The Civil Services constitute the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country.
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a nationwide competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. It is conducted in two phases - a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (general studies and aptitude test), and the main examination consisting of nine papers of the conventional (essay) type followed by a personality test (interview).
Process
The Civil Services Examination is considered to be one of the most sought after competitive examination in India. Laksh of candidates apply every year and the number of candidates appearing to sit the preliminary examination is approximately 450,000. The examination consists of the following three stages:
- Stage I: Preliminary examination - A qualifying test advertised in January - February and held between June - August each year. There may be variations from year to year in the schedule but UPSC announces them well in advance on their website. Results are published in mid-October.
- Stage II: Main examination - Held between October - December every year. There may be variations from year to year in the schedule but UPSC announces them well in advance on their website. Results are usually published in the second week of March.
- Stage III: Personality Test (interview) - held in April/May each year. Final results are usually announced in May.
The training program for the selected candidates usually commences the following September.
