The UPSC – Civil Services Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year to recruit officers into the Central Services and All India Services. So, aspirants who want to become IAS/IPS/IFS or IRS officers can apply for the exam after forms are released by UPSC on their official website. Also, candidates have to complete UPSC-CSE registration and apply online for the exam after the release of the notification for the same. Also, the UPSC exam application date is the foremost aspect of the CSE registration and form process.
Further, the UPSC-CSE is held in three stages – Prelims, Mains, and the Personality test (Board interview) and we will be discussing the UPSC Online Registration and application process.
[speaker-mute]- About UPSC Online Registration
- UPSC exam application dates
- UPSC Apply Online Registration process
- How to Apply Online for the UPSC Exam?
- Step by step guide – UPSC Online Registration and form fill-up
- First step – UPSC Online Registration
- Second step – UPSC Exam Fee
- Third step – UPSC Centre Selection
- Fourth step – Photograph and Signature Upload
- Fifth step – Declaration
- IAS Application Fees – UPSC Online Registration
- Documents required to apply for UPSC exam form online
- UPSC Online Registration and Application Form Guidelines
- Exam centres
- FAQS on UPSC Online Registration
- COVID-19 Update | UPSC Online Registration
About UPSC Online Registration
Candidates have to apply for the UPSC registration and exam form online only. But, before filling the form, one must be thorough with the details of filling the same. So, read the instructions properly so you avoid making mistakes while filling the form. You must avoid mistakes because UPSC does not entertain specific mistakes. You should also check out the official website of UPSC for important notifications and details.
Another important point to keep in mind is that the UPSC application form is available in English and Hindi. But, you can apply for the same only in English. For further clarity, you must always keep an eye on the notifications on UPSC’s official website.
Generally, the UPSC Online Registration and exam form is released in the first week of February every year. Candidates can appear for the exam only if they fulfill the eligibility criteria of the UPSC exam. We will tell you all about the registration process, document upload, fee payment, etc. in this article so you do not have to face any difficulty while filling the form.
UPSC exam application dates

Examination Name | Civil Services Examination 2018 |
---|---|
Organizer | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Mode of application | Online |
Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
Generally, UPSC notifications and UPSC exam application date are approximately released in the following manner:
Important events | Important Dates |
UPSC Notification 2018 Release Date | February |
UPSC Online Registration and application start date | 1st week of February |
Online application form last date | 1st week of March |
UPSC CSE prelims Exam | May-June |
Mains Exam form dates | July-August |
Civil Services Mains Exam | Sept-Oct |
Interview | March-April |
UPSC Apply Online Registration process

The first step is the CSE registration process. So, candidates will have to click on the ‘apply button’ in the lower right portion of the website. After registering, candidates will get further details on their mail/ or an SMS on their phone when filling the form with personal, educational details, choice of exam center, etc. Candidates also have to upload images of photo and signature with specific dimensions. Finally, the application fee is to be paid after which the entire form filling process will be complete.
Further, you can check the requirements of photo and signature here.
How to Apply Online for the UPSC Exam?
UPSC Civil Services Exam releases notification for online CSE registration and filling of the application form. The form is available at the official website of UPSC and candidates can log in after they have registered to further the process of the online application process. Also, keep all documents and images ready before you fill the application form. Now, let us look at the steps one by one so every step is crystal clear and you can easily fill the form in one go.
Step by step guide – UPSC Online Registration and form fill-up
Check out the following steps which form an integral part of the CSE registration:
First step – UPSC Online Registration
- Keep an eye on the UPSC exam application dates on the official website of UPSC.
- After confirming the dates, visit the site again.
- Further, click on the link ‘UPSC Civil Services Examination’ under the Active Examinations section.
- Candidates also have to fill in their personal, educational details along with a bunch of other information like parents’ names, employment status, etc.
- After you have filled the pages, keep saving them before you move on to the next page of the form. You have to fill 6 of these before the final submission.
- You get the chance to make changes before the final submission. No changes will be possible after the final submission. So, fill the form carefully and slowly.
- Some of the columns will already be filled. This is from the details that you provide during the registration.
- Also, you cannot change the important details like date of birth. But, you will have to write to UPSC if you fail to fill your form correctly. It becomes a long and hectic process. So, it’s better to take time and fill the form.
Second step – UPSC Exam Fee
- The Application Form Fee for UPSC-CSE is 100 rupees. However, reserved categories and female candidates need not pay any fee.
- You can either make online or offline payment for the application form. You can either choose credit card/debit card/Rupay card or Internet Banking to pay through online mode.
- For offline payment, download the e-challan, fill it and then deposit the fees at any SBI branch near you.
- After fee payment, download and save the filled UPSC Application Form for further possible usage.
Third step – UPSC Centre Selection
- Next, you have to choose the centre of your choice from among the available centres.
- Also, candidates have to choose the exam city of their choice only from the available choices only.
Fourth step – Photograph and Signature Upload
Candidates have to upload the following documents in UPSC-CSE Application Form in specific format and dimensions:
Images | Dimension | Size | Format |
---|---|---|---|
Photograph | 3.5 cm X 4.5 cm | 20Kb – 300Kb | jpg |
Signature | 3.5 cm X 1.5 cm | cm 20Kb – 300Kb | jpg |
Fifth step – Declaration
- Finally, Click on the ‘I Agree’ button and then candidates may submit their online application form.
- You can also take a print out of the application form for future reference.
IAS Application Fees – UPSC Online Registration
The UPSC-CSE exam registration fees is 100 rupees. However, female candidatesand SC/ST/PwD candidates are exempted from this fee payment.
Category | UPSC-CSE form Fee |
---|---|
General/ EWS/ OBC Candidates (Male) | 100 rupees |
Female candidates (All Categories) | Exempted from fee payment |
SC / ST / PH candidates | Exempted from fee payment |
- Candidates can pay the fees either in offline or online mode.
- Also, candidates who will be paying in cash will need to take a print out of the pay-in-slip which is generated during the registration process.
- Later, cash must be deposited at the counter of any SBI Branch.
- If candidates fail to pay the fee though challan by the closing date, they will have to pay online even if they possess the play-in-slip.
Documents required to apply for UPSC exam form online

Candidates should have easy access to certain documents prior to registration and filing the UPSC Online Registration and UPSC form. Further, if your documents and the details that you enter in the form do not match, your candidature for the Civil Services will remain cancelled. So, keep the documents ready and keep matching the details as you fill the form. Below is a list of the important documents and criteria to be able to easily apply for the UPSC exam:
- An Active Email ID
- A valid mobile number
- Bank details for fee submission (apart from SC/ST/Female/PWD, etc.)
- Class X Marksheet
- Class XII Marksheet
- Graduation Marksheet
- A medical certificate, if valid
- Category certificate, if valid
- A scanned photograph and
- A scanned signature
Further, you can learn more about the different preparation strategies for the UPSC exam. You can also check out the preparation strategy for Prelims if you are planning to sit for the IAS exam.
UPSC Online Registration and Application Form Guidelines
Candidates should remember the following requirements before filling the UPSC-CSE registration and exam form –
- Make sure you have a valid email address before you start registering for CSE.
- Further, the candidate must not impersonate or employ any unfair means to submit a successful application.
- Moreover, threatening /blackmailing any of the authorities is severely prohibited.
- You must also not submit fabricated or tampered documents with the application form. When found out, UPSC will cancel your candidature.
- Also, refrain from making incorrect or false statements in your application.
- Submitting multiple applications should also be avoided.
- You should avoid submitting multiple applications. In case of more than one application form, only the final submitted application will be accepted.
Exam centres
Candidates should note that there is a ceiling on the number of applicants to be allotted to each of the centres except Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata, and Nagpur. So, you should always aim to fill the UPSC forms as soon as the notification is released because once the maximum number is reached, the centre will be frozen. you will then have to choose a different city. Further, UPSC has the power to change the centre of any candidate at their discretion if the need arises.
FAQS on UPSC Online Registration

You should avoid applying for the same exam twice. But, if you must do so, the details in the final application form that you submit is considered. Further, UPSC will not accept any of the previous forms except the last that you submit. So, it is always safe to fill the exam form slowly and attentively. You should not mess up your application form. So, keep all your documents ready before you sit to fill the form because if you take too long, the session may get expired and you will have to redo it all over again.
If candidates are found to fill in false details about themselves, UPSC has the authority to debar the candidate from appearing in the examination. Also, if UPSC gets to know of any suspicious activity like suppressing information, impersonating somebody, or even adopting unfair means during the examination, candidates will have to suffer the consequences as decided by the Commission. So, the final decision lies with UPSC.
Candidates who wish to make payments through a Bank Challan have to submit the exam form at least one day before the notified closing date. So, if you do not pay the application fees, your form will not be considered complete. Further, you will not receive your admit card. Consequently, you will not be allowed to sit for the UPSC Civil Services exam.
COVID-19 Update | UPSC Online Registration
The spread of the coronavirus has held everybody at its fingertips, affecting the career of many students. IAS/IPS aspirants had to face a postponement of the exam dates and consequently results, thus leaving them with a bleak future. So, the dates of UPSC-CSE for the next year will also be different from the previous years. It is thus highly imperative that aspirants keep checking the official website of UPSC for updated notifications. It has become important more than ever to keep an eye on UPSC updates so you do not miss out on filling the application form on time.