UPSC CSE 2025 results awaited: Check exam timeline, weightage and past trends

With personality tests ending on February 27, UPSC CSE candidates now await merit list for 979 civil services vacancies.

The final results of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 are eagerly awaited by candidates across the country.

Although the commission has not yet announced an official date, the results are expected to be announced in the coming days.

The examination cycle began with the preliminary exam held on May 25, 2025, followed by the main examination from August 22 to August 31. The personality test or interview, which is the final round of the process, concluded on February 27, 2026.

Going by previous years’ trends, UPSC announces the final results within a week of completing the interview round, leading to expectations that the final merit list could be released soon.

When out, the final list of selected candidates will be available in PDF format on the official UPSC website: upsconline.nic.in.

This year, the exam was conducted for 979 vacancies across several cadres including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the Indian Revenue Service, the Indian Trade Service and other Group A and B central services.

What happens after the final result is announced?

Once the final merit list is released, selected candidates will receive further instructions from the Commission and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Candidates are allotted cadres such as IAS, IFS and other services based on their rank, category, preferences filled in the Detailed Application Form (DAF) and availability of vacancies.

Following this, candidates are required to undergo medical examinations. Those allotted to the IAS begin their training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie.

IPS officers train at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, while candidates allotted to other services report to their respective training academies. The foundation course usually begins a few months after the final results are declared.

Exam structure and weightage: How much do interviews matter?

The UPSC Civil Services Examination consists of three stages -- Preliminary, Main and Personality Test. The marks obtained in the preliminaries are only qualifying in nature and are not counted in the final merit list.

The main examination carries a total of 1,750 marks. The Personality Test (interview) carries 275 marks. This brings the total marks considered for the final ranking to 2,025.

While the written examination forms the larger portion of the total score, the interview can significantly influence the final rank. A difference of even 20–30 marks in the personality test can lead to substantial shifts in rank, especially among candidates who are closely placed after the written stage.

In fact, previous trends show that strong interview performance has, in several cases, helped candidates improve their final position in the merit list.

Recent trends

UPSC CSE remains to be one of the most competitive exams in the country. The overall success rate remains low, usually less than 1 per cent of those who appear for the preliminary exam.

Looking at recent trends, in the 2024 Civil Services Examination, Shakti Dubey secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 with 1,043 marks out of 2,025 total. She scored 843 in the written Mains and 200 in the Personality Test. Harshita Goyal and Dongre Archit Parag followed closely at Rank 2 and Rank 3 respectively, both scoring a total of 1,038.

In the 2023 examination, Aditya Srivastava topped the list with 1,099 marks, followed by Animesh Pradhan with 1,067 marks and Donuru Ananya Reddy with 1,065 marks.

The final cut-off for the general category has typically ranged between 950 and 980 marks in recent cycles.