IAS exam eligibility criteria: Age limit and number of attempts
All Indian citizens, aged above 21, who have completed their Bachelor's degree in any subject can appear for the UPSC Civil services exam for IAS. It is one of the toughest exams in India, but with thorough preparation and determination, one can make it. If you are willing to take the exam, know these rules about age limits and the number of attempts allowed.
IAS exam eligibility criteria for General and OBC category students
General Category: For a student belonging to General category, the upper-age limit to appear for the IAS exam is 32 years, and a maximum of 6 attempts is allowed. OBC: For those who belong to OBC (Other backward class) category, the upper-age cap is 35 years (ie. 3 years relaxation), and the maximum number of attempts allowed is 9.
Eligibility criteria for SC/ST and Physically challenged candidates
SC/ST: Talking about SC/ST candidates, an age relaxation of upto 5 years is given, which hikes their upper-age limit to 32+5 = 37 years. Additionally, there's no limit on the number of attempts. Differently-abled candidates: In case of differently-abled candidates, the upper age limit is 42 (ie. age relaxation of 10 years), and the number of attempts is determined based on one's caste-category.
