Eligibility, syllabus, exam pattern and preparation strategy for every major exam — 11 guides.
Union Public Service Commission
The UPSC NDA Exam is the national-level entrance examination for admission to the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy through the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for candidates who want to begin an officer career in the Indian Armed Forces after school.
The UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination, commonly called UPSC CDS, is a national-level examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for graduate candidates who want to join the Indian Armed Forces as officers. Through CDS, eligible candidates may compete for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA), subject to the latest official notification, academy-wise eligibility, SSB recommendation, medical fitness, merit position and vacancies.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is the national-level competitive examination through which India recruits officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service and several other central civil services. For many aspirants, it is commonly called the IAS Exam, but IAS is only one of the services filled through the Civil Services Examination. The examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and is known for its wide syllabus, multi-stage selection process, low selection ratio and high public importance.
UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India's premier constitutional recruitment body. It conducts some of the country's most respected competitive examinations for appointment to senior administrative, diplomatic, police, revenue, engineering, medical, defence, forest, and other public services under the Government of India. For lakhs of aspirants, UPSC is most closely associated with the Civil Services Examination (CSE), which recruits officers for services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS), and many other Group A and Group B services.
Union Public Service Commission (Government of India)
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body established under the Constitution of India, headquartered in New Delhi. It conducts India's most prestigious national-level competitive examinations for recruitment to senior administrative, diplomatic, police, revenue, engineering, medical, defence, forest, and other Group A and Group B services under the Government of India. UPSC conducts several examinations through the year — including the Civil Services Examination (CSE), Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS), National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (NDA/NA), Combined Medical Services Examination (CMS), Engineering Services Examination (ESE), Central Armed Police Forces Examination (CAPF AC), and Indian Forest Service Examination (IFoS) — each covering a distinct set of services, eligibility criteria, and exam patterns. This page is a starting point for the individual UPSC exams; see the guides below for exam-specific eligibility, pattern, syllabus, and selection process.
SSC (Staff Selection Commission)
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is one of India's most important Central Government recruitment organizations. It serves as a centralized recruitment agency responsible for selecting eligible candidates for a wide range of Group B (Non-Gazetted) and Group C posts in Ministries, Departments, Constitutional Bodies, Statutory Bodies, Attached Offices, Subordinate Offices, and various organizations under the Government of India. Every year, millions of aspirants from across the country prepare for SSC examinations because these examinations provide access to stable, respected, and rewarding careers in the Central Government. From clerical positions to inspectors, auditors, accountants, engineers, translators, and officers, SSC offers opportunities for candidates with educational qualifications ranging from Matriculation (10th Pass) to Graduation and beyond.
Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
SSC GD Constable recruits candidates as constables into India’s Central Armed Police Forces — including BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, and Assam Rifles (Rifleman GD) — as well as certain posts in the Secretariat Security Force. It is one of SSC’s largest recruitment drives by vacancy volume and requires only a Class 10 pass.
SSC MTS (Multi Tasking Staff) recruits candidates for Group C, non-technical support posts across central government ministries, departments, and offices, and is conducted alongside recruitment for Havaldar posts in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN). It requires only a Class 10 pass, making it accessible to a wide range of candidates.
SSC CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level) recruits 12th-pass candidates for Lower Division Clerk (LDC) / Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) and Data Entry Operator (DEO) posts across various central government ministries, departments, and offices. It is held annually and is one of SSC’s largest exams by number of applicants.
SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) is SSC’s flagship examination for filling Group B and Group C posts in various ministries, departments, and organisations of the Government of India — including posts such as Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (various departments), Auditor, Accountant, and Statistical Investigator. It is open to graduates of any stream and is held annually.
Staff Selection Commission (Government of India)
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is an attached office of the Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India, headquartered in New Delhi. It was constituted to recruit staff for Group B (non-gazetted) and Group C posts across ministries, departments, and subordinate offices of the Government of India, as well as for the paramilitary and central armed police forces. SSC conducts a number of nationwide competitive examinations throughout the year — including graduate-level, higher-secondary-level, multi-tasking staff, and constable recruitment exams — each covering a distinct set of posts, eligibility criteria, and exam patterns. This page is a starting point for the individual SSC exams; see the guides below for exam-specific eligibility, pattern, syllabus, and selection process.