Civil services preliminary exam on October 4, announces UPSC

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday (June 5) announced that this year’s civil services preliminary examination will be held on October 4. The examination, earlier scheduled for May 21, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown.

The UPSC said the personality test of the candidates selected through the last year’s civil services preliminary and main examinations will resume from July 20. Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh, said the announcement of fresh date for the civil services preliminary exam would allay apprehensions in some quarters of it being cancelled.

“It would also allay apprehension from the minds of some quarters who thought that they would become overage by the next year in case the exam was postponed. Candidates need not worry. The examination will be held as per the UPSC’s schedule,” the minister said.

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The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages – prelims, main and interview – by the UPSC to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. Lakhs of aspirants take the examination every year to be part of the country’s coveted civil services.

The decision on announcement of fresh date was taken in a meeting held by the UPSC to review the prevailing situation due to COVID-19 lockdown.

“Taking note of the opening of lockdown and progressive relaxations being announced by the Central government and various states, the Commission decided to issue a revised schedule of examination/recruitment tests,” the UPSC said in a statement.

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According to the revised calendar, the civil services preliminary examination 2020 will be held on October 4 (Sunday). The main examination 2020 will begin from January 8, 2021 (Friday) for five days, it said. “The dates of notification, commencement and duration of examinations/recruitment tests are liable to alteration, if the circumstances so warrant,” the Commission said.

Personality tests for civil services (main) examination, 2019, for remaining candidates are being resumed from July 20, it said, adding “candidates will be informed individually.” A common examination for both NDA & NA Exam (I) and NDA & NA Exam (II), 2020 will be held on September 6, 2020, the UPSC said.

The recruitment test for the posts of Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), earlier scheduled to be held on October 4, 2020, has been deferred, it said. “New date for conduct of this recruitment test will be published on the website of the Commission at the time of issue of calendar of examinations/recruitment tests for 2021,” the Commission added.

(With inputs from agencies)