Everyone who wants to work in a prestigious public service like the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian Police Service would know about UPSC CSE. UPSC CSE stands for Union Public Service Commission Civil Service Examination. The Civil Services Examination is one of the most competitive and popular exams in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. About 24 top government services like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, etc. recruit candidates through the CSE. But it is also widely known as the ‘IAS’ exam among candidates.
The Civil Services Examination is based on the Imperial Civil Service of the British Era and also took some inspiration from the civil service tests conducted by Indian Empires like the Mauryas and the Mughals. On average, 900,000 candidates apply for the CSE, making it one of the most competitive and difficult exams in India. The duration of the exam is around 10-12 months. It begins from June to June next year when the results are announced. One must be ready to give his/her 2 years for a single attempt of the exam, one before the prelims and one year from prelims to the interview.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam has 3 stages:
- Prelims – It is an objective test. It is held in June and the results are announced in August.
- Mains – It is a written examination, consisting of nine papers. It is held in October and the results are announced in January.
- Interview – It is held in March and the results are announced in May.
Clearing the UPSC CSE is like winning a lottery. Civil services offer everything that one wishes for in a job – Job satisfaction, changing lives, diversity of work, job security, and a great salary package. All the different jobs that fall under the Civil Service, like IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. offer a greater sphere of authority and power than any other services in India.