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Besides the Civil Services Examination that selects IAS, IPS and IFS officers, UPSC’s 2027 calendar lists eight other open examinations. UPSC also recruits through written tests and interviews. All eight, and the EPFO recruitment tests, are below, each with its age limit and attempt rule.
Besides the Civil Services Examination, UPSC’s Annual Calendar for 2027 lists these eight open examinations. Ages are for General candidates.
Alongside these, UPSC runs recruitment tests — the EPFO Enforcement Officer and Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner posts are two examples — and recruits specialists by interview all year.
The six-attempt limit for General candidates belongs to the Civil Services Examination and to the Indian Forest Service Examination, which has an identical rule of its own.
Every other UPSC notification read for this page contains no cap on attempts. That covers CDS, CAPF, Engineering Services, Combined Medical Services, IES/ISS, the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination, NDA and the EPFO recruitment tests. None of those notices has an attempts clause at all.
Once your CSE attempts are spent, your age and your degreedecide which of these you can sit. See UPSC eligibility and attempts for the CSE rules by category.
Each row is read from the UPSC notification or advertisement linked on the right, as checked on 12 September 2026. Where a ceiling differs by post or academy, the table says so rather than printing one number.
| Exam & conducting body | Age limit (General) | Attempts | Eligibility | What to know | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ |
| 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.
Most of these exams are gated by degree before age. Start from what you hold.
| If you hold | You can sit |
|---|---|
| Any bachelor’s degree | CAPF Assistant Commandant (20–25) · CDS for IMA (unmarried men; up to 24) and OTA (unmarried; up to 25) · EPFO Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer (up to 30) · EPFO Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (up to 35) |
| A degree with a science subject on UPSC’s list | Indian Forest Service (21–32) |
| An engineering degree | Engineering Services (21–30) · Indian Forest Service |
| An MBBS | Combined Medical Services (up to 32; 35 for the CHS General Duty Medical Officer sub-cadre) |
| A PG in Economics, or a degree with Statistics in every year | Indian Economic Service (PG in Economics) · Indian Statistical Service (a Bachelor’s with Statistics in every year of the course is enough) — both 21–30 |
| A Master’s in Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry or Hydrogeology | Combined Geo-Scientist (21–32) |
| The degree and work experience a post names | UPSC direct recruitment by interview — the ceiling is set post by post, and reached 40 for General candidates (45 and 50 on posts reserved for EWS and ST) in one 2026 advertisement |
Dates from UPSC’s Annual Calendar for 2027, issued on 20 May 2026. UPSC states that every date is liable to change, so check each notification when it is issued.
| Examination (2027) | Notification | Last date to apply | Exam begins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) | 02.09.2026 | 22.09.2026 | 10.01.2027 |
| Engineering Services (Preliminary) | 16.09.2026 | 06.10.2026 | 31.01.2027 |
| NDA & NA (I) and CDS (I) | 02.12.2026 | 22.12.2026 | 11.04.2027 |
| Civil Services (Preliminary), with IFoS (Preliminary) held through it | 13.01.2027 | 02.02.2027 | 23.05.2027 |
| I.E.S./I.S.S. | 10.02.2027 | 02.03.2027 | 18.06.2027 |
| Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) | 17.02.2027 | 09.03.2027 | 04.07.2027 |
| Combined Medical Services | 03.03.2027 | 23.03.2027 | 18.07.2027 |
| NDA & NA (II) and CDS (II) | 12.05.2027 | 01.06.2027 | 19.09.2027 |
The Mains stages are not listed here. The calendar gives their start dates without notification dates, because each follows its preliminary round.
UPSC fills specialist posts by direct recruitment: you apply, you may be shortlisted through a written recruitment test, and you are selected at interview. A single September 2026 advertisement carried a Specialist Grade III Assistant Professor (General Medicine), an Assistant Public Prosecutor, an Assistant Editor and a Public Law Officer.
UPSC issued numbered advertisements about every two weeks from March to September in 2025 and 2026. Age ceilings are set post by post — the September 2026 advertisement ran from 30 to 40 for General candidates (45 on an EWS-reserved post, 50 on an ST-reserved one), reckoned as on the application closing date.
Most posts want a postgraduate degree and stated experience. If you have both, the recruitment advertisements on upsc.gov.in are worth checking every month.
The 2027 calendar also lists three Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations: the CBI (DSP) LDCE, the CISF AC(EXE) LDCE and the S.O./Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE. These promote serving employees and are closed to outside candidates, so they are not backup options.
We publish previous year questions for CDS, CAPF, IFoS, NDA and both EPFO tests, so you can work through a real paper before you choose one.
If age is your constraint, see which government exams have the highest age limit. If you want exams that reuse your GS reading, see exams similar to UPSC.
UPSC's Annual Calendar for 2027 lists eight open examinations besides the Civil Services Examination: the Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Examination, the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination, the Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination, the Engineering Services Examination, the Combined Medical Services Examination, the Indian Economic Service / Indian Statistical Service Examination, the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination, and the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination. UPSC also recruits through written recruitment tests, such as those for EPFO's Enforcement Officer and Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner posts, and by interview for specialist posts.
Yes. The six-attempt limit for General candidates belongs to the Civil Services Examination, and the Indian Forest Service Examination has its own identical limit. The notifications for CDS, CAPF Assistant Commandant, Engineering Services, Combined Medical Services, IES/ISS, the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination and the EPFO recruitment tests contain no cap on attempts at all. Once your CSE attempts are spent, your age and your degree decide whether you can sit these.
Among UPSC's regular examinations the highest General-category ceiling is 32, shared by Civil Services, the Indian Forest Service, the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination and Combined Medical Services — and CMS rises to 35 for the General Duty Medical Officer sub-cadre of the Central Health Service. The EPFO Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner recruitment test runs to 35 for General candidates. UPSC's direct recruitment by interview goes higher still: a single 2026 advertisement set General ceilings of 30, 35 and 40 on four posts, 45 on a post reserved for EWS and 50 on one reserved for ST.
It is a separate examination with a shared first stage. IFoS Prelims is held through the Civil Services Preliminary Examination; the IFoS Mains is a different examination with two optional subjects chosen from a list of science, engineering and agriculture disciplines. A General candidate must be 21 to 32 as on 1 August of the exam year and gets six attempts. You need a degree with at least one subject from UPSC's list, such as Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics or Zoology, or a degree in agriculture, forestry or engineering.
Any graduate can sit the CAPF Assistant Commandant Examination (20 to 25), the Combined Defence Services Examination for the Indian Military Academy (unmarried men, up to 24) and the Officers' Training Academy (unmarried men and women, up to 25), and UPSC's EPFO recruitment tests — Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer up to 30 and Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner up to 35. A postgraduate in Economics can also take the Indian Economic Service Examination, which runs from 21 to 30.
Yes. UPSC recruits for the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation through a recruitment test rather than an annual examination. The Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner is a Group-A post open to General candidates up to 35, and was advertised in August 2026 and July 2025. The Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer is a Group-B post open up to 30, last advertised in July 2025. Neither advertisement caps the number of attempts.
UPSC's Annual Calendar for 2027 scheduled the Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination 2027 notification for 16 September 2026, with applications closing on 6 October 2026 and the preliminary examination on 31 January 2027. Calendar dates are liable to alteration, so the dates printed in the ESE 2027 notification itself govern.
CDS, CAPF, EPFO and IFoS all test the general studies you have already read. Practise their real papers free, or keep your Prelims sharp with a full test series.
Sources: UPSC’s Programme of Examinations/Recruitment Tests 2027 (as on 20 May 2026) and each examination’s latest UPSC notice or advertisement, linked row by row in the table above. Age limits are for General candidates. Most of these notices relax the upper limit for SC/ST and OBC candidates, some also for PwBD or ex-servicemen, but CDS and NDA give no category relaxation, so check each notice.
Last checked against the official documents: 12 September 2026.