UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025 – IAS Age Limit, Qualification, Nationality, Attempts

UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2025 – IAS Age Limit, Qualification, Nationality, Attempts

The UPSC Civil Services Examination stands among the most prestigious and sought-after competitive exams in India. Every year, lakhs of aspirants set their sights on this exam, driven by the dream of becoming a respected civil servant. The allure of prestige associated with this career path is a powerful motivator. However, as the saying goes, “To achieve great things, you must deserve before you desire,”—and this holds especially true when it comes to cracking an exam as challenging as the UPSC CSE.

While hard work is undoubtedly a key ingredient in the recipe for success, it’s equally important to assess your eligibility for the exam before diving into preparation. The eligibility conditions laid down by the UPSC include several important aspects, such as the minimum educational qualifications required to sit for the exam.

Additionally, the criteria also cover age limits and the number of attempts allowed—both of which are crucial for evaluating how much time you realistically have to prepare and attempt the exam.

Now that we’ve touched upon why it's essential to understand these factors, it’s only logical to move on and explore them in detail. Don’t worry—we have got you covered. Let’s break down everything you need to know about UPSC eligibility criteria for 2025 in a structured and easy-to-understand format. By the end, you’ll have a much clearer idea of whether you meet the requirements to appear for UPSC CSE 2025, and whether this is the right path for you.

So, without any delay, let’s dive right in!

What is the UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025?

The official notification for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 was released on January 22, 2025. It outlines all the essential details regarding the UPSC eligibility criteria, including the age limit, educational qualifications, and nationality requirements that candidates must fulfill to be eligible for the exam.

As per the notification, candidates must be between 21 to 32 years of age. They should also hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university, making graduation the minimum educational qualification. In terms of nationality, only Indian citizens are eligible to apply for the UPSC CSE 2025.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s delve deeper—starting with a detailed look at the age limit criteria for the UPSC exam.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit

The age limit is an important aspect of the UPSC exam qualifying conditions. According to the UPSC eligibility criterion 2025, as of August 1, 2025, the age limit for candidates belonging to various categories is as follows:

• General: The age range for General applicants is 21 to 32 years.
• OBC: Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 35.
• SC/ST: Candidates from this group must be between the ages of 21 and 37.
• PwBD: The PwBD category has an age limit of 21 to 42 years.

To give you an example, in order to apply for UPSC CSE 2025, a candidate must have been born between August 2, 1993, and August 1, 2004.

UPSC IAS Updated Age Limit Summary

For candidates belonging to reserved categories such as SC, ST, OBC, and others, the UPSC provides age relaxation over and above the general age limit. While the standard age limit for the UPSC Civil Services Exam is 21 to 32 years, candidates from these categories are granted additional years to ensure equal opportunities for all. For instance, SC/ST candidates get a relaxation of 5 years, while OBC candidates receive a 3-year relaxation. There are also age relaxations available for PwBD candidates, ex-servicemen, and those from EWS and other specified categories.

UPSC Age Limit Relaxations for ST/SC/OBC

Candidates belonging to various reserved categories are entitled to age relaxation as per the rules laid out in the UPSC CSE 2025 notification. These relaxations aim to ensure a level playing field and promote inclusivity in the recruitment process.

For aspirants from the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories, the upper age limit is relaxed by up to 5 years, extending the maximum age to 37 years. Similarly, those from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category receive a relaxation of up to 3 years, raising the maximum age to 35 years.

Special provisions are also made for Defence Services Personnel who were disabled while serving in operations involving conflict with a foreign country or in a disturbed area. Such candidates are eligible for an age relaxation of up to 3 years.

Ex-servicemen, Commissioned Officers, and ECOs/SSCOs who have completed at least five years of military service and have been released—either on completion of their assignment (including those completing service within one year from August 1, 2025) or due to physical disability attributable to military service—are eligible for 5 years of age relaxation.

Moreover, ECOs/SSCOs who have completed their initial 5-year assignment, and had it extended beyond that, can also avail of the same 5-year relaxation, provided they obtain a certificate from the Ministry of Defence confirming they can be released on three months’ notice upon selection in civil employment.

Lastly, candidates falling under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category—such as those who are blind, deaf-mute, or orthopedically handicapped—are eligible for a maximum of 10 years age relaxation.

Special Case Scenarios

The UPSC has outlined certain special case scenarios regarding age limit eligibility in its official notification.

If a candidate falls under multiple reserved categories, such as SC/ST/OBC and also qualifies as ex-servicemen or under the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category (which includes blind, deaf-mute, or orthopedically handicapped individuals), they are entitled to cumulative age relaxation under each applicable category.

However, to claim age relaxation based on physical disability, candidates must meet the prescribed medical and physical standards defined under the PwBD category by the government. A valid disability certificate issued by a competent government authority or an officially recognized appointing body is mandatory for this purpose.

The term ‘Ex-servicemen’ refers to individuals who are defined as such under the Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Civil Services and Posts) Rules, 1979, including any amendments made to these rules over the years.

To stay updated on important dates like the UPSC 2025 exam schedule, candidates should refer to the most recent official notification issued by the UPSC.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Minimum Educational Qualification

To determine their suitability for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), candidates must pay close attention to a crucial eligibility factor—educational qualifications. Understanding these requirements is essential to ensure that aspirants meet the basic criteria needed to apply for the exam.

As per the official notification, the minimum educational qualification required to appear for the UPSC CSE is a bachelor’s degree. This degree must be obtained from a recognized university or institution. However, not just any degree will suffice—the university must fulfill one of the following conditions:

• It should be incorporated by an Act of the State or Central Legislature of India,
• It must be established by an Act of the Parliament of India, or
• It should be recognized as a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.

This ensures that the academic qualification is valid and acknowledged by the Indian education system.

If you’re preparing for the exam, it’s also important to go through the recommended booklist for both UPSC Prelims and Mains, as it helps cover all the important topics in the UPSC CSE syllabus.

Additionally, when it comes to educational eligibility, there are certain exceptions and special scenarios that candidates should be aware of.

Some Exceptions:

Final Year of Graduation: If you’re currently in the final year of your bachelor’s degree or waiting for the results after appearing in your final examination, you are still eligible to apply for the UPSC CSE Preliminary exam. However, if you qualify for the Prelims and intend to appear for the Mains exam, you must submit proof of graduation—such as your degree certificate—along with your Mains application.

Graduation from Other Institutions: In special circumstances, even if your degree is not from one of the recognized universities listed in the eligibility criteria, UPSC may consider your qualification—provided it is from an institute whose academic standard is deemed equivalent by the Commission.

Technical and Professional Qualifications: Candidates holding technical or professional degrees that are officially recognized by the Government of India as equivalent to a graduate degree are eligible to apply for the UPSC exam.

Final Year MBBS/Medical Students: If you’ve cleared the final professional exam of your MBBS or other medical courses but haven’t completed your internship yet, you can still apply for the UPSC Mains exam on a provisional basis. You must submit a certificate from your university stating that you’ve passed the final medical examination.

However, during the Interview stage, you’ll need to provide proof of completing your internship and meeting all requirements necessary for the award of your medical degree.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Number of Attempts

For applicants from various categories, the provision for the number of attempts to sit for the UPSC exam is as follows:

• General category - A maximum of six attempts are provided.
• OBC category - Maximum of nine attempts are granted.
• ST/SC category - An unlimited number of attempts are allowed.

PwBD-

• General/OBC: A maximum of nine attempts are permitted.
• ST/SC categories: An unlimited number of attempts are allowed.

UPSC IAS Exam Eligibility: Nationality

To appear for the UPSC IAS exams you need to be a citizen of India, for all other services, you must be either:

• A citizen of India,
• Or a subject of Nepal,
• Or a subject of Bhutan,
• Or a refugee from Tibet who came to India before the January 01,1962 with the intention of settling in India permanently.
• Or an individual with Indian origin who has migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, East African countries of Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Kenya, the united republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, & Vietnam, with the purpose of settling permanently in India.

Note:

If you belong to categories b), c), d), and e), then you’d need a certificate issued by the govt. of India to be eligible.

Also belonging to the b), c), d), and e). Categories will bar you from being eligible to be appointed to the Indian Foreign Services.

Eligibility Certificate

In case, you are asked for an eligibility certificate from the government, you will still be allowed to appear for the exam. But the appointment will only be confirmed after you submit the eligibility certificate issued by the Indian Government.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Restrictions on Applying for the Examination

If you are already appointed to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) or Indian Foreign Services (IFS) on the result sheets of an earlier exam and continue to be a member of either of the two services, you will be ineligible to sit for the exams that year.

If you have already been assigned to the Indian Police Services (IPS) based on the results of an earlier exam and continue to be an IPS officer, you will be ineligible to take the IPS exams for the current year.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Medical and Physical Standards

You must ensure that you are physically fit and competent of carrying out the duties of an IAS officer. For that, you must meet all of the physical requirements for admission to the Civil Services Examination, 2025.

These standards are determined in accordance with the guidelines outlined in Appendix-III of the Rules for Examination, which were published in the Extraordinary Gazette of India.

Conclusion

To assist you in determining your suitability for the exam, we have included a full description of UPSC eligibility criteria, including minimal educational requirements. Apart from that, we have included the UPSC age restriction and the total number of attempts to ensure that you have enough time to prepare for the exam.

Best wishes, and keep studying!