UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 – Complete Guide
Complete exam hub — syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility, salary, books, preparation strategy, previous year papers and FAQs.
Exam Overview
- Full Form
- Civil Services Examination
- Conducting Body
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Exam Level
- Graduate Level (National)
- Frequency
- Annual
- Exam Type
- Offline (Pen & Paper) + Interview
- Mode
- Offline
- Selection Process
- Prelims → Mains → Interview
- Posts
- IAS, IPS, IFS and Central Services
About the Exam
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is the most prestigious competitive examination in India, conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other Group A and Group B central services.
The exam is conducted in three stages — Preliminary (objective), Main (descriptive) and Personality Test (interview). Only candidates who clear each stage qualify for the next.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | 14 Feb 2026 |
| Application Start | 14 Feb 2026 |
| Application End | 5 Mar 2026 |
| Prelims Exam Date | 24 May 2026 |
| Prelims Result | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Mains Exam DateSep 20 – 29, 2026 | 20 Sept 2026 |
| Interview DatesFebruary – April 2027 | 1 Feb 2027 |
| Final Result | 15 Apr 2027 |
Eligibility
Nationality: IAS and IPS posts require Indian citizenship. For other services, subjects of Nepal/Bhutan or Tibetan refugees settled in India may apply.
Educational Qualification: A Bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Candidates appearing for final year exams can also apply provisionally.
Age Limit: 21 to 32 years as on August 1 of the exam year (with 21-30 for some services), with relaxations:
- OBC: up to 35 years
- SC/ST: up to 37 years
- PwD: up to 42 years
- Ex-Servicemen / J&K domicile: additional relaxation
Number of attempts: 6 for General, 9 for OBC, unlimited for SC/ST candidates (subject to age limits).
Exam Pattern
UPSC CSE 2026 is a three-stage examination:
Stage 1 – Prelims (Objective, Offline)
| Paper | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 – General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 – CSAT (Qualifying, min 33%) | 200 | 2 hours |
Prelims has negative marking of 1/3rd of the marks per wrong answer. CSAT is only qualifying.
Stage 2 – Mains (Descriptive, Offline)
| Papers | Marks |
|---|---|
| Paper A – Modern Indian Language (Qualifying) | 300 |
| Paper B – English (Qualifying) | 300 |
| Essay | 250 |
| GS 1 – Heritage, History, Society | 250 |
| GS 2 – Governance, Polity, International Relations | 250 |
| GS 3 – Economy, Science & Tech, Environment | 250 |
| GS 4 – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude | 250 |
| Optional Paper 1 | 250 |
| Optional Paper 2 | 250 |
| Total (counted) | 1750 |
Stage 3 – Personality Test
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Interview (Board) | 275 |
Final merit = Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks.
Syllabus
UPSC CSE syllabus covers a very wide range. Key areas:
Stage-wise Syllabus
| Stage | Core Areas |
|---|---|
| Prelims GS Paper 1 | History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology, Current Affairs |
| Prelims CSAT | Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation |
| Mains GS 1 | Indian Heritage & Culture, Modern History, Geography of India & World, Society |
| Mains GS 2 | Indian Constitution & Polity, Governance, Social Justice, International Relations |
| Mains GS 3 | Indian Economy, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Environment & Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management |
| Mains GS 4 | Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude, Case Studies |
| Optional (26 subjects) | e.g. Geography, Public Administration, History, Anthropology, Mathematics, etc. |
Selection Process
- Prelims: Screening test (GS + qualifying CSAT) — marks not counted in final merit
- Mains: Descriptive written exam of 1750 marks — counted in final merit
- Personality Test: Interview of 275 marks by the UPSC Board
Final selection is based on combined Mains + Interview scores, followed by document verification.
Salary
Civil services salaries follow the 7th Pay Commission:
Civil Services – Entry Pay Levels
| Service / Cadre | Level | Basic Pay |
|---|---|---|
| IAS / IPS (Junior Scale) | Level 10 | ₹56,100 |
| IFS (Junior Time Scale) | Level 10 | ₹56,100 |
| Group A Central Services | Level 10 | ₹56,100 |
| Group B Central Services | Level 8 | ₹47,600 |
In addition, officers get DA, HRA, transport allowance, and privileges like official residence, security, and staff as per service rules. Cabinet Secretary level basic pay is ₹2,50,000 (Level 18).
Recommended Books
- Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth
- Modern History – Bipan Chandra / Spectrum
- Geography – G.C. Leong + NCERT
- Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh / Nitin Singhania
- Environment – Shankar IAS
- Ethics – Lexicon / G.Subbarao
- Current Affairs – Annual compilations + newspaper reading
Preparation Strategy
- Start with NCERTs (Class 6–12) before moving to standard reference books
- Read The Hindu / Indian Express editorials daily and maintain current-affairs notes
- Take a structured prelims mock series in months 4–6 with full syllabus coverage
- Switch to mains answer-writing practice after clearing prelims — at least 1 answer/day
- Choose your optional subject wisely — ideally a subject with overlap with GS
- Give 5–7 full mock interviews before the real Personality Test
Previous Year Papers
- UPSC CSE Prelims Previous Year Papers (2015–2025) with solutions
- UPSC CSE Mains Previous Year Papers (2020–2025)
- Topper answer copies for mains reference
Previous Year Cutoffs
UPSC CSE Prelims Cutoffs (out of 200)
| Year | General | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.8 | 97.2 | 95.2 | 92.4 |
| 2024 | 94.6 | 93.2 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| 2023 | 93.8 | 92.4 | 88.4 | 84.2 |
Mains cutoffs (out of 2025 marks including interview) typically range between 740–800 for General category.
Frequently Asked Questions
QHow many attempts are allowed in UPSC CSE?
6 attempts for General, 9 for OBC, and unlimited for SC/ST candidates, subject to the upper age limit.
QIs CSAT compulsory to clear?
CSAT is qualifying in nature — you need a minimum of 33% (66 out of 200 marks). Its score is not counted for merit.
QCan engineering graduates appear for UPSC CSE?
Yes, candidates from any discipline — including engineering — can apply, as a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement.
QWhat is the age limit for UPSC CSE 2026?
21 to 32 years as on 01-Aug-2026 for General category, with relaxations of 3 years for OBC and 5 years for SC/ST.
QWhich optional subject is easiest?
It depends on your background — subjects like Geography, Public Administration, Political Science and Anthropology are popular due to GS overlap and availability of material.