UPSC IES/ISS (Economic / Statistical Service) Eligibility 2026

Who can apply for UPSC IES/ISS (Economic / Statistical Service) in 2026 — the age limit, educational qualification, nationality and attempt rules as specified by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Always confirm against the official notification before applying.

Indian Economic Service (IES) — eligibility

Age: 21 to 30 years on 1 August of the examination year. Standard relaxations: SC/ST +5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years, PwBD +10 years, ex-servicemen and serving Defence personnel as per DoPT rules, J&K domicile (specified period) as per gazette notification.
Education: Post-graduate degree in Economics / Applied Economics / Business Economics / Econometrics from a recognised Indian university or a foreign university recognised by Association of Indian Universities. Candidates appearing in the final year of the Master's may apply provisionally — the degree must be produced at the time of Personality Test/document verification.
Nationality: Citizen of India, or subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling, or person of Indian origin migrated from specified countries with the intention of permanently settling — as per the standard UPSC eligibility clause.
Attempts: No restriction on number of attempts up to the upper age limit (subject to category-wise age relaxation). Attempts are NOT capped the way they are in CSE.

Indian Statistical Service (ISS) — eligibility

Age: 21 to 30 years on 1 August of the examination year. Same category-wise relaxations as IES apply.
Education: Bachelor's degree with Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Applied Statistics as ONE of the subjects, OR a Master's degree in Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Applied Statistics from a recognised university. Note that a Bachelor's in Mathematics without a Statistics paper does NOT qualify — Statistics must appear as a subject on the transcript.
Nationality: Same as IES — Indian citizen or specified categories per gazette notification.
Attempts: No restriction on number of attempts up to the upper age limit. Final-year Bachelor's/Master's candidates may apply provisionally.

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