All You Need to Know About UPSC 2024

The UPSC Exam is regarded as one of the most difficult and prestigious competitive exams in India, attracting thousands of applicants each year. With the UPSC 2023 examination quickly approaching, it is never too early to begin preparation for the UPSC 2024.

The UPSC Civil Service Exam is a highly competitive exam conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. Candidates who pass all three rounds of the UPSC 2024 exam will be selected for various positions in India, including IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and others.

The UPSC 2024 calendar was made available on the official website on 10 May 2023. The notification contains information on all important dates and events for the UPSC Exam, such as the release of application forms, exam dates, eligibility criteria, and so on. Candidates also get an idea about important posts, vacancies, salary details, etc.

In this article,  you will get to know about UPSC 2024 and how to prepare for one of India’s most difficult competitive exams.

UPSC Notification 2024

The UPSC releases exam notifications every year on the official website. According to the official exam calendar for 2024, the notification release date is 14 February 2024. The UPSC notification 2024 PDF will include all relevant exam details, such as the exam date, vacancies, application process, number of attempts, eligibility criteria, admit card, exam pattern, syllabus, etc.

UPSC 2024 Exam Date

The UPSC 2024 calendar was released on 10 May 2023. It provides candidates with all information regarding the UPSC 2024 exam dates and other relevant details. Check the important dates for the exam in the table below:

Exam Events	Tentative Dates
UPSC notification 2024 date	14 February 2024
Application form filling starts from	14 February 2024
Last date to fill out the application form	05 March 2024
UPSC Prelim 2024 exam date	26 May 2024
UPSC Mains 2024 exam date	20 September 2024 onwards

UPSC Posts & Vacancies

There are majorly 2 categories of posts for which the UPSC conducts exams. The UPSC notification 2024 has listed out the Group A and Group B posts. The details of some important Group A & Group B posts are given below.

1. Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
2. Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
3. Indian Police Service (IPS)
4. Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’
5. Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
6. Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), Group ‘A’
7. Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
8. Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A’
9. Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)
10. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group ‘B’
11. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service, Group ‘B’

UPSC 2024 Eligibility

Nationality for UPSC 2024

The nationality requirements for candidates to apply for the UPSC 2024 examination are given below.

• A candidate must be an Indian national, or
• A subject of Nepal, or
• A subject of Bhutan, or
• A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• A person of Indian descent who has moved from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Burma, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Malawi, Ethiopia, or Vietnam with the aim of permanently residing in India.

UPSC 2024 Age Limit

The UPSC Age limit is a critical factor that candidates must keep in mind before applying for the exam or filling out the Detailed Application Form.

To be eligible, a candidate must have reached the age of 21 on 1 August 2024. The maximum age limit for general category candidates is 32 years. Candidates must meet this criterion in order to apply for the UPSC 2024 exam.

UPSC IAS Exam 2024 – Number of Attempts

There are a certain number of attempts that a candidate can appear for the UPSC Exam. However, the number of attempts is decided based on the following categories. 

	General/EWS	SC/ST	OBC	PwBD
Number of Attempts	6	unlimited	9	9 for General/EWS/OBC Unlimited for SC/ST

UPSC Exam Pattern

The UPSC Exam pattern is detailed in three stages: the Preliminary examination, the Main examination, and the Personality Test. 

UPSC Prelims: The UPSC Prelims exam is the first stage of the exam. The General Studies Paper I and the General Studies Paper II, generally known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), are two objective-type examinations that need to be taken during the UPSC Preliminary examination. Candidates must score qualifying marks in this test to appear for the Main examination. But, this score is not considered while calculating the final result of candidates.

UPSC Mains: The next stage in the UPSC Exam process is the Mains examination, which is a subjective type test that consists of nine papers: an Essay paper, four General Studies papers, two Optional papers, and two Language papers. Candidates who pass the UPSC Mains examination are eligible for the UPSC interview.

UPSC Interview: Interview is the final stage of the UPSC Exam, and candidates who qualify for the Main exam can only appear for the Interview. The stage is also known as the Personality test.

This stage of the exam evaluates a candidate’s personality, conduct, response to situations, knowledge of surroundings, mental alertness, critical capacities of absorption, clear and logical presentation, balance of judgment, diversity and depth of interest, and other characteristics. Candidates who are shortlisted in this phase will finally be able to undergo training for various positions and services based on their choices and grades. In short, they are qualified UPSC candidates.

UPSC 2024 Admit Card

The UPSC admit card is a major document for the exam. This document needs to be safeguarded till the final result is published. The UPSC will provide an e-admit card to candidates taking the UPSC 2024 three weeks before the examination. Candidates can obtain their e-admit card by visiting the official website.

The UPSC 2024 admit card will contain the following information:

1. Name of the candidate
2. Roll number
3. Photograph of the candidate
4. Venue of examination
5. Exam timings and shift details
6. Subject and subject code
7. Important instructions

Candidates must notice that they will not be permitted to take the examination if they do not have their e-admit card with them. Candidates must examine all the details on the admit card after downloading the UPSC e-admit card. If there are any discrepancies/errors, they must report to the Public Service Commission immediately. 

UPSC 2024 Exam Preparation

The UPSC 2024 exam will be extremely tough, and candidates must begin their preparation as early as possible in order to succeed. They must first study the exam pattern and syllabus before building their knowledge base for UPSC 2024. 

1. To begin their test preparation and build a proper strategy for an ace-level exam, aspirants must have a firm understanding of the marking scheme, exam pattern, and syllabus.
2. Aspirants should be aware that the UPSC Exam preparation plan will differ depending on the level. Hence, they must better comprehend the exam pattern and the demands and expectations of the UPSC Exam at three separate levels – Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
3. The UPSC 2024 Prelims exam will assess applicants’ analytical and aptitude skills. Therefore, candidates must be up to date on all minor and major topics included in the UPSC syllabus.
4. The UPSC Mains exam assesses candidates’ descriptive knowledge of each item on the syllabus, and hence, a thorough comprehension of topics is essential for the UPSC 2024 Mains exam. 
5. Candidates should use relevant study materials to gain a deeper understanding of concepts and build a solid knowledge of issues from the ground up. NCERT can be of considerable help in this regard.
6. Candidates should make topic-specific notes and refer to them during revision. This will aid in the recalling of concepts when needed. Preparing notes is an excellent technique to organise and study subjects from the extensive UPSC syllabus in a systematic manner.