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UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Check Complete Selection process
Edited By Meghana Mohana Krishnan | Updated on Jan 22, 2025 02:09 PM IST | #UPSC CSE
Upcoming Event
UPSC CSE Exam Date : 25 May' 2025 - 25 May' 2025
Union Public Service Commission mentioned the UPSC IAS 2025 selection process in the official notification. The UPSC CSE 2025 notification has been released on January 22, 2025. Candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS exam can check the selection process clearly. The IAS exam selection process 2025 comprises three stages - prelims exam, mains exam and personality test.
This Story also Contains
- UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025
- UPSC IAS Selection Process - Exam Pattern
- UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Merit List
As per UPSC CSE 2025 selection process, applicants who fill the application form will be eligible to appear for the prelims exam. Those who qualify the IAS 2025 prelims exam will be called for the mains exam. Those who clear the UPSC CSE exam for mains will be called for a personal interview.
The final merit list of the UPSC IAS 2025 selection process is made on the basis of performance of applicant in the mains and the personality test stages. Candidates who clear the IAS cut off 2025 are marked as qualified. For more details about the UPSC IAS selection process 2025, candidates can check the article given below.
UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025
Candidates can know about the complete UPSC Civil Service selection procedure by reading the points below.
Preliminary Exam
Mains Exam
Personal Interview (Personality Test)
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Download EBookUPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Prelims Exam
The prelims exam is the first stage of the IAS selection process 2025 which will be held on May 25, 2025. Due to the large number of applicants, the competition is also tough in the IAS 2025 prelims exam. As per stats, the number of applications received for the Civil Service prelims exam are around 10 to 12 lakhs and the number of applicants that appear for the IAS prelims exam is approximately 5 - 6 lakhs. Candidates who submit the IAS application form 2025 successfully are eligible to appear in the prelims exam.
The prelims exam of IAS 2025 comprises two papers - General Studies paper 1 and General Studies paper 2. The questions in IAS prelims exam GS paper 1 will be asked from the political system, Panchayati raj, public policy, general issues, poverty, rights issues, current events, etc. And in GS paper 2, questions will be asked from logical reasoning, general mental ability and other subjects.
As per the IAS exam 2025 selection process, candidates have to score 33% marks on paper 2, as UPSC IAS paper 2 is qualifying in nature. The prelims exam is the screening exam and marks scored by candidates in this stage are not considered while creating the final IAS merit list 2025.
UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Mains Exam
Candidates who clear the UPSC IAS 2025 preliminary examination will be called for the mains exam going to be held on August 22, 2025. The number of candidates qualifying in the main exam are two times the number of total UPSC CSE 2025 vacancies. The IAS mains exam is descriptive in nature comprising of 9 papers in total.
The mains exam comprises essay writing, language paper, four General Studies paper and two optional papers. Candidates have to select one subject from a list of 26 optional subjects mentioned in the official UPSC IAS 2025 notification.
The marks scored by candidates in the IAS mains papers will be considered for preparing the final merit list along with the marks obtained by them in the personal interview. Candidates who clear the UPSC IAS 2025 mains exam will be called for a personality test/interview of the Civil Service Exam.
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UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Personality Test
Candidates who qualify in the mains exam will be eligible to appear for a UPSC CSE personality test. The Civil Services personality test is the final and last phase of the IAS selection process 2025. Candidates double the number of IAS 2025 vacancies appear for the interview which will be conducted at the UPSC office in New Delhi.
The IAS interview is of 275 marks with no minimum qualifying marks. Here, candidates have to face the board members who ask questions based on the candidate's detailed application form (IAS 2025 DAF form) which they filled after qualifying the IAS mains exam.
Questions asked can be from current affairs, optional subjects, family background, home town, home state, etc. The candidates can also be given a case study. Candidates who clear the personal interview of the IAS selection process 2025 will be declared as qualified.
UPSC IAS Selection Process - Exam Pattern
The UPSC IAS exam pattern will be prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission in the official notification. The UPSC IAS 2025 recruitment exam has three stages - prelims, mains and personality test. For more details on the UPSC IAS exam pattern 2025 check the tables below.
UPSC IAS prelims and mains exam pattern
Exam name | Civil Services Exam (UPSC CSE) |
Exam mode | Offline (Preliminary - MCQ-based) (Mains - Descriptive Mode) (Personality Test - Interview in front of board members) |
Exam stages | Prelims exam Mains exam Interview |
Total papers | Prelims: 2 Mains: 9 |
Marking scheme | Paper 1: +2 marks Paper 2: +2.5 marks Negative marking: One-third of marks allotted to each question |
Exam Duration | Prelims: 2 hours (Each paper) total 4 hours |
Mains: 3 hours (Each paper) total 27 hours conducted across various days | |
Type of questions | Prelims: Objective type |
Mains: Subjective type |
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UPSC IAS Selection Process 2025 - Merit List
Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC final merit list 2025 along with the declaration of the final result. The final merit list of the IAS selection process 2025 will be released on the basis of marks obtained by candidates in the mains exam and personal interview. Candidates who make it to the UPSC CSE merit list 2025 will be commissioned in various services of the Government of India.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the details required to download the UPSC admit card?
Candidates can download IAS admit card 2025 using their registration ID and date of birth.
2. What is the selection process of IAS 2025?
IAS selection process 2025 comprises prelims exam, mains exam and personal interview.
3. How will the IAS final result 2025 be released?
The final IAS 2025 result will be released in online mode by considering the mains and interview marks.
4. What is the age limit to apply for IAS 2025?
As per the IAS eligibility criteria 2025, candidates between 21 to 32 years can apply for the exam.
5. When will merit list of UPSC be released?
The UPSC IAS merit list will be released after the announcement of the final result.
6. Do I need to appear in the UPSC IAS interview?
Yes, you need to appear for the interview as it is a crucial phase of UPSC IAS selection process 2025.
7. When will UPSC IAS prelims result 2025 be announced?
The UPSC IAS 2025 prelims result will be announced 15 - 20 days from the date of the exam.
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Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?
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!
Kishan Bhakat 24 April,2025
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!!
sadafreen356 22 April,2025
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.
NITYAM MAHUR 12 April,2025
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.
Rubina Naseer 04 April,2025
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!!
Sakshi Sharma 31 March,2025
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