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106 government routes, sorted by how late they stay open — for aspirants past 30 or running out of UPSC attempts who need to know which exams they can still sit, and until what age.
No upper age limit at all: UGC-NET and the Joint CSIR-UGC NET for Assistant Professor eligibility, and the two teacher eligibility tests we checked, CTET and Haryana’s HTET.
Highest ceilings, all needing experience: some UPSC interview-based specialist posts and EMRS Principal run to 50, and Higher Judicial Service runs from 35 to 45 for advocates with seven years’ practice.
Highest for a graduate without experience: 42, at Haryana’s HCS and HSSC and Uttarakhand’s UKSSSC; MP’s Employees Selection Board allows women 45. The Territorial Army also runs to 42, but only for candidates already in a job.
For graduates with a Master’s and a B.Ed, teaching stays open until 40: that is the Post Graduate Teacher ceiling at KVS, NVS and EMRS.
These are eligibility tests, not recruitments. Passing one qualifies you to apply; the college or school that hires you then applies its own age rule.
With a Master’s degree at 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwBD candidates), UGC-NET for Assistant Professor sets no age limit, and its bulletin has no attempts clause; its fellowship (JRF) category stops at 30. Teaching and the other routes beyond exams are covered in career options after UPSC failure.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGC-NET — Assistant Professor eligibilityNational Testing Agency (for UGC)Open at 35+ | No upper age limit | No cap stated | A Master’s degree with at least 55% (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and third-gender candidates). Final-year candidates may apply provisionally | The NTA bulletin states there is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility — and it sets no attempt cap either. It qualifies you for lectureship, which you then apply for college by college; it is an eligibility test, not a job offer. | cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in ↗ |
| Joint CSIR-UGC NETNational Testing Agency (for CSIR)Open at 35+ | Assistant Professor: no upper age limit · JRF: up to 30 | No cap stated | A Master’s degree in a science subject with at least 55% (50% for reserved categories) | The science-stream equivalent of UGC-NET, with the same split: no upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility, a ceiling of 30 for the fellowship. | cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in ↗ |
| CTET & State Teacher Eligibility TestsCBSE / State boardsOpen at 35+ | No age limit (CTET and HTET verified) | No cap — stated outright in the CTET bulletin | Set by NCTE, not by the test: typically a D.El.Ed for primary classes and a degree plus B.Ed for upper-primary | An eligibility gateway to government-school teaching, not a recruitment. CTET and HTET, the two tests checked, carry no age limit and no attempt cap; the age limit that matters is the one on the teaching post you later apply for, which each recruiter sets. | cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in ↗ |
An em dash means we could not confirm that field in an official source, not that no limit exists — open the official link before you rely on it. Age limits shown are the General/UR ceiling; OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen relaxations apply on top.
Routes whose General-category ceiling is 38 or higher, or runs that high in the states checked. Most come with a condition, and the eligibility column names it: prior employment for the Territorial Army, seven years at the Bar for District Judge, a B.Ed for teaching posts.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Judicial Service — District Judge (direct from the Bar)State High CourtsOpen at 35+ | 35–45 in all six states verifiedas on varies — Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat reckon on the last date for applications; Rajasthan on 1 January following the closing date; Uttar Pradesh on 01.01.2024 for the 2023 cycle | No cap stated in any notification read | Seven years’ continuous practice as an advocate as on the closing date — uniform across all six states checked | A second-career route for practising advocates, with a minimum age of 35. The General-category window was 35 to 45 in every state read — Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh — though some close just before the 45th birthday and others allow 45 itself. A ceiling of 48 applies only to reserved categories, in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
| delhihighcourt.nic.in ↗ |
| Territorial Army OfficerTerritorial ArmyOpen at 35+ | 18–42as on the last date of application (2023 round, the latest readable) | No cap stated | A graduate who is ALREADY gainfully employed. Serving members of the regular forces, police and paramilitary are barred | One of very few commissioned-officer routes open to 42 — but it is a part-time commission held alongside a civilian career, and you must already be employed to apply. | jointerritorialarmy.gov.in ↗ |
| Haryana — HSSCHaryana Staff Selection CommissionOpen at 35+ | 18–42 (Haryana’s default rule; police posts differ)as on the closing date of registration | No cap stated | Post-wise. Group C and D recruitment is open only to candidates who have qualified Haryana’s Common Eligibility Test (CET) | 42 is Haryana’s default ceiling by government instruction, unless a post’s service rules set another (police posts do). You must first clear Haryana’s Common Eligibility Test. | hssc.gov.in ↗ |
| State Forest Service — Assistant Conservator & Range OfficerState PSCs / forest boardsOpen at 35+ | Uttarakhand 21–42 (2025); Rajasthan 18 to under 40 (2019 round)as on see each example | Rajasthan ACF: two chances (SC/ST exempt) | A bachelor’s in science, technology or engineering covering at least one listed subject such as agriculture, botany, chemistry, forestry, geology or zoology | Officer-level forest posts through the state PSC, with ceilings of 42 in Uttarakhand and just under 40 in Rajasthan. One exception to the no-attempt-cap pattern: Rajasthan allows only two chances at Assistant Conservator of Forest. Rajasthan has not advertised since 2018. | psc.uk.gov.in ↗ |
| IBPS RRB (Officer Scale I–III & Office Assistant)IBPSOpen at 35+ | Office Assistant 18–28; Officer Scale-I 18 to under 30; Scale-II 21 to under 32; Scale-III 21 to under 40as on 1 September 2026 | No cap stated | A degree, plus proficiency in the local language prescribed by the Regional Rural Bank — essential, and deemed satisfied if you studied that language at Class VIII or above. Scale-II and Scale-III additionally require relevant work experience | The most age-generous IBPS route. Officer Scale-III stays open until 40 — nearly ten years past the IBPS PO ceiling — and RRB vacancies are state-wise, recruited in the local language. | ibps.in ↗ |
| RRB Ministerial & Isolated (incl. Teachers)Railway Recruitment BoardsOpen at 35+ | 18–40 in the current notice; teaching posts reached 18–48 in the 2024 roundas on 1 January 2026 (current notice) | No cap stated | Post-wise. The teaching posts in the 2024 round needed a Master’s with 50% plus B.Ed. | Railway school teaching posts — PGT, TGT, Primary Teacher, PTI — carried an age ceiling of 48 in the 2024 notification. Two caveats apply: the notification itself called it a one-time Covid relaxation over a prescribed ceiling of 45, and the successor 2025 notification has no teaching posts and tops out at 40. Watch for the next Ministerial notification rather than assuming 48 returns. | rrb.indianrailways.gov.in ↗ |
| KVS & NVS — PGT, TGT and PRTKendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan & Navodaya Vidyalaya SamitiOpen at 35+ | PGT up to 40; TGT up to 35; PRT up to 30as on not stated in the Recruitment Rules themselves; the joint Notification 01/2025 reckons eligibility as on its own cut-off date, which we could not read because the parent notification is no longer hosted (only its corrigenda are) | No cap stated | PGT: a Master’s in the subject with at least 50% plus a B.Ed (or an NCTE integrated course). TGT: a degree in the subject plus a B.Ed (or a four-year integrated course). KVS PRT: Class 12 with at least 50% plus a two-year D.El.Ed. Both also need a CTET pass | Central-school teaching with a ceiling of 40 for Post Graduate Teachers. The ceiling falls to 35 for TGT and 30 for PRT, and Navodaya Vidyalayas have no PRT cadre at all. | cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in ↗ |
| Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)NESTS, Ministry of Tribal AffairsOpen at 35+ | PGT up to 40; TGT up to 35; Principal up to 50as on 23.10.2025 — "The cut-off date for determining various eligibility criteria (Educational Qualifications, age limit etc.) will be 23.10.2025", and the bulletin states this stays fixed even if the application deadline is extended | No cap stated | PGT: a Master’s in the subject with at least 50% plus a B.Ed (or an NCTE integrated course). TGT: a degree plus B.Ed and CTET | Nationwide residential schools for tribal students, recruited centrally by NESTS. The same 40-year PGT ceiling as KVS. | nests.tribal.gov.in ↗ |
| India Post — Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS)Department of PostsOpen at 35+ | 18–40as on the last date of application | Not applicable — no exam; a merit list on Class 10 marks | Class 10 with pass marks in Maths and English, and the local language of the post studied up to Class 10 | Open to 40 with no exam — but read the terms before counting it as a backup. The notification states that GDS are not regular employees of the Department or the Central Government: it is a four-to-five-hour daily engagement on an allowance of ₹10,000–29,380, and applicants are expected to have another source of income. | indiapostgdsonline.cept.gov.in ↗ |
| State PCS — UPPSC, MPPSC and RPSC (RAS)Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Public Service CommissionsOpen at 35+ | Under 40 in all three (MPPSC uniformed posts: under 33)as on UPPSC 1 Jul 2026 · MPPSC 1 Jan 2026 · RPSC 1 Jan 2027 | UPPSC: no cap stated. RPSC and MPPSC: none in the sections read | A degree | All three keep their flagship exam open until just before 40. The reckoning dates differ — UP counts age on 1 July, MP and Rajasthan on 1 January — so the same birthday can leave you inside one and outside another. Rajasthan adds one extra year in its 2026 cycle.
| uppsc.up.nic.in ↗ |
| Uttar Pradesh — UPSSSCUP Subordinate Services Selection CommissionOpen at 35+ | 18–40 (checked for Junior Engineer (Agriculture); each post’s rules apply)as on 1 July of the year the vacancies are advertised | No cap stated | Post-wise. Mains examinations are open only to candidates who took the Commission’s Preliminary Eligibility Test | Uttar Pradesh’s Group-C board. Age is set by each post’s service rules — 18–40 in the advertisement checked — so confirm the ceiling for your post. The Preliminary Eligibility Test is a gate you must clear first. | upsssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Rajasthan — RSSB (Patwari, LDC and others)Rajasthan Staff Selection BoardOpen at 35+ | 18 to under 40, with extra years when a post has gone unadvertisedas on 1 January after the application closing date | No cap stated | Post-wise. Patwari 2025 was open only to candidates qualified in the Common Eligibility Test (Graduate Level) 2024 | Women in the General category get 5 more years, and widows and divorced women have no upper limit. The board also adds extra years when a post has gone unadvertised — three for Patwari in 2025. | rssb.rajasthan.gov.in ↗ |
| Madhya Pradesh — Employees Selection Board (ESB)MP Employees Selection BoardOpen at 35+ | 18–40 (45 for women, MP-domicile SC/ST/OBC and some other groups)as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | Post-wise; live registration at an MP employment office is mandatory | Women in every category get a ceiling of 45. There is no relaxation for EWS. | esb.mp.gov.in ↗ |
| Motor Vehicle Inspector (state transport departments)State transport depts / PSCsOpen at 35+ | Kerala 21–40 (2026); Rajasthan 18 to under 37 (last advertised 2013)as on see each example | — | A three-year diploma in automobile or mechanical engineering, plus a driving licence covering motorcycles and heavy goods and passenger vehicles. A general degree alone does not qualify | Age-generous in Kerala, where it runs to 40 — but the diploma and heavy-vehicle licence are hard requirements that most UPSC aspirants will not meet without planning ahead. | keralapsc.gov.in ↗ |
| State Agriculture OfficerState agri & cooperative deptsOpen at 35+ | Rajasthan 20 to under 40; Madhya Pradesh 21 to under 40as on see each example | — | Rajasthan: M.Sc. (Agriculture) or M.Sc. (Horticulture). Madhya Pradesh: M.Sc. (Agriculture), an IARI postgraduate diploma, or a bachelor’s in agricultural engineering | Open until 40 in both states checked, which makes it one of the stronger late routes — for agriculture postgraduates (and, in Madhya Pradesh, agricultural-engineering graduates). A B.Sc. is not enough for the officer grade in either state. | mppsc.mp.gov.in ↗ |
| State & District Cooperative BanksState coop boards / IBPSOpen at 35+ | — | No cap stated in any advertisement read | A degree in every example read, with state-specific additions (a computer diploma in Bihar; a State Eligibility Test after selection in Haryana) | Among the most age-generous banking routes: verified General-category ceilings run 33 in Bihar, 40 in Kerala and 42 in Haryana. Because each state recruits separately there is no national band — check your own state apex bank.
| biharscb.bank.in ↗ |
| Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO)State PSCs / boardsOpen at 35+ | Set by each state: Haryana 21–42; Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh 21–under 40as on varies — Haryana on the last date for applications, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on 01.01.2027 | No cap stated in any notification read | A law degree plus a state-language requirement; Haryana also requires Bar Council enrolment | The prosecution cadre in the states, and age-generous: two of the three states read run to just under 40, and Haryana runs to 42.
| hpsc.gov.in ↗ |
An em dash means we could not confirm that field in an official source, not that no limit exists — open the official link before you rely on it. Age limits shown are the General/UR ceiling; OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen relaxations apply on top.
Watch the as-on date under each age. A ceiling of 33 reckoned on 1 January is a different cut-off from 33 reckoned on 1 August.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPSC Combined Competitive Examination (Bihar)Bihar PSCCloses 28–37 | 37 for unreserved men; 40 for unreserved women and BC/EBC; 42 for SC/STas on 1 August 2026 (72nd CCE) | No cap — abolished in 2003 (serving Bihar government employees: 5) | A degree; a few posts need a specific subject (Financial Administrative Officer: Commerce, Economics, Maths or Statistics) | Bihar sets its ceiling by category and sex rather than one number: 37 for unreserved men, 40 for unreserved women and BC/EBC candidates, 42 for SC/ST. The minimum is 20, 21 or 22 depending on the service. Attempts are unlimited except for serving Bihar government employees, who are allowed five.Practise its previous year questions → | bpsc.bihar.gov.in ↗ |
| Bihar — BSSC Graduate LevelBihar Staff Selection CommissionCloses 28–37 | 37 for UR men; 40 for UR women and BC/EBC; 42 for SC/ST (minimum 21)as on 1 August 2025 (4th Graduate Level CCE) | No cap — abolished in 2003 (serving Bihar government employees: 5) | A degree for the Graduate Level exam | The same category-and-sex ceilings as BPSC. Rounds are numbered and irregular, so a missed round can mean a three-year wait. | bssc.bihar.gov.in ↗ |
| Gujarat — GSSSBGujarat Subordinate Service Selection BoardCloses 28–37 | 18–37 (the one advertisement verified)as on 23 September 2026 | No cap stated | — | Gujarat’s Class III board. Women in the General category get 5 more years, with an overall cap of 45. Only one advertisement was checked, so confirm the ceiling for your post. | ojas.gujarat.gov.in ↗ |
| Selection Post (Phase) examSSCCloses 28–37 | Eleven post-wise bands, from 18–25 up to 18–35as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | Post-wise at three levels — Matriculation, 10+2 and graduation and above. Many posts also require prior experience acquired after the qualification | The most age-generous of the SSC exams checked: it fills posts across many ministries, and the top band runs to 35, three years past CGL’s ceiling. Six of the eleven bands start at 20, 21, 22 or 23 rather than 18. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| DRDO Scientist (through RAC)DRDO (RAC) / MESCloses 28–37 | Scientist B 35; Scientist C 35; Scientist D/E 45as on the closing date of the advertisement | No cap stated | Scientist B: a first-class engineering degree or a science PG in a notified discipline, plus a valid GATE score in that discipline | The DRDS Rules of May 2023 raised the Scientist B ceiling from 28 to 35 for UR candidates (38 OBC, 40 SC/ST), so any figure of 28 is out of date, and lateral Scientist D/E entry runs to 45. | rac.gov.in ↗ |
| EPFO — Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC)UPSC (for EPFO)Closes 28–37 | Up to 35as on age reckoned as on the prescribed closing date for submission of the online application — 11 September 2026 for this advertisement | No cap stated | Graduate; a Diploma in Company Law, Labour Laws or Public Administration is desirable | One of the most age-generous UPSC recruitments: a Group-A officer post open to 35, three years past the CSE ceiling for General candidates, with no attempt cap. Relaxable by up to 10 years for PwBD candidates.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| NABARD Development Assistant (Group-B)NABARDCloses 28–37 | 21–35as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | A degree with at least 50% aggregate, plus word-processing knowledge | The current advertisement sets 21–35, rising to 40 for SC/ST and 38 for OBC — among the higher ceilings for a banking-sector route. | nabard.org ↗ |
| India Post Payments Bank — Circle Based ExecutiveIPPBCloses 28–37 | 21–35as on 1 February 2025 (latest open-market round) | No cap stated | A degree in any discipline; a merit list on graduation marks, followed by an interview | IPPB’s careers page listed no open-market officer-scale recruitment in September 2026; its recent open-market route is the contract Circle Based Executive post, with a merit list on graduation marks followed by an interview and no written exam. Age runs to 35. | ippbonline.bank.in ↗ |
| RBI Specialist — Legal Officer & Manager (Technical)RBICloses 28–37 | Legal Officer 21–32; Manager (Technical) 21–35as on 1 February 2026 | No cap stated | Legal Officer: LL.B with at least 50%, Bar Council enrolment and two years’ post-enrolment practice. Manager (Technical): a Civil or Electrical engineering degree with at least 60% plus three years’ experience | A lateral entry to the Reserve Bank at Grade B itself, with higher ceilings than the Grade B (General) exam: 35 for the technical posts against its 30, with work experience required. An LL.M adds three years to the Legal Officer ceiling and a Ph.D in Law adds five. | rbi.org.in ↗ |
| Armed Forces Medical Services — Short Service Medical OfficerAFMS (Army/Navy/Air Force)Closes 28–37 | Under 30 with an MBBS; under 35 with a PG degreeas on 31 December of the recruitment year | No exam-attempt cap; an academic-attempts condition applies | An NMC-recognised medical qualification, permanent registration, internship completed by the stated date, and a NEET-PG qualification | Not a late-entry route: two consecutive official advertisements cap it at 30 for MBBS holders and 35 for postgraduates. | amcsscentry.gov.in ↗ |
| TNPSC Group I (Tamil Nadu)Tamil Nadu PSCCloses 28–37 | 21 to under 34 (reserved communities: 39)as on 1 July 2025 (Notification 04/2025) | No cap stated | A degree | Tamil Nadu’s flagship exam closes before 34 for candidates outside the reserved communities and before 39 for BC, MBC, SC and ST candidates. A law degree adds a year for Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes). The 2024 and 2025 notifications set the same ceilings. | tnpsc.gov.in ↗ |
| RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories)Railway Recruitment BoardsCloses 28–37 | Graduate posts 18–33; under-graduate posts 18–30as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | Graduate notification: a degree, plus computer typing proficiency for the two typist posts. Under-graduate notification: 12th with at least 50% in aggregate, relaxed for SC/ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen and holders of a higher qualification | Station Master, Goods Train Manager, Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, Junior Accounts Assistant. The band splits by notification, not by post — and an earlier ceiling of 36 was a one-off Covid-era relaxation, not the current rule. | rrb.indianrailways.gov.in ↗ |
| RRB Group D (Level 1)Railway Recruitment CellsCloses 28–37 | 18–33as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | 10th pass, or ITI, or a National Apprenticeship Certificate. An engineering diploma or degree is explicitly NOT accepted in lieu of ITI or apprenticeship for Level-1 | Track maintainer, pointsman and helper posts at Level 1. | rrb.indianrailways.gov.in ↗ |
| RRB JE / ALPRailway Recruitment BoardsCloses 28–37 | Junior Engineer 18–33; Assistant Loco Pilot 18–30as on JE: 1 January 2027 · ALP: 1 July 2026 (the two notifications differ) | No cap stated | JE: a three-year diploma in the relevant engineering branch. ALP: Matric plus an ITI in a listed trade, or a course-completed Act Apprenticeship, or a three-year engineering diploma | Both have run in three consecutive years, so the old "every few years" reputation is out of date. | rrbapply.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Forest Service (IFoS)UPSCCloses 28–37 | 21–32as on 1 August 2026 | 6 (General/EWS); 9 OBC; unlimited SC/ST | Graduate with at least one of Animal Husbandry, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Maths, Physics, Statistics, Zoology, or an Agriculture/Forestry/Engineering degree | IFoS Prelims is held through the CSE Preliminary examination, so one sitting serves both. Mains is separate, with two optional subjects chosen from a list of science, engineering and agriculture disciplines.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Combined Medical Services (CMS)UPSCCloses 28–37 | Up to 32 (35 for CHS General Duty Medical Officer)as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | MBBS (final-year candidates may apply, subject to the notification) | Medical officer posts in the Railways, Delhi municipal services and the Central Health Service. No minimum age is prescribed. | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Combined Geo-ScientistUPSCCloses 28–37 | 21–32as on 1 January of the exam year | No cap stated | Master’s in Geology, Geophysics, Physics or Applied Physics (Geophysicist posts), Chemistry, Hydrogeology or a related discipline (post-wise) | Scientist posts in the Geological Survey of India and the Central Ground Water Board. | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Combined Graduate Level (CGL)SSCCloses 28–37 | 18–32, post-wise (bands: 18–27, 18–30, 20–30, 18–32)as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | Bachelor’s degree for most posts. Junior Statistical Officer additionally needs 60% in Mathematics at 12th level or Statistics at degree level; Statistical Investigator Gr-II needs a degree in Statistics, Maths, Economics or a related quantitative subject | The flagship graduate exam: Income Tax Inspector, Assistant Section Officer in central ministries, Auditor, Excise Inspector. No attempt cap — the word does not appear in the 132-page notice.Practise its previous year questions → | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Junior Engineer (JE)SSCCloses 28–37 | 18–30 or 18–32, post-wiseas on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | Post-wise: usually a three-year diploma in the relevant engineering branch; several posts accept a degree instead, and some diploma routes require two years’ site experience | Junior Engineer posts in CPWD, the Military Engineer Services, the Border Roads Organisation and other central bodies. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| TNPSC Group II, IIA and IV (Tamil Nadu)Tamil Nadu PSCCloses 28–37 | Under 32 for most posts (candidates outside the reserved communities)as on 1 July 2024 (Notifications 08/2024 and 01/2024) | No cap stated | Group II and IIA: a degree for most posts. Group IV: a Class 10 (SSLC) pass, plus typing or shorthand tests for those posts | Two very different rules sit under one exam. For candidates outside the reserved communities the ceiling is under 32 on most posts; for Tamil Nadu’s reserved communities most Group II and IIA posts have no maximum age (up to 60). Exceptions include Probation Officer, 26–42. | tnpsc.gov.in ↗ |
| MoSPI — Junior Statistical Officer (through SSC CGL)Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, via SSCCloses 28–37 | Junior Statistical Officer 18–32; Statistical Investigator Gr-II 18–30as on 1 August 2026 (SSC CGL 2026) | No cap stated | JSO: a degree with at least 60% in Maths at Class 12, or a degree with Statistics as a subject | Junior Statistical Officer carries the highest age ceiling in SSC CGL 2026, at 32. Statistical Investigator Gr-II sits under the Home Ministry, not MoSPI, in the CGL list.Practise its previous year questions → | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
An em dash means we could not confirm that field in an official source, not that no limit exists — open the official link before you rely on it. Age limits shown are the General/UR ceiling; OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen relaxations apply on top.
Listed so you can rule them out quickly. If you are 29, a ceiling of 30 still gives you one or two sittings, so check the crucial date before you cross one off.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Services (ESE / IES)UPSCCloses 28–37 | 21–30as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | An engineering degree in any branch, or an equivalent such as AMIE Sections A and B; you then sit one of four streams (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Telecom) | Group-A and Group-B engineer posts across central ministries. Relaxable to 35 for specified serving government servants. | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Economic / Statistical Service (IES/ISS)UPSCCloses 28–37 | 21–30as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | Indian Economic Service: postgraduate degree in Economics. Indian Statistical Service: a Bachelor’s degree with Statistics, Mathematical Statistics or Applied Statistics as a subject in every year of the course, or a Master’s in one of those | Specialist Group-A cadre. The Statistical Service accepts a Bachelor’s with Statistics studied in every year of the course — a one- or two-semester component does not count — so it does not require a postgraduate degree. | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Stenographer (Grade C & D)SSCCloses 28–37 | Grade C 18–30; Grade D 18–27as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | 12th pass. Shorthand is NOT an entry requirement — it is tested afterwards in a qualifying Skill Test, so you may apply while still learning it | Stenographer posts across central ministries. You do not need shorthand to apply; you need it to pass the skill test after the computer-based exam. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| IBPS PO / MTIBPSCloses 28–37 | 20–30as on 1 July 2026 | No cap stated | A degree in any discipline | Probationary Officer across public-sector banks other than SBI. No attempt cap. | ibps.in ↗ |
| IBPS SO (Specialist Officer)IBPSCloses 28–37 | 20–30as on 1 July 2026 | No cap stated | Post-wise: IT Officer, a four-year engineering degree or a PG in CS/IT; Agricultural Field Officer, a four-year agriculture-family degree; Law Officer, an LL.B with Bar enrolment; Rajbhasha, a PG in Hindi (or Sanskrit); HR and Marketing, a degree plus a two-year PG in the field | Specialist Officer cadre for IT, Agriculture, HR, Marketing, Law and Rajbhasha posts, each needing the matching degree. | ibps.in ↗ |
| SBI POSBICloses 28–37 | 21–30as on 1 April 2026 | 6 (UR/EWS); 9 OBC and PwBD; no limit SC/ST | Graduation in any discipline; final-year candidates may apply provisionally | One of only two banking exams checked that cap attempts. Only a Main Examination appearance counts as a chance; sitting the Preliminary does not burn one. | sbi.bank.in ↗ |
| RBI Grade B OfficerRBICloses 28–37 | 21–30 (32 with an M.Phil, 34 with a Ph.D)as on 1 April 2026 | 6 Phase-I appearances (General/EWS); no cap for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD on reserved posts | General cadre: a degree with at least 60% aggregate, or a post-graduate degree with at least 55% | The apex central-bank officer cadre, and one of only two banking exams checked that cap attempts. Besides the General cadre, RBI recruits Grade B officers into its Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR) and its Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM). A research degree buys up to four extra years of eligibility. | rbi.org.in ↗ |
| NABARD Grade A (Assistant Manager)NABARDCloses 28–37 | 21–30 (Protocol & Security Service stream: 25–40)as on 1 November 2025 | No cap stated | A degree with at least 60%, or a postgraduate degree/MBA with at least 55%, or CA/CS/CMA, or a Ph.D | Its mandate is rural credit and development finance. Listed here as Grade A only: NABARD has issued no Grade B (Manager) advertisement since 2019-20, so Grade B is not a live route. | nabard.org ↗ |
| SEBI Grade A (Assistant Manager)SEBICloses 28–37 | Up to 30as on 30 September 2025 (2025 exercise) | No cap stated | Stream-wise: a master’s degree or two-year PG diploma, or LL.B, or an engineering degree, or CA/CFA/CS/Cost Accountant | The securities-market regulator. The general stream accepts a wide set of professional qualifications. | sebi.gov.in ↗ |
| LIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer)LICCloses 28–37 | 21–30 (Chartered Accountant and Legal streams 21–32)as on 1 August 2025 (2025 cycle) | No cap stated | A degree in any discipline for the Generalist stream; the relevant professional qualification for specialist streams | LIC’s officer cadre. The Chartered Accountant and Legal streams run to 32, two years past the Generalist ceiling. | licindia.in ↗ |
| LIC ADO (Apprentice Development Officer)LICCloses 28–37 | 21–30as on 1 January 2023 (last cycle) | No cap stated | A degree in any discipline, or the Fellowship of the Insurance Institute of India | Field-facing development officer role. Because each zone notifies separately, watch your own zone rather than a national date. | web.archive.org ↗ |
| NIACL AO & AssistantNew India AssuranceCloses 28–37 | Administrative Officer 21–30; Assistant 21–30as on AO: 1 August 2025 · Assistant: 1 December 2024 | No cap stated | A degree or post-graduate degree with at least 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PwBD) for the Generalist stream — the marks bar that "graduate" alone hides | New India has advertised AO posts in three straight years: 550 AO posts in 2025, 170 in 2024, 450 in 2023. | newindia.co.in ↗ |
| Public general insurers — National, Oriental & United India AOGIPSA / respective PSUsCloses 28–37 | 21–30 at every company verifiedas on see each example | No cap stated | A degree with a minimum-marks bar (60% general, 55% SC/ST/PwBD) for the Generalist stream | There is no single "GIPSA exam": each company advertises separately with its own cut-off date, so you track three recruitment pages, not one. United India notified 225 AO posts in September 2026. | uiic.co.in ↗ |
| GIC Re Assistant Manager & AIC Management TraineeGIC Re / Agriculture Insurance Co.Closes 28–37 | 21–30as on GIC Re: 1 November 2024 · AIC: 1 September 2017 | No cap stated | A degree with at least 60% marks (55% SC/ST) for the general stream; law, actuarial, IT, finance or medical qualifications for specialist streams | GIC Re recruits Assistant Managers (Scale I) and AIC recruits Management Trainees: AIC’s latest round, 55 posts in the Generalist, IT and Actuarial disciplines, was advertised in January–February 2025. | gicre.in ↗ |
| UGC-NET — Junior Research Fellowship (JRF)National Testing Agency (for UGC)Closes 28–37 | Up to 30as on the first day of the month the exam ends (1 June 2026 for the June cycle) | No cap stated | A Master’s degree with at least 55% (50% for reserved categories), as for Assistant Professor — or a four-year bachelor’s degree with at least 75%, which qualifies for JRF but not for Assistant Professor | A funded research fellowship leading to a PhD. Relaxable by up to 5 years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, third-gender and women candidates, and for research experience — but total relaxation is capped at five years. | cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in ↗ |
| Financial-sector regulators — Assistant Manager / Grade ARespective regulatorsCloses 28–37 | Up to 30 at IRDAI and PFRDAas on IRDAI: 20.09.2024. PFRDA: 31.07.2026 for age, and 31.07.2026 for educational qualification. | No cap stated | Stream-wise: a degree with 60% plus a professional qualification for Finance and Actuarial streams; an LL.B for Law | Of the four regulators checked, only the two financial-sector ones run this recruitment. IRDAI and PFRDA recruit Assistant Managers through an open examination; TRAI’s vacancies are deputation and consultancy only, and the Competition Commission lists no entry-level officer recruitment at all. | pfrda.org.in ↗ |
| Income Tax & GST posts (through SSC CGL and MTS)CBDT and CBIC, via SSCCloses 28–37 | Inspectors 18–30; Tax Assistant 18–27; MTS 18–25; Havaldar 18–27as on 1 August 2026 (CGL 2026) | No cap stated | CGL posts: a degree. MTS and Havaldar: Class 10. CBIC Inspector and Havaldar posts carry physical standards | Most of these posts are graduate-level through CGL or Class 10 through MTS and Havaldar; the 12th-pass route is SSC’s Stenographer exam, which fills Stenographer posts in CBIC and CBDT. The Inspector posts run to 30, the Tax Assistant posts only to 27.Practise its previous year questions → | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| EPFO — Enforcement Officer / Accounts Officer (EO/AO)UPSC (for EPFO)Closes 28–37 | Up to 30as on age reckoned as on the prescribed closing date for submission of the online application — 18 August 2025 for this advertisement | No cap stated | Graduate | Group B (Non-Ministerial) posts in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, recruited by UPSC. Last advertised July 2025; no EO/AO vacancy has appeared in a 2026 advertisement so far.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)BISCloses 28–37 | Group C 27; Group B and Scientist-B 30; Group A 35as on the last date of application | No cap stated | Scientist-B: an engineering degree with at least 60% (50% SC/ST) plus a valid GATE score in the matching paper. Other posts: per the advertisement | The national standards body, with its own direct recruitment. Ceilings rise with the group, from 27 for Group C to 35 for Group A, and Scientist-B needs a GATE score. | bis.gov.in ↗ |
| IMD Scientific Assistant (through SSC JE)India Meteorological Department, via SSCCloses 28–37 | Up to 30as on 1 August 2026 (SSC JE 2026) | No cap stated | A B.Sc. with Physics, or a degree in Computer Science, Computer Applications, Electronics or a related subject. A diploma does not qualify | IMD now recruits Scientific Assistants through the SSC Junior Engineer examination — its own notice of 7 September 2026 says so. The JE 2026 window was open in September 2026. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Cantonment BoardsCantonment Boards, Ministry of DefenceCloses 28–37 | Lucknow Cantonment Board 21–30 (under its service rules)as on varies | — | Post-wise | Cantonment boards come under the Ministry of Defence, not the states, and recruit board by board. The one current rule found — Lucknow’s — is 21–30, and two other large boards had no open notices when checked. | lucknow.cantt.gov.in ↗ |
| NIELIT & C-DAC — technical postsNIELIT / C-DACCloses 28–37 | NIELIT (for STQC) Scientific Assistant up to 30as on varies | — | B.E./B.Tech, M.Sc or MCA for technical posts | IT and electronics posts for the ministry’s technical bodies. Only NIELIT’s 2025 Scientific Assistant drive could be verified; C-DAC’s and NIELIT’s Scientist-B ages could not. | recruit-delhi.nielit.gov.in ↗ |
| NPCIL — Executive Trainee & Scientific AssistantNuclear Power Corp of IndiaCloses 28–37 | Executive Trainee 26; Scientific Assistant-B 18–30; Stipendiary Trainee 18–24 or 18–25as on ET: age reckoned as on 30 April 2026. Kaiga Scientific Assistant/Stipendiary Trainee: 'not born on or after 02/04/2007'. Tarapur Stipendiary Trainee: age as on 4 February 2026. | No cap stated | Executive Trainee: a full-time B.E./B.Tech with at least 60% plus a valid GATE score. Scientific Assistant-B and Category-I Stipendiary Trainee take a diploma in engineering or a B.Sc; Category-II Stipendiary Trainee takes an ITI | Separate from the GATE route, the Scientific Assistant-B stream runs to 30 and needs a diploma or B.Sc rather than an engineering degree plus GATE. | npcilcareers.co.in ↗ |
| IBPS Clerk — Customer Service AssociateIBPSCloses 28–37 | 20–28as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | A degree in any discipline, PLUS proficiency in the local language of the state you apply to (tested) and computer literacy — both essential, not preferred | IBPS renamed the clerical cadre: the notification is now Customer Service Associate, though the official site still files it under Clerical Cadre (CRP CSA-XVI). Local-language proficiency is an entry requirement. | ibps.in ↗ |
| SBI Clerk (Junior Associate)SBICloses 28–37 | 20–28as on 1 April 2026 | No career cap; one appearance per recruitment project | Graduation in any discipline; you apply for one State/UT only and must be proficient in its local language | State-wise clerical recruitment. The "once only" line in the advertisement applies to that single project, not to your career. | sbi.bank.in ↗ |
| RBI AssistantRBICloses 28–37 | 20–28as on 1 February 2026 | No cap stated | A degree with at least 50% aggregate, plus word-processing knowledge and proficiency in the language of the states covered by the recruiting office | Clerical-equivalent cadre at the Reserve Bank. | rbi.org.in ↗ |
| Metro Rail — DMRC & city metros (JE, CRA, Station Controller, Maintainer)Metro corporationsCloses 28–37 | 21–28 at the one corporation we could source in full (UPMRC 2024)as on 1 March 2024 (UPMRC) | No cap stated | Post-wise. UPMRC required a three-year engineering diploma for Junior Engineer and Station Controller — a degree without the diploma was not accepted — and an ITI for maintainer grades | No metro post with a higher ceiling could be sourced. UPMRC’s 2024 notification put every post from Maintainer to Assistant Manager at 21–28. At UPMRC, an engineering degree alone did not qualify you for Junior Engineer; the diploma was required. | cdn.digialm.com ↗ |
| Combined Higher Secondary (CHSL)SSCCloses by 27 | 18–27as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | 12th pass. Data Entry Operator posts in a few ministries require 12th in the Science stream with Mathematics | Lower Division Clerk, Junior Secretariat Assistant and Data Entry Operator posts in central offices. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) & HavaldarSSCCloses by 27 | 18–25 (Havaldar and some MTS posts 18–27)as on 1 August 2025 (latest published cycle) | No cap stated | Matriculation (10th) pass | Entry-level Group-C posts. No MTS 2026 notice had been published as of 12 September 2026 (SSC’s calendar had slotted it for 30 June), so these figures are the 2025 cycle’s. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Non-GATE Management / Executive TraineeVarious Central PSUsCloses by 27 | 27 at both companies verified (BHEL 29 with a two-year PG; BDL 28 for Finance via CA/CMA)as on see each example | No cap stated | Role-wise: a first-class engineering degree for technical streams, CA/CMA or an MBA/PGDM for Finance and HR streams | The non-GATE route into PSU management cadres, for finance and HR as well as engineering. The ceiling was 27 at both companies checked. | careers.bhel.in ↗ |
| Airports Authority of India — Junior Executive & ManagerAirports Authority of IndiaCloses by 27 | Junior Executive up to 27; Manager up to 32as on 7 September 2026 (current round) | No cap stated | Discipline-wise: engineering, finance, IT, law, architecture or air-traffic streams | The 2026 round carried 389 posts. The Manager grade runs five years past the Junior Executive ceiling, but it also requires post-qualification work experience. | aai.aero ↗ |
| Intelligence Bureau — ACIO-II & Security AssistantIntelligence Bureau, Ministry of Home AffairsCloses by 27 | ACIO-II 18–27; Security Assistant not exceeding 27as on the closing date (2020 ACIO round, the latest readable) | No cap stated | ACIO-II: a degree. Security Assistant: Class 10 plus knowledge of a listed local language | The newest ACIO notice that could be read is from 2020; the 2025 notice has been removed from mha.gov.in. Treat these figures as a guide and read the current advertisement before applying. | web.archive.org ↗ |
| CAG — Auditor, Accountant & Assistant Audit Officer (through SSC CGL)Indian Audit & Accounts Department, via SSCCloses by 27 | Auditor and Accountant 18–27; Divisional Accountant and Assistant Audit Officer 18–30as on 1 August 2026 (SSC CGL 2026) | No cap stated | A degree. For Assistant Audit Officer, CA, CMA, CS, M.Com or an MBA (Finance), among others, are desirable on top of the degree | Not a separate exam: every one of these posts is filled through SSC CGL. The Auditor and Accountant posts close at 27; only the Divisional Accountant and Assistant Audit Officer posts run to 30.Practise its previous year questions → | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| ESIC — UDC & StenographerEmployees' State Insurance CorporationCloses by 27 | 18–27as on the closing date of registration (31 July 2025) | No cap stated | UDC: a degree plus working computer knowledge. Stenographer: Class 12 plus a skill test | In the latest round ESIC did not hold its own exam: these posts were filled through the AIIMS Common Recruitment Examination (CRE-2025). Serving ESIC and government employees get relaxation up to 40. | esic.gov.in ↗ |
| ESIC — Social Security Officer / Manager Gr-IIEmployees' State Insurance CorporationCloses by 27 | 21–27as on the closing date of registration (31 July 2025) | No cap stated | A degree, with preference for commerce, law or management graduates, plus working computer knowledge | An officer-grade post in the social-security system, recruited through CRE-2025 in the latest round. Insurance Medical Officer posts are different: they were filled only from UPSC’s Combined Medical Services reserve list, not by open application. | esic.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Army — Judge Advocate General (JAG) EntryIndian ArmyCloses by 27 | 21–27as on 1 January of the year the course begins | No cap stated | Unmarried law graduates with at least 55% in LLB, AND a CLAT PG score — now mandatory, and the basis for shortlisting | Legal officer entry for law graduates. Selection is no longer on LLB marks alone, and without a CLAT PG score you cannot be shortlisted. | joinindianarmy.nic.in ↗ |
| AFCAT (Air Force — Flying & Ground Duty)Indian Air ForceCloses by 27 | Flying 20–24; Ground Duty 20–26as on the date training begins | No cap stated | Flying: 50% each in Maths and Physics at 10+2 plus a degree with 60%. Ground Duty streams: a degree or engineering degree with the stated percentage | Air Force officer entry for Flying and Ground Duty branches. The Flying ceiling is relaxable to 26 for holders of a current DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence. | afcat.cdac.in ↗ |
| PSU Engineer/Executive Trainee through GATEONGC, IOCL, NTPC, PowerGrid, BHEL, GAIL, SAIL, Coal India…Closes by 27 | 26 at both PSUs verified (GAIL, NPCIL)as on see each example | No cap stated; GATE itself caps neither attempts nor age | A full-time engineering degree in the notified discipline plus a valid GATE score, with a marks bar that differs by company (NPCIL 60%, GAIL 65%) | How long a GATE score counts depends on the PSU — GAIL accepts GATE-2027 marks only, while NPCIL accepts 2024, 2025 or 2026, so there is no blanket "valid for three years". And the set of PSUs using GATE changes from year to year: the GATE 2026 site’s own notifications name EIL, NHAI, GAIL, NIC, OPTCL, NHIDCL and NPCIL, while BHEL now selects through its own examination rather than GATE. | gate2026.iitg.ac.in ↗ |
| Deputy Jailor & Jail WarderState home/prison & fire deptsCloses by 27 | Rajasthan Deputy Jailor 18 to under 26; UP Jail Warder men 18 to under 22, women 18 to under 25as on see each example | — | Deputy Jailor (Rajasthan): a degree plus working Hindi. Jail Warder (UP): Class 12 | Not an age-generous route: both examples verified close before 26. No fire-services officer post could be verified in any state. | rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in ↗ |
| Combined Defence Services (CDS)UPSCCloses by 27 | 19–25, academy-wise (IMA & INA 24; OTA 25)as on 1 July of the year the course begins | No cap stated | Graduate; branch-specific (INA: an engineering degree or a B.Sc. with Physics; AFA: a degree with Physics and Maths at 10+2, or a B.E.) | Officer entry to IMA, INA, Air Force Academy and OTA. Candidates must be unmarried, except that married candidates aged 25 or above may apply for AFA, and issueless widows and divorcees for the OTA women’s entry. Your GS reading covers much of the General Knowledge paper.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| CAPF Assistant Commandant (AC)UPSCCloses by 27 | 20–25as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | Graduate | Gazetted officer entry to BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. The written stage is Paper-I, General Ability and Intelligence (250 marks), and Paper-II, General Studies, Essay and Comprehension (200 marks). Paper-II overlaps the most with CSE preparation.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| CPO — Sub-Inspector (Delhi Police & CAPF)SSCCloses by 27 | 20–25 (Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF: 18–30)as on 1 August 2026 | No cap stated | Bachelor’s degree for SI in Delhi Police and SI (GD) in the CAPFs. SI (Fire) in CISF takes a science degree with Physics, Chemistry and Maths, or Matric plus a three-year engineering diploma | Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and the CAPFs. The CISF Fire stream runs to 30 and accepts a diploma route, so a 27-year-old turned away by the headline 25 may still be eligible there. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| RPF — Sub-Inspector & ConstableRailway Protection Force (through the RRBs)Closes by 27 | SI 20–25, Constable 18–25 in the normal course (20–28 and 18–28 in the 2024 round only)as on 1 July 2024 (2024 round) | No cap stated | Sub-Inspector: a degree. Constable: Class 10. Both require physical efficiency and measurement tests | The 2024 notices added three years as a one-time Covid relaxation and printed the normal limits beside them — 25 for both posts. Plan on 25, not 28, for the next round. | rpf.indianrailways.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Navy — Short Service Commission OfficerIndian NavyCloses by 27 | About 19–25 for most branches (set as a birth-date window per branch)as on no 'as on' date is given — the advertisement prescribes a date-of-birth window per branch, pegged to the course commencement | No cap stated | Unmarried. BE/B.Tech in a listed discipline with 60% for most branches; MBA/MCA/M.Sc/M.A for Logistics and Education. Several branches also require 60% in Class X and XII | Officer entry through degree marks and the Services Selection Board. The "INET" label no longer describes this route: on the Navy’s own site INET now denotes the Agniveer sailor entries, and neither current officer advertisement mentions it. | joinindiannavy.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Coast Guard — Assistant Commandant & NavikIndian Coast GuardCloses by 27 | Assistant Commandant 21–25 (Law branch 21–30); Navik 18–22as on Assistant Commandant: 1 July 2026 for the 2027 batch | No cap stated | Assistant Commandant (GD): a degree plus Maths and Physics to Class XII. Technical: a listed engineering degree. Law: a law degree. Navik (GD): Class 12; Navik (Domestic Branch): Class 10 | The Law branch runs to 30, five years past the general Assistant Commandant ceiling. The enrolled-personnel test (CGEPT) for Navik and Yantrik is open to men only. | joinindiancoastguard.cdac.in ↗ |
| State Police — Sub-Inspector & ConstableState police recruitment boardsCloses by 27 | Set by each state: Rajasthan SI 20 to under 25; UP Constable men 18 to under 22, women 18 to under 25as on see each example | — | Sub-Inspector: a degree (Rajasthan adds working Hindi and knowledge of Rajasthani culture). Constable: Class 12, already held when applying (UP) | In both states checked the ceilings are low: Rajasthan’s Sub-Inspector closes before 25, and UP Constable closes before 22 for men. Rajasthan added a one-time three years in 2025 only because the post had gone unadvertised since 2021. | uppbpb.gov.in ↗ |
| GD ConstableSSCCloses by 27 | 18–23as on 1 January 2026 | No cap stated | Matriculation (10th) pass by the cut-off date | Constable (GD) in the CAPFs and SSF, Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles, and Sepoy in the Narcotics Control Bureau. Note this exam reckons age as on 1 January, not the 1 August date used by CGL, CHSL, CPO, JE, MTS and Stenographer. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| CAPF Constable, Head Constable & Sub-InspectorBSF/CRPF/CISF/ITBP/SSB/Assam RiflesCloses by 27 | Constable (GD) via SSC 18–23; other posts vary by force and tradeas on Constable (GD) 2026 — age reckoned as on 01-01-2026 | No cap stated for Constable (GD) | Post-wise: Matriculation for Constable (GD); Class 10 plus an ITI certificate or trade experience for trade posts | The common entry to all six forces is the SSC Constable (GD) examination at 18–23. Head Constable and Sub-Inspector posts recruited directly by individual forces run somewhat higher and vary post by post. | ssc.gov.in ↗ |
| Indian Coast Guard — YantrikIndian Coast GuardCloses by 27 | 18–22as on expressed as a batch-wise date-of-birth window rather than a single 'as on' date | No cap stated | Class 10 plus a three- or four-year AICTE-approved diploma in Electrical, Mechanical or Electronics/Telecom engineering | Technical sailor entry to the Coast Guard, open to men only. | joinindiancoastguard.cdac.in ↗ |
| NDA & Naval Academy ExaminationUPSCCloses by 27 | Born between 01 Jan 2008 and 01 Jan 2011 (NDA & NA II, 2026)as on expressed as a date-of-birth window, not an age as on a date | No cap stated | Class 12 pass; Physics, Chemistry and Maths required for the Air Force and Naval wings. Candidates appearing in Class 12 may apply | A school-leaver entry into the three services’ joint academy. Listed so the UPSC list is complete, but it is not a backup for a graduate CSE aspirant: the birth-date window closes years before the CSE minimum age of 21.Practise its previous year questions → | upsc.gov.in ↗ |
An em dash means we could not confirm that field in an official source, not that no limit exists — open the official link before you rely on it. Age limits shown are the General/UR ceiling; OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen relaxations apply on top.
These have no single honest number. Each state or post sets its own, so the notes list the examples we verified, each linked to its official source. Check your own state or post before you plan around one.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPSC interview-based / specialist recruitmentUPSCPost-wise | — | Not applicable — recruitment by selection | Post-specific; usually a named degree or postgraduate qualification plus stated experience | UPSC recruits specialists directly all year — one September 2026 advertisement (No. 11/2026) carried a Specialist Grade III Assistant Professor, an Assistant Public Prosecutor and an Assistant Editor — and the ceilings in that advertisement ran from 30 to 50 across seven posts. Age is reckoned as on the application closing date.
| upsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Development finance institutions & regulators (SIDBI, IFSCA, NaBFID, NHB)Respective DFIs/regulatorsPost-wise | — | No cap stated in any advertisement read | Varies by institution and stream | Not one exam, and there is no common "Grade A" band: verified ceilings run from 28 to 40 across these bodies, and NaBFID and NHB have no post called Grade A at all. NHB currently advertises no open-market entry-officer route. Check each institution separately. | sidbi.in ↗ |
| DSSSB (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board)Government of NCT of DelhiPost-wise | Post-wise: from 27 up to 37 across the 2026 notices (TGT Computer Science: 30)as on age, educational qualification and experience are reckoned as on the closing date of applications for that advertisement — for example 28/03/2026 for Advt. 02/2026 and 15/07/2026 for Advt. 03/2026 | No cap stated | Entirely post-wise, per each Delhi department’s recruitment rules | Teachers plus a wide range of Delhi government posts. Ceilings are modest: the most common bands in 2026 were 18–27 and up to 30, and the highest single ceiling was 37. | dsssb.delhi.gov.in ↗ |
| Civil Judge (Junior Division) / Judicial ServicesState High Courts / State PSCsPost-wise | Set by each state: Delhi up to 32; Gujarat up to 35; Rajasthan 21–under 40as on varies — Rajasthan reckons on 1 January following the closing date, Gujarat on the closing date itself, Delhi on 1 January of the year applications are invited | No cap stated in any notification read | An LLB alone no longer qualifies in several states. Delhi now requires at least 3 years’ practice as an advocate, and Gujarat requires current practice on the closing date | The entry judicial cadre, and a route where the eligibility rules have tightened: Delhi now requires three years’ practice at the Bar, following the Supreme Court’s May 2025 judgment, and Gujarat already required current practice in its 2024-25 round, so two of the three states read require practice at the Bar before you can sit. Check your own state’s current rule before planning a fresh-graduate attempt. | hcraj.nic.in ↗ |
| ISRO, DRDO & BARC — scientific and technical postsISRO / DRDO / DAEPost-wise | ISRO Scientist/Engineer 28; ISRO Technical Assistant up to 35; DRDO Scientist B 35as on ISRO ICRB: 16.09.2026 (the application closing date). ISRO LPSC: 04.09.2026. DRDO RAC: the closing date of the advertisement. | No cap stated | Scientist grades: an engineering degree or science PG in a notified discipline (DRDO Scientist B also needs a valid GATE score). Technical grades: a diploma, ITI or degree per post | ISRO’s centralised Scientist/Engineer entry closes at 28, but its Technical Assistant posts run to 35 — and DRDO’s Scientist B now runs to 35 as well. BARC’s own recruitment page could not be verified.
| isro.gov.in ↗ |
| ICMR & CSIR laboratories — scientist and technical postsRespective autonomous bodiesPost-wise | ICMR Scientist-B 35, Scientist-C 40; CSIR technician 28as on ICMR: the last date for receipt of applications, 10.07.2026. CSIR HQ: the last date for submitting the online application, 17.09.2026. | No cap stated | ICMR Scientist-C: a Master’s in a biomedical subject plus four years’ experience. CSIR technical posts: per the advertisement | Scientist and technical posts at the research councils. ICMR’s Scientist-C runs to 40 with relaxation possible for exceptionally meritorious candidates. NTA’s and CBSE’s own recruitment could not be verified — neither has a reachable recruitment section — so they are left out. | recruitment.icmr.org.in ↗ |
| State PSC subordinate services (Naib Tehsildar, BDO, Sub-Registrar…)All State PSCsPost-wise | The combined exam’s rule: under 40 in UP, MP and Rajasthan; under 32 for most TNPSC Group II postsas on see each example | No cap stated by UPPSC, TNPSC or RPSC; MPPSC not fully confirmed | A degree for most posts; some need a specific degree | In UP, MP and Rajasthan there is no separate, easier exam for these subordinate posts: UP’s PCS fills Naib Tehsildar, Sub-Registrar and BDO, MP’s State Service Exam fills Naib Tehsildar and Sub-Registrar, and Rajasthan’s RAS/RTS carries 415 subordinate posts including Tehsildar — all through the same combined exam as the flagship posts, and your rank decides which post you get. Tamil Nadu is different — its Group II is a separate examination.
| rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in ↗ |
| Other state PCS exams — Haryana (HCS) and ChhattisgarhRespective State PSCsPost-wise | Haryana HCS 18–42; Chhattisgarh 21–30 from other states, 21–40 for domicilesas on see each example | No cap stated by HPSC or CGPSC | A degree | Of the state PCS exams checked, only Haryana’s HCS has a General ceiling above 40. Domicile can matter more than the headline number: Chhattisgarh closes at 30 for candidates from other states but runs to 40 for its own domiciles. Check your home state first: in UP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar, reserved-category age relaxations go only to the state’s own residents.
| hpsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Other state boards — Uttarakhand and Jammu & KashmirRespective state boardsPost-wise | Uttarakhand UKSSSC 18–42; J&K JKSSB open merit up to 40as on see each example | — | Post-wise | Each state checked sets its own ceiling. Uttarakhand’s runs to 42 and J&K’s to 40 for open merit; the rest were not checked, so read your own state’s current advertisement. | jkssb.nic.in ↗ |
| High Court staff — Personal Assistant & StenographerState High CourtsPost-wise | Delhi HC Senior PA/PA 18–32; Rajasthan HC Stenographer 18 to under 40as on see each example | — | Varies sharply. Delhi HC Senior PA/PA: a degree plus English shorthand and typing speeds. Rajasthan HC Stenographer: Class 12 plus shorthand and typing | Court establishment posts, recruited by each High Court itself — there is no common portal. The two courts checked set ceilings eight years apart, so read your own court’s notice. | delhihighcourt.nic.in ↗ |
| State power utilities — Junior EngineerState power utilitiesPost-wise | Punjab (PSPCL) Junior Engineer 18–37 — the one example verifiedas on see each example | — | PSPCL JE (Electrical): an electrical diploma with 60% or an electrical engineering degree with 50%, plus Punjabi at matriculation level | Each state’s power utilities recruit separately. Only Punjab’s current notice could be verified; Uttar Pradesh’s UPPCL had no current AE or JE advertisement and its recruitment portal was returning errors. | pspcl.in ↗ |
| AIIMS, IITs & central universities — non-teaching postsIndividual institutesPost-wise | AIIMS Common Recruitment Exam 2025: 18–27, 18–30 or 18–35 by postas on varies | — | Post-wise, from Class 10 to postgraduate | Assistant, superintendent and section-officer posts, recruited separately by each institute. AIIMS now runs a common recruitment exam; IIT Bombay and the University of Delhi advertise their own; IIT Bombay’s advertisement could not be read (its portal returned an error), and Delhi University’s printed no age limits. | esic.gov.in ↗ |
| Defence PSUs — BEL, HAL, BDL, MIDHANI, GRSE, BEMLRespective DPSUsPost-wise | BDL Management Trainee 27; BEL Trainee Engineer-I 28, Project Engineer-I 32as on BEL: age reckoned as on 1 April 2025. BDL: age reckoned as on 25 November 2025. | No cap stated | An engineering degree for trainee and management-trainee grades; ITI or a diploma for technician grades | BEL’s Trainee Engineer-I and Project Engineer-I posts are fixed-tenure engagements of two years, extendable to three — not permanent jobs. The higher 32 ceiling on Project Engineer-I comes with a two-year experience requirement. | bel-india.in ↗ |
| State Commercial Tax / GST officer postsState PSCs / boardsPost-wise | The combined exam’s rule: under 40 in UP and Rajasthan; Tamil Nadu under 34 (Group I) or under 32 (Group II)as on see each example | No cap stated in any advertisement read | A degree; Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Commercial Tax Officer takes a B.A., B.Sc. or B.Com. with a preference for Commerce or Law | In every state checked, recruited inside the combined exam rather than separately, so the age rule is the combined exam’s. A cycle can carry no vacancies at all — Rajasthan’s 2026 round had none for commercial tax.
| uppsc.up.nic.in ↗ |
| State statistical postsState PSCs / boardsPost-wise | Rajasthan Statistical Officer under 40; Gujarat Research/Statistical Assistant 18–37; Bihar Junior Statistical Assistant 37 (UR men) to 42 (SC/ST)as on see each example | No cap in Rajasthan or Gujarat; Bihar abolished its cap (serving Bihar government employees: 5) | Varies by level. Rajasthan’s Statistical Officer needs a second-class Master’s in Economics, Statistics or a related subject plus a year of official-statistics experience; Bihar’s Junior Statistical Assistant is a graduate-level post | A good fit for economics and statistics graduates, but the level matters: officer grades want a Master’s, assistant grades a degree. | rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in ↗ |
An em dash means we could not confirm that field in an official source, not that no limit exists — open the official link before you rely on it. Age limits shown are the General/UR ceiling; OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen relaxations apply on top.
Of the 96 routes on this page whose attempts clause we could read, fully or in part, only 4 cap the number of attempts. The Civil Services Examination, which caps General candidates at six, makes one more.
Every other notification we could read either says there is no cap for ordinary candidates or never mentions attempts (BPSC and BSSC cap only serving Bihar government employees, at five); where we could not confirm the clause, we show a dash. If you have spent your UPSC attempts, your age decides what is still open. The rules for CSE itself are on UPSC eligibility and attempts, and our UPSC age calculator checks whether your age is within the CSE limit for a given exam year and how many attempts your category has left. UPSC’s other examinations and their rules are on exams conducted by UPSC other than CSE.
Every age above is the General-category ceiling. In the central notifications read for this page, most give SC and ST candidates 5 more years and OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates 3 more. The UGC-NET and CSIR-NET fellowship bulletins give OBC-NCL candidates and women 5 years, and a few posts, such as NABARD’s Protocol & Security stream, allow no category relaxation at all.
Persons with benchmark disabilities usually get 10 years, and several notifications give 13 to OBC and 15 to SC/ST candidates with disabilities. Ex-servicemen get their service period plus a margin. The clause differs from notice to notice, so read the one in your advertisement.
These look like backups on paper. When we checked, none of them had an open-market recruitment to a regular entry-level post; what was open was deputation, contract or consultancy work.
UGC-NET for Assistant Professor eligibility has no upper age limit, as the National Testing Agency's information bulletin states, and neither does the Joint CSIR-UGC NET for Assistant Professor. The two teacher eligibility tests we checked carry no age limit either: the CTET bulletin has no age clause at all, and neither does Haryana's HTET. REET and UPTET were not verified. These are eligibility tests rather than job offers, though. The post you later apply for with the certificate has its own ceiling, set by the recruiter.
The highest General-category ceilings verified here belong to posts that need experience: some UPSC direct-recruitment specialist posts and EMRS Principal run to 50, and Higher Judicial Service (District Judge, direct from the Bar) runs from 35 to 45 for advocates with seven years' practice — until just before the 45th birthday in Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and through 45 in Punjab and Haryana. For a graduate without experience, the highest verified ceiling is 42, at Haryana's HCS and HSSC and Uttarakhand's UKSSSC; MP's Employees Selection Board allows women 45. The Territorial Army officer entry also runs to 42, but only for candidates already in a job.
Among central routes, SSC CGL posts run to 32, SSC Selection Post to 35, RRB NTPC graduate posts and RRB Group D to 33, NABARD Development Assistant to 35, the EPFO Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner recruitment to 35, and DRDO Scientist B to 35. Teaching routes go further — KVS, NVS and EMRS Post Graduate Teachers to 40 — and UGC-NET for Assistant Professor has no ceiling at all. Always check the ceiling for the specific post, since many exams set it post by post.
Very few do. The Civil Services Examination and the Indian Forest Service Examination cap General candidates at six attempts, SBI PO at six (counting only Main Examination appearances), and RBI Grade B at six Phase-I appearances. Almost every other notification read for this page — SSC, the Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS, the insurers, UPSC's other examinations and the teaching boards — either states there is no cap or has no attempts clause at all. For most notifications read for this page, only the age window limits how often you can sit.
In most central notifications read for this page, the upper age limit is relaxed by 5 years for SC and ST candidates and 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates; the UGC-NET and CSIR-NET fellowship bulletins instead give OBC-NCL candidates and women 5 years. Persons with benchmark disabilities usually get 10 years on top of the General limit, rising to 13 for OBC and 15 for SC/ST in several notifications, and ex-servicemen get their service period plus a margin. The exact rule differs by notification, so read the relaxation clause of the specific advertisement rather than assuming the standard figures.
Usually not. Each notification fixes a crucial date, and it differs by exam: SSC CGL, CHSL, CPO and Stenographer reckon age as on 1 August, SSC GD Constable and most Railway Recruitment Board notices as on 1 January (RRB Assistant Loco Pilot uses 1 July), IBPS PO as on 1 July, and SBI and RBI Grade B as on 1 April. UPSC's direct recruitment reckons it on the application closing date. A candidate can be eligible for one exam and a month too old for another in the same year.
CDS, CAPF, EPFO and the state PCS exams all test the general studies you have read for UPSC. Practise their real papers free before you commit a year to one.
Sources: the latest official notification or advertisement we could read from each conducting body, linked row by row in the tables. Where that round is old, the table gives the year the figure comes from. We left out any route we could not verify from an official source; its absence here is not a claim that it has no age limit.
Last checked against the official documents: 12 September 2026.