have a good understanding of the kinds of topics that will appear in the exam before starting their preparation.

Also read:

UPSC IAS Exam Centre 2025

The UPSC released the list of IAS 2025 exam centres in the official notification. The list of exam centres of IAS 2025 are different for both prelims and mains. Candidates must pick the UPSC CSE 2025 exam centre most convenient to them during the application process. Please note that the UPSC IAS exam centres 2025 will be allotted on a first come first serve basis and if candidates do not get their chosen IAS exam centre, they must choose from the remaining centres in the list.

UPSC IAS 2025 Admit Card

The UPSC will release the IAS 2025 admit card a week before the commencement of the exam. Eligible candidates will be able to download the admit card from the official website. The UPSC IAS 2025 admit card contains important information about the IAS exam including the candidate's personal details, exam centre details, exam day guidelines, and much more.

To download the UPSC IAS admit card 2025, candidates must enter their registration ID and date of birth. Candidates must bring a valid photo ID along with the UPSC Civil Services admit card to the examination centre on the exam day.

Also read: Common mistakes in the IAS exam and how to avoid them

UPSC IAS Exam Day Guidelines 2025

Candidates must follow the exam day guidelines below on the day of the exam

  • Candidates arrive at the exam centre an hour before the exam.

  • Along with the IAS 2025 admit card, candidates must ensure that they have a valid photo ID proof for identity verification at the exam centre.

  • Candidates are not permitted to leave the exam hall without permission from the invigilator.

  • No mobile phones and other electronic communication devices are allowed in the exam hall.

  • Candidates must bring a black ball point pen to the exam hall to mark for the purpose of marking OMR sheets in the prelims exam.

UPSC IAS 2025 Answer Key

UPSC will release the IAS 2025 answer key online on the official website. The IAS answer key is only released for the prelims exam. The UPSC Civil Services answer key will be made available after the release of the final result.

However, many major coaching institutes will make the UPSC IAS 2025 answer key available on the same day as the exam. Candidates will be able to use these unofficial UPSC CSE 2025 answer keys to gauge their performance in the IAS 2025 prelims exam.

Also read:

UPSC IAS Exam Analysis 2025

While the UPSC does not provide any official IAS 2025 exam analysis, many notable coaching institutes will release one shortly after the exam. The UPSC CSE 2025 exam analysis is prepared based on the feedback of candidates who have just attempted the exam. Candidates can go through the Exam analysis of UPSC Civil Services after the exam to get a good idea of how they performed in the paper as well as the overall difficulty of the paper.

UPSC IAS Question Papers 2025

The UPSC will release the IAS 2025 question papers online on the official website. The UPSC CSE 2025 question papers will be released after the conclusion of those exams.

Previous years’ UPSC Civil Services question papers are also available online, so candidates will be able to use them to practice writing answers in the actual exam.

Solving past question papers is beneficial in that it helps candidates apply what they have learnt through their studies and helps them identify their weak points. Additionally, candidates who solve old IAS 2025 question papers get to hone their time management skills, which helps them in the actual exam.

UPSC IAS 2025 Cut off

The minimum marks that a candidate must obtain to be able to advance to the next round of the exam is the IAS 2025 cut off. UPSC declares the UPSC CSE cutoff marks separately for each stage of the exam. The UPSC CSE 2025 cut off is determined based on a variety of factors including difficulty of the paper and the number of vacancies.

IAS 2025 Result

The Commission will release the IAS 2025 result pdf online on the official website. The result of UPSC CSE 2025 is a list of the names and roll numbers of candidates who have cleared that round of the IAS exam. Candidates will also be able to obtain a UPSC Score card from the official website shortly after the result.

UPSC IAS Vacancies 2025

The UPSC will release the IAS vacancy in the official notification. Candidates who successfully clear all three levels of the UPSC IAS exam 2025 will be eligible to occupy a government post within the UPSC CSE 2025 vacancy. In the tables below, candidates can find details regarding category wise vacancies of UPSC IAS 2025 as well as previous years vacancy trends.

UPSC Civil Services Vacancy- Previous years’ vacancies

Year

Number of vacancies

2025

979

2024

1056

2023

1105

2022

1011

2021

712

2020

796

2019

896

2018

759

UPSC IAS Category Wise Vacancy 2025

Category

Vacancies

General

To Be Announced

EWS

To Be Announced

OBC

To Be Announced

SC

To Be Announced

ST

To Be Announced

Total

To Be Announced

UPSC IAS salary 2025

The 7th Pay Commission prescribes the salary of candidates successful in the UPSC CSE 2025 exam. The salary of an IAS officer consists of various components, with base pay and grade pay and a variety of perks and allowances such as HRA, DA, TA, medical allowances and more. In the beginning, the salary of an IAS officer is Rs 56,100.

As the years pass and the officer gains promotions and increments, their salary is increased. The highest salary of an IAS officer is that of the cabinet secretary who earns around 2,50,000 a month.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When will the UPSC CSE notification be released?

The UPSC IAS notification 2025 was released on January 22, 2025.

2. When should I start reading newspaper for UPSC 2025?

It is a good idea to start reading the newspaper and taking notes from it right away so that you are aware of all the current happenings in the world before the IAS 2025 exam. 

3. Can I crack UPSC by reading only newspaper?

No. While newspapers are a great source of material for the current affairs portion, you will also need books pertaining to the subject matter for other papers. 

4. Can I become IAS without study?

No. The UPSC IAS 2025 exam is extremely competitive, and it is necessary to start preparing almost a year in advance to perform well in the paper. 

5. Will UPSC pattern change in 2025?

It is unlikely that the IAS 2025 exam pattern will change too much in 2025. 

6. Which subject is compulsory for IAS?

Subjects such as current affairs, political science, general knowledge etc are important for the IAS exam. 

7. What is the salary of IAS officer in India?

 In the beginning, the salary of an IAS officer is Rs 56,100. This is raised every year with increments. Additionally, IAS officer’s salaries also increase with promotions. 

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

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.

After 10th for IAS

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!!

Hello Rishika,

You can take any stream for becoming IAS. As per the eligibility criteria of UPSC IAS , student have to graduate from any stream from any recognised university or college. So it's doesn't matter from which stream you choose. But if you really want to become IAS, then humanities , arts related subject helps you alot.

To know more, kindly go through the given link:

https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse

Good luck!

Greetings! Here's a detailed response to your query

To start your prep for IAS exams without any coaching and free of cost here are some pointers you can follow :-

1.Understand the exam- To get started with IAS prep, first grab the official UPSC syllabus for both the first exam (Prelims) and the main exam (Mains) from their website. Understand what you need to study and how important each topic is.

Next, learn how the exam is set up. There are three parts: a multiple-choice test (Prelims), a written exam with long answers (Mains), and an interview. Know how many papers are in each, how you get marks, and how much time you get.

Finally, look at old exam papers from the last 5 to 10 years. This will give you an idea of how tough the exam is, what kinds of questions they ask, and which topics you should really focus on.

2.Build a strong foundation-Begin your IAS study with NCERT books from classes 6 to 12 for subjects like History, Geography, Civics, Economics, and Science. These will give you a basic understanding. Once you know the basics well, switch to standard books for each subject. You can find lists of recommended books online from people who've cleared the exam. Some popular ones are mentioned for Polity, Economy, Modern History, and Geography.

3.Stay updated with current affairs- To stay updated for IAS, read a good national newspaper every day (like The Hindu or Indian Express) and jot down important news from India and the world. Also, read magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra to understand social and economic topics deeply. Check websites like PIB and those of research groups for info on government plans and reports.

4.Utilize free online resources-For IAS prep help, check out websites like BYJU'S, ClearIAS, and Mrunal. They have free study stuff. Also, watch YouTube channels by teachers and ex-IAS officers for tips and lessons. Join online groups to ask questions and learn from others preparing for the exam.

5.Mock tests and self assessment-Take free practice tests online for both Prelims and Mains to see how ready you are and what you need to work on. After each test, check what you did wrong and focus on fixing those things. Remember to study regularly, believe in yourself, and take breaks so you don't get too tired. Consistency is more important than studying for many hours at once.

I hope this helps . Financial problems can never stop one from dreaming and achieving things in their life. Stay motivated!!!

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