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Everything that decides whether you can sit for the Civil Services Examination: age limits by category, number of attempts, educational qualification, nationality rules — and the attempt-counting rule most aspirants get wrong. In a hurry? Check your eligibility & attempts left instantly.
You must be at least 21 years old on 1 August of the exam year. Upper limits and attempts vary by category:
| Category | Upper Age Limit | Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| General | 32 years | 6 |
| EWS | 32 years | 6 |
| OBC | 35 years (+3) | 9 |
| SC / ST | 37 years (+5) | Unlimited (till age limit) |
| PwBD (Gen/EWS) | 42 years (+10) | 9 |
| PwBD (OBC) | 45 years | 9 |
| PwBD (SC/ST) | 47 years | Unlimited (till age limit) |
Additional relaxations exist for ex-servicemen, defence services personnel disabled in operations, and certain domiciles — refer to the official notification for the full list.
An attempt is counted the moment you appear in any one paper of Prelims. Applying but not appearing costs nothing. This is why a serious, mock-tested attempt matters — never walk into Prelims unprepared just to “see the paper.” You can see real papers anytime in our PYQ bank and simulate the exam with a full-length mock.
| Situation | Counts as an attempt? |
|---|---|
| Applied but did not appear in any Prelims paper | No |
| Appeared in at least one paper of Prelims | Yes |
| Appeared in Prelims but did not qualify | Yes |
| Cleared Prelims but skipped Mains | Yes — the attempt is counted at the Prelims stage |
| Candidature later cancelled or you were disqualified | Yes — appearance still counts |
| Withdrew after appearing in a Prelims paper | Yes — you had already appeared |
The rule (Notes III & IV of the notification): appearing in any one Prelims paper is an attempt; subsequent disqualification does not undo it; an attempt at Prelims is an attempt at the CSE as a whole. Attempts are ultimately governed by Rule 12 of the CSE Rules.
UPSC conducts CAPF (ACs) for BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. It is not the Civil Services Examination and its age window is far narrower: 20 to 25 years as on 1 August of the examination year. For CAPF (ACs) 2026 UPSC set that as born not earlier than 2 August 2001 and not later than 1 August 2006.
Source: UPSC, CAPF (ACs) Examination 2026 notification (Notice No. 08/2026-CAPF, 20 February 2026), paras 4(III) and 4(IV); and UPSC Annual Calendar 2027. Figures apply to the 2026 cycle unless stated.
| Event | Date (per UPSC Calendar 2027) |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 13 January 2027 |
| Last date to apply | 2 February 2027 |
| Prelims | 23 May 2027 |
| Mains | 20 August 2027 onwards |
Eligible and planning the 2027 attempt? Follow the UPSC 2027 roadmap, study the full syllabus, and understand the exam pattern.
CAPF (ACs) is a different exam from the Civil Services Examination and has its own, much narrower age window: 20 to 25 years as on 1 August of the examination year. In the CAPF (ACs) 2026 notification UPSC set it as born not earlier than 2 August 2001 and not later than 1 August 2006. Upper age is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC and 5 years for civilian Central Government servants and ex-servicemen; EWS gets no age relaxation. CAPF 2027 has not been notified yet, so no 2027 date-of-birth window exists — UPSC will publish it with the notification, due 17 February 2027 per its Annual Calendar 2027.
The CAPF (ACs) notification prescribes no limit on the number of attempts — the 20-to-25 age window is the real constraint. The one bar is that a candidate already finally selected as an Assistant Commandant on the basis of an earlier examination cannot appear again.
A General category candidate must be at least 21 and under 32 as on 1 August of the exam year, meaning you must not have turned 32 by that date. For CSE 2027 that means as on 1 August 2027. EWS candidates have the same age limit as General (no relaxation).
General and EWS candidates get 6 attempts. OBC candidates get 9 attempts. SC/ST candidates have unlimited attempts up to their age limit of 37 years. PwBD candidates of General/EWS/OBC categories get 9 attempts.
An attempt is counted only when you actually appear in at least one paper of the Preliminary Examination. Merely applying for the exam and not appearing does not count as an attempt.
Yes. Candidates appearing in the final year of their qualifying degree (or awaiting results) can apply for Prelims provisionally. They must produce proof of passing the degree with the Mains application (Detailed Application Form).
No. The notification requires only a graduate degree from a recognised university (including distance/open universities recognised by UGC) and prescribes no minimum percentage or division. Whether you scored 50% or 90% in your degree has no bearing on eligibility.
Yes. Marital status is not an eligibility condition — the notification imposes no marriage-related bar. "Marital status" appears only as an application-form field for candidates called to the Personality Test, not as a requirement to apply. Married and unmarried candidates are equally eligible.
No. There is no condition on gaps between passing school or graduation and applying, and no rule about how recently your degree was obtained. As long as you hold a graduate degree and meet the age and attempt limits, any number of gap years is fine.
You must be at least 21 and under 32 as on 1 August of the exam year (General/EWS), with 6 attempts. OBC candidates get up to 35 years and 9 attempts; SC/ST candidates get up to 37 years and unlimited attempts within that age; PwBD candidates get up to 42 years (General/EWS) or 45 years (OBC) with 9 attempts, and SC/ST PwBD candidates up to 47 years with unlimited attempts. Ex-servicemen and certain defence personnel get further age relaxation, and relaxations stack where a candidate falls under multiple categories.
Persons with Benchmark Disability get up to 10 years of upper-age relaxation — a PwBD candidate of the General category can appear up to 42 years of age. PwBD relaxation stacks with the category relaxation rules as detailed in the official notification.
For the IAS, IFS and IPS, a candidate must be a citizen of India. For certain other services, subjects of Nepal/Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who came before 1 January 1962, and persons of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries with intention of permanent settlement are eligible, subject to a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India. Check the official notification for exact provisions.
Yes. Appearing in any one paper of the Prelims counts as one full attempt of the CSE, regardless of whether you qualify for Mains. Disqualification or cancellation of candidature also counts as an attempt.
With limited attempts, preparation quality decides everything. Train with Sherlocking-powered mocks before you burn an attempt.
Most other government exams we checked cap no attempts at all. See the UPSC backup plan, government exams by age limit and UPSC’s exams other than CSE.
Start Free TrialRules as per the official UPSC Civil Services Examination notification — upsc.gov.in . Always verify against the notification for your exam year. Last updated: June 2026.
Knowing the syllabus is not the same as scoring on it. Build exam temperament with full-length Prelims tests and Sherlocking analysis — or train Mains answer writing end to end.