The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is the exam the Union Public Service Commission holds once a year to recruit officers for the IAS, IPS, IFS and a set of Group A and Group B central services. One exam, one rank list, and your rank plus your preferences decide which service you get.
Which services it fills
The 2026 notification lists 23 services. The best known are the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service. The rest include the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax, and Customs and Indirect Taxes), the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, the Indian Railway Management Service, the Indian Postal Service and Group B services such as DANICS and DANIPS.
How many posts
For CSE 2026, UPSC expects about 933 vacancies, including 33 reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities. The final number can change once cadre controlling authorities confirm it.
Three stages
- Preliminary examination: two objective papers of 200 marks each. Only GS Paper I decides who goes ahead; GS Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying at 33%.
- Main examination: nine written papers. Seven count for merit (1,750 marks), two language papers are qualifying.
- Personality test: 275 marks. Main plus interview gives the final total of 2,025.
Scale matters here. For CSE 2024, 5,83,213 candidates sat Prelims, 14,627 qualified for Mains, 2,845 reached the interview and 1,009 were recommended. That is roughly one in 580 of those who sat the first paper.
Where to start
Read the exam pattern, check eligibility, then open the PYQ bank. Ten old questions will tell you more about this exam than any brochure.
FAQs
Who conducts the Civil Services Examination?
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), once a year.
How many vacancies are there in CSE 2026?
About 933, including 33 for persons with benchmark disabilities, as per the 2026 notification. The final number may change.
How many stages does the exam have?
Three: Preliminary (objective), Main (written) and the Personality Test (interview).