Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will mention the IAS 2026 eligibility criteria in the official notification at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC CSE eligibility criteria 2026 is based on nationality, age limit, educational qualification, number of attempts, and medical standards. As per the exam eligibility criteria, candidates between the age group of 21 to 32 years with a graduation degree are eligible to apply for the UPSC IAS exam. Interested applicants needed to check the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria thoroughly. Applicants belonging to the reserved category will be eligible for relaxation in the UPSC age limit criteria.
The UPSC today conducted paper 6 and 7 for optional subjects, each carrying 250 marks. The total marks for UPSC CSE Mains 2025 exam, including interview round, are given below.
UPSC CSE Mains 2025 | Marks |
Paper-A | 300 marks |
Paper-B English | 300 marks |
Paper-I Essay | 250 marks |
Paper-II General Studies-I | 250 marks |
Paper-III General Studies-II | 250 marks |
Paper-IV General Studies-III | 250 marks |
Paper-V General Studies -IV | 250 marks |
Paper VI optional subject - paper 1 | 250 marks |
Paper-VII optional subject - paper 2 | 250 marks |
Sub Total (Written test) | 1,750 marks |
Personality Test | 275 marks |
Grand Total | 2,025 marks |
This Story also Contains
Aspirants can check the UPSC IAS eligibility and other details related to the exam in the below table.
UPSC IAS Exam Highlights
Particulars | Details |
Exam Name | Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination |
Examination Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Exam Level | National |
UPSC Eligibility 2026 | Nationality - Indian Age limit - 21 years to 32 years Educational Qualification - Graduation |
Number of attempts | General/ EWS - 6 OBC/ General (PwD) - 9 SC/ ST - No limit (can apply till upper age limit is reached) |
The IAS eligibility criteria has multiple components which together determine the eligibility of candidates for the examination. The different components of IAS eligibility are mentioned below:
Nationality
IAS age limit
Educational Qualification
Attempt limit
Medical standards
According to the UPSC IAS eligibility, any candidate who is a citizen of India can apply for the exam. More details on the IAS 2026 eligibility on nationality are mentioned below.
Citizen of India or
A subject of Nepal/ Bhutan or
Tibetan refugee who came to India, to permanently settle here before January 1, 1962, or
People of Indian origin who migrated from Uganda, Burma, Pakistan, Zambia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam to permanently settle in India.
Note: Applicants belonging to categories 2, 3 and 4 in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India are eligible to apply in the examination.
Other Quick Links: IAS exam dates 2026
Union Public Service Commission prescribes the age limit in the official UPSC IAS notification 2026. As per the age limit eligibility criteria, those between 21 to 32 years as of August 1, 2025, can fill out the IAS application form 2026. Applicants belonging to the reserved category are eligible for age relaxation as per the rules set by UPSC. For more details on IAS exam age limit and age relaxation, check the tables below:
Category | IAS age limit |
General | 21 to 32 years |
Categories | Age relaxation |
General | No age relaxation |
OBC | 3 years |
SC/ ST | 5 years |
Defense Services Personnel, who got disabled during operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence | 3 years |
Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers (CO) and ECOs/ SSCOs who will render at least five years Military Service as of August 1, 2021, and have been released | 5 years |
ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service as of 1st August 2021 | 5 years |
In the following cases: blindness and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, locomotor disability including acid attack, cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, victims and muscular dystrophy, intellectual disability, autism, specific learning disability and mental illness | 10 years |
Candidates ordinarily domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir from January 1, 1981, to December 31, 1989. | 5 years |
Quick Links: UPSC IAS 2026 syllabus
The educational qualifications that one must have to be eligible to apply for the Civil Services 2026 exam for all the posts will be mentioned in the notification. They must hold a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university as laid down under the law. For more details on the IAS educational qualifications, check the table below:
IAS educational qualification | Bachelor's degree (BA, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, BCA, B.Tech etc.) with at least one of the subjects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in Engineering from recognized university. |
Note: Applicants awaiting their final graduation result can also apply for IAS exam. And there is no minimum UPSC qualification percentage required.
Other Links: How to prepare for IAS exam 2026
The Commission also mentions the number of UPSC attempt limits for every category of candidates. The minimum number of attempts will be given to General/ EWS category applicants. For more information on the UPSC attempt limit, check the table below:
Category | UPSC Civil Services Age Limit | Number of Attempts |
General/ EWS | 32 | 6 |
OBC | 35 | 9 |
SC/ ST | 37 | No limit |
General Physically Disabled | 35 | 9 |
OBC Physically Disabled | 38 | 9 |
SC and ST Physically Disabled | 40 | No limit |
Disabled servicemen (General) | 35 | |
Disabled servicemen (OBC) | 38 | |
Disabled servicemen (SC and ST) | 40 |
Note: As per the UPSC rules, not withstanding the disqualification/ cancellation of candidature, the appearance of the applicant in the IAS exam will count as an attempt.
Check Here List of Other Government Exams
Candidates appearing in the IAS exam must be physically fit and have a sound mind. After the CSE personality test, the selected candidates undergo several medical tests at the medical centre notified by the commission. Candidates must pass all the medical tests to get admitted to any of the services.
Note: For more details on the medical requirements for the CSE exam read the eligibility criteria in the official IAS notification 2026.
According to the IAS eligibility criteria 2026, applicants who are serving in the Indian Administrative Services (IAS)/ Indian Foreign Services (IFS)/ Indian Police Services (IPS) can not appear for the IAS exam 2026 unless and until they resign from their current deputation.
UPSC will release the UPSC IAS 2026 application form on January 14, 2026 on the official website. The UPSC IAS application form 2026 will be closed on February 3, 2026. The IAS application form has two parts - One Time Registration (OTR) and filling application form. On successful completion of both parts of the IAS application process, applicants will receive a confirmation regarding the same.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The UPSC age limit to apply for IAS 2026 exam is 21 to 32 years as on August 1, 2026.
Candidates are recommended to go through the UPSC CSE official notification to know the age limit. The UPSC CSE age limit likely will not reduce in 2026.
It is unlikely that the IAS 2026 exam pattern will change much in 2026.
Candidates of general category have 6 attempts, while OBC candidates have 9 attempts. Candidates belonging to SC/ST category do not have a limit.
The best degree to become an IAS officer is a Bachelor of Arts (BA), as it covers many of the topics in the UPSC CSE 2026 syllabus.
According to the IAS qualification, candidates must have a bachelor's degree in any discipline to apply for the IAS exam.
Yes, all the posts under Civil Services Exam gazetted posts.
Aspirants can check the IAS qualification and age limit for females from the above article.
On Question asked by student community
Hello, it’s wonderful to see such clarity at such a young age. Becoming an IAS officer requires consistent preparation, strong general knowledge, and excellent analytical skills. Right now, your main focus should be building a strong base in academics, especially in subjects like History, Geography, and Economics. Start reading NCERT textbooks from class 6 to 12 for these subjects. Make it a habit to read a good newspaper like The Hindu or Indian Express daily to improve your current affairs knowledge. Practice writing short essays on important topics it will help you in the Mains stage later. Participate in debates, quizzes, and discussions to improve your speaking and thinking skills. After 12th, choose a graduation subject that you enjoy but also overlaps with UPSC syllabus. Most importantly, stay consistent and avoid distractions. You have plenty of time to prepare, so start slowly and build steadily.
Wishing you success in your IAS dream, and thank you for sharing.
The choice of your graduation path – integrated BSc BEd (Zoology), BTech CS, or integrated BS-MS at IISER Thiruvananthapuram – to pursue the dream of becoming an IAS officer requires careful consideration.
A Bachelor of Arts degree, particularly in subjects like Political Science, History, or Economics, is often considered the most aligned with the CSE syllabus, covering crucial topics relevant to General Studies papers.
However, a science background, especially with a BTech CS degree, develops analytical and logical reasoning skills beneficial for the CSAT paper and could be advantageous for certain optional subjects like Mathematics or potentially Engineering disciplines.
Even if you choose a science or engineering stream, you can still select humanities-based optional subjects that overlap with the General Studies papers like Anthropology, Sociology, or Public Administration, which many engineers have successfully opted for.The integrated BSc BEd (Zoology) offers a strong foundation in science and a backup career in teaching, but the primary focus of the BEd component may not be directly relevant to the UPSC syllabus. The integrated BS-MS at IISER offers a strong research focus and academic excellence, potentially leading to diverse career paths in science, academia, industry, or even government agencies But still it is not connected with your ias dream.
Among all b.tech is best as many successful candidates from engineering backgrounds, have utilized their analytical skills and knowledge to crack the exam.
Hello
This is the typical schedule of the IAS Exam (UPSC CSE):
Notification Release:
February
Online Application Window:
February to early March
Prelims Exam:
May or June
Mains Exam:
September/October
As for 2025, the registration date is already gone, so you have to see for 2026 now. The registration will open most probably in February 2026 so stay tuned.
To know more about the IAS Exam: UPSC CSE
Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!
A candidate who has undergone heart surgery can be eligible for the IAS post if they are medically fit and can perform the required duties without any serious health problems The UPSC allows candidates to appear for the exam if they meet the general physical and mental fitness criteria After clearing the main examination and interview all selected candidates must undergo a detailed medical examination by a government medical board If the candidate has recovered well from heart surgery and there are no complications they can be declared fit for service However if the surgery has caused any permanent disability and if it is certified under the benchmark disability rules then the candidate may be eligible for reservation under the persons with disabilities category Final eligibility depends on the report given by the medical board during the selection process
If a person has undergone heart surgery for ASD which means Atrial Septal Defect and is now medically fit then they can apply for the IAS exam There is no restriction for such candidates if their physical and mental condition is stable and they can perform the duties required in civil services However selection to IAS also depends on passing the medical test conducted after clearing the main exam and interview If the person has any lasting disability due to the heart condition and it is certified by a government medical board then they may be considered under the benchmark disability category as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act In such cases the candidate may come under reservation for persons with disabilities in the specific category mentioned by the medical authority It is always advised to check the official UPSC notification and consult with a government hospital for proper disability certification before applying
Apply for an Online MBA from Amity Online.
Apply for Online M.Com from Manipal University