UPSC IES ISS Admit Card 2026

The UPSC Indian Economic Service (IES) and Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Examination is conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit talented economists and statisticians for various central government ministries and departments. The IES officers work in economic policy formulation, planning, and analysis across ministries like Finance, Commerce, and NITI Aayog, while ISS officers handle statistical data collection, analysis, and research in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and other departments. This is an All India Group A gazetted service with significant policy-making responsibilities. Selected candidates serve in prestigious positions advising the government on economic and statistical matters. The examination consists of a written test (Prelims and Mains) followed by a Personality Test (Interview) for final selection.

Important Dates (Indicative)

Vacancy Distribution (Typical/Indicative)

Note: Actual vacancies vary annually based on government requirements for IES and ISS positions combined.

Educational Qualification

For Indian Economic Service (IES):

• Master's degree in Economics OR Applied Economics OR Business Economics OR Econometrics from a recognized university
• OR Graduates who have passed Statistics/Mathematical Economics/Econometrics as one of the subjects in Bachelor's degree

For Indian Statistical Service (ISS):

• Master's degree in Statistics OR Mathematical Statistics OR Applied Statistics from a recognized university
• OR Bachelor's degree with Statistics as one of the subjects with at least 60% marks
• OR Bachelor's degree in Mathematics with 60% marks and Statistics as one subject

Age Limit

Age Relaxation:

Nationality

A candidate must be either:

• A citizen of India, OR
• A subject of Nepal, OR
• A subject of Bhutan, OR
• A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 with intention of permanent settlement, OR
• A person of Indian origin migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, East African countries, or Vietnam with intention to permanently settle in India

Note: Candidates in categories (2) to (5) must have a Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Government of India.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official UPSC website at www.upsc.gov.in or upsconline.nic.in
2. Click on the "Online Application" link for IES/ISS Examination 2026
3. For new users, click on "Part-I Registration" and fill in basic details (name, date of birth, email, mobile number)
4. Note down the Registration ID and Password generated after successful Part-I registration
5. Login using Registration ID and Password to complete "Part-II Registration"
6. Fill in the detailed application form with educational qualifications, photograph, signature uploads, service preference (IES/ISS), and exam centre choice
7. Verify all entered information carefully before final submission
8. Pay the application fee online via Net Banking/Debit Card/Credit Card/UPI or offline via SBI Bank Challan
9. Submit the completed application form and take a printout of the e-receipt for future reference
10. No need to send hard copy of application to UPSC unless specifically requested

Application Fees

Note: Fee once paid will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Selection Stages

1. Written Examination (Objective Type) - A screening test consisting of General Economics and Indian Economics objective questions to shortlist candidates for the Mains examination. Only those scoring above the minimum qualifying marks proceed to Mains.

1. Written Examination (Conventional/Descriptive Type - Mains) - Comprises four papers covering General Economics (2 papers) and Indian Economics (2 papers) with descriptive answers. This is the main written examination carrying maximum weightage.

1. Personality Test/Interview - Shortlisted candidates from Mains examination are called for a Personality Test conducted by a UPSC Board to assess intellectual traits, social skills, and overall suitability for economic and statistical services.

1. Document Verification - Candidates provisionally selected after the interview must submit original documents for verification of educational qualifications, age, caste/category certificates, and other eligibility criteria.

1. Medical Examination - Final selected candidates undergo medical examination to ensure physical fitness standards required for government service before appointment.

Examination Scheme

Preliminary Examination (Objective Type - Screening)

Negative Marking: 1/3rd mark deducted for each wrong answer.

Note: Prelims is only for screening; marks not counted for final merit.

Main Examination (Descriptive Type)

Negative Marking: Not applicable in Mains descriptive examination.

Final merit list is prepared based on total marks in Mains (800) + Interview (200) = 1000 marks.

Detailed Syllabus

General Economics-I

• Micro Economics: Theory of Consumer Behaviour, Theory of Production and Costs, Market Structures (Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly)
• Welfare Economics: Pareto Optimality, Social Welfare Functions, Externalities, Public Goods
• Game Theory and Information Economics
• General Equilibrium Analysis
• Mathematical Methods: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Optimization Techniques
• Statistical Methods: Probability Theory, Sampling, Estimation, Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis

General Economics-II

• Macro Economics: National Income Accounting, Consumption and Investment Functions, Multiplier and Accelerator
• Money and Banking: Demand and Supply of Money, Monetary Policy, Central Banking
• International Economics: International Trade Theory, Balance of Payments, Exchange Rate Determination, Trade Policy
• Growth and Development: Classical, Neoclassical and Endogenous Growth Models, Development Economics
• Public Economics: Public Expenditure, Taxation, Fiscal Policy, Public Debt
• Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development

General Economics-III

• Econometrics: Linear Regression Models, Violation of Classical Assumptions, Time Series Analysis, Simultaneous Equation Models
• Demography: Population Theories, Demographic Transition, Population Policy
• Labour Economics: Labour Market Theory, Wage Determination, Employment and Unemployment
• Economics of Agriculture: Agrarian Structure, Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural Marketing, Rural Credit
• Industrial Economics: Industrial Organization, Industrial Policy, Public Sector Economics
• Project Appraisal: Cost-Benefit Analysis, Social Cost-Benefit Analysis

Indian Economics

• Indian Economy in Pre-Independence Era: Land Systems, Commercialization of Agriculture, Drain Theory, Demographic Trends
• Indian Economy after Independence: Planning in India, Five Year Plans, Economic Reforms since 1991
• Agriculture: Green Revolution, Agricultural Pricing, Food Security, Land Reforms, Agricultural Finance
• Industry: Industrial Policy, Public Sector, MSMEs, Manufacturing Sector Performance
• Infrastructure: Power, Transport, Communication, Urban Development
• Money and Banking: Reserve Bank of India, Monetary Policy, Banking Sector Reforms, Financial Inclusion
• Public Finance: Fiscal Policy, Tax Reforms, Fiscal Responsibility, Centre-State Financial Relations
• External Sector: Foreign Trade Policy, Balance of Payments, Exchange Rate Management, Foreign Investment
• Social Sectors: Poverty, Unemployment, Education, Health, Social Security
• Current Economic Issues and Policies

Salary Structure (Typical/Indicative for IES/ISS Officers)

Additional Benefits:

• Government accommodation or HRA
• Medical facilities for self and dependents
• Leave Travel Concession (LTC)
• Pension and Gratuity benefits under NPS
• Provident Fund contributions
• Official vehicle for certain positions

Note: Salary increases with annual increments and promotions. DA is revised twice yearly based on inflation.

IES and ISS officers enjoy excellent career progression with promotions based on time-scale and performance. The typical career path progresses from Junior Time Scale (Level 10) to Senior Time Scale (Level 11) after 4 years, then to Junior Administrative Grade (Level 12) after 9 years, Senior Administrative Grade (Level 13) after 13 years, and Higher Administrative Grade (Level 14) after 18 years. Officers can reach apex positions like Chief Economic Adviser, Economic Adviser in various ministries, Director General of Statistics, with pay levels reaching Level 15-16 (₹1,82,200 - ₹2,24,100). Many IES/ISS officers also serve in international organizations like IMF, World Bank, and UN agencies, enhancing their professional exposure and expertise.

UPSC releases admit cards for IES/ISS examination approximately 3 weeks before the scheduled exam date. Candidates must download their admit cards from the official UPSC website (www.upsconline.nic.in) by logging in with their registration ID and password or date of birth. No physical admit card is sent by post. The admit card contains important details like examination centre address, reporting time, candidate's photograph and signature, and important instructions. Candidates must carry the admit card along with a valid photo ID proof (Aadhaar, Voter ID, Driving License, Passport) to the examination centre, failing which entry will be denied.

UPSC declares the Prelims result typically 6-8 weeks after the examination, publishing the roll numbers of qualified candidates on its official website. The Mains result is announced 8-10 weeks after the Mains examination, listing candidates shortlisted for the Personality Test. The final result, after completion of interviews, is released with rank-wise list of successful candidates along with their marks in written examination and interview. Candidates can check their individual scorecards by logging into the UPSC portal. The results are also published in the Employment News and major newspapers. Selected candidates receive appointment letters from respective ministries/departments based on their service preference and rank.

The qualifying cutoff marks for IES/ISS Prelims typically range between 100-120 marks out of 600 for General category, 90-110 for OBC, 80-100 for SC, and 75-95 for ST candidates, though these vary significantly based on paper difficulty and number of vacancies each year. For Mains examination, General category candidates usually need to score around 380-420 out of 800 marks to qualify for interview, while OBC candidates need 350-390, SC candidates 320-360, and ST candidates 300-340 marks. The final selection cutoff (Mains + Interview out of 1000) typically ranges between 500-550 for General, 470-520 for OBC, 440-490 for SC, and 420-470 for ST categories, depending on the number of vacancies and overall candidate performance.

Examination Centres

UPSC conducts the IES/ISS examination at centres across India in the following cities:

North: Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Shimla, Dehradun, Lucknow, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Jaipur

South: Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Mysuru, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam

East: Kolkata, Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack

West: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur, Surat, Panaji (Goa)

Northeast: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dispur, Imphal, Shillong, Kohima, Agartala, Aizawl

Central: Bhopal, Indore, Raipur

Candidates can choose their preferred exam centre during application. UPSC tries to accommodate preferences but reserves the right to change centres based on administrative requirements.