UPSC Age Limit & Attempt Eligibility Calculator
Verify your exact age as of the official 1st August cutoff date, check attempts remaining across categories (General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, PwBD), and see your complete 10-year eligibility roadmap.
UPSC verifies age against your Class 10 / Secondary School Certificate.
Sets your upper age limit and number of attempts.
PwBD adds 10 years, ex-servicemen 5 and disabled defence personnel 3, on top of the OBC, SC or ST relaxation. Only PwBD also adds attempts. UPSC's CSE 2026 notice, para 3 →
Appeared in at least 1 Prelims paper
Calculate status for this cycle
Eligible to Appear
You meet the age limit and have attempts left under UPSC's rules.
⚖️ Strategy Tip
A serious attempt requires 8 to 10 months of focused coverage. Never give an unprepared attempt just to test the waters.
Working full-time? See the 25-Hour Weekly BlueprintYour 10-Year UPSC Eligibility Timeline (2026–2035)
Projected year-by-year status based on your category and remaining attempt budget.
| Exam Year | Age on 1 Aug | Attempt No. | Status |
|---|
* Note: Attempts are counted from your target exam, assuming you sit every year after it; earlier years only show whether you could sit. Under official UPSC CSE rules, an attempt is consumed only when you physically appear in at least one paper of the Preliminary Examination. Skipping a cycle saves your attempt count until your upper age ceiling.
Every eligibility rule in one place, from UPSC's own notice: dates, age limits, attempts and exam pattern → · हिंदी में
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Each attempt is a year of your life. Go in prepared: weekly targets and honest evaluation from the first month.
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Frequently asked questions about UPSC age & attempts
What is the crucial cutoff date for UPSC age limit calculation? ↓
UPSC counts your age as on 1st August of the exam year. For example, for UPSC CSE 2026, the candidate must be at least 21 years old and must not have attained 32 years of age on 1st August 2026.
What is the age limit and number of attempts for General & EWS category? ↓
For General and EWS candidates, the minimum age is 21 years and maximum age is 32 years as on 1st August of the exam year. General and EWS candidates are permitted a maximum of 6 attempts.
What is the age relaxation and attempt limit for OBC candidates? ↓
OBC candidates (Non-Creamy Layer) receive a 3-year age relaxation, making the upper age limit 35 years as on 1st August. OBC candidates are permitted up to 9 attempts.
What are the rules for SC and ST candidates? ↓
SC and ST candidates receive a 5-year age relaxation, making the upper age limit 37 years as on 1st August. There is no restriction on the number of attempts for SC/ST candidates up to the age of 37.
Does filling the UPSC application form count as an attempt? ↓
No. Merely filling out the UPSC CSE application form or downloading the admit card does NOT count as an attempt. An attempt is officially counted only if a candidate actually appears in at least one paper of the Preliminary Examination (Paper I or Paper II).
What is the age relaxation for PwBD (Physically Handicapped) candidates? ↓
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities get 10 extra years, added to any category relaxation: the upper age limit is 42 for General and EWS, 45 for OBC and 47 for SC and ST. PwBD candidates from General, EWS and OBC get 9 attempts; SC and ST PwBD candidates have unlimited attempts within the age limit.
What is the age relaxation for ex-servicemen in UPSC CSE? ↓
Ex-servicemen, including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs with at least five years of military service who have been released, get up to 5 extra years, so 37 for General and EWS, 40 for OBC and 42 for SC and ST. They do not get extra attempts: a General ex-serviceman still has 6. Defence personnel disabled in operations get 3 extra years.
Is there any age relaxation for women in UPSC? ↓
No. UPSC's notice gives no separate age relaxation or extra attempts for women; the limits depend only on category, disability and ex-servicemen status. Women are exempt from the application fee.
