IAS Recruitment Process

The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) of India conducts the IAS exam. The Civil Services Examination is used for recruitment for many Indian administrative bodies. The IAS Syllabus and other services like the IPS and Income Tax is the same, as it is a single exam conducted by UPSC and the syllabus is also set by the UPSC.

A civil servant is responsible for the law and order and general administration in the area under his work. To handle the daily affairs of the government, including framing and implementation of policy in consultation with the minister-in-charge of the concerned ministry.

Most IAS officers start their careers in the state administration at the sub-divisional level as a sub divisional magistrate. They are entrusted with the law and order situation of the city along with general administration and development work of the areas under their charge.

About 850 candidates are finally selected each year out of the nearly 2,00,000, but only a rank i.e. top 50-100 guarantees an IAS or IFS selection—an acceptance rate of 0.01 percent, which makes it the most competitive exam in the world.

A candidate is selected for IAS after he succeeds in the three-step process of an IAS exam: Preliminary Exam (Prelims), Main Exam (Mains), and Interview

The Prelims are used as a screening mechanism for reaching the next phase of the Mains. The Prelims are composed of two tests of two hours each. The General Studies (GS) test contains 150 objective, multiple-choice questions. It covers six topics: the constitution of India, history, geography, economics, science, and current affairs. The second test is on a subject chosen, from among the 23 subjects, by the candidate. This objective, multiple-choice test contains 120 questions. The GS and second test are worth 150 and 300 points, respectively.

The Mains consists of 9 tests. The first two are language tests i.e. English Test and the second is the Language. Each test is worth 300 points. These tests are at the high school level. The candidates are expected to only qualify; the score from these tests is not included in the aggregate. The Language Test is not required for candidates from the North-East.

The third test is an Essay Test, worth 200 points. The candidate can write the essay in English or in any other language. The next two tests, each worth 300 points, are on General Studies. The syllabus for each test is different. These tests aim to judge your awareness and well as your understanding and analysis of contemporary events. The remaining four tests, each worth 300 points, are on two of the optional subjects chosen by the candidate. The subject matter is consistent with the college level education.

The interview, worth 300 points, is the last stage of the selection process. Nearly twice as many candidates are invited for Interview as the number of vacancies.

On the first thought of appearing in the Civil Services Examination (C.S.E.), the first issue is the selection of optional. In a way, selection of right optional is the most crucial step. Post-graduates in any discipline, generally prefer taking up their parent subject for Prelims. Though such selection is quite logical, aspirants with any science discipline as their base subject must ponder over the issue more seriously. Maths, Physics, Geology etc., optional for Prelims must be opted for, only if one is out and out thorough with the subject. As UPSC ensures that ‘some’ candidates from every discipline must qualify for the Mains.