UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2026- Age Limit, Qualification, Number of Attempts

The UPSC Exam is one of the most competitive and prestigious exams in the country. Lakhs of aspirants appear for it every year. However, to appear for this exam, aspirants must meet certain criteria, as declared by the UPSC in the UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2026. Knowing these parameters, which include nationality, educational qualifications, age, and more, is essential for all aspirants before they start their preparation journey. Read this article further to understand the UPSC eligibility criteria in detail. 

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UPSC Exam Eligibility 2026: Overview

Broadly, all candidates need to qualify the following criteria, including age limit, educational qualification, nationality, etc., to appear for the examination. The minimum requirements for eligibility are that a candidate must be at least 21 years of age, have completed their graduation or be in the final year of graduation, and be an Indian National.

UPSC Exam Eligibility

Age Limit

21 to 32 years

Age relaxation

OBC: 3 Years 

SC/ ST: 5 Years

Number of Attempts

General and EWS: 06 Attempts

OBC/ PwBD: 09 Attempts

SC/ ST: Unlimited Attempts (Up to Age Limit)

Minimum Educational Qualification

Graduation from any recognized university (Bachelor's)

Nationality

Must be an Indian Citizen 

UPSC Age Limit 2026

UPSC has a fixed age limit for candidates, during which they can appear for the examination. There is a certain relaxation in the age requirement for candidates belonging to certain categories. For the general category, UPSC has an age limit of 21 to 32 years. For OBC Candidates, the age limit is 21 to 35 years. For SC/ ST Category candidates, the age limit is 21 to 37 years. For PwBD candidates, the age limit is 21 to 42 years.

Age Limit for UPSC 2026

Category

Minimum Age

Age Relaxation

Maximum Age

General

21 years

No Relaxation

32 years

Economically Weaker Section (EWS)

21 years

No Relaxation

32 years

OBC

21 years 

+3 years

35 years

SC/ST

21 years

+5 years

37 years

Persons with Benchmark Disability

21 years

+10 years

42 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged due to Disability (General)

21 years

+3 years

35 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged due to Disability (OBC)

21 years

+3 + 3 years 

38 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged due to Disability (SC/ST)

21 years

+3 + 5 years

40 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged after 5 years of duty (General)

21 years

+5 years

37 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged after 5 years of duty (OBC)

21 years

+5 + 3 years 

40 years

Ex-Servicemen discharged after 5 years of duty (SC/ST)

21 years

+5 + 5 years

42 years

UPSC Exam Eligibility 2026 - Educational Qualification

UPSC does not discriminate against candidates based on their scores in graduation. Hence, there is no minimum qualifying percentage to be eligible to give the UPSC exam. The UPSC eligibility conditions for the UPSC exam concerning educational qualification are given below:  

  • The candidate must hold a graduation degree from a government-recognized university.
  • Candidates are also eligible to appear for the UPSC Preliminary Examination in their final year or while awaiting results; however, they must produce proof of graduation upon reaching the UPSC Mains stage.

UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria - Nationality

UPSC has defined the eligibility criteria in its notification for all the services. Citizens of other countries can also apply for UPSC under certain conditions, all of which are mentioned below. It is important to note that the eligibility criteria concerning the nationality of the applicant are mentioned post-wise: 

For IAS and IPS:

  • The candidate must be a citizen of India

All other Services:

Candidate must be either:-

  • A citizen of India, or
  • A subject of Nepal, or
  • A subject of Bhutan, or
  • A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 to permanently settle in India, or
  • A person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam intends to permanently settle in India.
  • The candidates belonging to categories (2), (3), (4), and (5) should furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates may take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but he/she would get the offer of appointment only after the certificate has been issued by the Government of India.

Note: A person belonging to categories (2), (3), and (4) is not eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

Number of Attempts in UPSC

The number of attempts in UPSC differs according to the category to which the candidate belongs. The attempts in the UPSC exam, category-wise, are as follows:

Number of Attempts in UPSC

Category

Number of Attempts

General Category

Maximum 6 Attempts

OBC Category

Maximum 9 Attempts

SC/ ST Category

Unlimited Attempts (Up to age limit)

PwBD (General/ OBC)

Maximum 9 Attempts

PwBD (SC/ST)

Unlimited Attempts (Up to age limit)

Ex-servicemen discharged from duty due to disability 

As per the category mentioned above, i.e., General, OBC, SC/ST, PwBD, etc.

Ex-servicemen discharged after 5 years of duty

As per the category mentioned above, i.e., General, OBC, SC/ST, PwBD, etc.

You may have the question: how are attempts in the UPSC Civil Services calculated? It is important to note that an attempt is counted when you appear for the Prelims examination. Even if you’ve appeared in any one of the exams, your attempt will be counted. If you’ve filled out the examination form and do not appear for the exam, your attempt will not be counted. This is also one of the major reasons for absenteeism in the Prelims Exam. Only about 50% of the applicants who fill out the form appear for the examination.

Restrictions on Applying for the Civil Services Exam

  • A candidate who is already appointed to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) or the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) based on the results from a previous examination, and is currently serving in these positions, is not eligible to appear for the examination while in service. 
  • Additionally, if a candidate is already appointed to the Indian Police Services (IPS), then they cannot opt for IPS if they are reappearing in the exams again.

Physical Eligibility for UPSC Civil Services Examination

  • A candidate must meet certain physical and medical requirements to be eligible for the role of a civil servant, as mentioned in the UPSC eligibility criteria. 
  • For general civil services such as IAS, IRS, IFS, etc., there are no strict physical requirements, as long as the candidate meets the basic physical and mental health standards deemed necessary by the UPSC.
  • However, for some technical services such as IPS and IFoS, certain physical criteria such as height, weight, and chest measurements are required for the selection of officers.

Frequently Asked Questions

The age limit for unreserved candidates is 32 years. However, there are certain age relaxations for category students, which are mentioned in the article above.

A general category candidate can appear a maximum of 6 times.

There is no such relaxation for EWS category students. Hence, the maximum number of attempts for the EWS category is 6 times.

An OBC category student has 9 attempts to appear for UPSC CSE.

There is no such criterion. Candidates only need to have a graduation degree from a recognized university.

There is no age relaxation for female candidates in UPSC.

Candidates holding the IAS post can reach the zenith of their career by becoming the Cabinet Secretary of India.

Yes, students in their final year or awaiting their final results can appear for UPSC Prelims, as long as they can produce proof of graduation by the time of the Main examination.

No, a student cannot appear for UPSC after class 12. A candidate must hold a graduation degree from a government-recognised university.