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UPSC CSE/IAS 2018 Exam: Exam Dates, Application Form, Eligibility, Prelims & Mains Exam, Admit Card, Result

IAS Exam

UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) is enshrined in the constitution of India. This constitutional body derives its powers and functions under the Article 315 to 323, Part -14 of the Indian Constitution. It is entrusted with a duty to conduct various important exams, including - Civil Services Examination, Engineering Services, Combined defence services exam, Indian Economic Services/Indian Statistical Services, National Defense Academy Examination etc.

UPSC IAS/CSE 2018 Notification

The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination on the national level every year to select candidates for various Gazette posts under the Government of India. This is considered as one of the toughest exams of the country.

The UPSC has released the date of notification for the Civil Services 2018 Examination. The candidates who are wishing to apply for the Civil Services 2018 Examination can check the official website of the Union Public Service Commission.

Read the Article for further details about the Civil Services 2018 Examination.

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IAS Exam 2018 Important Dates

About the Exam

Important Exam Dates

Online application process begins

07 February 2018

Online application process ends

06 March 2018 (till 06:00 PM)

Civil Services Examination 2018 – Preliminary

03 June 2018

Civil Services Examination 2018 – Main

From 28 September 2018

IAS Exam 2018 Pattern & Syllabus

The Civil Services Examination has 3 different stages. A candidate should clear all stages of the exam to get selected by the commission. The 3 stages of the exam are-

  1. Preliminary stage – This is merely qualifying in nature. A candidate should pass this exam to get selected for the Mains exam.
  2. Mains Exam - This is the most important stage of the exam. A candidate should strive to score as many marks they could so that they can take competitive advantage over other candidates. The marks scored by the candidates in the Mains exam is counted while preparing the final merit list.
  3. Interview – This is the last stage of the exam. Those candidates who qualify the Mains exam are called for an Interview by the UPSC board. The marks of Interview are also added while preparing the merit list of candidates.

Stage 1- Prelims Exam Details

The Prelims exam which was based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission has been changed from 2011 exam onwards.

Under the new pattern, the Prelims exam is called as the CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test). There are 2 papers in the CSAT, Paper-1 and Paper-2 both are based on the General Studies.

These Papers test the candidate’s analytical abilities and the level of their general awareness.

Some important details about the Papers

Paper-1

General studies – The marks of this Paper-1 is counted to get selected for the Mains exams.

2 hours

200 marks

Paper-2

CSAT - Civil Services Aptitude test. The candidate is required only to qualify in this paper by scoring 33% of the marks.

2 hours

200marks

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  • The questions in both the papers are objective type.
  • The questions are in Hindi as well as English.
  • There is a scheme of negative marking in the Preliminary exam. For every incorrect response 1/3 rd. marks will be deducted.

The following topics are required to be covered in the Paper-1 for the exam.

  1. Current Affairs
  2. History of India
  3. Indian Polity
  4. Indian and World Geography
  5. Economic and Social Development
  6. General Issues on Environment
  7. General Science

The following topics are required to be covered in the Paper-2 for the exam.

  1. Comprehension
  2. English Language
  3. Inter-personal skills
  4. Logical Reasoning & Analytical Abilities
  5. Decision Making and General problem-solving skills
  6. General Mental Ability
  7. Basic numeracy of std. 10th level.
  8. Data Interpretation.

Stage 2 - The Mains Exam

Candidates who qualify the Prelims exam are further required to appear in the Mains exam. The Mains exam has 9 Papers. Out of the 9 papers, two papers are only qualifying in nature, while rest of the 7 paper scores are counted while preparing the merit list of the candidates. The Paper-A is a language paper which is to be selected by the candidate from the 8th language schedule of India and the Paper-B, which is an English language paper should be qualified by a candidate. If a candidate fails in any of these papers is considered as fail.

It is advised that the candidates should score well in rest of the seven papers of the Mains exam.

Find below the further details about the Mains exam -

Paper Name

Subject

Marks

Paper-1

Essay type

250

Paper-2

General Studies-1

250

Paper-3

General Studies-2

250

Paper-4

General Studies-3

250

Paper-5

General Studies-4

250

Paper-6

Optional Paper-1

250

Paper-7

Optional Paper -2

250

Paper-A

Language Paper (to be selected by the candidate from the 8th schedule of India

300

Paper--B

English language.

300

Total Marks of 7 papers which marks are counted, excluding Paper-A and Paper-B.

  

1750

Scroll left or right to view full table

Stage 3 - Personality Test or Interview

This is the final stage of the exam. The aim of this stage is to test the mental calibre of the candidates in the areas of - Social judgment, rational decision-making, intellectual abilities, leadership traits, capacity to comprehend complex social realities, moral understanding, the orientation of the personality of the candidate etc.

The interview board is considered to be a fair, impartial and supportive team of the jury to help candidates to expose their best intellect and talent.

The interview round of the exam carries 275 marks only, but it plays a crucial role while determining the rank of the candidates. So, the candidates should prepare equally hard for the Interview round of the exam, similar to the effort they have put in the Mains written exams. They must also groom their personality in order to appear for the exam.

IAS Exam 2018 Eligibility

Nationality – A candidate should be an Indian citizen(for most of the services under the purview of the Civil Services examination). But for some of the Services, the PIO (People of Indian Origin) and the candidates from the Bhutan and Nepal are also given an opportunity to get selected for this illustrious exam.

Find below the details of the Nationality criteria.

  1. For the IAS (Indian Administrative Services), IPS (Indian Police Services) and the IFS (Indian Foreign Services)the candidate should be an Indian citizen. Or else, the candidate should be a PIO (People of Indian Origin) who have migrated to India with an intention to permanently settle down in India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Myanmar, African nations of Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zaire, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia and the South-East Asian nation of Vietnam.
  2. For all other services under the purview of the Civil Services Examination, a candidate should be a citizen of India, Nepal or Bhutan.

Educational Qualifications

A candidate should have a Degree or Equivalent from –

  • Any Central, State or deemed University recognized under the section 3 of the UGC act of 1956.
  • From recognized Distance education or Correspondence.
  • From any Open University.   
  • The candidates who are appearing in their final exam are also eligible to apply for the exam, provided that during the Mains exam they will be able to furnish the result/ degree.
  • Candidates who have done their Degree from Private University or Foreign University can also apply for the exam, provided that those colleges are recognized by the Association of the Indian Universities.
  • Some specific candidates like MBBS, ICAI, ICSI, ICWAI who have passed their final exams but their internships are awaited can also apply for the exam.

Age Limit

  • A candidate should not be less than 21 years of age and should not have exceeded 32 years.
  • The 1st August is counted for calculating the age limit of the candidate.
  • The reserved category candidates are given an age relaxation in the exam.

Find the details below-

Category of the Candidate

Relaxation in Upper Age Limit

General

32years

SC/ST

35 years

OBC

37 years

PH (Blind, Deaf, Orthopedically handicapped)

42 years

J & K Candidates General

37 years

J & K Candidates OBC

40 years

J & K Candidates SC/ST

40 years

J & K Candidates PH

50 years

Disabled Servicemen General

37 years

Disabled Servicemen OBC

40 years

Disabled Servicemen SC/ST

40 years

A candidate can apply for the exam for a limited number of attempts. However, for the reserved category candidates, there are no limits on the number of attempts.

Category of Candidates

Number of attempts

General

6

SC/ST

No bar until 37 years of age.

OBC

7

Note – If a candidate has applied for the exam, but did not write his/her paper then the attempt would not be counted. 

IAS Exam 2018 Application Process

Application Form

The Application Form for the Civil Services Examination 2018 will be available online from 22nd February 2018 to 17th March 2018.

How To Apply

  • A candidate should visit the official website of the Union Public Service Commission.
  • Here, they should click on the Application form link to access it.
  • The Application form will be opened in the two parts, Part -1 and the Part-2. A candidate should fill both parts of the Application form in a sequence. A candidate should fill the first part of the Application form and only then proceed to the next part of the Application to fill it.
  • The Part-1 of the Application form is for the registration of the candidate. A candidate in this Part of the Application should fill their basic details, like Name, Address, Mobile number, and the valid Email id.
  • Upon registration, a candidate is given a Registration id and Password.
  • A candidate should note down their Registration id and Password and keep it until the completion of the exam process.
  • By entering the Registration id, a candidate can access the Part -2 of the Application form, which is the main Application form. It will be used by the commission during the selection process of the candidate.
  • A candidate should fill all the specified columns with an utmost care.
  • A candidate should upload the scanned copy of their photo and signature.
  • The Application fee should be paid along with the Application form.
  • Finally, after the successful submission of the Application form, a candidate should take its print copy for any reference in future.

Application Fee

  • A General candidate should pay ₹ 100
  • The Reserved category(OBC/SC/ST/PH) and Female candidates are exempted from paying any Application fee to the commission.

Mode of Payment

  • It can be paid in both Online as well as Offline.
  • A candidate can pay the Application Fee online through the Net Banking, Credit Card and Debit Card.
  • A candidate can also pay the Application fee Offline in Cash made at any SBI Bank branch.

Other Details

IAS/CSE 2018 Exam Admit Card

The admit cards are issued to the candidates online. The candidates should visit the official website of the commission to download it. It should be carried by the candidates at the examination centre.

IAS/CSE 2018 Exam Result

Candidates can check their results on the official website of the commission. The name and roll number of the successful candidates are given on the site of the commission.

Also Read:

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q) -

Q. When will the Prelims exam of the CSE IAS 2018 will be held?

The Prelims exam will be held in the month of June 2018.

Q. How many Papers are there in the Prelims exam?

The Prelims exam consists of 2 papers. The Paper-1 of General Studies and the Paper-2 of CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test.

Q. In the CSE IAS Prelims exams which questions Paper of the two is counted while passing the candidates for the Mains exams and which is of only qualifying in nature?

The Paper-1 which is the General studies paper is a scoring paper, which marks are added for selecting candidates for the Mains exam, while the Paper-2 or CSAT, civil services aptitude paper is only qualifying in nature. The candidate should score at least 33% of the marks to qualify for the next stage of the exam i.e. the mains exam.

Q. What is the marks of the 2 papers of the Prelims exam?

The two papers of Prelims exam are each of 200 marks. It is of total 400 marks.

Q. What is the nature of questions of the Prelims exam of CSE IAS 2018?

The questions are objective type in nature. Candidates are given multiple choice question type to answer.

Q. Is there any scheme of negative marking the CSE IAS 2018 prelims exam?

Yes, there is a scheme of negative marking in the exam. The 1/3 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer to the question.

Q. What is the Pattern of CSE IAS 2018 Mains exam?

The Mains exam of CSE consists of 9 papers. Two papers, the English language paper and the Language paper selected from the 8th schedule of India are of only qualifying in nature. Rest of the 7 papers of General studies are counted in the merit list. They should be scored well by the candidates.

Q. What is the total marks for which the Mains exam is held?

The Mains exam is held for the total of 1750 marks. Each of the seven Papers of General Studies is of 250 marks.

Q. For how much marks the Interview or the Personality test of the candidate is conducted?

The personality test or the Interview round of the exam is of 275 marks.

Q. What is tested during the Interview of the candidate in the CSE IAS 2018?

The interview tests the candidate’s mental calibre. The interview board tries to reveal the traits of the candidates by asking questions on a friendly note. The candidate’s leadership quality, his social judgement skill, decision-making capacity, moral standing, ability to understand the complex social realities etc. are judged. The interview carries only 275 marks only, but it plays a critical role while determining the standing of the candidate on the final merit list.

Q. What is the nature of questions of the Main exam of CSE IAS 2018?

The Mains exam is essentially descriptive in nature. Candidates are required to write answers in varying numbers of words, like 200, 250, 20 words etc., to judge their linguistic capacity, understanding about the topic, insight over any issue and their in-depth knowledge about any topic or issue.

Q. For how many times the CSE IAS exam is conducted in a year?

The exam is conducted only once in a given year.

Q. What is the age limit of the CSE IAS 2018?

The candidate should not be less than 21years of age and should not be more than 32years of age. This age limit pertains to the general candidate only. There is a provision of age relaxation for the reserved category of candidates.

Q. How much Application fee is required to be paid by the candidate along with the Application form of the CSE IAS exam?

The general category candidate should pay ₹100/ as the Application fee for the exam. While the candidates of the reserved category are exempted from paying the application fee for the exam. The OBC/SC/ST/PH and female candidates are not required to pay any fee for the exam.

Q. When will be the CSE IAS 2018 Mains exam will be held?

It will be held on 28th of October 2018.

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