IAS or Indian Administrative Service which comes under civil service examination is the most prestigious job in India and arguably in the world. Each year 11 Lakh (approx) candidate participates in the examination out of which only 750-800 candidates get selected. For IAS services, the vacancies are even less making it one of the toughest examinations in the world.
A well-functioning democratic government has three branches namely- Parliament, Judiciary, and Executive branch. UPSE Examination offers a candidate-job in the executive branch of the government and is part of the permanent bureaucracy of the nation. In this article, we will discuss IAS Exam 2024 Dates, Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, etc.
UPSC IAS Exam 2024 Highlights
| Name of the Exam | Civil Services Examination |
| Level of the Exam | National Level Exam |
| Conducting body | UPSC – Union Public Service Commission |
| Periodicity of Exam | Yearly |
| Application Mode | Online Mode |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen-Paper Mode) |
| Expected Registration | Approx. 3 lakh |
| Total Vacancies | Approx. 600 |
| Official Website | http://www.upsc.gov.in/ |
IAS Exam Important Dates 2024
| Event | Dates |
| UPSC Notification 2024 | 2 February 2024 |
| Last date to apply for IAS Exam 2024 | 22 February 2024 |
| IAS Prelims Exam 2024 | 5 June 2024 |
| IAS Prelims 2024 Result | October-November 2024 (Tentative) |
| IAS Main Exam 2024 | 16 September 2024 |
| IAS Main 2024 result | To be announced |
IAS Exam Eligibility Criteria
The following are the eligibility criteria for IAS Exam-
- Candidate must be a citizen of India
- The age criteria of candidate must be between 21 years and 32 years of age
- Candidate must be a graduate from a recognized university in any discipline
- The following are the number of attempt allowed for reserved category students-
| Reserved Category | Attempts |
| General | 6 |
| SC/ST | no limit |
| OBC | 9 |
IAS Exam Application Form
The Application form of IAS UPSC can be filled online. The following are the steps by step application process-
Follow our WhatsApp Channel
- Visit the official website of the UPSE- http://www.upsc.gov.in/
- Click on the ‘New Candidate Registration’ and start filling in the required details like email ID password etc.
- Now, verify the email by clicking on the verification link send by UPSC
- Now, Log in to your account and click on the apply button
- A form will appear, fill the form with correct information
- Now upload your scanned passport size photograph
- Now you have to upload the scanned copy of all the certificates and documents mentioned below
- Now a payment gateway will open where you have to pay the application fee using Credit/Debit, UPI, Net Banking, or challan
- Take a print out of the payment confirmation slip and the application for future uses
Documentation Requirement for registration
The following are the list of documents required for IAS Exam recruitment-
- Scanned Passport Size photograph under 1 MB
- Scanned copy of class 10th, & 12th passed certificate/ Mark Sheet
- Graduate Degree/ Marks Sheet
- Aadhar Card
IAS Exam 2024 Application Fee
The application fee for the IAS Exam entrance examination is as follows-
| Category | Application Fee |
| Application fee for the IAS Exam entrance examination | Rs.100/- |
| Women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Ex-servicemen (ESM) | No Fee required |
IAS Exam Examination Pattern
The examination pattern of IAS or civil services is divided into three examinations. The following are the entrance examination of IAS exam-
IAS Exam Prelims
- The prelims question will be of objective type and the negative marking for incorrect answers will be 1/3rd (0.66) of the allotted marks of that question.
- The GS Paper II (CSAT) in IAS exam is of qualifying nature and candidates should score a minimum of 33 per cent
- Prelims is a screening test and prelims marks will not be included in final score
| Sl. No. | Name of the Paper | Nature of the Paper | Duration of the Exam | Questions | Marks |
| 1 | IAS Exam Paper – I: General Studies | Merit Ranking Nature | 2 Hours | 100 | 200 Marks |
| 2 | IAS Exam Paper – II: General Studies (CSAT) | Qualifying Nature | 2 Hours | 80 | 200 Marks |
IAS Exam Mains
- The 9 papers in IAS Exam (Mains) are as follows: Paper-A (Compulsory Indian Language); Paper –B (English) which are qualifying in nature, while the other papers like Essay, General Studies Papers I, II, III, and IV, and Optional Papers I and II are considered for the final ranking
- IAS Mains Exam will be language listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
- Candidates who score above the cut-off marks in the IAS exam (Mains) will get the summons for the Personality Test
- The final examination will be calculate based on the Main Examination and Personality Test/Interview Round of the IAS exam
| Sl. No. | IAS Exam Paper | Name of the Paper | Nature of the Paper | Duration of the Exam | Marks | ||
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language | QUALIFYING NATURE | 3 Hours | 300 Marks | ||
| 2 | Paper – B | English | 3 Hours | 300 Marks | |||
| 3 | Paper – I | ESSAY | MERIT RANKING NATURE | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | ||
| 4 | Paper – II | General Studies I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 6 | Paper – IV | General Studies III | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II | 3 Hours | 250 Marks | |||
| TOTAL | 1750 Marks 275 Marks | ||||||
| Interview or Personality Test | |||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | 2025 Marks | ||||||
IAS Exam Personality Test/ Interview
The candidates who clear main stage of the examination will be selected for personality test or interview round. Candidate will be sent an e-summon by the Commission for a face-to-face discussion round with the board members. The question will be based on hobbies, current affairs, general knowledge, situation questions, etc. and test will be held only in the UPSC Bhavan in New Delhi.
IAS DAF Filling
DAF Stands for Detailed Application Form and the following are the steps to fill DAF-
- Candidates who have been declared qualified in the written part of the Examinations have to first get themselves registered before filling up the Online Detailed Application Form (DAF)
- Candidates are required to upload scanned copies of documents like proof of Age, Educational Qualification, Community Certificate, PH Certificate etc. as mentioned in the Instructions to Candidates for filling in the Detailed Application Form
IAS Exam Syllabus
The following are the examination syllabus for IAS Exam-
General Studies-I
- History
- Modern Indian History
- World History
- Art & Culture
- Indian Heritage & Culture
- Geography
- Human Geography
- Physical Geography
- Geomorphology
- Indian Geography
- Climatology
- Oceanology
- Indian Society
- Diversity in Indian Society
- Role of Women
- Poverty
- Urbanization
- Social Empowerment
- Regionalism
- Communalism
- Secularism, etc.
General Studies-II
- Polity
- Constitution
- Governance
- Social Justice
- International Relations
General Studies-III
- Economic Development
- Agriculture
- Science & Technology
- Environment & Ecology
- Security, and
- Disaster Management
General Studies-IV
- Ethics
- Attitude
- Aptitude
- Emotional Intelligence
- Moral Thinkers
- Public Organisations and
- Probity in Governance
IAS Exam Preparation Books
The following are the Exam preparation books –
| Subject | UPSC Books |
| History, Indian Heritage & Culture [GS Paper 1] | Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra India after Independence by Bipan Chandra History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra Ancient India by R.S Sharma |
| Geography [GS Paper 1] | Geography of India by Majid Husain World Geography by Majid Husain World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11 |
| Polity & International Relations [GS Paper 2] | Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu International Relations: Pushpesh Pant |
| Economy [GS Paper 3] | Indian Economy – Nitin Singhania Environment and Disaster Management – Tata McGraw Hill Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar |
| Ethics [GS Paper 4] | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary |
| Newspaper | The Hindu, Hidustantimes, Navbharat times etc. |
IAS Exam Admit Card
The admit card o of IAS Exam can be downloaded online using the official website of UPSC. Candidate must follow the guidelines mentioned on the admit card otherwise the examination of the candidate can be cancelled.
IAS Result
The result of IAS will be declared online in the form of merit list. UPSC release a minimum cut-off mark and the candidates who scored more than the cut-off marks will be eligible for civil services. The top rankers in the Civil service will be selected as IAS officer and will be sent to LBSNAA for further training for two years and then the candidates will be posted in different cadre.
Priya Bansal is a seasoned education writer with a passion for creating insightful and engaging content. With a background in education and a knack for research, she excels at producing articles, blogs, and resources that inform and inspire. Priya’s work contributes to the enrichment of educational discourse and empowers learners of all ages.
