What is the age eligibility criteria for the Civil Services Exam?

The date of birth accepted is that entered in the Marticulation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate or in a certificate recognized by an Indian University as an equivalent.

The Age Limits for the Civil Services Exam are the following:

(a)  A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August of the year that he/she is taking the examination. 

For the year 2011, the candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August 2011, that is that he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd Augsust 1981 and not later than 1st August 1990.

(b) The upper age limit is relaxed under the following conditions:

• A maximum of 5 (five) years if the candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe

• A maximum of 3 (three) years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservations applicable to such candidates

• A maximum of 5 (five) years if the candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the period form 1st January 1980 to teh 31st December 1989

• A maximum of 3 (three) years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof

• A maximum of 5 (five) years in teh case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Service and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months notice of selection from the date of receipt of offer of appoitment.

• A maximum of 10 (ten) years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopaedically handicapped persons.