Government job exams in India: a beginner’s guide

This guide is for anyone starting out on government job exams, whether you are in college, just graduated or already working. It explains the main recruiters, the eligibility basics, how to pick one exam and prepare for it properly, and how to apply safely.

The main recruiters and what they hire for

• UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): the Civil Services exam for the IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services, the Engineering Services exam, defence entries such as NDA and CDS, and many specialist posts by advertisement.
• SSC (Staff Selection Commission): Group B and Group C posts in central ministries and departments, through exams such as CGL for graduates, CHSL for Class 12 pass, MTS for Class 10 pass, and GD Constable, CPO, JE and Stenographer.
• IBPS: common recruitment for public sector banks (Probationary Officers, Clerks and Specialist Officers) and for regional rural banks (officers and office assistants).
• SBI: its own recruitment for Probationary Officers and clerks (Junior Associates).
• RBI: its own recruitment for Grade B officers, Assistants and other posts.
• Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs): non-technical posts such as clerks and station masters, assistant loco pilots, technicians, junior engineers and Level 1 posts.
• State Public Service Commissions (for example MPSC, UPPSC, BPSC and TNPSC) for state civil services and senior posts, and state staff selection boards for state Group C posts.
• Defence: NDA and CDS through UPSC, AFCAT for Indian Air Force officers, and Agniveer entry under the Agnipath scheme for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Eligibility basics

Every exam has its own official notification, and it is the only document that counts. Read all of it before you apply, and check these four things:

• Age, on the exact date the notice names. For example, UPSC’s Civil Services exam 2026 needed you to be at least 21 and under 32 on 1 August 2026, and IBPS’s Probationary Officer exam 2026 needed 20 to 30 on 1 July 2026.
• Relaxations. In both those notices the upper age limit was relaxed by 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer) and 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities, with further relaxations for ex-servicemen. Other exams and states set their own rules.
• Education, and the date by which you must have the degree or certificate in hand.
• Number of attempts, where there is a limit. In 2026, UPSC’s Civil Services exam allowed six attempts for general and EWS candidates, nine for OBC candidates, and no limit within the age limit for SC and ST candidates.

Police, defence and some railway posts also have physical and medical standards, and many state jobs need domicile or a local language. These are in the notice too.

How to pick an exam

1. Start from your qualification. Class 10, Class 12, graduation or a professional degree decides which exams you can sit.
2. Choose the kind of work you want: administration, banking, railways, police, defence, teaching or technical.
3. Count how many years of age eligibility you have left. That tells you how much time you can invest.
4. Look for syllabus overlap. SSC exams, bank exams and many state exams test similar areas (quantitative aptitude, reasoning, English and general awareness), so one core preparation can serve several exams.
5. Choose one main exam and one or two related backups, not ten.
6. Think about location. Central jobs can post you anywhere in India; state jobs mostly keep you in the state.

A realistic preparation plan

1. Week 1: download the latest notification and syllabus from the official website, plus previous question papers.
2. Months 1 to 3: build basics. Practise aptitude and reasoning daily, read English, and spend 30 to 45 minutes on current affairs from a good newspaper.
3. Months 4 to 6: cover the full syllabus once with short notes, and take one full mock test a week.
4. After that: two or three mocks a week. Analyse every mistake, keep a list of weak topics, and revise from your own notes.
5. If you have a job: two focused hours on weekdays and longer sessions at weekends can work if you keep at it for months.
6. Fix your target attempt, plan backwards from it, and keep a fallback career going in parallel.

Apply only on official websites

• Use the recruiter’s own site: upsconline.nic.in for UPSC applications, ssc.gov.in for SSC, ibps.in for IBPS, and rrbapply.gov.in for railway recruitment boards.
• Government recruiters do not sell jobs. India Post, for example, has said it does not ask for, solicit or accept money from candidates as a pre-employment requirement.
• Fake notices copy official names. In February 2024 the Railways called a notice for RPF constable and sub-inspector posts on a non-official website fake and told candidates to ignore it.
• Running a fake exam website, or issuing fake admit cards or offer letters for money, is an offence under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
• Pay the fee only inside the official application, never to a person, to a UPI ID sent on WhatsApp, or to an “agent”.
• Before you act on a screenshot or a social media post, find the same notice on the recruiter’s own website.

Documents and category certificates

• Class 10 certificate as proof of date of birth, plus marksheets and degree certificates.
• Photo and signature in the exact size and format the notice asks for.
• Category certificate in the central government format for central jobs, or the state format for state jobs.
• OBC (non-creamy layer) and EWS certificates must be issued in the window the notice states. For UPSC’s 2026 exam, both had to be issued between 1 April 2025 and the closing date of applications.
• For persons with disabilities, a certificate showing a benchmark disability of 40% or more.
• Ex-servicemen need their discharge documents; state jobs may need a domicile certificate.
• Keep originals and scanned copies together. You will need them again at document verification.

Mistakes to avoid

• Preparing for many exams at once with no core plan.
• Trusting a forwarded message over the official notification.
• Applying under a category without a valid certificate issued in the right window.
• Paying an agent who promises a job or a seat.
• Leaving physical and medical standards for police and defence until the last month.
• Studying for months without taking mock tests.