The craze for Indian Administrative Service posts is something that has been growing decades over decades. Just recall, when you were in school, there was a small group of people who wanted to pursue an IAS career. When you went to college, the number increased by a good margin. When college came to an end, your friends realized that they wanted to do something about their lives, the number of aspirants around you suddenly shot up several times. And now becoming an Indian Administrative Officer has become a rage. But not many know what is the procedure to become an IAS officer? As a beginner, you would want to know the IAS exam procedure so let’s dive in!
IAS Exam Procedure – Step 1: Applying for The Exam
You might want to ask, what is the procedure for applying the IAS exam. The applicants can apply for the UPSC IAS Exam only through the https:/upsconline.nic.in/website of the UPSC, as the offline mode has been discontinued in all forms of the government selection process. Before applying, IAS applicants must complete the notification in order to know about vacancies and the necessary documents. IAS candidates will be able to register for the UPSC Exam about 25 to 30 days from the date of notification.
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IAS Exam Step 2: Appearing for The Exam
The IAS candidates will have about three months of time after the deadline of application form for the prep for Prelims Exam. It has two papers: General Studies Paper 1 and General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT) each bearing 200 marks and length of 2 hours each in morning and afternoon. It will be an objective type of paper. The General Studies Paper 1 will have 100 questions whereas the General Studies Paper 2 will have 80 questions only.
The General Studies Paper 2 is the qualifying paper meaning that you have to score a minimum 33 percent marks to qualify the CSAT paper or else the General Studies Paper 1 will not be assessed. There will be negative marking as well and you will be penalised 1/3rd for each wrong answer.
Next is the IAS Exam Procedure for Mains
IAS Mains Exam is one of the most challenging stages of the IAS Exam and the performance of an aspirant in IAS Mains can be a determining factor in the success of the Exam. The Indian Administrative mains exam consists of a total of 8 papers, including Compulsory Indian Language (only Qualifying), Essay Paper, General Studies Paper 1, General Studies Paper 2, General Studies Paper 3, General Studies Paper 4 and 2 Optional Papers which you have to choose based on your expertise and interest.
Last Round- Personality Interview
After clearing the exam, you will be interviewed by a panel appointed by UPSC, which will have a record of the IAS candidates known as the DAF (Detailed Application Form) before them. The panel will primarily ask questions from the DAF of applicants and questions on subjects of general interest. The key objective of this IAS exam process is to examine not only the academic qualities but also the social attributes and ambitions of the applicants as well.
Conclusion
Adding to all this is the fact that you will represent your country in a significant way. From the creation of different schemes to the execution, you get to work on things that affect people’s lives in a world with a billion people plus, potentially a better population. And because what you’re doing is so similar to social care, you’re rewarded with even more advantages, such as opportunities to fly overseas, job security that’s unparalleled in any other sector, and the chance to research more without any salary cuts.
When such incentives are available, there is no surprise that students are attracted to UPSC exams. A lot of dreams are made and shattered every day but still, people are still crazy about Indian Administrative Services, and there’s no excuse they shouldn’t be.
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