UPSC Age Limit 2025, Eligibility Criteria, and Qualification

Madhavi Gaur October 25, 2024 10:12 69565 0

UPSC Age limit 2025 is set by the UPSC for the candidates applying for the UPSC Exam 2025. Know more about minimum and maximum age limit, relaxation, and eligibility here!

UPSC Age Limit 2025, Eligibility Criteria, and Qualification

UPSC Age Limit 2025 will help students understand the minimum age required to apply for the UPSC exams 2025. Candidates must fulfill the required eligibility criteria before applying for the exam. The officials will release the UPSC 2025 Notification on January 22, 2025. UPSC has set an age limit of 21-32 years for General category students. The number varies depending on different categories.

Candidates must also meet other eligibility criteria, including age, number of attempts, citizenship, and medical standards. The minimum educational qualification required is a graduation degree from a recognized university, with some exceptions. Check out the complete details about UPSC 2025 Age Limit for 2025 and other criteria here.

UPSC Age Limit 2025 Overview

The UPSC age limit of 2025 for candidates to apply for the UPSC exam ensures that candidates acquire a certain maturity to handle important positions. Educational qualification also acts as a tool to filter out unsuitable candidates. There are other important eligibility as well, which are given below.

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UPSC Age Limit 2025 Overview
Minimum Age 21 years
Maximum Age 32 years
Relaxation Based on Category
Number of Attempts 6
Exemption Based on Category
Minimum Educational Qualification Graduate
Citizenship Qualification Service-wise requirements are provided below.
Medical Qualification Required for technical services such as IPS

Category-Wise UPSC Age Limit 2025

The category-wise UPSC age limit for OBC, General, & other categories is provided here. For the candidates belonging to the General category, the UPSC age limit for General is 21 to 32 years

To be eligible for the UPSC examination in 2025, candidates must be at least 21 years old and not more than 32 years old as of August 1, 2025. For candidates belonging to other categories, the IAS age limit 2025 is different owing to the age relaxation provided by UPSC. Here is the UPSC age limit for women and men belonging to the different categories:

Category  Maximum Age (Years)
General and EWS 32
OBC  35
PwBD 42
SC and ST 37
Ex-Servicemen 37
Disabled Defence Services Personnel 35

UPSC Age Relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, and Ex-servicemen Candidates

The maximum UPSC age limit for EWS & General is capped at 32 years. However, there are exceptions for students belonging to other categories. Also, age relaxation in UPSC is provided to some categories as mentioned below:

Category of Candidates Age Relaxation in UPSC
Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes 5 years
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 3 years
Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations 3 years
Ex-servicemen (Commissioned Officers, Emergency Commissioned Officers and Short Service Commissioned Officers) with at least five years of service. 5 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)

(a) blindness and low vision; 

(b) deaf and low hearing;

(c) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; 

(d) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; and

(e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness

10 years

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UPSC Eligibility 2025 Based on Number of Attempts

The UPSC imposes a limit on the number of times a candidate can appear for the IAS Examination. This number varies according to the category of the candidate. The eligibility based on attempts is given below.

Category  Number of Attempts Maximum Age (Years)
General and EWS 6 32
OBC  9 35
PwBD 9 42
SC and ST Unlimited 37
Ex-Servicemen 9 37
Disabled Defence Services Personnel 9 35
General/OBC/EWS PwBD candidates 9 See below Description
SC/ST categories PwBD candidates Unlimited See below Description
Age Relaxation for PWD Candidates

The prescribed upper age limit of an examination (wherever applicable) is relaxable up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates belonging to PwBD categories as below

(a) low vision and blindness; 

(b) deaf and hard of hearing; 

(c) Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; 

(d) Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; 

(e) Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (e) including deaf, blindness. PwBD candidates, who also belong to either SC or ST or OBC or Ex-servicemen, are eligible for grant of cumulative age-relaxation under both categories. 

UPSC Eligibility 2025 Based on Educational Qualification

The minimum educational qualification is graduation. However, there are other detailed criteria mentioned below.

  • Minimum Qualification for IAS: As a minimum qualification for IAS, a candidate must have graduated from a recognized university or have an equivalent qualification.
  • Eligibility Criteria for Final Year Graduates: Candidates who are in their final year of graduation or awaiting results can also appear for the UPSC Prelims Examination. However, they are required to have passed their final year examination while applying for the UPSC Mains Examination.
  • Eligibility of Professional and Technical Qualifications: Candidates who possess professional and technical qualifications recognized by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees are also eligible for IAS Exam.
  • Eligibility for Medical Students: Medical students, who have not completed their internship, despite passing the final year of MBBS, can also apply for the IAS Exam. However, they are required to submit a course completion certificate from the concerned authority along with their Mains Exam application.

UPSC Eligibility 2025 Based on Citizenship

There is a citizenship qualification for Grade-A Services such as IAS, IPS and IFS. A candidate must fulfil certain citizenship criteria to be eligible for these services.

Service  Citizenship Requirements
IAS A Citizen of India
IPS A Citizen of India
IFS A Citizen of India or a Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, for permanently settle in India.
Other Services
  • A citizen of India, or
  • A citizen of Nepal, or
  • A citizen of Bhutan, or
  • A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 to settle permanently, or
  • A Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, to permanently settle in India.

Candidates who are citizens of Nepal, citizens of Bhutan, Tibetan refugees, or a Person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, for permanently settling in India, must furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India for getting appointed, even though they are eligible to write the exam without it.

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UPSC Eligibility 2025 Based on Medical Criteria

For serving as IPS officers for districts, Indian Railway services, and the police services of Pondicherry, candidates need to have the necessary eyesight, height, and chest measurements. The details of this eligibility are as below.

Physical Feature Requirement
Height 165 cm for males and for females it is 150 cm (Relaxation applicable)
Chest Minimum 84 cm and Expansion 5 cm for males. For females, it is a Minimum 79 cm and an Expansion of 5 cm.
Eyesight 6/6 or 6/9 distant vision for good eye

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FAQs On UPSC Age Limit 2025

No, the maximum age limit for the UPSC Civil Services Examination the maximum for the General category is 32 years. However, the minimum age to apply for the exam is 21 years.

The minimum age limit for OBC is 21 years and maximum age limit for OBC is 35 years.

The age limit for the UPSC IAS exam is 21 to 32 years for general category candidates.

General and EWS candidates have 6 attempts; OBC candidates have 9 attempts; SC/ST candidates can attempt until they reach the age limit.

The UPSC age limit for SC/ST candidates is 21 to 37 years, with a 5-year age relaxation.

The minimum age limit for OBC is 21 years and maximum age limit for OBC is 35 years.
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