Indian Forest Service aspirant to pass through Civil Services Prel. exam

After making significant changes in the basic format of the Civil Services (main) Examination (CSE), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has brought changes in the Indian Forest Service (IFS) test by introducing preliminary entrance in it.

Now Civil Service Preliminary exam will be considered for IFS too.

The preliminary test, which is to be held on May 26, will be a common screening entrance for short-listing candidates for their respective main exam. The main exam of both CSE and IFS will be held on different dates in view of common aspirants for both.

While CSE selects candidates for IAS, IPS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Information Service (IIS) and other elite central services, the IFS exam is conducted separately to select officers exclusively for forest service.

As per the changes notified by the UPSC earlier this week, the IFS exam will comprise two stages: Civil services (preliminary) examination (objective type) and main -written test and interview- for selection of candidates against available vacancies for the Service.

"The preliminary examination will consist of two papers of objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks," said the notification.

The number of candidates, eligible to appear for the main exam, will be around 12-13 times of the total number of vacancies to be filled in a year. Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in preliminary exam will be eligible to appear for main entrance.