UPSC CSE (IAS) Selection Process 2024: Prelims, Mains, Interview

The candidates can see here a short video regarding the number of service in the Civil Service (IAS) exam.

The IAS selection process consists of three stages:

• IAS Preliminary Exam
• IAS Main Exam (written)
• IAS Main Exam (Personality Test)

The candidates can see here the IAS selection process in detail. The IAS selection process starts with the UPSC IAS application and ends with the list of recommended candidates released by UPSC after the result. The UPSC IAS prelims 2024 was conducted on June 16, 2024. it is considered as the first step of the selection process. Candidates who are planning to apply for the IAS 2025 are advised to read the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria so that they can understand whether they are eligible to apply or not. It is mandatory to appear in each paper of the IAS exam and qualify for all the papers. Let us discuss all the stages of the IAS selection process.

The IAS prelims exam is the first stage of the selection process and the competition is highest in the IAS prelims exam. The IAS prelims 2024 was conducted on June 16, 2024. As per the media reports, the number of applicants in the IAS exam is around 9 lakh. But the number of applicants appearing in the IAS prelims exam is 5 - 6 lakh. It is seen in the past that the economic slowdown is followed by an increase in the number of candidates appearing in the IAS prelims exam. This year, it is also anticipated that the number of applicants appearing this year in the IAS prelims exam will be around 7 lakhs. The IAS prelims exam serves as the screening exam only and the marks secured are not considered for the final selection.

See here: IAS Prelims Preparation in 100 days

The number of candidates to be admitted to the IAS main examination will be about twelve to thirteen times, the total approximate number of IAS vacancies to be filled in the year through the examination. There are two objective-type question papers in the IAS prelims exam. Both papers are of 200 marks and the candidates need to score marks equal to or more than the IAS cut-off marks prescribed by the UPSC. The candidates can see below the IAS prelims exam pattern

The candidates can see here the IAS exam pattern. IAS prelims exam is considered as the toughest exam because most of the candidates are filtered out at this stage. The level of competition is highest in this stage. IAS Prelims result is declared within a month of the exam.

Also Read: UPSC Exam Timing 2024

The UPSC conduct the IAS main exam in September. The IAS main is a descriptive type exam conducted offline. The candidates are required to write descriptive essay type answers in the answer sheet provided by the Commission. As the name suggests, it is the main part of the IAS selection process. There are two parts of the IAS main exam. IAS main- written and IAS main - personality test. The marks secured in the IAS main written is considered for the IAS result. The IAS main exam has nine descriptive papers the details of which are summarised below:

 The number of candidates qualifying in the IAS main exam is two times the number of vacancies. The IAS main exam is conducted based on the IAS syllabus notified in the official advertisement.

The personality test is the last stage of the IAS selection process. The Commission has not mentioned any definite syllabus for the IAS personality test. The Commission wil test the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service.  The interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. There are high chances(50% probability) of a selection of the candidate called for the IAS interview.  The IAS interviews are conducted at the UPSC headquarters, New Delhi and the candidates need to come to the UPSC office for the IAS interview.

See here: Most important topics for IAS Exam

The candidates who appear in the IAS interview are called for the medical examination by a special purpose board constituted for the said purpose. The medical examination is conducted at the designated hospitals in New Delhi only. The candidate’s medical report is made available to him through the login in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) website. In case the candidate is not fully satisfied with the report, he or she can appeal against the report. This appeal should be preferred within one week of the date of publication of the report.

List of Medical Colleges Conducting the Medical Test

The medical test of the candidates is conducted the next working day of the interview. The candidates are informed about the hospital and the allotted date and time at the time of UPSC interview. The medical test is conducted by a medical board appointed for the said purpose.  The medical examination is essential for the service allocation and the conformity of the claims made for the specific category. The list of hospitals conducting medical test for Civil Service Exam is given below:

• Safdarjung Hospital
• Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
• Succheta Kriplani Hospital
• Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
• Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital
• BR Ambedkar Hospital
• Guru Nanak Eye Centre 
• AIIMS, New Delhi

The medical examination of the candidates who fall in PwB category will be conducted at the Safdarjung Hospital only. The final certificate confirming the PwB of the candidates will be issued by AIIMS, New Delhi after due examination of the candidates by the Benchmark Disability Expert Panel constituted for this purpose only. After the medical examination, the result is declared and the candidate's roll number, name and ranks are published by the UPSC. After the results, UPSC publishes the IAS cut-off marks for all the stages of the IAS exam.

Check Here: IAS Result

After the results, UPSC sends the recommended candidates list to the Department of Personnel and training. This marks the end of the IAS selection process.

The candidates can see here the questions related to IAS selection process.