PAIPrelimsAI

Official eligibility rules

UPSC Eligibility Criteria — Age, Attempts & Qualification

Everything below is taken from UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE dated 4 February 2026 — the official Civil Services 2026 notification — with the exact paragraph cited for each rule. The structure repeats every year; the reference date moves with each notification.

See Prelims 2027 dates

Age limit — 21 to 32, with category relaxations

Per Para 3(II) of the CSE 2026 notification: a candidate “must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August, 2026” — i.e. born between 2 August 1994 and 1 August 2005 for the 2026 cycle. Upper-age relaxations below are from Para 3(II)(2).

CategoryUpper ageRelaxationSource in notification
General / EWS32—Base rule, Para 3(II). The notification lists no separate relaxation for EWS.
OBC35+3 yearsPara 3(II)(2).
SC / ST37+5 yearsPara 3(II)(2).
PwBD (benchmark disability)42+10 yearsPara 3(II)(2); applies to the listed benchmark-disability categories.
Ex-servicemen (≥5 years military service)37+5 yearsPara 3(II)(2).
Defence personnel disabled in operations35+3 yearsPara 3(II)(2).

Minimum age is 21 for every category. Per Note-I to Para 3(II)(2), SC/ST/OBC candidates who are also ex-servicemen or PwBD get the relaxations of both categories cumulatively. Date of birth is accepted only as recorded in the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Para 3(II)(3)).

Number of attempts by category

Per Para 3(IV) of the CSE 2026 notification. Appearing in even one paper of the Prelims counts as an attempt; merely applying does not. See the attempts deep-dive for the counting rules.

CategoryMaximum attempts
General / EWS6
OBC9
SC / STUnlimited (up to the age limit)
PwBD — General / EWS / OBC9
PwBD — SC / STUnlimited (up to the age limit)

Nationality — Para 3(I)

Citizenship rules differ by service

For the IAS, IFS (Foreign Service), and IPS, a candidate must be a citizen of India.

For all other services, the notification also admits subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently, and persons of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or the listed East African countries and Vietnam — each requiring a Government of India certificate of eligibility.

Education — Para 3(III)

Any recognised graduate degree

A degree from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature, an institution established by an Act of Parliament, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or an equivalent qualification. No minimum marks and no subject restriction.

Final-year candidates may appear provisionally (Note-I), and MBBS candidates who have passed the final professional exam but not completed the internship are admitted provisionally (Note-IV).

Physical and medical standards

Per Para 3(VI) of the notification, candidates must be physically fit according to the physical standards in Appendix-III of the Rules for the Civil Services Examination, 2026, published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 4 February 2026. Detailed medical standards (including vision requirements service-wise) live in that appendix rather than the notification body.

Official sources

Every rule on this page is cited to its paragraph in these UPSC documents:

Related UPSC Prelims resources

UPSC attempt limit

How attempts are counted, category-wise limits, and what does not count as an attempt.

Open resource →

UPSC Prelims 2027

The 2027 notification date, application deadline, Prelims date, and Mains start date.

Open resource →

UPSC Prelims exam pattern

Two papers, marking scheme, negative marking, and the qualifying CSAT rule.

Open resource →

NCERT booklist for UPSC

Subject-wise NCERT titles verified against ncert.nic.in, including the new NCF books.

Open resource →

Frequently asked questions

What is the UPSC age limit for General category?
Per the CSE 2026 notification, a candidate must have attained the age of 21 and must not have attained the age of 32 on 1 August 2026 — that is, born not earlier than 2 August 1994 and not later than 1 August 2005. The reference date changes each year with the notification.
Is there age relaxation for EWS candidates in UPSC?
No. The CSE 2026 notification lists upper-age relaxations for SC/ST (+5 years), OBC (+3 years), PwBD (+10 years), and defence categories, but no separate relaxation for EWS. EWS candidates follow the General limits: age 21–32 and 6 attempts.
Can final-year students apply for UPSC?
Yes. Per Para 3(III) Note-I of the CSE 2026 notification, candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in the qualifying degree exam may sit the Prelims and Mains, but must produce proof of passing with the Interview-stage documents within the time limit in Rule 13.
Which date of birth does UPSC accept?
Only the date of birth recorded in the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (or listed equivalents) is accepted, per Para 3(II)(3) of the CSE 2026 notification.
Can citizens of Nepal or Bhutan take the UPSC exam?
For services other than the IAS, IFS, and IPS — yes. Per Para 3(I) of the CSE 2026 notification, subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who came to India before 1 January 1962, and specified persons of Indian origin are eligible with a Government of India certificate of eligibility. The IAS, IFS, and IPS require Indian citizenship.
Do SC/ST and OBC candidates get both age and attempt relaxation together with other categories?
Yes, cumulatively in the cases the notification specifies: per Note-I to Para 3(II)(2), SC/ST/OBC candidates who are also ex-servicemen or PwBD get the age relaxation under both categories added together.

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