Now Two more attempts for UPSC’s Civil Service Exam

Union government on Monday approved two more  attempts for all candidates with effect from the current year.

A Department of Personnel and Training order issued on Monday said the Central government had approved "two additional attempts for all categories of candidates w.e.f Civil Services Examination, 2014, with consequential age relaxation of maximum age for all categories of candidates, if required".

The relaxation in number of attempts comes as a relief to lakhs of aspirants aggrieved by the "sudden" change by the UPSC in the pattern and syllabus for the Civil Services Mains exam 2013. The UPSC had notified the revised pattern on March 5 last year, doubling the number of papers for General Studies and substantially increasing its weightage vis-a-vis optional subjects, months ahead of the Mains 2013 exam.

The Civil Services Examination (Preliminary), 2014 is scheduled to be held on August 24 this year.

A general category candidate who has attained the age of 21 years but not attained 30 years may apply for the civil services examination, as per eligibility mentioned in the notification. The upper age limit is relaxable up to a maximum of five years for candidates belonging to SCs or STs categories and up to a maximum of three years for candidates of OBC category.