How to Become an IAS Officer: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Qualification, Eligibility, Steps, Benefits, Salary 2023

Qualification for IAS Officer

There are certain qualification requirements that must be fulfilled in order to become an IAS Officer which are discussed below for your reference.

1. Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree from a recognized institute across any discipline or equivalent degree.
2. Candidates who are in their final year or awaiting results are also eligible for UPSC Preliminary exams. Candidates must have proof that they have cleared their graduation and have to send it along with the application for the mains exams.
3. Candidates having professional and technical qualifications which are recognized by the government are also eligible.
4. Medical students who are in their final year of MBBS, BHMS, BAMS, BDS etc and are yet to complete their internship are also eligible for UPSC prelims exams. 

IAS Officer Eligibility Criteria

Almost every civil service aspirant in India dreams of being an IAS Officer. In order to do so, they must fulfil certain eligibility criteria to be able to take the UPSC exam that is discussed below.

1. The candidate must be a citizen of India or of Indian origin subject to Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet settled in India before 1st January 1962.
2. Candidates must have completed 10+2 from a recognized board with a minimum aggregate of 50% or above from a recognized board.
3. They must complete their graduation from a recognized college or university.
4. Aspiring candidates must be above 21 years and less than 32 years of age to be eligible to sit in the UPSC exam. However, these age criteria vary category-wise.
5. Candidates who are in their final year of graduation or have completed their graduation are also eligible for appearing in UPSC prelims exams but when they clear the prelims exam, candidates have to send their provisional certificate along with the application in order to appear for main examination. 

IAS Age Limit for General

The table below shows the age limit of general category students in order to appear for UPSC Civil Services for your reference, 

Number of Attempts

To become an IAS Officer, candidates need to clear the UPSC Exam. There are a number of attempts that are permissible depending on the category. For better clearance in this regard, category-wise dissection is made relating to the number of attempts. 

Candidates cannot appear in the examination if they have exhausted their permissible limit.

What Does an IAS Officer do

Being an IAS Officer is one of the most sought-after and respected professions in the country. However, the life of an IAS Officer is not a bed of roses. There are many roles and responsibilities that an IAS Officer must fulfil. Some of these have been listed below:

• Handling the tasks given by the government including framing, implementing and reviewing government policies.
• Survey the nearby areas under their jurisdiction to understand the lifestyle of rural people and ensure that they lead decent lives, if not comfortable. 
• They have to manage and allocate funds to various activities that have been disbursed by the central government.
• Supervising and ensuring that all the policies of the government are being enforced properly.
• They also have to be responsible in times of crisis and emergencies like any major accidents, natural disasters or riots in their area of jurisdiction and take immediate steps for relief activities.

Steps to Become IAS Officer

Becoming an IAS Officer requires a lot of hard work and patience. If the candidate has decided to become an IAS Officer, there are certain steps that need to be followed. Some of the important steps are discussed below for your reference,

• Making a decision: It is very obvious that preparing for any government exam is a time-consuming process and requires a lot of patience. Unlike other government exams, UPSC civil services examination is the toughest as it has 3 rounds and various other dimensions to it. If candidates aim to serve the nation and bring positive change to society, then this profession is the best. It is challenging and demanding but at the same time extremely satisfying and respectable.
• Complete Bachelor’s degree: It is one of the mandatory requirements to pursue a bachelor’s degree in any discipline such as arts, commerce, management studies, medicine, journalism, and engineering. Candidates who are still in their final year are also eligible for appearing in the prelims exam but they have to submit their pass certificate in order to appear for the main examinations (if they clear prelims).
• Understand the exam pattern: It is extremely important for the candidate to understand the pattern and work on their timetable accordingly. There are three rounds to clear the UPSC exam. Let’s discuss them one by one. 
  • Start with the preparations: After assessing the exam pattern, candidates must prepare a timetable and allot time to each subject equally and extra time to the top subject that needs more attention. Make a dedicated strategy for each round along with daily newspapers, and important changes made in law, and become aware of national importance politically, economically and socially. 
• Assess your course: It is very important that candidates must practice mock tests for both prelims and mains which will help candidates to analyze their weak areas, writing speed etc. 

How to Become an IAS Officer in India

To become an IAS Officer in India, candidates need to work hard and thoroughly with the general knowledge to build a foundation. Candidates are required to complete 10+2 from a recognized board across any relevant discipline such as Arts, Science, Commerce etc. The majority of the candidates opt for Arts for pursuing civil services. Post clearing higher secondary, candidates must complete their graduation in any relevant disciplines such as arts, management studies, medicine, engineering, and journalism. 

While in college, candidates can start their preparation. Candidates need to clear all three stages of the UPSC Civil Service examination- prelims, mains and interviews. After selection, candidates will be placed for training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie for 4-month training followed by Bharat Darshan and 1-year district training. 

How to Become an IAS Officer After 12th

After class 12th, candidates need to start their preparations accordingly so as to cover the entire syllabus, it might take 8 - 12 months or even more than that. It depends upon the capacity and hard work of candidates. The candidates need to be motivated to continue with their preparations. 

Some of the points that must be kept be followed after completing class 12th to prepare for the IAS examination 

• Candidates must enrol themselves for undergraduate programs in any discipline arts, management studies, medicine, engineering, journalism etc.
• Candidates must complete their graduation from a recognized college/university with a minimum aggregate score of 50% or above
• They must enrol for coaching to get proper direction relating to exams and patterns and how to study and where to start. Coaching centres will provide proper guidance to the candidates.
• Candidates must read daily newspapers and weekly or monthly magazines to get updated with current happenings in the world 
• Candidates must fill up the UPSC CSE form in order to appear for the exam.
• Candidates can also fill up the form to appear for the prelims exam.
• Candidates must read NCERTs and choose their optional subjects and start preparing
• It is advisable that since there are a limited number of attempts, candidates must not waste their attempts until they are fully prepared for the examination.