How to become an IAS officer in India?

One becomes an IAS officer in India after qualifying the UPSC Civil Services Examination, also known as the UPSC Exam, IAS exam or Civil Services Exam. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year to recruit suitable candidates as IAS officers, IPS Officers, IFS Officers, etc.

The process to get to these coveted posts is a highly competitive one. Candidates must clear three rounds of examination, i.e., the Preliminary Exam or Prelims, the UPSC Main Examination or Mains, and the Personality Test round.

So, if you have your sights set on becoming an IAS officer it is essential you know the exact process to become one, to avoid any confusion later on in your journey. In this article, we’ll explore the journey to becoming an IAS officer, the role of an IAS officer, the perks and benefits given to IAS officers, and finally how to prepare for civil services exams including Prelims and Mains.

What is the role of an IAS officer?

The role of an IAS officer is to serve the Central and State governments in implementing and administering the policies formulated by the central and state governments and also providing valuable feedback for any government decision-making process. So, basically, an IAS officer assists the government in policy framing and administration, implementation of policies, and providing key feedback to the concerned ministries about the implementation status and impact of the policies.

Now that you know about the exam pattern and procedure, here’s an overview of the application process so you can avoid any confusion or last minute mishaps.

How to become an IAS officer in India  

To become an IAS officer, you need to clear the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC every year. The exam is conducted to recruit civil servants for about 25 services including IAS, IPS, IFS, Central government services as well as other allied services. UPSC releases the notification on the official UPSC website upsc.gov.in, inviting the applications around January-February each year. Thereafter, the admit card will be released and candidates have to appear for the Prelims examination in May. If they qualify for the Mains, candidates must appear for the Mains examination in August. The final Interview round takes place in January of the following year- candidates who qualify for the Interview must then appear for the Personality Test or Interview Round. The final merit score is released as a combination of the score of the Mains exam and Personality Test or Interview round. Candidates at the top of the merit list get selected in the services of their choosing.

Here is the step-by-step process to becoming an IAS officer in India.

Step 1: Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria 

Before appearing for the exam, you must ensure that you meet the IAS eligibility criteria. The basic eligibility criteria is as follows:

To read about the UPSC eligibility criteria in detail, read the linked article.

Once that you know you meet the eligibility criteria, understand the examination process. The next stage in your journey would be to apply for, and get through all the three rounds of examination.

Step 2: Apply for the UPSC Civil Services Examination

To appear for the UPSC CSE Exam, one must apply for the exam before the deadline passes. The UPSC releases the official UPSC notification every year in January/ February highlighting the examination process, number of vacancies,  any changes in the examination process, the number of vacancies etc. Soon afterwards, the UPSC CSE registration forms open up. It is important that aspirants fill up these forms as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

Step 3: Appear for the Prelims

Now that the registration forms are all filled out, one must clear the first round of examination, i.e., the Preliminary Examination.

Let us briefly discuss the exam pattern for UPSC Prelims.

So, as you can see, the UPSC Prelims consists of two papers namely General Studies-I and General Studies-II or the CSAT paper. Aspirants must thoroughly prepare for the Prelims, as it is after this round that maximum amount of aspirants get eliminated. Thus, a solid Prelims preparation strategy is essential.

Once you have passed the first round of examination, the next stage is the UPSC Main examination.

Step 4: Apply for & clear the UPSC Main Examination

The second stage of the exam, the UPSC Main examination is next. Aspirants must clear the Main examination next. Before you can appear for the exam however, candidates need to fill out the DAF-1 which is the detailed application form for the Mains exam. The DAF consists of 8 sections which candidates need to fill out. To read more about the UPSC Mains Registration Process, read the linked article.

Now, let’s understand the Mains Exam Pattern. The Mains paper consists of 9 papers the details of which are mentioned in the table below. 

Step 5: Crack the Interview

After you clear the Mains, now comes the final round- the Interview or the Personality Test round. After testing the knowledge of the candidate, now the UPSC wishes to test the communication skills, analytical skills and personality. The interview generally lasts 20-30 minutes, and is conducted by an interview panel of experienced bureaucrats, academicians, and subject-matter specialists. It carries a total of 275 marks out of the total 2025 marks. The panel generally quizzes candidates on their general awareness, ability to make decisions and reason, and about their background and interests as filled out in the DAF- 1. Candidates must be well-prepared to answer questions based on the details provided in their DAF. The final ranking depends on the combination of marks of the Mains and the Interview round.

Step 6: Undergo IAS training 

After getting through the three stages of examination, the selected candidates go to LBSNAA (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie) to get thorough training for 2 years.

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IAS Salary and Other Facilities Availed by IAS Officer

As per the 7th Central Pay Commission, the basic pay of IAS officers’ salary is Rs. 56,100/-. Moreover, currently, the salary of cabinet secretary, which is the topmost position that can be held by an IAS officer is 2.5 Lakh/month. The other facilities that are enjoyed by the IAS officer include:

• Government accommodation with subsidy facility.

• Security and other staff depending on the situation and requirement.

• Reimbursement of mobile, telephone, and internet charges.

• Household assistance including cooks, gardeners, etc. are provided

• No charges while on-duty for staying in government hotels or bungalows.

• Government transport facilities for all the state and district level officers.

• Monthly pension facility after the retirement.

The post-wise breakup of IAS salary is tabulated below:

How to prepare for the Civil Services exam to become an IAS officer?

The answer to ‘how to become an IAS officer in India’ starts from the preparation strategy! Usually, it takes about 8-12 months to prepare for the Civil Services examination. So, you need to start about a year in advance to prepare the entire syllabus holistically. Here are some basic steps that you need to follow to prepare for the Civil Services examination.

Step Zero: Know about the exam

It is extremely important that you know the exam pattern as well as the exam syllabus of UPSC extremely well. Always keep a copy of the syllabus on your table so that you can refer to it whenever you want to assess the relevance of any topic from examination point of view. So, it is imperative that you have the syllabus mapped in your mind for effective preparation. Next, glance through a few previous year papers to get an idea of how the questions are asked.

Step One: Work on building a strong foundation

A strong foundation is extremely instrumental if you want to offer a robust structure to your preparation. Hence, start with the basics. NCERTs are an extremely important and basic source of information that will introduce you to the subjects that you need to study in detail for UPSC preparation. Hence, refer to the NCERTs to kickstart your preparation for UPSC.

Step Two: Read Standard Books

Now, the first question that might pop up in your minds would be “ Which are the standard books for UPSC preparation”? So, the standard books refer to the books that need to be studied cover to cover for a certain subject. The list of the standard books for UPSC is mentioned in this linked article. Go through it and source all the important books and start reading them. The article also has a list of NCERT books that can be easily downloaded from the official website of NCERT.

Step Three: Master Current Affairs

Direct questions from the current affairs are asked in the Prelims examination every year. Hence, it is important to read the current affairs of about 12-18 months for UPSC. You can either join a course on Current affairs that will surely help you in collating the important information extremely easily or you can cover it via newspapers and magazines.

Step Four: Mock Tests and Answer-writing Practice

Mock tests and answer-writing are the two most important pillars in the UPSC preparation. You cannot complete your UPSC preparation without them! While mock-test helps in analyzing your preparation and give you insights on your weak areas, answer-writing practicing helps in honing your writing skills and perfecting your answer-writing techniques. Hence, implement both of them in your preparation.

Step Five: Revision 

Revision is also the important part of the UPSC preparation. Multiple revisions of what you’ve studied are extremely important for concept retention. We tend to forget the dates and events in General Studies, hence it is very important to revise it multiple times in order to cement those concepts in your mind.

Additionally, you can read more such insightful UPSC preparation-oriented articles here. This is a brief overview of how to become an IAS officer in India. Follow the articles on our website to know full details about the IAS exam in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the eligibility criteria for the IAS exam?

To apply for the IAS exam, one must be an Indian citizen, hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university and be between 21 and 32 years of age (with age relaxation for certain categories.)  Provided you complete your graduation before the final stage of your exam, one can also apply while pursuing graduation.

Who conducts the IAS Exam each year?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the IAS Exam each year.

Can I become an IAS officer after 12th grade?

No, one cannot become an IAS officer after 12th grade. One must complete a graduation degree before they are eligible to sit for the UPSC exam.

What is the training process after selection as an IAS officer?

After being selected as an IAS officer, candidates go through training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, where they learn public administration, law, management, and leadership skills.

How long do aspirants prepare for before attempting the IAS exam?

Aspirants prepare for at least a year before attempting the IAS exam. However, the time one needs to prepare is highly subjective and varies based on your prior knowledge and individual strengths, weaknesses and ability to absorb and retain information.

Can I crack the IAS exam by self-studying?

Yes, one can crack the IAS exam by self-studying as long as they are dedicated, have a structured study routine and self-discipline. Many aspirants prepare without coaching with NCERTs, standard books, previous years papers, and online resources. To get you started, you can find free UPSC study material in the linked article.

When can I apply for the IAS exam?

The registrations for the UPSC exam usually open around January- February each year after the notification is released. The application process happens online. Candidates can be notified about it via the official UPSC website, upsc.gov.in.