UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025 – Minimum Educational Qualification, Nationality, UPSC Age Limit
This civil service in India was established by the British government in 1923 under the chairmanship of Shaurya Hamke Ladli. The Commission of Indian and British members (with equal numbers) established this Public Service Commission in 1924.
The Public Service Commission was given only a limited advisory function and the leaders of the freedom movement consistently emphasized this aspect. Due to this, the Union Public Service Commission was established under the Government of India Act 1935. It was later renamed as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) instead of the Federal Public Service Commission.
UPSC is India’s most prestigious central recruitment body. It selects senior civil service officers through three stages of tough examinations. Like IPS, IAS, IFS, NDA, CDS, SCRA, etc. All the people who become IAS and IPS officers in India are made through the UPSC exam only.
Apart from this, there are other prestigious posts that you can grab after successfully clearing the UPSC exam. In this article, we will discuss the Eligibility Criteria for UPSC in Detail. The UPSC 2025 entrance exam eligibility criteria include various requirements like minimum and maximum age requirement, Minimum educational Qualifications, subjects studied in the qualifying exam, status of the qualifying exam, category, and nationality.
UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025 – Minimum Educational Qualification, Nationality, UPSC Age Limit
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the UPSC qualification guidelines for 2025 Civil Services Examinations. UPSC eligibility criteria specify the educational requirements percentile, nationality, age limit, etc to appear for the UPSC exam, which must be fulfilled by every aspirant.
Students must ensure that they will go through UPSC eligibility criteria and fulfill all the sets of requirements. No aspirants will be allowed to fill out the UPSC online application form if they fail to meet the prescribed UPSC criteria.
As per UPSC eligibility criteria, candidates who have studied at an open university or have a bachelor’s degree in any stream are eligible to apply for the exam. Civil Services Examination will be conducted for various posts such as IAS, IPS, IFS, and other Group A Posts. Aspirants seeking more information regarding UPSC 2025 eligibility criteria can check the article below to know the details about the conditions of admission, codes, qualifying criteria, UPSC age limit, and much more relevant information.
| Eligibility Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian for IAS and IPS |
| Age limit | 21 to 32 years |
| Age Relaxation | 3 to 10 years As per categories |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation Degree from any Government Recognized University |
| Number of Attempts | ☆ 06 for General and EVS Category ☆ 09 for OBC Category ☆ Unlimited for SC/ST (Up to Age) |
| Physical Standards | As per Post Rank / Position |
Read: Salary of IAS in India
Nationality
The candidate must be a citizen of India to apply for Indian Administrative Service(IAS), Indian Foreign Service(IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS). For other services, the candidate must be either a citizen of India or a Nepal, Bhutan, or Tibetan refugee. For more details about the nationality of non-Indian candidates, they are advised to check the official notification given below.
Nationality for All Other Services: Candidate must be either:-
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal, or
- A subject of Bhutan, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 intending to settle in India permanently, or
- A person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam intending to settle in India permanently.
- The candidates belonging to categories (2), (3), (4), and (5) should furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates may take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but he/she would get the offer of appointment only after the Government of India has issued the certificate.
- Point to Note: A person belonging to categories (2), (3), and (4) is not eligible for an appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
UPSC Age Limit
The age limit for appearing in UPSC 2025 Civil Services Exam, candidates should be between 21 to 32 years as on 1st August 2024. It means that the candidate must have been born not earlier than 2nd August 1989 and not later than 1st August 2000.
There is a relaxation in the upper age limit for reserved category candidates. Relaxation up to a maximum of five years will be given to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. There will be a relaxation of three years for OBC and Defense Services Personnel. Further details are given by UPSC in the official notification.
| Categories | Minimum Age Limit for UPSC |
|---|---|
| Physically Disabled Candidates | 42 years |
| SC/ST | 37 years |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 35 years |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 32 years |
| General | 32 years |
Read: UPSC Age Limit for IAS, IPS, IFS ( Category wise)
Minimum Educational Qualification
- The minimum educational eligibility criteria for UPSC 2025 is that the candidate must have a graduation degree from a government-recognized university or an equivalent qualification.
- Those candidates who are appearing for the exam and waiting for their results are also eligible to appear for the preliminary exam.
- The candidates who will be eligible will have to submit proof of passing their said examination along with the application for the main examination.
- Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications recognized by the Government as equivalent to a professional and technical degree will also be eligible for admission to the Civil Services Examination.
- Remember there is no minimum percentage required in graduation for UPSC. The only important condition is that the Aspirants must hold a graduate degree from any Government recognized University.
- The exam is so designed that persons from different backgrounds are placed on a level playing field.
- There is no advantage to the candidates, who have better marks in their degree course, only the civil services exam marks matter.
| Educational Qualification | Details |
|---|---|
| Educational Qualification for UPSC | Bachelor’s degree from any recognized university ( B.A, B.Sc, B.Com, BBA, BCA, B.Tech etc.) with at least one of the subjects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology or a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Forestry or Engineering from a recognized university. |
Number of Attempts
Every candidate who will appear in the exam will be allowed to take the exam six times in the CSE. Relaxation in the number of attempts will be available for categories like SC/ ST/ OBC and PwBD candidates. There will be unlimited attempts in the exam for SC/ ST candidates.
Attempt in Preliminary Examination will be treated as one attempt in Civil Services Examination. Candidates are advised to check the official notification to know about the UPSC syllabus and other information about the exam.
| Category | No. of Attempts for UPSC CSE |
|---|---|
| General | 6 Attempts |
| OBC | 9 Attempts |
| EWS | 6 Attempts |
| SC/ST | Till the Age Limit |
| Physically disabled Candidates | ☆ For General and OBC candidates 9 Attempts ☆ For SC/ST candidates Unlimited attempts up to Age Limit |
Frequently Asked Questions on UPSC Eligibility
Question 1 – What is the full form of CSE
Answer: The CSE full-form Civil Services Examination, it is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to various civil services of the Government of India including Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, and Indian Police Service in India. It is a nationwide competitive examination conducted by UPSC.
Question 2 – What is the full form of UPSC?
Answer: UPSC’s full form is Union Public Service Commission. It is a central agency responsible for conducting the national-level public service examination. UPSC also deals with the recruitment, appointment, transfer, and recruitment rules of All India Public Services.
Question 3 – What is the age limit for the UPSC IAS exam?
Answer: The age of the candidates applying for this exam should not be less than 21 years and not more than 32 years. However, there is age relaxation for reserved categories.
Question 4 – Can the 12th pass apply for UPSC?
Answer: To become an IAS officer, you have to apply for the CSE exam conducted by UPSC the basic educational qualification for any CSE exam is a graduation degree. After the 12th Aspirants must be needed to complete their Bachelor’s degree from any college or institute recognized by the Government. A final-year college student can apply for Civil Services. after that, you will also have to clear the exam (preliminary, main, and interview) to get selected for the training. So technically, 12th-pass students cannot appear in this exam immediately after the 12th.
Question 5 – How can I apply for UPSC?
Answer: Applications are invited for the UPSC Civil Services Examination online mode. Interested candidates can apply online by visiting the official website of UPSC online at upsconline.nic.in. The candidates are given about three weeks to apply.
Question 6 – What happens if more than one UPSC application is filled?
Answer: UPSC does not give a chance for correction in the application for the Civil Services Exam. If there is any mistake in the application made by you and you have to rectify it, then you will have to apply a fresh form. If you are making more than one application, then the application whose RID number is more than your application will be accepted. That is, the commission will accept your application only on the information given by you in it. Apart from this, if you have paid the fee for the old application, then for the new one you will have to pay it again. Old fees are not adjusted. Nor is it returned.
Question 7 – Who is Eligible for UPSC Exam
Answer: UPSC Aspirants must be citizens of India, Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are eligible for the UPSC exam. Aspirants who fulfill the below-mentioned eligibility criteria of UPSC and complete the online application process within the stipulated date will be eligible to appear for the All India Services like IAS and IPS for the session. UPSC Aspirants must note that, if they want group A Posts then they have to appear and qualify for the UPSC.
Question 8 – Documents/details required for UPSC online application form
Answer :
Identity card: IDs such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, bank account passbooks, passports, or any other government photo ID card.
Personal details: Personal and communication details such as the candidate and parents’ name, date of birth, permanent and corresponding address, active email ID, and mobile number.
Images: Scanned images of recent passport-size photograph, postcard-size photograph, signature, and left thumb impression.
Question 9 – What is the minimum percentage required for IAS?
Answer: Like any other entrance examination there are no minimum percentage criteria of graduation for appearing in the UPSC Exam. All you need to be a passed graduate from any recognized university in India.
Question 10 – Can I crack the civil services exam without coaching?
Answer: Yes, if you can study well and in your own way then you can definitely crack this exam. If you are not able to study well in your own way then there is no harm in taking guidance from any coaching institute. There are many good institutes and teachers who help the candidates in saving their time and efforts but not all coaching institutes provide good quality service. Therefore, if you want to go to any institute, then go only after a thorough investigation.
Question 11 – At what age minimum should start one preparing for the civil services exam?
Answer: What is the minimum age limit for the preparation for the Civil Services Examination, it cannot be determined precisely, yet if the candidate starts preparation at the age of 20 then his condition will be good. This is the time in which the student can focus on his goal. It is another matter that while starting the preparation too early makes you feel exhausted at the right time, starting the preparation late can also cause some damage.