General Category IAS/ IPS Aspirant: Here’s the General Strategy & Number of Attempts

The Union Public Service Commission conducts a national competitive examination in India for recruitment to different Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, and Indian Police Service.

Every year almost 10 lakh aspirants sit for this exam. But what is the last rank for a general category aspirant? Read this article till the end to find out.

The test is divided into three phases: the UPSC CS Preliminary Examination or UPSC Prelims, the UPSC CS Main Examination or UPSC Main, and the UPSC Interview.

What to Expect in the UPSC Exam?

The UPSC Preliminary Examination is a screening exam and hence qualifies. The Prelims exam result is not included in the final merit calculation. In contrast to the UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam, it comprises two objective-type MCQ-based exams. The UPSC Mains Exam is a descriptive examination that consists of nine papers.

Name of the paper	Number of questions asked	Marks allotted	Time taken	Nature of this exam
Paper 1 GS	100	200	2hours	Objective type
Paper 2 CSAT	100	200	2hours	2hours

Exam Pattern for UPSC Mains Exam

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks	Nature
Paper A	Indian Language	3 hours	300	Descriptive
Paper B	English	3 hours	300	Descriptive
I	Essay	3 hours	250	Descriptive
II	GS 1	3 hours	250	Descriptive
III	GS 2	3 hours	250	Descriptive
IV	GS 3	3 hours	250	Descriptive
V	GS 4	3 hours	250	Descriptive
VI	Optional 1	3 hours	250	Descriptive
VII	Optional 2	3 hours	250	Descriptive

Also Read: IPS Sunil Kumar Singh Biography:  Reminder of True Morals of Civil Service

Up to Which Rank can a General Category Aspirant Get into IAS or IPS?

The simplistic answer to this lies in the number of vacancies allotted every year. Let us discuss the last ranks that have been allotted in the year 2018 to the General Category candidates.

According to the most recent allocation figures (2018),

IAS – The last general category applicant assigned to IAS received a rank of 92.

IFS – The last general category applicant assigned to IFS received a rank of 134.

IPS – The last rank assigned to a general category applicant was 236.

IRS (IT) – The final rank of an IRS (IT) general category applicant was 239.

Category Wise Allocation By DoPT

Service	General Category
IAS	92
IFS	134
IPS	236

There were 812 openings at the time of the release of the final results. . The initial rank list recommends 759 applicants out of the 812 openings.

Final Rank Allocated for IAS, IPS, and IFS in 2019 

Service	Number of candidates allotted
IAS	General – 72 EWS – 18 OBC – 52 SC – 25 ST – 13 Total – 180
IFS	General – 12 EWS – 2 OBC – 6 SC – 3 ST – 1 Total – 24
IPS	General – 60 EWS – 15 OBC – 42 SC – 23 ST – 10 Total – 150

Also Read: Strategy for UPSC CSE Preliminary Exam: Steps to Clear Prelims in the First Attempt

General Category Person Cracked the IAS

Are you a General Category person who wants to crack the IAS exam? The UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2019, was topped by Pradeep Singh of Haryana’s Sonepat. He is a true example of dedication by a general category person who cracked IAS. This was his 4th attempt.

He had previously passed the Civil Services Exam and was employed with the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

As a result of his better rank this year, he will be sent to his dream service, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

The final recommended candidate received 47.5 percent of the marks in UPSC CSE 2019. This was a General Category entry. Other groups, such as EWS, OBC, ST, and SC, have even lower cut-off scores. The final cut-off score for the EWS category was 44.88 per cent. For OBC, the cut-off points were 45.67 per cent. The cut-off for SC and ST was 44.34 and 44.09, respectively.

Marksheet of Pradeep Singh, Rank 1

Pradeep Singh’s marks achieved in the UPSC examination are:

Essay Paper – 140/250

GS1 – 108/250

GS2 – 115/250

GS3 – 101/250

GS4 – 157/250

Optional Paper 1 – 148/250

Optional Paper 2 – 145/250

Interview – 158/275

Total – 1072/2025

His Strategy to Crack the IAS Exam

Pradeep Singh admits that balancing his Income Tax Inspector work with IAS preparation was difficult. When he felt demotivated and ready to give up, his father pushed him to adhere to his ambitions and concentrate on the preparation.

Singh’s message to aspirants is – “Self-motivation is the best key to achieve any goal.”

He advises the new aspirants to,

#Study with a focus on current affairs and factual knowledge

#Focus on writing skills in order to do well in UPSC Mains. In the Interview, he recommends working on one’s interpersonal skills.

#Determination and consistency are the key drivers of success.

Facts about UPSC Topper

#Singh, 29, was working as an Indian Revenue Services Officer when the results of the 2019 UPSC test were released, and he noticed his name at the top of the list.

#After passing the SSC examinations, he also worked in the Income Tax Department.

#Singh was making his fourth effort. On his third effort, he succeeded.

General Category Person Cracked The IPS: Priyanka Shukla

Priyanka Shukla, cleared the UPSC 2018 exam with a rank of 109 in her 4th attempt. She belonged to the general category of people who cracked the IPS  exam.

On the basis of her rank, she was allotted the Madhya Pradesh cadre. She underwent training at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad.

Also Read: How to Prepare for IAS during B.Tech First Year without Coaching? Here’s Your Way Out

Her Strategy to Crack The IPS Exam

Do you want to know the strategy to crack the IAS for general category people?

#Create your own basic book list based on the toppers’ recommendations. Go through books, which is extremely prevalent among UPSC CSE candidates. Just make sure you aren’t reading every book on a certain subject that is available on the market.

#Multiple readings of a book are necessary to ensure that you do not forget what you have read.

#Take brief notes on what you read; this will aid in your knowledge and revision of the material. Make sure your notes are readable and easy to interpret.

#Test series assist you in testing your knowledge and can also serve as a source of information. It also aids in maintaining precision.

#Complement your regular newspaper reads with Monthly Magazines and Daily News Analysis videos to aid with a review.

#Attempt previous year questions

Attempts to Crack the IAS Exam for General Category Person

The age limit for UPSC aspirants is anywhere between 21 to 32 years of age. The number of attempts for the General Category candidates and the Economically Weaker Sections is 6 attempts. For OBC candidates the number of attempts is 9. For SC/ST candidates the number of attempts is up to the age limit.

UPSC -Age Limit 

Want to know the age limit for the general category person to crack the IAS/ IPS exam?

Category	Age Limit	Number of attempts
General Category	32	6
EWS	32	6
OBC	35	9
SC/ST	37	Upto age limit

Important Facts To Note

It is crucial to know that when you sit for the Prelims test, your attempt is counted. Even if you have already taken one of the examinations, your participation will be recognised. This is also one of the most common reasons for Prelims Exam absence. Only around half of those who fill out the application form show up for the exam. If you fill out the test form but do not appear for the exam, your attempt will not be counted. Furthermore, if any candidate has already joined the IAS or IFS, they are no longer eligible for competing in the examination again. However, there is a provision where an IPS can take the examination again.

Also Read: The Indian Education System: A Potential UPSC Topic for Current Issues

Conclusion

We hope that this article has answered your queries regarding the general category person to crack the IAS/IPS exam. We have also discussed the strategy and number of attempts that are applicable to the general category person to crack the IAS/IPS exam.

There are several myths that one needs to dedicate 15 hours of daily study in order to clear the UPSC exam. This exam is undoubtedly considered one of the toughest examinations as it has a vast syllabus that requires at least a year of preparation. However, with strategic planning and consistency, one can easily clear the three stages of this examination. It is often advisable to start your preparation early.

General category persons who have cracked the exam and been allocated the designations of an IAS/ IPS have always maintained a concise study resource and revised it thoroughly. If you are a new aspirant and want some guidance, follow UPSC Pathshala. We have dedicated mentors to assist you with your preparation.