The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the official schedule for the UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025. The mains exam will begin on 22 August 2025 and will continue for five days: 22, 23, 24, 30 and 31 August 2025.
The UPSC Prelims 2025 Result was declare on 11 June 2025, the exam was held on 25 May 2025.
This year, 979 vacancies have been announced for variour prestigious posts like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other Group A and Group B services. For these posts total 14,161 candidates have qualified for the Mains exam.
📅 UPSC Mains 2025 Exam Schedule
| Paper | Date | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (Paper I) | 22 August 2025 (Friday) | Forenoon |
| GS I (Paper II) | 23 August 2025 (Saturday) | Forenoon |
| GS II (Paper III) | 23 August 2025 (Saturday) | Afternoon |
| GS III (Paper IV) | 24 August 2025 (Sunday) | Forenoon |
| GS IV (Paper V) | 24 August 2025 (Sunday) | Afternoon |
| Language Papers (Paper A & B) | 30 August 2025 (Saturday) | Forenoon & Afternoon |
| Optional Papers (VI & VII) | 31 August 2025 (Sunday) | Forenoon & Afternoon |
📌 UPSC Notification 2025 Overview
The UPSC CSE Notification 2025 was officially released on 22nd January 2025, announcing 979 vacancies for prestigious posts such as IAS, IFS, IPS, IRS, and more.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Notification Release Date | 22 January 2025 |
| Prelims Exam Date | 25 May 2025 |
| Prelims Result | 11 June 2025 |
| Mains Exam Dates | From 22 August 2025 |
| Total Vacancies | 979 |
| Application Dates | 22 Jan to 21 Feb 2025 |
| Education Qualification | Graduation (Bachelor’s degree) |
| Age Limit | 21–32 years (General Category) |
| Exam Stages | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
| Official Website | https://upsc.gov.in |
📅 UPSC Calender 2026
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the UPSC Exam Calendar 2026 on 15 May 2025 at upsc.gov.in. The calendar contains all important exam dates for all major UPSC recruitment exams, including the Civil Services Examination (CSE), Indian Forest Service (IFS), Engineering Services, Combined Medical Services, CDS, NDA, and more.
This early release of the 2026 calendar allows aspirants to plan their preparation timeline, meet application deadlines, and stay on track for all key exam stages.
UPSC CSE Apply Online 2026
The application process for UPSC Exam 2026 will begin on 14th January 2026 and will remain open till 03rd February 2026.
🗓️ UPSC Civil Services Exam Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| UPSC CSE Notification 2026 | 14 January 2026 |
| Application Form Release | 14 January 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 3 February 2026 |
| CSE Prelims Exam Date | 24 May 2026 (Sunday) |
| CSE Mains Exam Dates | 21 to 25 August 2026 |
The Preliminary Exam will be held on 24 May 2026 (Sunday) and the Main Exam will be conducted over five consecutive days starting from 21 August 2026 (Friday).
📝 UPSC Civil Services Eligibility
Nationality:
- Indian citizen
- OR subject of Nepal/Bhutan
- OR Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 Jan 1962
- OR Person of Indian Origin who migrated from specified countries
Educational Qualification:
- Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university (final-year students can apply)
Age Limit (as on 1 Aug 2025):
- General: 21 to 32 years
- OBC: 21 to 35 years
- SC/ST: 21 to 37 years
- PwBD: Up to 42 years
Number of Attempts:
- General: 6
- OBC: 9
- SC/ST: Unlimited (till age limit)
⚙️ UPSC Selection Process
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 follows a three-stage selection process to recruit candidates for India’s top administrative services like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and other Central Services. Each stage tests different skill sets — from knowledge and aptitude to writing and personality. Here’s a breakdown:
✅ Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (Screening Test)
The UPSC Prelims is the first phase, serving as a qualifying round. It consists of two objective-type papers, each of 200 marks, conducted on the same day:
- Paper I – General Studies (GS): Tests current affairs, history, polity, geography, economy, environment, and general awareness.
- Paper II – CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test): Tests comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, and basic numeracy.
Key Points:
- Total Marks: 400 (200 per paper)
- Duration: 2 hours each
- CSAT is qualifying only (33% minimum required)
- Negative Marking: 1/3rd marks deducted for each wrong answer
- Cutoff based on Paper I only
- Around 12–15 times the number of vacancies are shortlisted for Mains
✍️ Stage 2: Mains Examination (Written Test)
Candidates who clear Prelims are eligible to appear for the UPSC Mains, which is a descriptive written examination consisting of 9 papers:
📝 UPSC Mains Paper Breakdown:
- Essay – 250 marks
- General Studies I (Indian Heritage, History, Geography, Society) – 250 marks
- General Studies II (Polity, Governance, International Relations) – 250 marks
- General Studies III (Economy, Environment, Security, Tech) – 250 marks
- General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude) – 250 marks
- Optional Subject Paper I – 250 marks
- Optional Subject Paper II – 250 marks
- Language Paper A (Regional Language) – Qualifying
- Language Paper B (English) – Qualifying
Key Points:
- Total Marks (for merit): 1750
- Duration: 3 hours per paper
- Only marks of 7 papers (excluding language) count towards final merit
- Optional subject must be selected in advance from the UPSC list
- Descriptive format — answers must be written in detail
👥 Stage 3: Personality Test (Interview)
This is the final and most dynamic stage of the UPSC process. It tests the candidate’s overall personality, administrative aptitude, emotional intelligence, and communication skills.
Interview Highlights:
- Conducted by: UPSC Board in Delhi
- Marks: 275
- Marks — added to final merit
- Held usually in January–February
- Judges traits like:
- Intellectual clarity
- Moral integrity
- Leadership potential
- Critical thinking
- Presence of mind
📊 Final Selection & Merit
- Final merit = Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = Total 2025 marks
- Prelims is only qualifying and does not count in the final merit
- Candidates are selected based on rank, preferences, and category reservation
📚 UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern 2025
| Name of Exam | No. of Papers | Type of Questions | Maximum Marks |
| UPSC Prelims Exam | 2 Papers (GS 1 & CSAT Papers) | Objective | 400 |
| UPSC Mains Exam | 9 Papers | Descriptive | 1750 |
| IAS Interview | – | Personality Test | 275 |
| Total Marks | UPSC Mains + Interview Marks = 2025 Marks | ||
Prelims:
- GS Paper I: 100 questions, 200 marks
- CSAT Paper II: 80 questions, 200 marks (qualifying only)
- Negative marking: 1/3rd
Mains:
- 9 Papers (Essay, GS I–IV, Language A & B, Optional I & II)
- Total Marks: 1750
- Each paper: 3 hours
Interview:
- Personality Test of 275 marks
Total: 2025 marks
✍️ How to Apply Online for UPSC Civil Services 2025
- Visit: https://upsconline.nic.in
- Register using the One-Time Registration (OTR) system
- Fill Part-I with personal, educational, and contact details
- Upload photo and signature in JPG format
- Select exam center and pay application fee
- Submit and save application ID and form copy
Application Fee:
- General/OBC/EWS: ₹100
- SC/ST/PwD/Female: Exempted
📖 UPSC CSE Syllabus (Prelims & Mains)
Prelims Syllabus:
- GS Paper 1: Current Affairs, Polity, History, Geography, Economy, Environment, Science
- CSAT Paper 2: Comprehension, Reasoning, Maths, Decision-making (Qualifying)
Mains Syllabus:
- Essay Paper
- GS I: Indian History, Culture, Geography, Society
- GS II: Constitution, Governance, IR
- GS III: Economy, Tech, Environment, Security
- GS IV: Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude
- Optional Subjects: 2 Papers based on chosen subject
- Language A & B: English + regional/Indian language
💰 UPSC Civil Services Salary Structure
- Entry-level (IAS, IPS, etc.): ₹56,100 per month (Basic Pay)
- Additional Allowances: DA, HRA, TA, etc.
- Senior IAS Posts: ₹1,44,200 – ₹2,50,000 (Cabinet Secretary level)
📚 Best Books for UPSC CSE 2025
- NCERT Books – Class 6 to 12 (History, Polity, Geography, Science)
- Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth
- Economy – Ramesh Singh
- History – Spectrum for Modern India
- Geography – GC Leong + NCERTs
- Ethics – Lexicon or Subbarao
- Current Affairs – The Hindu, PIB, Yojana, Vision/Forum Compilations
📈 UPSC Civil Services Preparation Tips
- Make a weekly/monthly study plan
- Read NCERTs and standard books thoroughly
- Stay consistent with newspaper reading
- Practice answer writing daily
- Join a good test series
- Solve previous year papers
- Use flashcards for quick revision
- Take mock interviews if shortlisted for Personality Test
- Stay motivated and focus on revision
📉 UPSC Civil Services Cut Off (Expected)
| Category | Prelims Cut-off (2024) | Mains Cut-off (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 88–91 | ~750–780 |
| OBC | 85–88 | ~720–740 |
| SC | 74–78 | ~700–720 |
| ST | 68–72 | ~680–700 |
Note: 2025 cutoffs will be declared after final results.
📝 UPSC Civil Services Result 2025 @upsc.gov.in [OUT]
The Prelims Result for UPSC CSE 2025 was declared on 11 June 2025. The result includes the roll numbers of 14,161 candidates selected for Mains. The Mains Result will be declared post-exam, followed by the final result after the interview.
Final selection is based on total marks in Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 Marks
Stay tuned to https://upsc.gov.in for updates.
🔗 Useful Links
- UPSC CSE 2025 Notification PDF → Download from upsc.gov.in
- One-Time Registration Portal → https://upsconline.nic.in/upsc/OTRP
- UPSC Syllabus & Strategy
- UPSC PYQs & Test Series
- UPSC Notes by Subject
🙋♂️ FAQs
Q1. What is the UPSC Mains 2025 Exam Date?
A. It will start from 22 August 2025.
Q2. How many vacancies are there in UPSC 2025?
A. UPSC has released 979 vacancies.
Q3. What is the minimum eligibility for UPSC?
A. Graduation from a recognized university.
Q4. When will UPSC 2026 notification be released?
A. On 14 January 2026 as per official UPSC Calendar.
Q5. What is the selection process for UPSC CSE?
A. Prelims → Mains → Interview → Final Merit List.