UPSC Civil Services Exam Statistics on Vacancies and Candidates

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7 months ago

The UPSC exam statistics show that the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam is considered one of the toughest exams in the world due to its competitive nature and the extensive preparation required to clear it. Here are some reasons why the UPSC exam is known as the toughest exam.

Table of Contents

1 Why Civil Services Exam is one of the toughest exams in the country?
2 What is the level of Competition in the Civil Services exam?
- 2.1 UPSC Exam Statistics – Number of Vacancies
- 2.2 UPSC Exam Statistics – Number of Candidates

Why Civil Services Exam is one of the toughest exams in the country?

Extensive Syllabus: The UPSC exam has a vast syllabus, covering a wide range of subjects such as history, geography, economics, politics, science and technology, and current affairs. The syllabus requires candidates to have in-depth knowledge of various topics, which makes it difficult to cover everything within a limited time.
High Competition: The UPSC exam is highly competitive, with lakhs of candidates appearing for it every year. The competition for each seat is intense, with only a few hundred candidates selected from among the thousands who appear.
Multi-stage Selection Process: The UPSC exam has a multi-stage selection process, which includes the preliminary exam, the main exam, and an interview. Each stage is designed to test the candidate’s knowledge, analytical ability, and personality, making it challenging to clear all three stages.
Difficulty Level: The UPSC exam is known for its high difficulty level, with many questions being analytical and requiring candidates to have a deep understanding of the subject. The questions are designed to test the candidate’s ability to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to solve complex problems.
Lengthy Preparation Time: The UPSC exam requires extensive preparation, which can take up to a year or more. Candidates need to be dedicated, disciplined, and consistent in their preparation to cover the vast syllabus and clear the exam.

Overall, the UPSC exam’s rigorous selection process, vast syllabus, and high competition make it one of the toughest exams in the world.

What is the level of Competition in the Civil Services exam?

The Civil Services Exam is a highly competitive exam. On average, about 16 lakh candidates prepare for the exam. Of these, about 11 lakh candidates fill out the exam form. On average, every year about 55% of them appear for the Prelims exam. Ten times the number of seats qualify in the Prelims exam. Twice the number of seats qualify Mains exam and appear for the interview. On average, there are about 1,000 seats in the exam. So the success ratio for the Civil Services Exam is ver less about 0.4%.

UPSC Exam Statistics – Number of Vacancies

The number of vacancies in the UPSC Civil Services Exam varies yearly and is determined by the Government of India. The number of vacancies depends on various factors such as the number of retiring officers, the number of new posts created, and the requirements of different government departments. The vacancies for each year are usually announced along with the notification for the exam. Candidates can check the official website of the UPSC (www.upsc.gov.in) for the latest information on the number of vacancies for the Civil Services Exam.

Here we present the number of vacancies in the UPSC Civil Services Exam from 1992-2023. This gives you the number of vacancies over the years and an indication of possible vacancies in the years to come.

Year	Vacancies
1992	763
1993	791
1994	707
1995	645
1996	740
1997	621
1998	470
1999	411
2000	427
2001	417
2002	309
2003	457
2004	453
2005	457
2006	553
2007	734
2008	881
2009	989
2010	1,043
2011	1,001
2012	1,091
2013	1,228
2014	1,364
2015	1,164
2016	1,209
2017	990
2018	812
2019	927
2020	761
2021	685
2022	1,011
2023	1,105

Source: UPSC Annual Reports and newspaper reports

UPSC Exam Statistics – Number of Candidates

The number of candidates appearing in the UPSC Civil Services Exam also varies each year. In recent years, the number of candidates who apply for the exam has been increasing steadily. For example, in the year 2020, a total of 10.58 lakh candidates applied for the exam, while in 2019, around 8 lakh candidates applied. However, the actual number of candidates who appear for the exam may be lower than the number of applicants as some candidates may not appear due to various reasons such as not being eligible or not being able to appear on the exam day.

It is important to note that the competition for the UPSC Civil Services Exam is quite high, and only a small percentage of candidates who appear for the exam are able to clear it and get selected for the various services under the exam.
Here we present the number of candidates applying and appearing in various stages of the UPSC Civil Services Exam from 1992-2023. This gives you the level of competition in the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Year	Prelims – Applied	Prelims – Appeared	Prelims – Qualified	Mains – Appeared	Interview	Final Selection
1997	–	–	–	8,125	1,265	621
1998	–	–	–	8,789	964	470
1999	–	–	–	4,718	845	411
2000	–	–	–	4,725	874	427
2001	2,09,281	1,14,209	5,442	5,244	1,140	417
2002	3,01,585	1,57,486	3,430	3,301	748	309
2003	3,16,496	1,60,784	5,898	5,750	1,176	457
2004	3,49,020	1,74,475	5565	5,328	1163	453
2005	3,45,106	–	–	–	–	457
2006	3,83,983	1,95,803	7,692	7,496	1,408	553
2007	3,33,680	1,61,469	9,158	8,886	1,883	734
2008	3,254,33	1,67,035	11,669	11,330	2,136	881
2009	4,09,110	1,93,091	11,894	11,516	2,431	989
2010	5,47,698	2,69,036	12,271	11,865	2,589	1043
2011	4,99,120	2,43,236	11,837	11,237	2,415	1,001
2012	5,50,080	2,71,442	12,795	12,190	2,674	1,091
2013	7,76,604	3,23,949	14,959	14,178	3,003	1,228
2014	9,47,428	4,51,602	16,706	16,286	3,308	1,364
2015	9,39,735	4,633,91	15,008	15,000*	2,797	1,164
2016	1,128,262	4,59,659	15,382	15,149	2,961	1,209
2017	9,47,728	4,56,625	13,300	13,060	2,568	990
2018	10,41,775	4,93,972	10,419	10,246	1,994	812
2019	11,35,261	5,68,282	11,845	11,700*	2,034	927
2020	10,57,948	4,82,770	10,564	–	2,053	761
2021	10,93,948	5,08,619	9,214	–	1,823	685
2022	11,35,697	5,73,735	13,090	–	2,529	933
2023	–	–	14,624	–	–	–

Source: UPSC Annual Reports and newspaper reports

Thus the UPSC exam statistics on vacancies, number of candidates over last 20 years show that there is a vey tough competition. Therefore, if a candidate wants to clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam then there need is a good understanding of the examination, syllabus, pattern, process, effective study plan, right books, right guidance, well-organized and meticulous approach, perseverance, utmost enthusiasm and passion, and never-give-up attitude that will push gradually one from the preliminary step to the final stage.