# UPSC Attempts & Age Calculator

> Find how many UPSC Civil Services attempts you have left and every exam year you are still eligible for, by category (General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, PwBD), age on 1 August.

Enter your date of birth, category and attempts used to see **how many UPSC CSE attempts you have left** and **every exam year you can still appear**, using the age-on-1-August rule.

Use the free tool here: https://saraltools.in/upsc-attempts-calculator/

## UPSC CSE age limit and attempts by category

| Category | Age limit (on 1 Aug) | Attempts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General | 21 to 32 | 6 |
| EWS | 21 to 32 | 6 |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 21 to 35 | 9 |
| SC / ST | 21 to 37 | Unlimited |
| PwBD – General / EWS | 21 to 42 | 9 |
| PwBD – OBC | 21 to 45 | 9 |
| PwBD – SC / ST | 21 to 47 | Unlimited |

## How the calculator works

1. Your age is worked out on **1 August** of each exam year, the date UPSC uses.
2. For each year from your next planned exam, it checks you are at least 21 and not above your category's upper age limit.
3. It counts down your remaining attempts, one per year, until either the attempts or the age limit runs out.

The result often surprises people: a General candidate who starts late may run out of age before running out of attempts. Planning your first serious attempt early matters.

## What counts as an attempt

Appearing in **any one paper** of the Preliminary exam counts as an attempt, even if you leave the second paper. Filling the form and not appearing does not count. Disqualification or cancellation of candidature also counts as an attempt.

Check your age for any other exam's cut-off date with the [age calculator](https://saraltools.in/age-calculator/), and track your mock scores with the [mock test tracker](https://saraltools.in/mock-test-tracker/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How many attempts are allowed in UPSC CSE?

General and EWS: 6 attempts up to age 32. OBC (non-creamy layer): 9 attempts up to 35. SC/ST: unlimited attempts up to 37. Persons with benchmark disability get up to 10 extra years of age; PwBD candidates of General, EWS and OBC get 9 attempts, and SC/ST PwBD candidates have unlimited attempts.

### When is age counted for UPSC?

Age is counted as on 1 August of the exam year. For CSE 2027, you must be at least 21 and not above the upper age limit on 1 August 2027.

### Does just filling the form count as an attempt?

No. An attempt is counted only if you appear in at least one paper of the Preliminary examination. Applying and not appearing does not use an attempt.

### Does EWS get any age relaxation?

No. EWS candidates follow the same age limit and number of attempts as General category. EWS benefit is only in reservation of seats.

### Is this official?

It applies the rules from recent UPSC CSE notifications. Rules can change, and special cases (ex-servicemen, defence personnel disabled in service) have extra relaxation, so confirm with the latest official notification.

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Last updated: 2026-11-01

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