Central Exams
UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026
India's premier competitive examination, conducted by the UPSC for the IAS, IPS, IFS and other all-India services - and one that can be written in Marathi.
- Conducting body
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Education
- पदवीधर
- Total posts
- १,०००+ जागा
- Official website
- upsc.gov.in
Exam Overview
The UPSC Civil Services Examination selects officers for 24 services including the IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS. For Maharashtra candidates one point matters most: the exam can be written entirely in Marathi, including the interview, and candidates from the Marathi medium succeed every year.
The MPSC Rajyaseva syllabus overlaps substantially with UPSC - particularly polity, economy and modern history - which makes preparing for both from one base realistic.
Eligibility Criteria
A bachelor's degree in any discipline; final-year students may sit the Prelims. IAS and IPS are open to Indian citizens only. Attempts: 6 (Open), 9 (OBC), unlimited within the age limit for SC/ST. Appearing in the Prelims counts as an attempt; applying without appearing does not.
Age Limit
21-32 (Open), 21-35 (OBC), 21-37 (SC/ST) and 21-42 for persons with disability, calculated as on 1 August.
Age limit calculator
Enter your date of birth to see how many years you have left.
Exam Pattern
Prelims: GS Paper I (200) and CSAT (200, qualifying at 33%), with 1/3 negative marking.
Mains: two qualifying language papers plus essay, four General Studies papers and two optional papers - 1750 marks counted.
Interview: 275 marks. Final merit is out of 2025.
Syllabus
Mains General Studies covers heritage and culture, world and Indian history, geography and society (GS-1); governance, the Constitution, social justice and international relations (GS-2); economy, agriculture, science and technology, environment and security (GS-3); and ethics with case studies (GS-4).
Marathi Literature is a strong optional for Maharashtra candidates, as are Political Science, Geography and Sociology, which overlap heavily with the GS papers.
Salary & Posts
Entry-level IAS/IPS basic pay is ₹56,100 (₹85,000-95,000 gross). District Collector level reaches ₹1,44,200 basic, and Secretary level ₹2,25,000, alongside official accommodation, transport and medical cover.
Cut Off
Recent Prelims cut-offs out of 200: 88-98 (Open), 84-94 (OBC), 74-84 (SC) and 70-82 (ST). Final selection generally needs 950-1050 out of 2025.
How to Prepare
1. The Marathi medium is not a handicap
Full preparation in Marathi is possible using NCERT translations, state board texts and Marathi newspapers. Clarity of argument matters more than the language.
2. Prepare alongside MPSC
60-70% of the syllabus overlaps. Apply for both.
3. Choose the optional deliberately
It carries 500 marks - a quarter of the total. Choose on interest, availability of material and overlap with GS, not on rumoured scoring rates.
4. Write answers every day
Knowing a topic and expressing it in 200 words in seven minutes are different skills.
5. Few sources, many revisions
Reference Books
- NCERT classes 6-12, available in Marathi translation
- M. Laxmikanth - Indian Polity
- Spectrum - Modern Indian History
- Ramesh Singh - Indian Economy
- India Year Book and Yojana magazine
Important Dates
| Stage | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | January - February | Tentative |
| Prelims | May - June | Tentative |
| Mains | September | Tentative |
| Interview | January - April | Tentative |
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Frequently asked questions about UPSC Civil Services Examination
Yes. All scored Mains papers and the interview may be taken in Marathi, as it is an Eighth Schedule language. Candidates from the Marathi medium succeed every year.
Yes, and it is the sensible approach - 60-70% of the syllabus is shared, with the differences confined to Maharashtra-specific content and the exam pattern.
Yes. The Mains may be written entirely in Marathi, and Marathi Literature is available as an optional subject. Only the compulsory English paper must be in English, and it is qualifying — its marks do not enter the final merit list. Many candidates are unaware of this.
No. An attempt is counted only if you actually appear in the Prelims; applying and not appearing does not consume one.
Open category: 6 attempts up to age 32. OBC: 9 attempts up to 35. SC/ST: unlimited attempts up to 37. Appearing for the prelims counts as an attempt; applying without appearing does not.
Largely yes — history, geography, polity, economics and current affairs overlap. The difference is emphasis: MPSC weights Maharashtra-specific topics, UPSC weights national and international ones. Forgetting that difference produces a middling result in both.