03/02/2014
AboutCivil Services Examination
The Civil Services Examination is based on the British Raj - era Imperial Civil Service, as well as the civil service tests conducted by old Indian Empires such as in the Mauryan Empire, and the Mughal Empire. The Civil Services Examination of India is considered to be one of the most difficult and competitive examinations in the world. On an average, 5 to 6 lakh candidates apply every year and the number of candidates appearing is roughly 3 lakh for the examination. Aspirants must complete a three-stage process, with a final success rate of about 0.3% of the total applicants.
Stage I: Preliminary examination - This is qualifying test held in May/June every year. Notification for this is published in December/January. Results are published in the first half of August.
Stage II: Main examination - This is the main test, held in October/November every year. Results are usually published in the second week of March.
Stage III: Personality Test (Interview) - It is the final test and is held in April/May every year. Final results are usually announced a few days before the next preliminary examination.
Eligibility
The eligibility norms for the examination are as follows:
Nationality
For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
For the Indian Revenue Service, a candidate must be one of the following:
A citizen of India
a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India
For other services, a candidate must be one of the following:
A citizen of India
A citizen of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan
a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India
Education
All candidates must have a minimum of any of the following educational qualifications:
A degree from a Central, State or Deemed university
A degree received through Correspondence Education or Distance Education
A degree from an Open University
A qualification recognized by the Government of India as being equivalent to either of the above
The following candidates are also eligible, but have to submit proof of their eligibility from a competent authority at their institute/university at the time of the main examination, failing which they will not be allowed to attend the exam.
Candidates who have appeared in an examination, the passing of which would render them educationally qualified enough to satisfy any of the above points
Candidates who have passed the final exam of the MBBS degree but have not yet completed their internship
Age
Prescribed age limits are minimum 21 years and maximum of 30 years as on 1 August of the year of Examination. A candidate who turns 21 on 1 August is eligible whereas a candidate who turns 30 is not. Upper age limit relaxation is provided to candidates as follows:
A maximum of three years for OBC candidates [Non Creamy Layer only]
A maximum of three years in case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof
A maximum of five years for candidates belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe
A maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989
A maximum of five years in case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1 August and have been released on either of the following basis:(Note:This information has not been updated,so please visit website of FPSC)
on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1 August) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency
on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service
on invalidment
A maximum of five years in case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Service as on 1 August and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
A maximum of ten years in case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopaedically handicapped persons
The age relaxation will not be admissible to Ex-Servicemen and Commissioned Officers including ECOs/SSCOs who are released on own request.
Numbers of attempt
The number of attempts a candidate can give the exam is limited as follows:
four attempts for General category candidates and OBC category candidates under the Creamy layer
Seven attempts for OBC category candidates
To SCs/STs, there is no limit on the number of attempts.
However these candidates are requested to bear in mind:
An attempt at a Preliminary Examination shall be considered to be an attempt at the Examination.
If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the Preliminary Examination, he/she shall be deemed to have made an attempt at the Examination.
Notwithstanding the disqualification/cancellation of candidature, the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.
Candidates just applied but not appeared at the exam is not an attempt.
