Civil Services Selection Procedure Details

Civil Services Exam Selection Procedure Details: Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Services Examination selection process details are given below….

Selection Procedure:
The competitive examination comprises two successive stages.
I. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examinations (Objective Type) for the selection of candidates for Main Examination; and
II. Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various services and posts.

I. Preliminary Examination: The Preliminary Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks in the subjects set out in subsection (A) of Section-II. This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Exam.

Note: Candidates should note that there will be penalty (negative marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.

II. Main Examination: The Main Examination will consist of written examination and an interview test.

(a) Written Examination: The written examination will consists of 9 papers of conventional essay type in the subjects given in notification out of which two papers will be of qualifying nature. Each paper will be of three hours duration. Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except Paper-I (English Comprehension and English précis) in English or Hindi. Candidates, who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for an interview or for a Personality Test. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled.

Note: The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main Examination will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year in the various Services and Posts.

(b) Interview Test: The interview will carry 275 marks (with no qualifying marks). The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of his/her career. He/she will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.

III. Final Selection: Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and Posts.


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