The challenging Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is spread over an entire year, divided into three extremely competitive stages, in which anything can go wrong at any stage leading to one’s failure.
- UPSC Prelims
- UPSC Mains
- UPSE Board Interview
This must sound scary to over seven lakh aspirants who will be sitting for the exam. While beginning their preparation, many students have partial knowledge about the exam, its nitty-gritty, and preparation strategy.

A lot of people consider the IAS exam to be the toughest exam in India. The only reason behind this is because of the meager pass percentage here. Also, there is a huge syllabus to be covered not to mention the variety of topics one has to learn for it. And, it is not only knowledge but your writing skills also that are tested. Once you get through the written parts (prelims and mains), you have to face the IAS interview/personality test, where you will be assessed on your overall personality, administrative skills, and ability to face pressure. A lot of this makes the IAS exam seem really difficult to crack.
It is true that we cannot compare all the exams as each one of them requires unique attributes, domain knowledge, and skills to clear. But it cannot be argued that the UPSC civil services are a comprehensive exam when you look into the candidates’ challenges, and the time it takes to prepare for the exam.
But one thing is true, hard work, planning, and a whole lot of practice are necessary to pass any exam.
How Difficult is UPSC Exam?
How difficult or easy the exam will depend on how much you have prepared for the exam. To put it in simple terms, do not let the competition or even the scale of the exam daunt you. You should keep these thoughts in the back of your mind and keep a level head when preparing for the exam.
The difficulty level of any exam mainly depends upon the hard work you put into its preparation. Though lakhs of aspirants apply and write this exam, the real competition is between only 2000-3000 serious aspirants.
Those who study systematically and consistently, get into service. If you do the same, you will be one of them. Don’t fear even before you start. You must enter the race and work hard to win it.
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