UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026 - Check Complete Selection process
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The Union Public Service Commission will mention the UPSC IAS 2026 selection process in the official notification. Candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS exam can check the selection process clearly. The IAS exam selection process 2026 comprises three stages – prelims exam, mains exam and personality test.
This Story also Contains
- UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026
- UPSC IAS Selection Process - Exam Pattern
- UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026 - Merit List
As per the UPSC IAS 2026 selection process, applicants who fill out the application form will be eligible to appear for the prelims exam. Those who qualify for the IAS 2026 prelims exam will be called for the mains exam. Those who clear the UPSC IAS prelims exam will be eligible for mains and for a personal interview.
The final merit list of the UPSC IAS 2026 selection process is made on the basis of the performance of the applicant in the mains and the personality test stages. Candidates who clear the IAS cut off 2026 are marked as qualified. For more details about the UPSC IAS selection process 2026, candidates can check the article given below.
UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026
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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UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
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UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026 - Prelims Exam
The commission has scheduled to conduct the UPSC IAS prelims exam 2026 on May 24, 2026. Due to the large number of applicants, the competition is also tough in the IAS 2026 prelims exam. Candidates who submit the IAS application form 2026 successfully are eligible to appear in the prelims exam. The prelims exam of IAS 2026 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 2026 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 2026.
UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026 - Mains Exam
The UPSC is scheduled to conduct the UPSC IAS 2026 mains examination on August 21, 2026. The IAS mains exam is descriptive in nature, comprising 9 papers in total. The mains exam comprises essay writing, a language paper, four General Studies papers and two optional papers. Candidates have to select one subject from a list of 26 optional subjects mentioned in the official UPSC IAS 2026 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 2026 mains exam will be called for a personality test/interview of the Civil Service Exam.
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UPSC IAS Selection Process 2026 - 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 2026. Candidates double the number of IAS 2026 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 2026 DAF form) which they filled after qualifying for the IAS mains exam.
Questions asked can be about current affairs, optional subjects, family background, hometown, home state, etc. The candidates can also be given a case study. Candidates who clear the personal interview of the IAS selection process 2026 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 2026 recruitment exam has three stages – prelims, mains and a personality test. For more details on the UPSC IAS exam pattern 2026 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 2026 - Merit List
The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC final merit list 2026 along with the declaration of the final result. The final merit list of the IAS selection process 2026 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 2026 will be commissioned in various services of the Government of India.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the details required to download the UPSC admit card?
A:
Candidates can download IAS admit card 2025 using their registration ID and date of birth.
Q: What is the age limit to apply for IAS 2025?
A:
As per the IAS eligibility criteria 2025, candidates between 21 to 32 years can apply for the exam.
Q: Do I need to appear in the UPSC IAS interview?
A:
Yes, you need to appear for the interview as it is a crucial phase of UPSC IAS selection process 2025.
Q: What is the selection process of IAS 2025?
A:
IAS selection process 2025 comprises prelims exam, mains exam and personal interview.
Q: How will the IAS final result 2025 be released?
A:
The final IAS 2025 result will be released in online mode by considering the mains and interview marks.
Q: When will UPSC IAS prelims result 2025 be announced?
A:
The UPSC IAS 2025 prelims result will be announced 15 - 20 days from the date of the exam.
Q: When will merit list of UPSC be released?
A:
The UPSC IAS merit list will be released after the announcement of the final result.
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Questions related to UPSC CSE
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Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?
Hello Aspirant
As your question is not clear, you are asking how to become an IAS, which course or degree you should pursue, and all the related details regarding the IAS. So, I can suggest you choosing the right stream in Intermediate is important.
The Arts/Humanities stream is most helpful
Hello Aspirant
All colleges are the best, and selection mainly depends on you and your consistency. But I can help you regarding this :
After the 10th, you can join PU (11–12th) colleges that offer strong academics and an early IAS foundation.
Some good options are Delhi’s Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya
Hello
If you want to become an IAS officer, you can choose any group CEC, MPC, or BiPC as IAS does not require a specific subject stream.
However, many students prefer CEC (Commerce, Economics, Civics) or MPC (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) because they help build analytical and general knowledge skills useful
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
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
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