A maximum of 4 attempts is permitted to every candidate and 7 to those belonging to Other Backward Classes. There is no restriction on the number of attempts in the case of SC/ST candidates. All this, provided you are still under the age limit. A physically handicapped person will get as many attempts as any other non-handicapped candidate of his/her community, but if they are from the general category they will get 7 attempts. It is wiser to be mentally ready for several attempts as cracking the Civil Services Exams is a tough nut to crack the first time around; and if you do qualify you may want to attempt again to improve your ranking and therefore your service allotment.
NOTE :
(i) An attempt at a Preliminary Examination shall be deemed to be an attempt at
the Examination.
(ii) If a candidate actually appears in any
one paper in the Preliminary Examination,
he/she shall be deemed to have made an
attempt at the Examination.
(iii) Notwithstanding the disqualification/
cancellation of candidature, the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.
Restrictions on applying for the examination :
A candidate who is appointed to the Indian
Administrative Service or the Indian Foreign Service on the results of an earlier
examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to
compete at this examination.
In case such a candidate is appointed to
the IAS/IFS after the Preliminary Examination of Civil Services Examination, 2012
is over and he/she continues to be a member of that service, he/she shall not be eligible to appear in the Civil Services (Main)
Examination, 2012 notwithstanding his/her
having qualified in the Preliminary Examination, 2012.
Also provided that if such a candidate is
appointed to IAS/IFS after the commencement of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2012 but before the result thereof
and continues to be a member of that service, he/she shall not be considered for
appointment to any service/post on the
basis of the result of this examination viz.
Civil Services Examination, 2012.
