UPSC IFS 2023: Career building and that too in the government sector is the dream of many but unfortunately only a few get a chance to serve with their proficient services. For the year 2023, UPSC IFS, or Indian Forest Service exam 2023, UPSC has decided for only eligible candidates. Before participating in the main exam for IFS, it is mandatory for the candidate to pass the preliminary exam according to the schedule fixed. Every year, UPSC ensures for commencing IFS main exam to recruit candidates in the Group A posts to take place every year in months like October and November. Given below are the details for Indian Forest Service Exam, 2023
UPSC IFS 2023 Important Dates:
| Events | Exam Dates (Announced) |
| IFS 2023 Notification | 10th February 2023 |
| Registration Process will start | — |
| Online application form last date submit | 2nd March 2023 |
| IFS 2023 Admit Card | To be Updated |
| Examination date of IFS (Prelims) | 27th June 2023 (1 Day) |
| Pre Exam Result announced | To be Updated |
| Commencement of the IFS (Mains) | 21st November 2023 (10th Days) |
| Mains Result announced the date | December 2023 |
| IFS interview date announced | December 2023 |
Indian Forest Service 2023 Eligibility Criteria:
Nationality
- candidate should be the citizen of India
- subject of Nepal
- subject of Bhutan
- Tibetan refugee who arrived in India with the intention of a resident there forever before 1 January 1962.
- The Indian origin person migrated to India from Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania, or Vietnam from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or the Eastern African countries in order to settle there permanently.
- The eligibility certificate issued by the government of India should be presented to the candidates in categories b, c, d, and e.
Physical Criteria:
The applicants must be fit to the Indian Forest Service Examination according to physical standards. Candidates are advised to check the detailed rules and rules on the IFS official notification.
Educational Qualification:
- A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of one of the areas of animal husbandry, veterinary science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology or a degree in agriculture or forestry and engineering of the university recognized or equivalent is required for candidates.
- Candidates who are appeared (with prescribed subjects) for their degree exam can also apply. If they qualify for the result of the written part of the exam, they must provide the evidence that they pass the required examination together with their detailed form, to be completed at that stage.
Age Limit:
- A candidate’s age should be at least 21 and his age should be at least 32 years on 1 August in the exam year 2023, i.e. he must be born not before 2 August 1987 and not later than 1 August 1987.
- SC, ST, and OBC, also subject to the other above clause, will be eligible under the two categories to grant a cumulative age relaxation
| Category | age limit |
For Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC /ST):
| Up to 5 years |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC): | Up to 3 years |
| State of Jammu & Kashmir (Domiciled during the period from the 1st January 1980 to 31st December 1989: | Up to 5 years |
| Defense Services personnel: | Up to 5 years |
| Ex-servicemen including Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least 5 years Military Service as on and have been released: | Up to 5 years |
| ECOs/ SSCOs: | Up to a maximum of five years |
| Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons: | Up to 10 years |
UPSC IFS 2023 Application Form:
- On the website www.upsconline.nic.in, candidates must apply online.
- It is advised that applicants only submit one Application Form.
- For this, they need to write down their basic information such as name, address, mobile number, date of birth, and their valid email id.
- Updates will be sent by email to the UPSC. It is recommended that students continue to check their emails until the procedure is over.
- After that, photo and signature must be uploaded. The image and signature should be scanned clearly both as well as in JPG format. Both in JPG format and clearly should be scanned.
- In addition, the size should not be less than 3 kb and 40 kb.
- After the application is completed, the last step is to pay the UPSC fee.
- The applicant must ensure that the application is complete in all respects, in certain unavoidable situations, if more than one application is made.
- Candidates already in government services, government-owned industrial undertakings or other similar or private employment organizations should submit requests to the Commission directly.
- Candidates who are already in government service, whether permanently or temporarily, or as employees for work, other than casual or daily qualified employees, or those who are served under the Public Enterprise shall, however, present to their head of office/department an undertaking which they informed by letter that they requested the review.
- Candidates should notice that if communication from their employer to the candidates seeking/appearing for examination is received from the Commission withholding their license, they will be liable to reject / candidate the application.
IFS Exam 2023 Application Fee:
- UPSC IFS Exam Application fee of ₹100 shall be paid only by candidates when filling in the application form.
- In addition, female applicants no longer have to pay any application fee.
- The application fee is exempt from payment for reserved category candidates (SC / ST, physically handicapped).
- Candidates can only use State Bank of India (SBI) to pay through net banking. In addition, once the transaction is complete, the students are to take the slip for future reference.
- The application fee is paid by candidates through cash, web bank or credit/debit card.
Indian Forest Service (IFS) Salary:
The pay scale varies for various levels, posts, and designations in IFS. Check pay scale below for various levels:
- Junior Time Scale (Pay level 10) salary – Rs. 56,100
- Senior Time Scale (Pay level 11) salary – Rs. 67,700
- Junior Administrative Grade (Pay level 12) – Rs. 78,800
- Selection Grade (Pay level 13) – Rs. 1,18,500
- Super Time Scale (DIG/Conservator Grade) (Pay level 13A) – Rs. 1,50,000
- (Above Super Time Scale) Senior Administrative Grade (Pay Level 14) – Rs. 1,75,000
- HAG scale (Pay level 15) – Rs. 2,00,000
- HAG+ Scale (Pay level 16) – Rs. 2,05,400
- Apex Scale (Pay level 17) – Rs. 2,25,000
IFS 2023 Syllabus:
For preliminary exam:
| Paper I: | Indian & World Geography, Indian Polity & Governance, Economic & Social Development, History of India & Indian National Movement, Current Events of National & International Importance, General Science and General Issues on Environment |
| Paper-II: | Decision Making & Problem-Solving, Comprehension, Interpersonal Skills Including Communication Skills, Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability, General Mental Ability and Basic Numeracy |
For the main exam:
| General English: | Essay Writing, Understanding of English, Passage Summary, Précis Writing, Use of Words, etc |
| General Knowledge: | Knowledge Of Current Events, Indian Polity Including the Political System and the Constitution of India, History of India & Geography of Nature, etc |
| Optional Subjects: | The detailed topics for the optional subjects for which the candidates choose to appear can be found on the official website of the commission. |
IFS 2023 Exam Pattern:
Candidates must first have a clear preliminary examination of the civil services examination in order to qualify for the IFS examination. The next exam that consists of a written test and an interview round is to be qualified following the clearing of prelimits. Review the IFS 2023 pattern for preliminaries and main:
For the Preliminary test:
- Exam mode: The test is conducted offline (pen & paper)
- Paper Language: English & Hindi.
- Type of questions: Multiple Choice Question type.
- No. of papers: 2 papers – General Ability Test and Civil Services Aptitude Test.
- Marks: There are 200 marks for each paper.
- Time Duration: There are 2 hours for each paper.
- Marking: 0.33 of the marks assigned to the question are reduced for every incorrect answer. 2 marks for every correct answer will be given in general studies, while 2.5 marks for each correct answer will be shown in the Civil Service Aptitude Test.
| Papers | No of questions | Time Duration | Maximum Marks |
| General Studies (Paper 1) | 80 | 2 hrs | 200 |
| CSAT (Paper 2) | 100 | 2 hrs | 200 |
| Total | | | 400 |
For Mains Exam:
- Exam type: The test is conducted offline (pen & paper).
- No papers: Total 6 papers in the written test.
- Marks: Paper 1 and 2 are to be 300 marks and the remaining four papers are to be 200 marks.
- Language medium: English language only.
| Papers | Subject | Maximum Marks |
| Paper 1 | General English | 300 |
| Paper 2 | GK | 300 |
| Paper 3 | It will be opted as per the optional subjects were chosen by the candidates | 200 |
| Paper 4 | 200 |
| Paper 5 | 200 |
| Paper 6 | 200 |
| Total Marks | 1400 Marks |
Optional Subjects For IFC 2023 Exam:
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Agriculture
- Anthropology
- Electrical Engineering
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- Mechanical Engineering
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Political Science and International Relations
UPSC IFS Personality Test/Interview 2023:
- The candidates who clear the main test will then be required to complete the next phase of the exam procedure, which is the personality test selection process. It is generally believed that the personality phase of the Indian Revenue Service examination is over 200.
- The candidates who will participate in this examination shall be tested on the basis of personality orientation, covering the candidate’s dressing style, communication skills, the participant’s presence, the latter but not least, listening abilities, etc. In addition, the board of professional and unbiased observers will also examine their ability to solve problems and make decisions, leadership skills, and so on.
- Candidates who will be part of the exam should dress formally on the day of the interview and use the formal words of the interviewee. They must make sure that until the interview is finished they do not use slang or informal words.
- They should speak moderately while answering the questions and avoid bluffing, as this could have a negative impact on them. In their overall selection at the Indian Foreign Service examination, the marks obtained during the interview by the candidates play a crucial role. All the best.
Number of Attempts:
- For general candidates, the maximum number of attempt limit for the exam is 6.
- For OBC candidates, the maximum attempt limit is 9.
- No attempt limit for ST/SC candidates.
Preparation Tips:
- Start from the very beginning, prepare the basics for each topic, and then go on to the complex ones.
- Leave no subject. It is equally important for every subject.
- All subjects in NCERT books should be studied, as no book can build your foundation more than the NCERTs.
- Keep yourself always up-to-date on your environment, be it geographical, political, environmental, everything.
- Except for study, forget everything else. The largest enemy of UPSC preparedness is distractions.
- Solve mock tests and practical sample papers. For practical material, you can also refer to the Internet.
UPSC IFS Admit Card 2023-22:
Approximately three weeks before the test begins the admission card will be available online. The candidates can download their e-admission card from the official website of the UPSC. In the event that any problem arises when the admission card is downloaded, it is immediately notified by the commission’s office. On the examination date, the candidate should take a card printer and take it to the examination center.
Indian Forest Service Result 2023:
The UPSC IFS 2023 final results are expected to be announced in July 2023 on the official website. Candidates who clear the interim examination shall be invited to the main examination and those that clear their hands as well. For the candidates who clear all 3 rounds of the examination, the final results will be stated. Only such candidates will depend on their compliance with eligibility and other criteria to be considered for recruitment into the forest services.