UPSC CSE 2024: Registration To Begin Today - Check Eligibility, Exam Pattern & Apply Online

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the notification of the Civil Service Examination (CSE) today, February 14. Candidates preparing for the UPSC CSE 2024 can check the details at the official website at upsc.gov.in.

The registration process for UPSC CSE 2024 will start from today. The last date to submit the application is March 5 and the UPSC Preliminary Exam will be held on May 26. The Civil Service Mains will be conducted on October 19.

UPSC CSE 2024: Nationality Criteria

For IAS (Indian Administrative Service), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), a candidate must be a citizen of India. However, for other exams, applicants are required to be either
a- a citizen of India, or
b- a subject of Nepal, or
c- a subject of Bhutan, or
d- a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, to permanently settle in India, or
e- a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam intending to permanently settle in India.

However, candidates belonging to the b,c,d, and e categories must possess a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India to appear for the UPSC CSE Exam in 2024.

UPSC CSE 2024: Age Limit

An applicant must be at least 21 years old but not older than 32 years to be eligible for this exam. Certain age relaxations apply to candidates belonging to reserved categories.

UPSC CSE 2024: Educational Qualification

A candidate must have a bachelor's degree from a recognised university in India, or educational institution authorised by Parliament, or those designated as universities under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or have an equivalent qualification.

Apart from this, those who are in their final year of graduation can also apply provisionally, but they must submit proof of passing the degree examination before the specified date.

UPSC CSE 2024: Number of Attempts

Applicants can take the exam up to six times. However, those belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category can take the exam up to nine times and those who are from Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) and People with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories have no restriction on the number of attempts until the upper age limit is reached.

UPSC CSE 2024: Exam Pattern

The Civil Services Examination comprises of two consecutive stages:

1. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination: This is the first stage of the UPSC CSE and is objective-based. It further comprises of two papers:

Paper-I: It carries general studies questions of 200 marks. It covers topics like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, and Current Affairs.
Paper-II: It contains an aptitude test of 200 marks. It assesses the candidate's comprehension, analytical ability, and basic aptitude skills.

Both papers are conducted on the same day with a duration of two hours each.

This is to be noted that there is a negative marking on both the papers. For every incorrect answer, 1/3rd of the total marks allocated to that question is deducted.

Paper-II: Those who successfully qualify for the UPSC Prelims move on to the UPSC Mains. This stage is completely subjective-based and comprises nine papers, out of which two are qualifying papers and seven are merit-based papers.

Paper-A: It focuses on one of the Indian languages, carrying 300 marks.
Paper-B: It assesses proficiency in English, also with 300 marks.
Paper-i: It evaluates essay writing skills, worth 250 marks.
Paper-ii: It delves into various aspects of general studies like Indian heritage, culture, history, and geography
Paper-iii: It covers governance, constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations
Paper-iv: It addresses technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security, and disaster management
Paer-v: It examines ethics, integrity, and aptitude. Each of these papers is valued at 250 marks.
Papers-vi and vii: They focus on optional subjects, each carrying 250 marks,

Each paper is three hours in duration and is conducted on different days.

If candidates pass the UPSC Mains exam then they get a chance to appear for a personal interview. This interview assesses the candidate's personality, communication skills, leadership qualities, and overall suitability for a career in civil services.

The personality test through an interview is done by a group of experts and is worth 275 marks. To select who gets the job, they look at the marks from both the Mains exam and the Personal Interview. The Preliminary exam is a way to filter candidates and doesn't affect the final decision.

UPSC CSE 2024: Application Form Release Date

The UPSC CSE 2024 application form will be released on the same date as the notification. As per the UPSC 2024 exam calendar released last year in May, the UPSC Prelims 2024 application form will be available today, February 14.

UPSC Notification 2024: Steps To Apply

Candidates can apply for the UPSC CSE 2024 by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the website at upsconline.nic.in.
• Register at One-time Registration Platform (OTR).
• Click on the 'Apply Online link.'
• Fill out the registration form. Part I of the application form includes filling in candidates' details like Name, Address, Email ID, Contact Number, and Parents' names and Part II of the application process involves paying the application fee, uploading scanned documents including the candidate's photograph and signature, and selection of the examination centre.
• Submit the application form after filling in the required details.

UPSC Notification 2024: Documents Required To Apply

Following is the list of documents that are required for the online registration of UPSC Civil Services Exam 2024:

• A scanned copy of the photograph.
• A scanned copy of the signature.
• Scanned photo identity cards like Aadhaar Card/Voter Card/PAN Card/Passport/Driving Licence/Any other Photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government.

UPSC CSE 2024: Application Fee

Candidates have to pay Rs 100 to submit the application form. However, female applicants and those belonging to SC/ST and PwBD categories are exempted from the fee.