One cut-off date
UPSC counts your age on 1 August of the exam year — not on the Prelims date, not on the day you apply. For CSE 2026 the Prelims were held on 24 May 2026, but the age was still counted on 1 August 2026.
Free UPSC eligibility checker
UPSC Age Calculator
Enter your date of birth and check your exact age on 1 August of your Civil Services exam year — then see whether you meet the age limit for your category, with the relaxation applied, and how many attempts you have left.
✓ Free to use
✓ No signup
✓ Browser calculation
21–32
Standard age band
1 August
Cut-off date
6 / 9 / Unlimited
Attempts by category
Age and attempts only. The official notification decides eligibility. Always check upsc.gov.in before applying.
Check your UPSC age eligibility
CSE 2027An example date is filled in. Replace it with your own date of birth.
YOUR AGE ON 1 AUGUST
CSE 2027
Your exact age
—
YEARS
—
MONTHS
—
DAYS
Your UPSC verdict
Enter your details to see whether you meet the age limit.
Enter your date of birth to see the working.
The upper limit is exclusive: you must not have attained it on 1 August. A date of birth after 1 August of the exam year is an error, not a negative age.
Recent checks · this session
Select Check my UPSC eligibility to keep up to five checks while this page is open.
Understand the result
What does a UPSC age calculator do?
It counts your exact age — years, months and days — on 1 August of the Civil Services exam year, and checks it against the age limit for your category. UPSC counts age on that one date only. Your age on the day you apply, or on the Prelims day, does not decide eligibility. The calculator also counts your attempts, because age and attempts together decide whether you can still appear.
“Must not have attained”
The upper limit is exclusive. Turning 32 on 1 August means you have attained 32 and are over the General limit — the same wording decides every category and relaxation on this page.
Age is only half the check
General and EWS candidates get 6 attempts, OBC 9, and SC/ST unlimited attempts within the age limit. An attempt counts when you appear in even one Prelims paper.
How it works
From date of birth to your UPSC verdict
Start with the date on your Class 10 certificate. Then choose the exam year, your category and any extra relaxation.
Enter your date of birth
Use the date on your Class 10 certificate. UPSC accepts no other date for determining age.
Choose the exam year
CSE 2027 is the next cycle. The cut-off is always 1 August of that year.
Pick your category and any extra relaxation
SC/ST get 5 years, OBC 3 years. PwBD adds 10 years, ex-servicemen 5, defence personnel disabled in operations 3 — and a category relaxation stacks with one of those.
Read the verdict
Your exact age, the birth-date window for your category, your attempts left, and your first and last eligible exam years.
The calculation, explained
How UPSC counts your age
The rule is Rule 5 of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2026: a candidate must have attained 21 years and must not have attained 32 years on 1 August of the exam year. For CSE 2026 that means born not earlier than 2 August 1994 and not later than 1 August 2005. Category relaxations raise the upper limit only — the minimum age of 21 applies to every category. The upper limit is exclusive: you must not have attained it on 1 August.
1. Count completed years
27 completed years
15 March 2000 to 1 August 2027 is 27 full years.
2. Then completed months
4 completed months
From 15 March to 1 August is 4 full months.
3. Then remaining days
17 days
The result is 27 years, 4 months and 17 days — 10,000 days in total.
29 February birthdays fall on 1 March in non-leap years.
Born 29 February 2000, you are 25 years, 11 months and 30 days old on
28 February 2026 and exactly 26 on 1 March 2026. For CSE 2027 and CSE 2028 the same limits are used as planning figures from the CSE 2026 Rules — the CSE 2027 notification is tentatively due on 13 January 2027, so re-check the rules against it before you apply.
Worked examples
See the method with three real birthdays
Each example uses the rule above. Select one to load it into the calculator.
Inside the limit with attempts to spare
15 March 2000
DATE OF BIRTH
27 years, 4 months and 17 days
AGE ON 1 AUGUST 2027
Born 15 March 2000, she is 27 years, 4 months and 17 days old on 1 August 2027 — inside 21–32, so eligible for CSE 2027 as a General candidate, with all 6 attempts still available. Her first eligible year was 2021 and her last is 2031.
Eligible · upper limit under 32 years · 6 attempts · eligible 2021–2031
Exactly 32 on the cut-off — over the limit
1 August 1994
DATE OF BIRTH
32 years, 0 months and 0 days
AGE ON 1 AUGUST 2026
Born 1 August 1994, he is exactly 32 years old on 1 August 2026. He has attained 32, so he is over the General limit for CSE 2026 — but as an OBC candidate the upper limit is 35, and he is eligible.
Over the upper limit · upper limit under 32 years · 6 attempts · eligible 2015–2025
Category and disability relaxations stack
15 June 1990
DATE OF BIRTH
37 years, 1 month and 17 days
AGE ON 1 AUGUST 2027
Born 15 June 1990, she is 37 years, 1 month and 17 days old on 1 August 2027. As an SC candidate with a benchmark disability the upper limit is 47 — 32 plus 5 for SC plus 10 for PwBD — so she is eligible, with unlimited attempts. Her first eligible year was 2011 and her last is 2036.
Eligible · upper limit under 47 years · unlimited attempts · eligible 2011–2036
Why the category matters
One birthday, five different answers
Born 2 August 1993, checked for CSE 2027. The age is the same for everyone — 33 years, 11 months and 30 days on 1 August 2027 — but the verdict changes with the category, because the upper limit changes.
| Category | Upper age limit | Exact age on 1 August 2027 | Verdict | Attempts allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Under 32 years | 33 years, 11 months and 30 days | Over the upper limit | 6 |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | Under 35 years | 33 years, 11 months and 30 days | Eligible | 9 |
| SC | Under 37 years | 33 years, 11 months and 30 days | Eligible | Unlimited |
| General + Person with benchmark disability (PwBD) | Under 42 years | 33 years, 11 months and 30 days | Eligible | 9 |
| SC + Person with benchmark disability (PwBD) | Under 47 years | 33 years, 11 months and 30 days | Eligible | Unlimited |
The same person is over the limit as a General candidate and eligible in every other category. The category — not the birthday — decides. Always check with the relaxation you can actually claim, with the certificate to prove it.
When this check is useful
- Working out whether you can still appear — by age and by attempts — before you spend a year preparing.
- Finding your first and last eligible exam years, so you can plan how many attempts you really have.
- Checking what a category or disability relaxation changes for your own date of birth.
When another tool decides
- SSC exams use different crucial dates and bands — use the SSC Age Calculator for those.
- A plain age on any date is the Age Calculator on this site.
- Only the notification on upsc.gov.in decides your eligibility — this tool counts age and attempts, it does not verify certificates.
The official limits
Age limits and attempts by category
From Rule 3 (attempts) and Rule 5 (age) of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2026. The birth-date window below is for CSE 2027; it shifts by one year for each exam year.
| Category | Relaxation | Upper age limit | Born between | Attempts allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | — | Under 32 years | 2 August 1995 – 1 August 2006 | 6 |
| EWS | — | Under 32 years | 2 August 1995 – 1 August 2006 | 6 |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | +3 years | Under 35 years | 2 August 1992 – 1 August 2006 | 9 |
| SC | +5 years | Under 37 years | 2 August 1990 – 1 August 2006 | Unlimited |
| ST | +5 years | Under 37 years | 2 August 1990 – 1 August 2006 | Unlimited |
| Extra relaxation | Added years | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Person with benchmark disability (PwBD) | +10 years | Adds to the category relaxation. PwBD (General/EWS/OBC) get 9 attempts; PwBD (SC/ST) keep unlimited attempts. |
| Ex-serviceman — 5 or more years of service | +5 years | Needs 5 or more years of military service as on 1 August. Attempts follow the category. |
| Defence personnel disabled in operations | +3 years | Disabled in operations during hostilities or in a disturbed area. Attempts follow the category. |
Two stacking examples: an OBC candidate with a benchmark disability gets 32 + 3 + 10 = 45 years, with 9 attempts. An SC ex-serviceman gets 32 + 5 + 5 = 42 years, with unlimited attempts. Only one extra relaxation is applied at a time on this page — the Rules stack a category relaxation with one further clause.
Get the input right
Common UPSC age mistakes to avoid
Counting from the Prelims date
The Prelims were held on 24 May 2026 for CSE 2026, but age is counted on 1 August 2026. Counting from May makes you look three months younger than UPSC counts you.
Reading 32 as “up to 32”
The rule is “must not have attained 32”. Turning 32 on 1 August means you are over the limit, not inside it — born 1 August 1994, you are exactly 32 on 1 August 2026 and over.
Forgetting attempts run out first
A General candidate who has used all 6 attempts by age 28 is done, even though the age limit runs to 32. Check attempts alongside age.
Counting an application as an attempt
Only appearing in a Prelims paper counts as an attempt. Applying and not appearing uses no attempt — and an attempt counts even if your candidature is later cancelled.
Frequently asked questions
UPSC age questions, answered
Clear answers about the cut-off date, relaxations, attempts and what this tool does not do.
What is the cut-off date for UPSC age calculation?
1 August of the exam year. For CSE 2026 it is 1 August 2026; for CSE 2027 it is 1 August 2027. It is not the Prelims date (24 May 2026 for CSE 2026) and not the day you apply. Your age on that one date decides eligibility.
I turn 32 on 1 August. Am I eligible?
No. The rule says you must not have attained 32 years on 1 August. Born 1 August 1994, you are exactly 32 on 1 August 2026 and over the General limit. Born 2 August 1994, you are 31 years, 11 months and 30 days old and eligible.
How do the age relaxations stack?
The category relaxation and one further relaxation add together: SC/ST get 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years, ex-servicemen 5 years, and defence personnel disabled in operations 3 years. An SC candidate with a benchmark disability gets 32 + 5 + 10 = 47. An OBC ex-serviceman gets 32 + 3 + 5 = 40. The minimum age of 21 never changes.
How many attempts do I get?
General and EWS candidates get 6 attempts, OBC candidates 9, and SC/ST candidates have no limit within their age limit. PwBD candidates get 9 attempts (General, EWS or OBC) or unlimited attempts (SC/ST). An attempt counts when you appear in even one Prelims paper — merely applying does not count.
What are my first and last eligible exam years?
The first year you can appear is the first year in which you are 21 on 1 August; the last year is the last year in which you are still under your upper limit on 1 August. Born 15 March 2000 as a General candidate, your first eligible year is 2021 and your last is 2031.
My birthday is 29 February. How is my age counted?
Your birthday falls on 1 March in a non-leap year — the same rule the SSC Age Calculator and the Age Calculator on this site use. Born 29 February 2000, you are 25 years, 11 months and 30 days old on 28 February 2026 and exactly 26 on 1 March 2026. If your eligibility turns on that single day, confirm it with UPSC before applying.
Can I use this calculator for CSE 2027?
Yes — choose 2027 as the exam year. The limits on this page come from the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2026, the latest published rules. The CSE 2027 notification is tentatively due on 13 January 2027; when it releases, check the age and attempt rules against it before you apply.
Does this check my education, nationality or service restrictions?
No. This tool checks age and attempts only. You also need a graduate degree, and nationality rules apply by service. Serving IAS and IFS officers cannot reappear without resigning. Read the full notification on upsc.gov.in before applying.
Methodology and sources
Know the rules behind the answer
This page applies Rule 3 (number of attempts) and Rule 5 (age) of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2026, as published in the Gazette of India on 4 February 2026 and carried into UPSC's Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE. Age is counted by calendar subtraction on Gregorian dates: complete years, then complete months, then the remaining days, with borrowing from the previous month. Dates are counted in UTC, so the result does not depend on your time zone. A 29 February birthday falls on 1 March in a non-leap year — the same rule the SSC Age Calculator on this site uses. No exam body endorses this tool, and it checks age and attempts only.
About the method
Every number on this page is computed from the dates shown — the worked examples, the comparison table and the calculator all use the same code. For CSE 2027 and CSE 2028 the same limits are used as planning figures from the CSE 2026 Rules; the CSE 2027 notification is tentatively due on 13 January 2027, and the rules must be re-checked against it when it releases. Your dates are never sent anywhere: the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
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