UPSC full form: Union Public Service Commission

How to say it: letter by letter.

UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission. It is the central recruiting agency of the Government of India for its higher services, and it is a constitutional body: the Constitution of India provides for it in Articles 315 to 323.

What UPSC does

The Commission selects candidates for the All India Services and the central services through competitive examinations and interviews. It also advises the government on matters such as promotion and disciplinary cases.

Examinations it conducts

• Civil Services Examination, for the IAS, IPS, IFS (Foreign Service) and many other services. It has three stages: a preliminary examination, a main examination and a personality test.
• Engineering Services Examination.
• Combined Medical Services Examination.
• NDA and NA Examination, for entry to the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy.
• CDS Examination, the Combined Defence Services examination.
• Indian Forest Service Examination.

UPSC, SSC and the state commissions

UPSC recruits for the higher central services. The Staff Selection Commission, SSC, recruits for other central government posts. Each state has its own Public Service Commission, such as UPPSC or MPSC, for state services.

"UPSC exam" in everyday talk

When people say someone is "preparing for UPSC", they nearly always mean the Civil Services Examination. Strictly, UPSC is the name of the Commission, not of an examination.

Check the official source

Age limits, the number of attempts, the syllabus and the calendar are set out in the notification for each year on the Commission's website. Take them from there.

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All government, law and services Next: IAS explained

Check what matters. These pages explain names and terms in general. Rules, dates, fees and limits change: take them from the official body. Read on 12 November 2026.