UPSC CSE 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit, Academic Qualifications

The UPSC Civil Service examination is one of the most reputed and popular exams held in the country. Many aspects comprise the UPSC eligibility criteria, which include the minimum educational qualifications required to sit for the exam. UPSC eligibility also comprises the age limit and total number of attempts, which will help candidates know their available time. 

What is the UPSC Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025? 

The official notification for UPSC CSE 2025 will be released on 22nd January 2025. The notification contains details related to UPSC eligibility criteria, including age limit, educational qualifications and nationality.

The UPSC Exam Eligibility provides the basis of the criteria that a candidate must fulfil to appear for the UPSC CSE exam 2025.

• Age limit: – 21 to 32 years
• Educational qualifications: – Bachelor’s degree (graduation).
• Nationality: – Indian citizen.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit

The age limit is a crucial part of the UPSC exam eligibility requirements. According to the UPSC eligibility criteria 2025 as of 01st August 2025, the age limit for candidates belonging to different categories is as follows: 

• General: The age limit is 21- 32 years for the General applicants.
• OBC: The age limit is 21 – 35 years for OBC candidates. 
• SC/ST: The age limit is 21 – 37 years for candidates from the SC/ST category.
• PwBD: The age limit is 21 – 42 years for the PwBD category.

UPSC IAS Updated Age Limit Summary

UPSC Age Limit Relaxations for ST/SC/OBC

1. For candidates who belong to the SC or ST category, there is an age relaxation of up to a maximum of 5 years.
2. The age relaxation for the OBC category is up to 3 years.
3. In case candidates are Defence Services personnel and get disabled while in combat with a hostile foreign country or in a disturbed area and are released, age relaxation of up to a maximum of 3 years is given.
4. For ex-servicemen, Commissioned Officers, or SSCO/ECO applicants who have served 5 years in the Military and are released, there is an age relaxation of 5 years.

• This holds for completion of service assignments, including the ones that are due to be completed within a year from the 1st of August 2025, other than the way of discharge or dismissal on account of inefficiency or misconduct or on account of being physically disabled due to military service, or on being invalid.
• A 5-year relaxation is given if you are an ECO/SSCO having completed an initial assignment period of 5 years of military service as of the 1st of August 2025. Still, the assignment has been extended beyond the 5 years period.
• In such cases, the Ministry of Defence issues certificates through which you can apply for civil employment. Through them, you can be released on a 3 months notice period in case of selection, from the date of receipt of the appointment offer.

1. If you are a candidate from the PwBD category, i.e., deaf-mute, blind, or orthopedically handicapped person, relaxation up to a maximum of 10 years is granted.

Special Case Scenarios

The UPSC has shared some unique case scenarios for Age Limit Eligibility through its official notification (link provided below):

• If candidates belong to any of the categories of ST/SC/OBC and also under the category of ex-servicemen/blind/deaf-mute/orthopedically handicapped, etc, they will be eligible for the grant of cumulative age relaxation under both categories.
• For age relaxation based on physical disability, candidates need to meet the physical and medical standards under the category of PwBD by the government. They need a certificate of disability issued by the govt. Or a valid appointing authority.
• The term Ex-servicemen will apply to the person defined by the Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Civil Services and Posts) Rules, 1979, as amended occasionally.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Minimum Educational Qualification

To check their suitability for UPSC CSE, the applicants must know about an important factor, i.e., educational requirements, when applying for the exam.

The primary reason for understanding educational qualifications is to ensure that candidates meet the essential eligibility criteria.

The minimum educational qualification required for candidates is a graduation degree to appear for the UPSC exam.

An important point to note here is that the bachelor’s degree of the candidate must be recognized from any university as follows: 

• Incorporated by an Act of the State and Central Legislature of India,
• or any institute of education established by an Act of the Parliament of India,
• or one that is declared to be a deemed university under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956.

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria: Number of Attempts

For candidates belonging to different 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 9 attempts are given 
• ST/SC category – An unlimited number of attempts are granted.
• PwBD –

• General/ OBC: Maximum 9 attempts are granted. 
• ST/SC categories: An unlimited number of attempts are given.

UPSC IAS Exam Eligibility: Nationality

To appear for the UPSC IAS exams, candidates 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 1st of January 1962 to settle in India permanently.
• Or an individual of 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 to settle permanently in India.

FAQs UPSC Exam Eligibility