IPS Exam

IPS is the acronym for Indian Police Service, another civil service sector that draws thousands of aspiring candidates. Admission to IPS can be obtained upon successful clearance of the all India competitive exam administered by UPSC.

IPS came into existence in the year 1948 and it reinstated the Imperial Police.

IPS is one of the three prominent All India Government Services. Other two services are IAS (Indian Administration Service) and IFS (Indian Foreign Service).

IPS entrance exam pattern

The UPSC examination comprises of two successive stages. IPS exam is carried out by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) and constitutes two stages:

1. The Preliminary Examination and
2. The Main Examination.

• Preliminary Exam comprises multiple choice questions and is also a qualifying exam for appearing into second exam.
• Main Examination which comprises a written exam and an interview.

• IPS entrance exam courses

  Since the civil services sector is a lucrative career option and is in great demand due to the high level of job security it offers, it attracts a lot of aspiring candidates. However, careful planning and preparation is required to be able to clear the UPSC examination. Several institutes all over the country offer UPSC examination preparation courses. These courses can be done through correspondence also as all the relevant study material gets sent to the candidate.

  Eligibility for IPS entrance exam

  • You must be 21 years (minimum) and 30 years (maximum) at the time of taking exam. SC/ST/OBC and ex-servicemen are given exemption of 3 to 5 years in maximum age limit.
  • People belonging to general category can appear for IPS exam four times, while OBCs can appear for seven times but no limit has been set for SC/ST. keep in mind, even appearing in just exam is counted as an attempt.
  • You also need to meet physical standards mentioned in application form.

  Preparation tips for IPS entrance exam

  • Preliminary exam is a qualifying stage. This exam has two papers in which one is optional (means you can choose a subject of your own choice) and other is of General Studies which is a compulsory exam and you have to give importance to both.
  • To get a good command over General Science, it is must that you prepare at least eight subjects of high importance properly. These subjects include Mental Ability, Economy, Political Science, Science, Current Affairs, Geography, History and General Knowledge. 
  • The best way to begin your preparation in above mentioned subjects is to start with NCERT books of 6th to 12th standard. 
  • To keep updated with ‘current affairs’ you will require reading newspapers from at least one year back from the time of appearing for exam. Make notes of all the important events, incidents in the country as well as around the world. 
  • Other than books, you also need to prepare from a good atlas for ‘Geography’. 
  • For ‘General Knowledge’, you must read ‘Competition Success Review” and collect facts. Also, you can solve question papers of previous years’ preliminaries. 
  • For ‘General Studies’ read political and business magazines as much as you can but within limit.
  • For ‘optional subject paper’, the most important thing is that you choose a subject about which you are very much confident. The best way to do is this is to go through the syllabus of that subject and look if you have covered all those topics mentioned in your degree course.
  • Do prepare for both ‘Preliminary’ and ‘Main’ exam very well, as you will not have much time to prepare for ‘Main’ exam after clearing prelims successfully. 
  • To prepare for optional subject, get the civil service exam syllabus. Cover all the topics and attempting all the related question papers simultaneously.
  You must keep in mind that the IPS is a highly reputed service in India and one has to go through rigorous tests before making it final. Success is possible with proper planning for the exam preparation and executing that planning in the most effective manner.

  Prospects

  The IPS offers bright prospects to successful candidates beginning with a chance to serve the society. In addition to the job security, Indian Police Service officers also get generous perks and allowances like subsidized accommodation, travel allowances etc. The greatest satisfaction after joining the IPS is that sometimes, not always, you get to be a part of justice being served.