UPSC CSE 2026: Eligibility, Age Limit, Vacancy & Selection Process
The success rate is under 0.2 percent, and that number is the single most important fact about this exam. What separates people who clear it from people who spend six years on it is rarely intelligence — it is deciding early whether the attempt budget and the age limit actually leave room for a serious run.
UPSC CSE 2026 at a glance
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission |
|---|---|
| Examination | Civil Services Examination (IAS, IPS, IFS) |
| Total vacancies | Not announced |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any discipline; final year students may apply |
| Age limit | 21–32 years as on 01 Aug 2027 (relaxation below) |
| Application dates | Not announced not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Application fee | ₹100 (nil for women, SC, ST and PwD) |
| Exam date | Not announced not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Salary | ₹56,100 – ₹2,50,000 per month (Level 10 and above) |
| Apply online | UPSC application portal ↗ |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
Are you eligible for UPSC CSE 2026?
Born on or after 02 Aug 1994 for General — earlier with a category relaxation. Enter your date of birth for a yes or no on UPSC CSE.
UPSC CSE age limit and relaxation 2026
The age limit for UPSC CSE 2026 is 21 to 32 years as on 01 Aug 2027. Unlike most exams at this level, UPSC CSE admits candidates whose result is still awaited, so a final-year student can sit it instead of waiting a full cycle for the certificate. Candidates who wait give up an attempt for nothing.
| Category | Relaxation | Effective maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | No relaxation | 32 years |
| OBC-NCL | +3 years | 35 years |
| SC / ST | +5 years | 37 years |
| PwD (General) | +10 years | 42 years |
| PwD (OBC-NCL) | +10 +3 years | 45 years |
| PwD (SC / ST) | +10 +5 years | 47 years |
UPSC CSE posts and salary
| Post | Department | Pay level | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Administrative Service (IAS) | Government of India | Level-10 | ₹56,100–2,50,000 |
| Indian Police Service (IPS) | Government of India | Level-10 | ₹56,100–2,25,000 |
| Indian Foreign Service (IFS) | Ministry of External Affairs | Level-10 | ₹56,100–2,50,000 |
| Indian Revenue Service (IRS) | CBDT / CBIC | Level-10 | ₹56,100–2,25,000 |
| Other Group A and B services | Various | Level-10 | ₹56,100–2,09,200 |
UPSC CSE selection process
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Prelims | Two objective papers. GS Paper-I counts for selection; CSAT is qualifying at 33%. |
| Mains | Nine descriptive papers including an optional subject. 1,750 marks counted. |
| Interview | Personality test, 275 marks. Final merit is Mains plus Interview. |
Who should apply for UPSC CSE
Worth a genuine attempt if you are under 27, have a real attempt budget remaining, and can commit two years. If you are 30 with two attempts left, running CSE alongside SSC CGL or a state PSC is a materially better strategy than betting everything on it.
- Attempts are capped: 6 for General and EWS, 9 for OBC-NCL, unlimited for SC and ST subject to age.
- Final year students may apply, but must produce proof of passing at the Mains stage.
- Age relaxation and attempt limits are separate — being within the age limit does not restore a used attempt.
UPSC CSE 2026 — आयु सीमा और योग्यता
सिविल सेवा परीक्षा (UPSC CSE) 2026 के लिए आयु सीमा 01 Aug 2027 को 21 से 32 वर्ष है। OBC-NCL उम्मीदवारों को 3 वर्ष, SC/ST को 5 वर्ष और दिव्यांग (PwD) उम्मीदवारों को अपनी श्रेणी की छूट के अतिरिक्त 10 वर्ष की छूट मिलती है।
शैक्षणिक योग्यता: किसी भी विषय में स्नातक; अंतिम वर्ष के छात्र भी आवेदन कर सकते हैं। पदों की संख्या अभी घोषित नहीं · वेतन ₹56,100 से ₹2,50,000 प्रति माह · आवेदन की तिथियाँ अभी घोषित नहीं।
अपनी योग्यता मुफ़्त जाँचें →UPSC CSE 2026 — frequently asked questions
How many attempts are allowed for UPSC CSE?
Can final year students apply for UPSC CSE?
What is the age limit for UPSC CSE 2027?
What UPSC CSE is actually like
The realistic picture is worth stating plainly: roughly a thousand posts against several lakh applicants, a three-stage cycle running well over a year, and a preparation commitment most candidates sustain for two to four attempts. Anyone planning for CSE should plan simultaneously for what happens if it does not convert, because for the overwhelming majority it will not.
What the service actually involves varies enormously by cadre. An IAS officer in a district handles revenue, development and crisis administration with real authority and no fixed hours; an IRS officer's work is technical and largely office-based; a Group B allotment is a different career again. Candidates optimise for the exam and rarely read about the services, then discover after allotment that the one they got is not the one they imagined.
Verified 2026-08-17 4 of 7 critical fields checked against the official notification. Checked against the notification on upsc.gov.in ↗.
UPSC CSE — official documents
Published by Union Public Service Commission on upsc.gov.in. Every link below goes to the commission's own file, not to a copy. Dates are the ones the commission declared on each document.
| Notice | Press Note: Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 ↗ | 2026-08-19 |
| Notice | Important instructions : Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 ↗ | 2026-08-19 |
| Admit card | e - Admit Card: Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 ↗ | 2026-08-15 |
| Notice | Examination Time Table: Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 ↗ | 2026-08-15 |
UPSC CSE 2026 — important links
| Apply online | Applications for UPSC exams open on upsconline.gov.in ↗ |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Check your eligibility | Am I eligible for UPSC CSE? — free |
| Admit card, result, answer key | Admit cards · Results · Answer keys |
| Syllabus and exam pattern | Selection process for UPSC CSE |
| Where UPSC publishes them | Admit cards, results and syllabus appear on the official site linked above. |
| How we track this exam | |
| New UPSC notices on upsc.gov.in are picked up every 4 hours; dates read from them are marked until someone confirms them. | |
Questions about UPSC CSE
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Vacancy figures, dates and salaries are compiled from official notifications and change between cycles. Age limits vary between posts within the same exam. Always confirm against the official notification on upsc.gov.in before applying.