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UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025, Check Age Limit, Education, and more

Union Public Service Commission conducts civil service examinations and creates UPSC Eligibility Criteria full fill around a thousand vacancies. Before applying match your Eligibility Criteria for the UPSC 2025 examination. The UPSC Prelims Exam will be held on 25 May 2025 to recruit candidates for the IAS position. In this, we have covered detailed UPSC Eligibility Criteria, thoroughly as it includes all the information regarding the eligibility requirements, age restrictions, and educational qualifications.

UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025

 Those who want to devote themselves to the nation and work for its betterment should have complete knowledge regarding the UPSC IAS Exam eligibility criteria set by the Commission. To sit and compete in CSE 2025 check this article for UPSC Eligibility Criteria. Civil Services is the UPSC Exam, and those who cleared all the stages and got recruited are civil servants who work under the Central Government.

UPSC Educational Qualification 2025

The candidate who desires to apply for the Union Public Service Commission must fill the IAS Exam requirements to become eligible. For upsc educational eligibility criteria are given below. Interested candidates are advised to check the following upsc eligibility criteria.

  • It is mandatory for every candidate to complete their bachelor’s degree from a government-recognized college or university.
  • Candidates who appear in the final examination of graduates and awaiting the final result are also eligible to apply for the IAS Examination.
  • Those who have technical and professional credentials and are recognized by the government can also apply.
  • MBBS Final-year students or those who still have not finished the internship can also compete for the Civil Services Examination but need to provide a certificate of course completion.

UPSC Eligibility 2025 Age Limit

The UPSC determines a candidate’s age as of August 1 in the exam year. To take the UPSC CSE in 2025, candidates must be at least 21 years old by August 1, 2025. The same date also applies for checking the upper age limit, which is generally set at 32 years. However, the UPSC provides age relaxations for certain categories. It’s important for candidates to check the UPSC Age Limit for 2025 before submitting their application.

UPSC Eligibility 2025 Age Limit
Category Minimum Age Relaxation Maximum Age
General 21 Years No Relaxation 32 Years
OBC 21 Years 32+3 Years 35 Years
SC/ST 21 Years 32+5 Years 37 Years
Physically disabled (Blind, Deaf-mute, Orthopedically handicapped) 21 Years 32+10 Years 42 Years
Ex-serviceman discharged from duty due to disability General: 21 Years 32+3 Years 35 Years
OBC: 21 Years 32+3+3 Years 38 Years
SC/ST: 21 Years 32+3+5 Years 40 Years
Ex-serviceman discharged after 5 years of duty General: 21 Years 32+5 Years 37 Years
OBC: 21 Years 32+5+3 Years 40 Years
SC/ST: 21 Years 32+5+5 Years 42 Years

UPSC Age Limit for General Category

candidates in the General Category should review the following age limits to determine their eligibility for the UPSC CSE Exam. General candidates who meet these age requirements are permitted to attempt the UPSC Civil Services Examination up to a maximum of six times.

  • Minimum Age Limit: 21 years or older.
  • Maximum Age Limit: 32 years.

UPSC Age Limit for SC category

The UPSC Age Limit for the SC Category is as follows: Candidates belonging to the SC category who wish to take the UPSC exam are eligible up to a maximum age of 37 years. This age limit provides additional opportunities for SC candidates to participate in the examination.

  • Minimum Age: Candidates must have attained a minimum of 21 years of age.
  • Maximum Age: The upper limit for age is 37 years.

SC students are provided with a age relaxation of 5 years.

UPSC Age Limit for OBC Category

UPSC Age Limit for OBC Category in UPSC. Candidates belonging to the OBC category and intending to take the UPSC exam are detailed as follows:

  • Minimum Age: Applicants should be a minimum of 21 years old.
  • Maximum Age: The upper age threshold is 35 years.

OBC candidates are provided with a age relaxation of 3 years.

UPSC Eligibility Criteria for Female

Union Public Service Commission offers opportunities to become an IAS or IPS for Female applicants. UPSC Eligibility Criteria have various points such as Age Limit, Height, Number of Attempts, etc. which are discussed in the below points. you must check them.

UPSC Age Limit for Female

Female candidates applying for the UPSC Civil Services Examination must meet the age requirement of 21 to 32 years as of August 1 of the exam year. For the 2025 UPSC CSE, this means candidates should be born between August 2, 1991, and August 1, 2002.

Age limits by category are as follows:

  • General category: Up to 32 years
  • OBC category: Up to 35 years
  • SC/ST category: Up to 37 years

Minimum Height Required for Female

  • The minimum requirement for females is 150 cm approx

UPSC Attempts Limit for Female

According to the Union Public Service Commission, the number of upsc attempts for General category female candidates is 6 approx while OBC category candidates are allowed for 9 attempts. However, the SC/ST/PwD category has no limit for attempting the UPSC examination.

UPSC Age Relaxations

The UPSC Age Limit is a crucial eligibility criterion for candidates wishing to participate in the UPSC 2025 Exam. The table below outlines the age relaxation criteria for reserved categories, providing detailed information on the age limits applicable to different groups. Candidates should review this table carefully to understand the specific age relaxations they may be eligible for.

Category  UPSC CSE Age Relaxation
SC/ST 5 years
OBC 3 years
Defense Services Personnel 3 years
Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs 5 years
The hearing problems, deaf, low vision, ex-servicemen, blindness, muscle deformity 10 years

Eligibility Criteria- Nationality

The eligibility requirements for each service have been outlined by UPSC in a notification. Under some restrictions, non-Indian nationals may also apply for UPSC CSE. Candidates can review the UPSC eligibility requirements in this part about the applicant’s nationality post-by-post.

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and the Indian Police Service (IPS)

  • An applicant must be an Indian citizen. For additional services, an applicant needs to be either
  • A citizen of India, or
  • A subject of Nepal, or
  • A subject of Bhutan, or
  • A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 to permanently settle in India.

Note: Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d), and (e) shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.

UPSC Number of Attempts

Candidates seeking information about the number of attempts allowed can refer to the following guidelines: Applicants in the general category are permitted to submit their applications up to six times. Those belonging to the OBC category have up to nine attempts available. In contrast, candidates from the ST/SC categories face no restrictions on the number of attempts they can make.

Number of Attempts as per Category 
Category Number of Attempts
GL- General Category 06
SC/ST Unlimited
OBS 09 OBC
Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) 09 for GL/EWS
Disabled Defence Services Personnel 09

Restrictions for the UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025

There are some important  restrictions for candidates applying for the UPSC exam:

  • If a candidate is already appointed as an IAS or IFS officer based on previous exams and is serving in their role, they cannot apply for the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE).
  • Candidates who are appointed as IAS or IFS officers after the 2025 UPSC Prelims and continue serving in these roles cannot appear for the CSE Mains 2025.
  • Candidates appointed as IPS officers based on earlier exam results and currently serving in their posts cannot reapply for the IPS through the CSE 2025.

Medical and Physical Standards 2025

Candidates called for the Personality Test/interview by UPSC may be required to undergo a mandatory medical examination. This is an important step in the selection process, as candidates who do not meet the medical standards set by the Central Government or the appointing authority will not be selected. The candidate will be notified to appear before the Central Standing Medical Board (CSMB) for evaluation of their physical and mental health. Based on the examination, candidates will be declared fit, temporarily unfit, or unfit for various services, including technical services. Completing the medical examination promptly is crucial for smooth and timely service allocation.

Advice for Candidates:
  • Fast for at least 10 hours before the Medical Examination.
  • Avoid taking any medicine upon arrival unless prescribed.
  • Bring spectacles, hearing aids, or their prescriptions if you use them.
  • If using contact lenses, stop wearing them 48 hours before the exam.
  • Bring records of any past surgeries.
  • Candidates in the physically handicapped (PH) category should bring any used appliances and a Disability Certificate, if available.
  • Pregnant candidates are fit for most services except those requiring physical training. They will be declared “fit” after confinement.
Preparing for the Medical Examination:
Start preparing well in advance to avoid any issues. Aim to work on your fitness months ahead, especially if applying for IPS.
Build stamina and fitness over time and give yourself enough time to lose excess weight.
Related Articles
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UPSC Exam Centre UPSC Previous Year Question Paper
UPSC Zero Level Preparation UPSC Calendar 2025
IAS Salary How To Prepare for UPSC
UPSC Mains Result 2024

 

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FAQs

Who is eligible for the UPSC exam?

To be eligible for the IAS exam, candidates must hold a graduate degree from a recognized university, be between 21 and 32 years old, and are allowed up to 6 attempts if they belong to the General Category or EWS.

What are the 3 eligibility criteria for attempting UPSC?

UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025:

Educational Qualification: Graduation or equivalent
Age Limit: 21 to 32 years
Age Relaxation: Applicable as per category rules

Does UPSC need 12th marks?

No class 12 marks don't matter for SSC and UPSC. The eligibility for civil services is that you should hold a Bachelor's degree from any recognised institution in respective subjects.

Is UPSC Notification 2025 out?

No, UPSC Notification is not yet out.

When will UPSC Prelims exam conducted?

The UPSC Prelims Exam will be held on 25 May 2025