UPSC IES/ISS

Key Dates

  • Expected Notification: February 11, 2026
  • Expected Application Start: February 11, 2026
  • Expected Application End: March 3, 2026
  • Expected Exam Dates: June 19-21, 2026 (Tentative) 

1. Examination Overview

  • Exam Name: Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2026
  • Service(s): Indian Economic Service / Indian Statistical Service
  • Conducting Authority: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
  • Exam Level: National
  • Recruitment Year: 2026
  • Mode of Examination: Written Examination (Descriptive/Conventional and Objective as per scheme) and Interview
  • Total Stages: Two (Written Examination and Viva-Voce/Interview)
  • Source Documents Used: Last year Official UPSC Examination Notice No.07/2025-IES/ISS dated 12.02.2025 (uploaded PDF). Secondary sources used for structural validation only.

2. Eligibility Criteria

  • Nationality Requirements: A candidate must be: (a) a citizen of India; or (b) a subject of Nepal; or (c) a subject of Bhutan; or (d) a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 01.01.1962; or (e) a person of Indian origin from specified countries who migrated to settle permanently in India. Candidates belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) & (e) must possess a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.
  • Age Limits (Minimum & Maximum): A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August.
  • Age Relaxation Categories:
    • Up to 5 years for Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.
    • Up to 3 years for Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates eligible for reservation.
    • Up to 5 years for Ex-servicemen (including Commissioned Officers & ECOs/SSCOs) with at least 5 years of service.
    • Up to 3 years for Defence Services Personnel disabled during hostilities.
    • Up to 10 years for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD).
    • Cumulative relaxation is admissible for SC/ST/OBC candidates who are also covered under Ex-servicemen or PwBD categories.
  • Educational Qualifications:
    • IES-specific: A Post-Graduate Degree in Economics/Applied Economics/Business Economics/Econometrics from a recognized Indian or approved Foreign University.
    • ISS-specific: A Bachelor’s Degree with Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics as a subject or a Master’s degree in Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics from a recognized Indian or approved Foreign University.
    • Note: For ISS, the study of Statistics as a component of a multidisciplinary course for one or two semesters is not considered eligibility. It must be studied in all years of the Bachelor’s Degree Course.
  • Number of Attempts: Not specified in the provided document.
  • Physical / Medical Standards: Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission as per Regulations given in Appendix III of the Examination Rules.
  • Any Other Eligibility Conditions: Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination are eligible to apply but must submit proof of passing before the prescribed deadline.

3. Examination Plan (Stage-wise Structure)

  • Stage I: Written Examination
    • Type of Examination: Descriptive/Conventional (Essay) Type for most papers. Objective Type for Statistics-I & II in ISS.
    • Papers: General English, General Studies (Common to IES & ISS), and Service-specific subject papers.
    • Nature of Papers: Subjective (Descriptive) and Objective as per the scheme.
    • Marks: Maximum of 1000 marks.
    • Duration: 3 hours per paper (except Statistics-I & II, which are 2 hours each).
    • Qualifying vs Merit-counting status: All papers are counted for merit.
  • Stage II: Viva-Voce / Interview
    • Nature of Assessment: Personality Test/Interview by a Board to assess suitability for the service.
    • Marks: Maximum of 200 marks.

4. Subject / Paper Structure (Official Scheme)

5. Examination Marks Summary

  • Total Stages: 2
  • Total Written Papers: 6 (for each service)
  • General Papers: 2 (General English & General Studies, common to both services)
  • Service-specific Papers: 4
  • Written Examination Marks: 1000
  • Interview Marks: 200
  • Grand Total Marks:

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