UPSC IAS 2020: Union Public Service Commission will be conducting the UPSC IAS Prelims 2020 exam on 31 May 2020 as scheduled in UPSC Calendar 2020-21 doe recruitment of IAS/IPS/IFS officers in Civil Services. UPSC IAS Civil Services is a good opportunity for candidates aspiring to get a job as officer in the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS) and Indian Foreign Services (IFS). In this articles, we have answered the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in context of UPSC IAS Exam 2020 such as Vacancies, Exam Date, Admit Card Date, Exam Pattern & Syllabus, Cut Off, Exam Centre, Result Date, and Notifications. IAS aspirants should definitely go through the following questions to get answers for all their queries.
So, let us look at those Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and their answers in detail:
1. What is UPSC IAS Exam 2020?
Answer: UPSC IAS is the most coveted exam held every year for the recruitment of IAS, IPS, IFS and other officers in Indian Civil Services. The exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in three phases – Prelims, Mains and Interview.
2. What is UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Date 2020?
Answer: The UPSC IAS Prelims exam will be held on 31 May 2020 in various exam centres across India. The exam will be taken up by lakhs of candidates who have applied for the UPSC Civil Services 2020.
3. Is UPSC IAS 2020 Prelims Exam Postponed?
Answer: No, the UPSC IAS Prelims 2020 exam has not been postponed as of now. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) might take decision on the IAS Exam Postponement after May 3, 2020, the last date of Coronavirus lockdown in India. Candidates should frequently visit the official website upsc.gov.in for updates regarding the IAS exam.
4. How many Vacancies will be filled through UPSC IAS Civil Services Recruitment 2020?
Answer: UPSC has notified a total of 796 vacancies under the UPSC IAS Civil Services Recruitment 2020. These 796 posts include 24 vacancies reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD).
5. What are the UPSC IAS Important Dates 2020?
Answer: Have a look at the Important Dates of UPSC IAS 2020 Exam below:
| Event | Date |
| IAS Notification 2020 Release Date | 12 February 2020 |
| Start of IAS Application Process | 12 February 2020 |
| Last Date of IAS Application Process | 3 March 2020 |
| IAS Admit Card 2020 release date | May 2020 |
| IAS Prelims Exam Date 2020 | 31 May 2020 |
| IAS Mains Exam Date 2020 | 18 September 2020 |
6. What is the AGE LIMIT to apply for UPSC IAS Recruitment 2020?
Answer: Have a look at the age limit for UPSC IAS 2020:
Minimum Age Limit: 21 Years
Upper Age Limit for IAS:
| General | 32 Years |
| OBC | 35 Years |
| SC & ST | 37 Years |
| PwD | 42 Years |
7. What is the Eligibility Criteria and Educational Qualifications for UPSC IAS/IPS/IFS 2020?
Answer: Have a look at the detailed eligibility criteria including the educational qualification for the UPSC IAS Recruitment 2020:
| Nationality | Citizen of India OR
Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, OR Indian-origin person migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaire, and Ethiopia |
| Educational Qualification | Graduate Degree in any discipline
(no minimum percent required) |
| Age Limit | As mentioned above |
8. What is the Selection Process for IAS Officer?
Answer: The UPSC follows three-phased selection process for IAS Officer:
Prelims
Mains
Interview
9. Is UPSC IAS Exam conducted Online OR Offline?
Answer: UPSC IAS 2020 Prelims & Mains Exam are held offline in pen and paper mode.
10. What is the EXAM PATTERN for UPSC IAS Prelims & Mains 2020 exams?
Answer: The exam pattern is different for UPSC IAS Prelims and IAS Mains exam. The UPSC IAS Prelims is an objective multiple choice questions (MCQ) format exam and the IAS Mains is a descriptive format exams. Have a look at the detailed exam pattern of both the phases below along with the number of questions asked and marking scheme:
IAS Prelims 2020 Exam Pattern
| Paper | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Time Duration |
| Paper I: General Studies | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Paper II: General Studies (CSAT) – Qualifying | 80 | 200 | 2 Hours |
IAS Mains 2020 Exam Pattern
| Paper | Name | Time Duration | Marks |
| Paper – A | Any Indian Language
(objective) – Qualifying |
3 Hours | 300 |
| Paper – B | English (objective) – Qualifying | 3 Hours | 300 |
| Paper I | Essay | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper II | General Studies I | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper III | General Studies II | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper IV | General Studies III | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper V | General Studies IV | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper VI | Optional Paper I | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Paper VII | Optional Paper-II | 3 Hours | 250 |
| Total | 1750 | ||
| Interview | 275 | ||
| Total | 2025 | ||
For detailed exam pattern, visit the following link:
11. Is there negative marking in UPSC IAS Exam 2020?
Answer: Yes, there is negative marking of 1/3rd marks for each wrong answer in IAS Prelims exam and in IAS Mains objective papers.
12. How many ATTEMPTS are allowed for UPSC IAS Exam 2020?
Answer: The total of attempts are different for different category candidates. Have a look:
GEN: 6
EWS: 6
OBC: 9
SC/ ST: Till the Age limit
PwD – OBC: 9
PwD -SC/ST: Till the Age limit
13. When will the UPSC IAS Admit Card 2020 release?
Answer: Union Public Service Commission is expected to release the UPSC IAS Admit Card 2020 in May 2020 first week as the exam is scheduled to be held on 31 May 2020.
14. How to download UPSC IAS 2020 Admit Card?
Answer: Candidates can download the UPSC IAS Admit Card easily by visiting the official website upsc.gov.in. Follow the given steps to download the IAS Admit Card:
Step 1: Visit upsc.gov.in
Step 2: Click on Admit Card download link
Step 3: Enter your Registration ID OR Roll Number and Date of Birth.
Step 4: Click on Submit button.
Step 5: Download UPSC IAS Admit Card 2020
15. What is the SALARY of IAS Officer after 7th Pay Commission?
Answer: The Salary of an IAS officer is different for different grades and posts. Have a look at the pay scale or salary structure for IAS/IPS/IFS officers as per 7th CPC Pay Commission:
| Pay Level | Basic Pay | Years of Service Required | Posts |
| 10 | Rs 56,100 | 1-4 | ASP/SDM/Assistant Commissioner |
| 11 | Rs 67,700 | 5-8 | ADM/Deputy Secretary/Undersecretary |
| 12 | Rs 78,800 | 9-12 | DM/Joint Secretary/Deputy Secretary |
| 13 | Rs 1,18,500 | 13-16 | DM/ Special Secretary-Director/ Director |
| 14 | Rs 1,44,200 | 16-24 | Divisional Commissioner/Secretary-Commissioner/Joint Secretary |
| 15 | Rs 1,82,200 | 25-30 | Divisional Commissioner/Principal Secretary/ Additional Secretary |
| 16 | Rs 2,05,400 | 30-33 | Additional Chief Secretary |
| 17 | Rs 2,25,000 | 34-36 | Chief Secretary |
| 18 | Rs 2,50,000 | Above 37 years | Cabinet Secretary |
16. What is the highest post of an IAS Officer?
Answer: The highest post of an IAS Officer in the state is of the “Chief Secretary” and the highest post at all-India level is of the “Cabinet Secretary” in Union Government
