# The Preliminary Examination of the Civil Services Examination is held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFoS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other Central Services, such as the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). The test is held to select candidates for the Indian Forest Service.
# Civil service and forest exam attempts are counted separately. As a result, showing up for one does not rule out the possibility of showing up for the other. You can apply for Indian Forest Services even if you have failed all of your Civil Services Examination attempts. There are two distinct recruitment processes.
# The IFoS selection method is divided into three stages: preliminary, major examination, and personality test. The first part of the examination is the same for both exams. The first stage examination is the prelims, which is the same for both. The application form will have distinct sections for CSE and IFoS, which candidates must fill out specifically.
# Aspirants must take the Civil Services (Preliminary) test and pass it to advance to the second part of the examination, i.e., IFoS (Main Examination). Shortlisted candidates for the IFoS Main Examination are those who pass the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and meet the IFoS eligibility conditions.
# There is only one thing to keep in mind. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in any subject are eligible to apply for the Indian Administrative Services as long as they meet the other requirements. To apply for the forest services, a candidate must have a graduate degree in agriculture, forestry, or engineering, or a graduate degree in one of the following subjects: animal husbandry and veterinary science, chemistry, botany, geology, mathematics, physics, statistics, and zoology.
What if I Apply for Both Civil Services and Forest Service?
A combined competitive examination is used for preliminary screening and shortlisting of candidates. The mains exam for both of them is conducted within a few weeks of each other, enabling the candidate to prepare well for both.
It is usually preferable to have command of both exams. But the cut-off for the IFoS exam is a little bit higher than that of IAS. To clear this cut-off, one must prepare thoroughly for the prelims, which necessitates a significant amount of effort.
You may study for both the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) and the Indian Forest Service Examination (IFoS) at the same time and pass both. Some people may find it difficult to prepare for both in the given time period, but they can use the following strategies.
# Common Strategy vs Different Strategy
Both the Civil Services Examination and the Indian Forest Services Examination have the same preparatory exam. While the main test for CSE and IFoS differs, there are many subjects that are included in both stages. Candidates might perform well on both examinations by taking advantage of the overlapping subjects.
# Begin with the Basics
It is recommended that you begin your UPSC preparation with fundamental texts.
# Read Newspaper Regularly
Make it a practice to read the newspaper on a daily basis to keep up with current events.
# The Importance of Handwritten Notes
Both the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) and the Indian Forest Services Examination (IFoS) rely heavily on self-made notes for success (IFoS). The discipline of taking notes is more essential than the practice of writing answers.
# Mock Exams for Practice
It is recommended that you practise mock examinations for both the Prelims and Mains in a timed way.
The more mock tests you take, the more likely you are to improve your grades.
# The Importance of Setting High Goals
The UPSC CSE cut-off is usually 10-15 marks higher than the IFoS Prelims cut-off. Even if you don’t meet the IFoS cut-off, you might be able to meet the UPSC CSE cut-off if you prepare for both examinations at the same time.
# In the UPSC Prelims, Attempt At Least 90 Questions
If you want to be considered for both the UPSC CSE and IFoS Mains, you need to try more than 90 questions (out of the 100 questions in the question paper).
# What can be done in addition for IFoS as Compared to CSE
Learn how to make your mains exam responses more accurate.
Practice as many mock papers as possible.
Strengthen basic skills, such as those taught in NCERT.
Is IFoS Tougher than IAS?
# Both IFoS and IAS examinations are equally hard and tough to crack. There is not much comparison; one can find any of the two harder, as per their interest and knowledge.
# It is often believed that passing the IAS is the most difficult task. IFoS, on the other hand, has a higher level of competition. This is due to the fact that the number of openings in the IFoS has traditionally been smaller than the IAS, resulting in a large number of candidates competing for fewer places in IFoS recruiting. For example, the UPSC advertised 796 IAS jobs in 2020, compared to 90 IFoS posts.
# The IFoS prelims cutoff is 10–12 points higher than the CSE cut-off. Now it’s a battle to get those extra 10–12 points.
# For the IAS exam, English is required merely to qualify, but for IFoS, the marks secured are taken into account while determining your rank.
How Can One Apply for Both Simultaneously?
# When applying for the Prelims Examination, one has the option of choosing to give any of the following:
#Only CSE
#Only IFoS
#Both the IFoS and the CSE
As a result, by selecting the third option, a person can apply for both examinations at the same time.
# To apply for both examinations, one must not only have a thorough understanding of forests, wildlife, and environmental concerns in India and throughout the world, but also other affairs covered under the syllabus of both exams.
Conclusion
You can choose to apply for either IAS or IFoS, or even both exams simultaneously. This might seem like a big challenge because both exams have certain requirements and a vast syllabus. But in the end, you can achieve anything if you put in the appropriate effort and hard work.
Just have a clear strategy and detailed plan for your study, as well as a suitable timetable and routines, and keep studying and developing, and you will be able to pass any exam. UPSC Pathshala provides you with the best material and resources to assist you in your preparation journey.
Thank you for the complete information about the IFS and IAS examination. This is fruitful for my preparation.
Both of these exams are tye most prestigious and exemplary. Do you want some more information regarding it?
This article has gas covered all the mandatory points and aspects. What do you think?
Thank you for providing the preparing tips above, they were very helpful, what do you guys think, what should someone opt for?
The info was very helpful. I wanted to know if I can apply for IAS and IFoS simultaneously.