The notification for the Indian Forest Service (Prelims) and Civil Services Prelims Exam 2025 (CSE) was made public by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) today, January 22, 2025. Exam registration is now open to qualified applicants through today, February 11, 2025. The date of the CSE preliminary test is set for May 25, 2025.
Important dates:
UPSC releases notification for IFS and CSE Prelims: 22 Jan 2025
Last date for exam registration: 11 Feb 2025
CSE Preliminary Exam date: 25 May 2025
Vacancy details:
Total Vacancies: 979
Reserved for PwBD: 38
Category-wise Breakdown for PwBD:
Blindness and Low Vision: 12
Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 7
Locomotor Disabilities (including cerebral palsy, leprosy-cured, dwarfism, acid attack survivors, and muscular dystrophy): 10
Multiple Disabilities (combining categories (a) to (c), including deaf-blindness): 9
Eligibility requirement:
A degree from an accredited university or an equivalent credential is required of candidates.
Students in their final year or those awaiting results may apply for the UPSC Prelims as long as they present documentation of their exam success prior to applying for the Mains.
Applicants with technical or professional credentials that the government has approved as being on par with a degree are also eligible.
Medical students who have finished their last year of MBBS but have not yet completed their internship are eligible to apply; however, they will need to provide a certificate of course completion from the appropriate authority with their Mains application.
Candidates for IFS, IPS, and IAS must be citizens of India.
Candidates must be Indian nationals, citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, or Tibetan refugees who came to India prior to January 1, 1962, with the goal of relocating there permanently, for all other services. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) from specific nations who plan to make India their permanent home are also qualified.
Number of attempts:
Candidates in the general category may take the test up to six times, and they may not be older than 32.
Up till the age of 35, OBC candidates are allowed nine attempts.
Up until the age of 37, SC/ST candidates are permitted to make an unlimited number of attempts.
Up until the age of forty-two, individuals with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) are permitted nine attempts.
The maximum age for EWS candidates is 32, and they may take the exam up to six times.
How to apply:
Step 1: Go to upsc.gov.in, the official website.
Step 2: Select the UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam 2025 registration link from the main page.
Step 3: Register by providing the necessary information.
Step 4: Next, access your account by logging in.
Step 5: Complete the application, submit it, and pay the application cost.
Step 6: Save a printed copy of the confirmation page for future use after downloading it.
Selection process:
Preliminary Exam:
Comprises two objective-type exams totaling 400 marks.
Serves as a screening tool for the next stage.
Results do not impact the final ranking.
About 12-13 times the number of vacancies are selected to appear for the next stage.
Candidates must meet the qualifying marks in General Studies Paper-I and score at least 33% in General Studies Paper-II to be eligible for the Main Examination.
Main Examination:
Only candidates who meet eligibility and are judged qualified in the Preliminary Exam by UPSC can appear for this.
Personality Test:
The final stage, assessing the candidate's overall personality and suitability for key government services.