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IRS Exam 2024, Check out Eligibility, Attempts, Syllabus!

PWOnlyIAS May 23, 2024 07:34 702 0

IRS exam 2024 will be conducted in three stages to select candidates for Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Find out more about IRS Exam 2024 here!

IRS Exam 2024, Check out Eligibility, Attempts, Syllabus!

IRS exam 2024 is a Group A service under UPSC Civil Service. Candidates who clear UPSC CSE exam 2024 are eligible to be selected for IRS. The final allotment of service depends on the candidate’s preference as well as rank.

The exam procedure and other details of IRS Exam 2024 is similar to UPSC CSE 2024. Candidates have to appear for UPSC prelims, UPSC mains and UPSC interview before qualifying the IRS Exam 2024.

Here, we will provide you with the complete information required to attempt and clear the IRS Exam 2024

Overview of IRS Exam 2024

The IRS Exam 2024, better known as Civil Service Examination, is conducted by the UPSC. There is no separate exam for IRS, unlike the IFoS Exam. The overview of IRS Exam 2024 is given below.

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Stage  Mode of Exam Paper to be Attempted Total Marks Nature of Exam
Stage 1: Prelims MCQ Paper 1: General Studies

Paper 2: CSAT

Paper 1: 200

Paper 2: 200

Qualifying
Stage 2: Mains Descriptive Papers Paper A: Indian Language

Paper B: English

Paper A: 300

Paper B: 300

Qualifying in Nature
Essay

General Studies 1

General Studies 2

General Studies 3

General Studies 4

Optional Paper 1

Optional Paper 2

250 X 7 = 1750 Marks Considered for Merit list
Stage 3: Interview Oral Interview 275 Marks added to Mains marks to prepare the merit list

Notification for IRS Exam 2024

The notification for IRS Exam 2024 was released by the UPSC in the form of UPSC CSE Notification 2024. The IRS Prelims Exam will be conducted on 16th June while the mains will take place from 20th September 2024.

Date of Notification 14th February
Number of Vacancies 1056 (CSE)

150 (IFoS)

Beginning of Registration  14th February 
End of Registration 5th March
Release of Admit Card May 2024
Date of Preliminary Examination 16th June
Results of Preliminary Exam June/July
Dates of Mains Examination September 20 Onwards

Eligibility for IRS Exam 2024

UPSC has notified certain criteria that a candidate has to fulfil to apply for IRS Exam 2024. The details of these criteria are mentioned below.

Age Criteria for IRS Exam 2024

For being eligible for IRS Exam 2024, candidates must be at least 21 years old and not more than 32 years old as of August 1, 2024.

UPSC provides age limit relaxation for candidates belonging to certain categories:

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Category of Candidates Age Relaxation
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

Nationality Criteria for IRS Exam 2024

There is a citizenship qualification for IRS Exam 2024. The details are as follows.

Service  Citizenship Requirements
IRS 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 for settling 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, for permanently settling in India.

Candidates who are citizens of Nepal, Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee 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 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 exam without it.

Educational Criteria for IRS Exam 2024

Minimum education qualification is necessary for  IRS Exam 2024. These qualifications are given below.

  • Minimum Qualification: As a minimum qualification for IRS, a candidate must have graduated from a recognized university or possess an equivalent qualification.
  • Final Year Graduates: Candidates who are in their final year of graduation or awaiting results can appear for the IRS Prelims Examination. However, should have passed their final year examination while applying for the UPSC IRS Mains Examination.
  • Eligibility of Professional and Technical Qualifications: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications recognized by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees are also eligible for IRS Exam 2024.
  • Eligibility for Medical Students: Medical students, who have not completed their internship, despite passing the final year of MBBS, can also apply for IRS Exam 2024. However, they are required to submit a course completion certificate from the concerned authority along with their Mains Exam application.

Attempts for IRS Exam 2024

The UPSC has put restrictions on the number of attempts a candidate can make for the IRS Exam. This number varies depending on the category of the candidate.

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 Candidate

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 cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; 

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

(e) Multiple disabilities from amongst person 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. 

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Medical Criteria for IRS Exam 2024

Candidates have to appear for the medical test after finishing all the stages of IRS Exam 2024. This test will assess the mental and physical fitness of the candidate to decide if they are fit for civil service.

The medical test for assessing the physical fitness will be conducted at the following hospital in New Delhi:

  • Safdarjung Hospital
  • Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
  • Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
  • BR Ambedkar Hospital
  • Sucheta Kriplani Hospital
  • Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital

Applying for IRS Exam 2024

The procedure to apply for IRS Exam 2024 is same as applying for UPSC CSE 2024. The candidate has to fill the OTR, followed by Part 1 and part 2 to successfully register for IRS Prelims 2024. 

Filling the OTR

  • Step 1: Visit UPSC’s official website for filling OTR.
  • Step 2: If you are a new candidate, click on the “New Registration” tab to register oneself on the portal.
  • Step 3: Fill personal details such as name, parent’s name, address etc.
  • Step 4: Candidate will receive a notification of his/her successful registration.
  • Step 5: The candidate can directly apply for IRS Exam 2024 from the OTR portal.

IRS Exam 2024

Part 1 of UPSC Application Form: 

The Candidate needs to complete the Part-1 of the application form before proceeding to the Part-2. The details for filling the Part-1 of the application form is as follows:

  • Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC and click on the UPSC Civil Services notification.
  • Step 2: The candidate will be redirected to the OTR portal of the UPSC.
  • Step 3: Log in into your account using the data previously provided (email id, mobile number or OTR id).
  • Step 4: Go to the Latest Notification tab on the OTR application.
  • Step 5: Under Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination tab, you will find Part 1 and Part 2. Click on the Part 1 link.
  • Step 6: The candidate will see important instructions to fill the online application form after clicking on Part 1. 
  • Step 7: Upon clicking the Yes button, the Part 1 application appears on screen.
  • Step 8: Some part of the application form will be pre-filled. The candidate has to fill in the remaining personal information.
  • Step 9: The candidate has to fill up the educational qualification and contact details in the next step.
  • Step 10: Select the category in which you are applying. If you are applying under reserved category, you have to fill in the relevant details and also must possess the documents for the same.
  • Step 11: The next information needed is photo identity details of the candidate, the number of attempts made, marks obtained in graduation degree, centre for prelims and mains exam, optional subject, language paper etc.
  • Step 12: The information can be edited until the form is submitted finally. So, candidates are advised to scrutinize the information carefully.
  • Step 13: Click the submit button after providing all the information. Part 1 of the form will be submitted and the candidate will be provided a registration id, which has to be noted down to fill Part 2 of the application form.

Part 2 of UPSC Application Form

The candidature will be invalid without filling Part 2 of the exam. It is therefore advised to fill Part 2 immediately after completing Part 1.

  • Step 1: Use Registration id and Date of Birth to log in for Part 2.
  • Step 2: Candidates who are not exempted have to pay examination fees using Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Internet Banking or UPI.
  • Step 3: After paying the examination fees, a candidate has to select the centre for IRS prelims exam.
  • Step 4: The candidate has to upload three types of documents: a photograph (JPG format), scanned signature (JPG format) and photo id (PDF format).
    • The photo can be in colour or black & white and the quality must be good.
    • The signature must be made on a white paper with a black ink.
    • Size and Dimension: The scanned images of the photo and the signature should be between 300 KB and 20 KB and in .jpg format.
    • Resolution: Minimum of 350 pixels X 350 pixels, maximum of 1000 pixels X 1000 pixels (for both photo and signature)
    • Free image editing software such as MS Paint can be used to convert the images into desired format. 
    • The images must not be illegible.
    • The photo should only contain your photograph along with the name and the date on which the photograph was clicked. The photo of the candidate must be uploaded within 10 days of clicking the photograph.(Recent changes)
    • The face of the candidate in the photograph must occupy 3/4th the space in the photograph. (Recent Changes)
    • The signature must not contain things such as the date, time etc.
  • Step 5: The candidate has to read the declaration carefully. Check the box and submit the application finally.
  • Step 6: Wait for a text message and email confirming successful filling of the UPSC application. Keep the details secure for future references.

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Pattern of IRS Exam 2024

The pattern of IRS Exam 2024 will be the same as UPSC CSE 2024. The exam involves three stages: prelims, mains and interview. A candidate has to secure the cutoff marks to proceed to the next stage. The marks scored in mains and interview will be added to prepare the merit list.

IRS Exam 2024 Prelims Pattern

IRS Exam 2024 prelims involves two papers: General Studies and CSAT. The cutoff marks for CSAT is fixed at 66.66. The cutoff marks for General Studies paper varies each year.

Type General Studies  GS Paper II- (CSAT)
Questions 100 Objective Types MCQ’s 80 Objective Type MCQ’s
Marks 200 Marks 200 Marks
Negative Marking +2 Marks/Question and -0.66 Negative Marks/Question +2.5 Marks/Question and -0.83 Negative Marks/Question
Duration Of Exam 2 Hours 2 Hours
Qualifying Marks Cut-Off List Minimum 33%
Languages English and Hindi English and Hindi.
Presence Mandatory Mandatory.

IRS Exam 2024 Mains Pattern

The IRS Exam 2024 mains will be descriptive in nature. Candidates have to attempt nine papers, out of which marks scored in seven of them will be considered to determine the merit list. The candidates who secure cutoff marks will be eligible for interview.

  • Descriptive: The IRS Mains exam pattern includes nine theory-based papers, all of which are descriptive in nature. Among these nine papers, seven will be considered for creating the merit list. 
  • Optional Subject: As part of the IRS Mains 2024, candidates have to choose one optional subject for the examination. 
  • Evaluation: Evaluation of Essay, General Studies and Optional Subject of all the candidates would be done simultaneously along with evaluation of their qualifying papers on ‘Indian Languages’ and ‘English’.
  • Minimum Qualifying Marks of 25%: The papers on ‘Essay’, General Studies and Optional Subject of only such candidates will be taken into account who score 25% marks in ‘Indian Language’ and 25% in English. 

Total Number of Papers Qualifying Papers: 2

Compulsory Papers: 7

Language of Papers English

Hindi

Descriptive paper: Candidates can appear for language paper in 22 languages mentioned in schedule 8 of the Indian constitution.

Subjects Paper A: Compulsory Indian language

Paper B: English

Essay

General Studies I

General Studies II

General Studies III

General Studies IV

Optional I

Optional II

Marks Part A and B: 300 each
General studies and optional paper: 250 each
Maximum Marks 1750
Exam Duration 3 hours for each paper
Medium of Examination Part A and Part B: Respective Languages

General Studies: Medium chosen by the candidate.

Optional: English, Hindi or the language of the literature.

IRS Exam 2024 Interview

Candidates clearing IRS Exam 2024 mains will be allowed to appear for IRS Exam 2024 Personality Test to be conducted in New Delhi.

Interview Location Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi
Interview Medium English, Hindi or any other language chosen by the candidates.
Dress Code Formal dress
Eligibility Candidates qualifying IRS Mains 2024

Syllabus for IRS Exam 2024

The syllabus of IRS Exam 2024 is same as that of UPSC CSE 2024. the detailed syllabus can be check by clicking on the following links:

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Optional Subjects for IRS Exam 2024

Candidates will have to choose one optional subject out of 48 (inclusidng Literature) as part of IRS Exam 2024 mains. There will be two papers, each 250 marks in the optional subject. following optional subjects can be chosen for IRS Exam 2024.

1. Anthropology 2. Political Science and International Relations 3. Public Administration 4. Sociology
5. History 6. Physics 7. Chemistry 8. Zoology
9. Botany 10. Medical Science 11. Statistics 12. Philosophy
13. Psychology 14. Law 15. Geography 16. Geology
17. Literature Language 18. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science 19. Agriculture 20. Economics
21. Civil Engineering 22. Commerce and Accountancy 23. Mechanical Engineering 24. Mathematics
25. Management 26. Electrical Engineering

Available Literature Languages:

  1. Assamese, 2. Bodo, 3. Bengali, 4. Dogri, 5. English, 6. Gujarati, 7. Hindi, 8. Kashmiri, 9. Konkani, 10. Kannada, 11. Manipuri, 12. Marathi, 13. Santhali, 14. Sanskrit, 15. Maithili, 16. Malayalam, 17. Nepali, 18. Odia, 19. Punjabi, 20. Sindhi, 21. Tamil, 22. Telugu, 23. Urdu. 
Also Read: UPSC Optional Syllabus

Booklist for IRS Exam 2024

Since the syllabus of IRS Exam 2024 is same as that of UPSC CSE 2024, the booklist remains the same. The books to be read for IRS Exam 2024 are as below.

Subject Books
Polity Indian Polity by M Laxmikant

NCERT IX to XII

Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu

History NCERT VI – X

Old NCERT – XI  for Ancient & Medieval)

NCERT XII (Themes in Indian History)

India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra

Ancient India by R.S Sharma

Geography Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong

NCERT VI – XII 

Geography of India by Majid Husain

World Geography by Majid Husain

Environment and Ecology Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach Bharucha

Environment and Ecology – Biodiversity, Climate Change and Disaster Management by Majid Hussain

Disaster management Disaster Management for UPSC Exam by K Mounika
Internal Security Challenges to the Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar

Internal Security and Disaster Management by R N Sharma

International Relation NCERT XII

Current Affairs

Science and Technology Current Affairs 

NCERT XI and XII

Ethics Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary

Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar

Economy NCERT IX to XII

Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

Art and Culture  Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania

NCERT XI

IRS Exam 2024 Test Series

Candidates have to write tests before the prelims and mains stage of the IRS Exam 2024. These tests will give them the confidence to perform better.

Physics wallah brings you meticulously designed test series, which will test your understanding of the basic concepts. These tests will help you prepare in accordance with the latest pattern of IRS Exam

Join Test Series for UPSC 2024 by Physics Wallah!

IRS Exam 2024 Admit Card

The IRS Exam 2024 admit card will contain details of the exam centre, the candidate’s photograph and signature. It has to be carried to the examination hall.

Generally, the commission releases the admit card 3-4 weeks before the date of the examination. 

Since IRS Exam 2024 Prelims has been postponed by 21 days, the release of the IRS admit card for 2024 has also been postponed.

It is likely that the admit card for IRS Exam 2024 may be released in the last week of May.

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Steps to Download IRS Exam 2024 Admit Card

The IRS Exam 2024 admit card will be available on the official website of UPSC. Download the admit card using the following steps.

  • Step 1: Visit the Official website of UPSC (https://upsconline.nic.in/) for regular updates.
  • Step 2: Look for the notification displaying e-admit cards for various examinations of UPSC.
  • Step 3: Upon reaching the page, look for the link that specifies the examination as UPSC Preliminary Examination 2024.
  • Step 4: The screen will show the instructions page. Read the instructions carefully and then lick the checkbox.
  • Step 5: Enter the application number and date of birth in the respective sections of the page. Enter the verification code displayed below the section.
  • Step 6: Select the “login” button to enter the admit card page.
  • Step 7: Click on “download” to save the admit card in e-format. Take a print out to carry to the examination hall.

IRS Exam 2024

Also Read: UPSC Answer Key 2023

Results of IRS Exam 2024

IRS Exam 2024 final results will be announced after all stages of the exam are completed, which is likely to be in 2025. The 

IRS Exam 2024 final results can be checked using the steps below.

  • Step 1: Visit official website of UPSC at www.upsc.gov.in
  • Step 2: Check for any notification of UPSC final result
  • Step 3: Click on the provided link 
  • Step 4: A PDF file containing the list of successful candidates will be downloaded.
  • Step 5: Check your name and roll number in the PDF to ascertain whether you have qualified or not.

Cutoff for IRS Exam 2024

The cutoff marks for IRS Exam 2024 will be released after the final result. The following table contains cutoff marks for IRS Exam 2023.

Category Prelims Cut-off Mains Cut-off Final Cut-off
General 75.41 741 953
EWS 68.02 706 923
OBC 74.75 712 919
SC 59.25 694 890
ST 47.82 692 891
PwBD-1 40.40 673 894
PwBD-2 47.13 718 930
PwBD-3 40.40 396 756

Preparation Tips for IRS Exam 2024

Candidates can clear IRS Exam 2024 with the right strategy and hard work. You can follow some tips mentioned below to prepare for the IRS Exam 2024.

  • Optimal Resource Utilization: IRS Exam 2024 preparation requires dedication and hard work. A comprehensive strategy can help you in utilization of resources in order to maximize your chances of success.
  • Proper Understanding of the Syllabus: Candidates need to develop a plan to consult exam resources, such as previous papers, in order to gain a basic understanding of the question patterns, topics covered, and how marks are allocated.
  • Making a Time-table: Divide your available time into parts to cover the syllabus in an organized manner. This must be based on your own strengths and weaknesses and involve breaking the syllabus into manageable chunks. 
  • Analyse PYQs: Candidates must regularly attempt past exam paper questions and review areas of weakness in order to improve their score.
  • Practice Mock Tests: candidates must practice mock exams on time and analyse the time taken to complete each section. This will help them with effective time management during exams.
  • Current Affairs Update: Read newspapers and journals to keep track of current developments, both in India and around the world. Topics of relevance must be given special emphasis.
  • Mental Wellness Support: Candidates must remain in the right frame of mind during preparation. Putting unnecessary strain on others can prove to be counterproductive.

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Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

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IRS Exam 2024 FAQs

IRS prelims 2024 will be conducted on 16th June 2024. IRS mains 2024 will be conducted from 20th September onwards.

A candidate needs to have a graduate degree from any recognized university.

For candidates who are not exempted, ₹100 has to be paid as fees for prelims and ₹200 as fees for mains.

A candidate has to attain a minimum age of 21 years to apply for IRS exam 2024.

IRS exam 2024 has three stages: prelims, mains and interview.
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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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