What Rank is Required to Become an IAS Officer

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examinations (CSE) to select eligible candidates for various civil services departments under the Indian government. The posts in the civil services are allotted to the candidates based on their UPSC exam marks and UPSC rank. Your position in the UPSC rank list will decide whether you are selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), or other branches of civil services.

 CSE is one of the toughest exams in India. Hundreds of thousands of candidates from across India appear for the UPSC exam, which features two written exams - preliminary and mains - and an interview.

 Candidates clearing all the phases of the recruitment process are recruited in the respective departments according to the rank they achieved in the UPSC result. To become an IAS officer, you must work extremely hard and secure a good all-India rank.

 As the level of competition is tough, you need to start your preparations based on the UPSC syllabus for IAS at least one year before the UPSC exam date.

During the preparations, you may also refer to the UPSC previous year's question paper. This can help improve your chances of securing a higher position in the UPSC rank list. Read on to learn more about UPSC by joining the UPSC online coaching to become an IAS officer.

The Selection Process followed for UPSC IAS

The UPSC exam paper has three stages: the preliminary examination, the main examination, and the personality test- interview. After completing these three stages, if you feature in the merit list, you will have to undergo a medical examination and document verification process. After completing these steps, the UPSC selects the post to be allotted based on your performance and all-India rank.

 According to the research, around ten lakh candidates apply for the UPSC CSE annually. After the vacancies in civil services are filled, the selected candidates must undergo a training program and join the duties in the allotted cities per the assigned profile.

Selection for IAS profiles

While filling out the application form for the civil services examinations, candidates get to choose their preference for the desired post and zone if they get selected. The candidates must fill out all their preferences in descending order as instructed in the application form. The candidates who do not fill this section are considered fine with any zone or post as they have no specific preference.

 Numerous services can be allotted to candidates selected after the UPSC CSE result has been declared. The All-India Services include Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and Indian Police Services (IPS). Other than these two, all other services in the civil services come under Central Services Group A and Group B categories.

Post Allocation for the Selected Candidates

Every year the number of vacancies and candidates applying for the UPSC CSE exam changes. So, no specific rank can help you become an IAS, IFS, or IPS officer. Though, you can try and analyze the cut-off and ranks from the previous years and prepare as per the UPSC syllabus for getting the desired posting accordingly.

 Also, Read UPSC Classes

The following points are kept in consideration while allocating the posts to the selected candidates based on the UPSC result:

• Rank in the civil service examination
• Preference order in the application form
• Category of the candidate
• Vacancy availability in the candidate’s category
• Medical report of the candidate provided by the medical board

Based on these, selected candidates are allotted to any of the posts available in the civil services under the Indian Government. The allocation also depends on the vacancies available in the state the candidate has applied for and the cadre preference specified by the candidate.

Rank Allotted for IAS in Previous Years

As mentioned above, no specific range of ranks is required to become an IAS officer. You can always go through the UPSC rank list from previous years, which will help you analyze the selection process and work accordingly to get the desired UPSC rank.

 2020

In 2020, a total of 836 vacancies were announced, out of which 761 candidates were selected.

 In 2019

In 2019, a total of 927 vacancies were announced, and 829 candidates were selected.

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Conclusion

The allocation process for the IAS posts is decided by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) once all the phases of the selection process are conducted. The UPSC ranks required for getting selected as a UPSC IAS officer are based on the candidate's preference of zone and cadre, category, and the marks obtained by the candidates in all the phases. The candidates must analyze the vacancies released by the commission according to different states and fill their preferences accordingly.

Candidates can start their preparation by referring to the last 10 years UPSC question papers with answers in PDF. Next, they must access the best learning resources to enhance their knowledge. Visit the Physicswallah website and access the best study material in the form of live classes, revision notes, and much more to be better prepared to qualify for the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. On what basis is the candidate recruited as an IAS officer?

The allocation of any candidate as an IAS officer depends on various things like the preference of the candidate regarding the zone and, cadre, category of the candidate. It marks obtained by the candidate according to the desired cut-off.

 2.  What are the phases of the recruitment process at UPSC?

The candidates have to go through three phases before they are recruited for the civil services department in the Indian Government. These phases are the preliminary examination, main examination, and personality test (Interview). After clearing these phases, the candidate must undergo a medical test to be assigned a civil services post.

 3. What ranks are required to become an IAS officer?

There is no specific range of ranks through which the candidate will be selected as an IAS officer. According to the previous recruitment process, the candidates can analyze the chosen ranks based on their category for becoming an IAS officer.

 4. How are posts allocated to the candidates in UPSC?

The posts are allocated based on the overall merit ranking of the selected candidates. Their score and preferences are considered while assigning them the posts.