UPSC exam: Annual timeline of the Civil Services (IAS) exam
What's the story
The Indian Civil Services exam, commonly referred to as the IAS exam, is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) each year.
One of the toughest exams in the country, the IAS exam comprises three stages: Preliminary examination, Mains examination, and the final stage is a Personality test.
Here's the annual timeline of the UPSC Civil Services exam.
Prelims
Tentative schedule of the UPSC preliminary examination
The first stage of the IAS exam is the preliminary examination.
The exam notification is issued by the Commission in the month of February, each year, and applications are submitted during February and March.
The admit cards are released three weeks prior to the exam, and the exam is conducted annually between the months of May and August.
The results are out by August/September.
Mains
Annual schedule for the Mains examination
The exam notification for the second stage of IAS exam, ie. the Mains examination, is issued in the months of August or September, and subsequently applications are invited.
The admit cards are issued three weeks prior to the exam.
The Mains exam is conducted between the months of October and December.
Results are usually announced between January and February, the following year.
Information
Schedule for the final stage, Personality Test
The notification for the final stage (Personality Test) is issued by the Commission in the months of February or March, the next year. A subsequent e-summon is sent to the qualifying candidates, and the exam is conducted during March/April. Results are announced somewhere between April-June.