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IAS 2020 Exam will be conducted by UPSC on May 31, 2020, IAS is a national level competitive exam conducted annually to recruit candidates for civil services like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, IDAS, CAPF-AF and others. As per IAS 2020 Eligibility, candidates holding a bachelor's degree can apply for the civil services exam. 

• IAS 2020 notification and application form will be released on February 12, 2020. The last day to submit IAS 2020 Application Form is March 3, 2020.
• The application fee is INR 100 for General, OBC and EWS categories whereas SC, ST, PWD and Female candidates are exempted from fee payment.
• As per IAS 2020 Exam Pattern, the prelims paper will have two 2-hour long offline tests of 200 marks each having multiple-choice questions. 
• General Studies 1 paper will have 100 questions and General Studies II (CSAT) will have 80 questions.
• CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is a qualifying paper and 33% is the qualifying marks.
• IAS 2020 Syllabus is set to test candidate’s aptitude and knowledge of general history, politics, science, environment, and current affairs.
• Candidates qualifying in the prelims exam will have to appear in IAS Main Exam on September 18, 2020.  
• Main exam qualifiers will be invited for interview round and final merit will be based on performance in the main exam and interview round. 

Highlights of IAS Exam 2020

The key points about IAS exam 2020 are highlighted below:

IAS 2020 Exam Dates 

UPSC has announced official IAS 2020 Exam Dates, candidates can follow the timeline mentioned in the table below for IAS 2020:

Age Limit & Educational Qualifications for IAS

Candidates have to fulfill the eligibility criteria set by the authorities to take the exam. The eligibility parameters are set on the basis of Nationality, Age Limit, Educational Qualifications, Number of Attempts and Physical Standards. Given below are the IAS Exam Eligibility Criteria:

Nationality

• For IAS and IPS, applicants must be a citizen of India.
• Other services require candidates to be either,

1. Citizen of India
2. Subject of Nepal
3. Subject of Bhutan
4. Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, to settle permanently.
5. An Indian origin migrant from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam who came to permanently settle in India.

IAS Age Limit

• The lower age limit for IAS Exam 2020 is 21 years as on August 1, 2020, while the upper age limit is 32 years.
• There is upper age relaxation for reserved category candidates, which is as follows:
  1. SC/ST- Up to 5 years
  2. OBC- Up to 3 years
  3. Defense Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities- Up to 3 years
  4. Ex-servicemen- Up to 5 years
  5. ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service- Up to 5 years
  6. PwD candidates- Up to 10 years
  7. Domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir from January 1, 1981, to December 31, 1990 - Up to 5 years.

IAS Educational Qualification Requirements

• Applicants must hold a graduate degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized university

IAS Number of Attempts

• Only six attempts are allowed for a candidate to clear IAS Exam 2020.

UPSC IAS 2020 Application Form

IAS 2020 Application Formwill be available from February 12, 2020. Candidates can fill the civil services application form in online mode only at the official website – upsc.gov.in. The last day to apply for IAS 2020 Exam is March 3, 2020. 

How to Fill IAS 2020 Application Form?

There are four simple steps involved in IAS Application Process – online registration, filling up the form, uploading documents and fee payment. The step by step procedure to apply for IAS Exam is given below:

Step 1: IAS 2020 Registration

1. Visit the official website – upsc.gov.in
2. Click on the link ‘UPSC Civil Services Examination 2020’ under Active Examinations section
3. Enter your Name, Date of Birth, Email Address and Mobile Number.
4. Enter the captcha and click on “Submit” button. You will receive your login credentials at registered ID.

Step 2: Fill IAS 2020 Application Form

1. Log in again using your credentials to fill the application form.
2. Candidates have to fill their Personal, Educational, Parental and Employment details.
3. Keep saving each module after filling the details.
4. You can make changes before the final submission.
5. However, no changes would be possible after the final submission, hence fill the application form very carefully.

Step 3: Uploading Documents

Candidates have to upload the following documents in the application form:

• Passport-size photograph
• scanned image of their signature

Step 4: Pay IAS Application Fee

1. Choose the payment method between online or offline mode
2. For online payment, candidates can use credit card/debit card/Rupay card or Internet Banking Services.
3. For offline payment, download the e-challan and submit the cash in SBI bank branches on the next day itself.
4. IAS Registration fee is INR 100 for General, EWS and OBC candidates whereas SC, ST, PwD and Female candidates are exempted from fee payment.

Posts Offered through IAS

There is a tentative of 782 vacancies this year via the civil services exam. Following posts are offered in two given groups:

IAS 2020 Admit Card

The admit card for IAS Prelims Exam will be released in April 2020. Candidates can download their admit cards by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Visit the official website of UPSC
2. Click on the link ‘Download IAS Admit Card 2020’ 
3. Read the instructions mentioned carefully and click ‘Yes’
4. Enter Registration ID or Roll Number followed by Date of Birth of the candidate
5. Submit after entering the captcha in the given blank field
6. Print IAS Admit Card

Discrepancy in IAS Admit Card

In case the candidate finds any discrepancy in IAS 2020 Admit Card, he/she must report it immediately to the UPSC examination authorities. Note that following particulars must be enclosed in the redressal document:

• Name and Year of Examination
• Registration ID
• Roll number
• Name in BLOCK LETTERS
• Complete postal address

IAS 2020 Exam Pattern

IAS Exam 2020 consists of 3 stages namely Preliminary, Main and Personal Interview. Each exam has a different pattern and number of questions.

• Preliminary exam in IAS Exam 2020 is just a screening test to shortlist candidates for the further selection process.
• Those who qualify Prelims are required to re-register for IAS Main 2020 which is qualifying in nature.
• Further, selected candidates will appear for the personal interview round.

IAS 2020 Exam Pattern is given in the table below:

UPSC IAS 2020 Syllabus

IAS Syllabus is decided by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) each year. Each stage in the IAS exam has a different syllabus.

• IAS Syllabus for Prelims evaluates a candidate’s knowledge and aptitude in current affairs.
• IAS Syllabus for Main assesses a candidate’s academic expertise in his specialized subject. It also tests his ability to present knowledge in a clear and coherent manner and his overall intellectual traits and understanding of concepts. 
• IAS Exam 2020 covers questions from History, Polity, Geography and Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ecology and Environment, Economics, Arts and Culture, Social Welfare and GK. 
• In the Main examination, candidates have to choose two optional subjects in which they have specialization and the level of paper corresponds to the bachelors’ degree.

Preparation Books for IAS Exam 2020

The following books can assist candidates to prepare well for one of the most competitive government exams of the country. Find below the list of Preparation books for IAS Exam 2020:

Read IAS Preparation Tips

How to Check IAS 2020 Result?

UPSC will declare IAS Preliminary Exam Result in July 2020 at upsc.gov.in.  Candidates can follow the below steps to access IAS Result 2020:

1. Visit the official website of IAS i.e. upsc.gov.in
2. Click on the link which says ‘View IAS Result 2020’
3. Find your roll number in the list of the roll numbers mentioned in the PDF
4. Download PDF for future reference

IAS Cutoff 2020

• IAS Cutoff Marks is the minimum score that must be obtained by the candidate in order to qualify the exam.
• Candidates scoring more than or equal to the cutoff marks are eligible for the next stage of IAS selection process.
• The cutoff for both prelims and main depends upon a number of factors like the difficulty level of the exam, vacancies available and number of appearing candidates etc.
• The cutoff for each stage is released by the authorities post the completion of entire process of civil services examination. Meanwhile, candidates can check IAS 2020 Expected Cutoff for different categories as tabulated below:

IAS Selection Process 2020

The selection process of IAS Exam is a 3 stage assessment, wherein, candidates have to appear for Prelims, main and Personal Interview round.

• Preliminary exam is basically a screening test in which, over 8 lakh candidates participate every year.
• There are two papers for candidates to attempt compulsorily in IAS Exam 2020 Prelims.
• Further, on the basis of IAS Exam 2020 result for prelims, candidates register for main exam.
• IAS main exam will cover 9 conventional essay type papers, 2 being optional in them.
• The main exam and interview session form the basis of a candidate’s selection.
• After the IAS Exam 2020 main examination of 1750 marks, candidates have to clear the cutoff as decided by UPSC.
• Those who clear the cutoff are called for the Interview session which is the last stage of IAS Selection Process.
• Marks obtained in personal interview out of the total of 275 marks will also be considered while preparing the list of finally selected candidates.

IAS 2020 FAQs

Ques. What is the IAS Exam?

Ans. IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service. It is a civil services exam that is conducted by UPSC each year. It contains 3 stages viz. Prelims, Prelims and Interview. All shortlisted candidates can choose from the given Group A/ B posts.

Ques. What is the salary of an IAS officer?

Ans. The 7th Pay Commission recommendations were approved by Cabinet on May 19, 2016. Now the basic pay of entry level IAS officers is INR 56100. Allowances like Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Travel Allowance (TA) will be extra. The salary will increase as experience increases. The basic pay of Cabinet Secretary is fixed at INR 2,50,000.