Aspirants appearing for the UPSC CSE 2024 must adhere to the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 Exam Day Instructions for a smooth examination experience. Essential guidelines include arriving on time at the exam venue, bringing hall tickets indicating the venue, and accurately completing their OMR sheets to prevent disqualification. It is crucial for UPSC IAS exam candidates to meticulously review and adhere to these instructions on the day of the examination.

The UPSC will administer the UPSC CSE 2024 prelims on June 16, 2024, as per the announced schedule, with the main examination scheduled for September 20, 2024. The official notification by the Union Public Service Commission will be issued on February 14, 2024, along with the release of the application form, which candidates can fill out until March 5, 2024.

The UPSC Civil Service Exam will be conducted at various locations across the country, as it is held annually by the UPSC. Last year, the commission announced a total of 861 vacancies, and the UPSC CSE Vacancy 2024 will be detailed in the upcoming notification. Candidates should refer to the sections below for more information on the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 Exam Day Instructions.

Also Read: UPSC CSE 2024 Application

UPSC CSE Prelims 2024: Overview

Candidates can go through the table below to be aware of the important highlights of UPSC CSE Prelims 2024:

UPSC CSE Exam Date 2024

The exam date for UPSC CSE for the session 2024 has been released. The candidates appearing for the exam should remain updated with the exam events and the dates. The following table contains the exam dates for both prelims and mains.

UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Timings

The UPSC Prelims Exam 2024 consists of two papers, which will be conducted in two shifts with a gap in between. Check the UPSC exam timing 2024 to ensure that you are on time and can prevent any last-minute complications. 

UPSC CSE 2024 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates can check the complete UPSC 2024 eligibility criteria in the official notification to apply for the examination. If any candidate fails to meet the criteria but still applies for the same, it may cause issues later on. Moreover, the UPSC CSE 2024 eligibility criteria are set on 3 factors such as age, qualification, and nationality. 

UPSC CSE 2024 Educational Qualification:

The candidate has to be a graduate of any government-recognized university or UGC-affiliated university. Candidates can be graduated in any stream or branch. Those who are in their final year of graduation can also apply for UPSC. There is no minimum percentage that is required for graduation.

UPSC CSE 2024 Age Limit:

The candidates can refer to the table below of category-wise minimum and maximum age limits:

UPSC CSE 2024 Age Relaxation:

The candidates must go through the age relaxation details for the exam provided by the UPSC.

UPSC CSE 2024 Nationality:

For IAS, IFS, and IPS - A candidate should be a citizen of India. For other services - A candidate has to be either:

• a citizen of India, or
• a subject of Nepal, or
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 with an intention of settling down in India permanently, or
• a person with an Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or any East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with an intention of settling down in India permanently.

Also Read: UPSE CSE 2024 Exam Pattern

UPSC CSE 2024 Number of Attempts

The candidate can appear for the UPSC IAS Exam six times at most. However, SC/ST category candidates can appear unlimited times and OBC category candidates can attend 9 times.

UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024

Union Public Service Commission will release UPSC IAS 2024 Admit Card on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The hall ticket will be released three weeks before the commencement of the examination in online mode. UPSC CSE Pre Admit Card will tentatively be released in May 2024. The candidates who have registered for UPSC CSE 2024 must download their UPSC CSE Admit Card 2023 from the given website. Refer to the Admit card for detailed instructions including UPSC exam timing and the address of the Examination venue. Do not forget to carry your admit card to the examination hall and keep it safe for future reference. 

Details mentioned on UPSC CSE 2024 Admit Card

The candidates must check whether all the details printed on the UPSC IAS 2024 hall ticket are correct or not. In case of any discrepancy, they should immediately contact the authorities to get it resolved. Go through the details that will be mentioned in the admit card –

• Name of the candidate
• Roll Number of the candidate
• Gender
• Category of the candidate
• Date of birth
• Exam date and timings
• Exam Centre name
• Exam center address and other details
• Photo of the candidate
• Signature of the candidate
• Exam day guidelines

How to download UPSC CSE 2024 admit card?

There is a very easy procedure through which you will be able to download the admit card because it is one of the most important documents that is needed to give the preliminary exam. You can check out the simple procedure given below to download the admit card:

• You will first have to visit the official website of UPSC and then go to the What's New section.
• You have to click on the access link for E admit card for UPSC civil services exam 2024 present on the page.
• A new page will open on your screen and the students will be able to download the admit card by entering the important information related to their roll number and registration information. 
• The students can click on the submit button and the admit card will open on the screen.
• It is important to take a printout of the admit card as soon as possible to be able to sit inside the examination center and give the UPSC CSE 2024 Prelims exam.

Read more: UPSC CSE 2024 Syllabus

Important Instructions For UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024

In this section, we will discuss all the important instructions that have been listed in the UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024 - 

• The candidates must thoroughly check if their UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024 has any discrepancies. If they find any, they should take up the matter with the UPSC officials immediately
• The candidates must carry a valid photo identity card along with their UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024 to their respective exam centers
• The candidates must not lose possession of their e-admit cards until the completion of the selection process
• The candidates must mention all their credentials on their respective admit cards after downloading 

UPSC CSE Prelims Exam Day Instructions 2024

Here are some important exam-day instructions for the candidates appearing in this year’s UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024 - 

• The candidates must take all the necessary measures to ensure all the details on the OMR sheet of the UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2024 are correctly mentioned to avoid disqualification
• The candidates will not be allowed entry into their respective exam venues if they do not reach their destination at least 10 minutes before the commencement of the exam
• The candidates will only be allowed entry in that exam venue which is mentioned on their admit cards
• The candidates must familiarize themselves with all the necessary exam instructions to be made available to them outside their respective exam venues
• The candidates should not be carrying any electronic devices with them to the exam venues to avoid disqualification
• The candidates will be allowed to wear a normal watch inside the exam venues
• Negative marking will be applicable for wrong attempts
• The candidates should record their responses with a black ballpoint pen only
• The candidates will not be allowed to carry any valuable items to their respective exam venues as the officials will not be responsible for the misplacement of any such items
• Candidates, who have opted for their own scribe, may note that their own scribe will be allowed for the Examination only with a separate e-Admit Card for such a scribe. The e-Admit Cards for the own scribes will be issued separately

UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Day: Do’s and Don’ts 

Some guidelines are to be followed by the students when they are giving the UPSC Prelims Exam 2024 and you can check out some of the do's and don'ts that are presented by the authorities from the pointers given below:

Dos: 

• Fill out the UPSC CSE Exam OMR Sheet.
• Wait for the instruction of the Invigilator to fill in the details on the OMR sheet.
• Carefully read all the instructions and details specified in the OMR sheet.
• Do not do wrong bubbling as it can lead to disqualification.
• Feel free to ask Invigilators if you have any doubts.
• Balance speed with accuracy.
• Firstly, attempt all the questions which are found to be “Easy” or can be answered directly.
• Do not spend too much time on one question. In case the question is tricky or difficult, move to the next question.
• Solve the tricky questions calmly. Try to solve questions that are formula-based.

Don’ts:

• The paper is the same for everyone so do not be afraid.
• Do not think you are unprepared or under-prepared.
• Do not lose momentum going into the exam.
• Do not leave the OMR sheet filling to the end.
• Do not over-attempt.
• Do not leave any questions before looking at the options.

The students can check out the major information about UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 exam instructions from the article provided above and then start their preparations accordingly. Make sure to prepare for the exam by taking into account the do's and don'ts presented above!