Indian Forest Service (abbreviated as IFS or IFoS) is one of the prestigious All India Services like Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Police Service (IPS). To get into IFS, a candidate has to sit for the same preliminary exam as all civil service aspirants do. But what is the minimum educational qualification for Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS) Exam? Let’s see.
Minimum Educational Qualification for Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS) Exam
The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree in any of the following subjects/ disciplines.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Botany.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Chemistry.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Geology.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Mathematics.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Statistics.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Physics.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects as Zoology.
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture.
- Bachelor’s degree in Forestry.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
Graduation should be from of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
Can last year students of graduation also apply?
Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination.
All candidates who are declared qualified by the Union Public Service Commission for taking the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Indian Forest Service Main Examination.
The applications for the Main Examination will be called sometime in the month of July/August, through online mode.
What is the age limit to apply for Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS) Exam?
A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on 1st August of the respective year of Preliminary Exam.
But the upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable –
- up to a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.
- up to a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.
- up to a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof:
- upto a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and
ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st August) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on invalidment. - up to a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of
assignment of five years of Military Service as on 1st August, and whose assignment has been
extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three month’s notice on selection from the date of receipt of the offer of appointment. - up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of:-
(a) Low Vision
(b) Hearing Impaired (Partially deaf) and
(c) Locomotor disability (sub-category : Leprosy cured and Acid attack)
To know about further relaxations, refer the UPSC notification.
The Plan of Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS) Exam
The Indian Forest Service Examination will consist of two successive stages.
- Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination
- Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the Indian Forest Service.
How can you make sure that you clear Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS) Exam?
Due to limited vacancies, the cut-off score of IFS aspirants for the Main exam is often greater than that of Civil Service Exam Prelims. But once you clear Prelims, your chances of converting are very high due to different factors.
Apply before the last date, if you eligible. You can apply for Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IRS etc) and IFS on the same online form.
To ensure that you clear Prelims in flying colours to fetch a mains call of IFS exam, we strongly recommend aspirants to enroll in ClearIAS Prelims Online Test Series.
i have done B. tech and M. tech in Dairy Technology (JRF in Masters from NDRI, Karnal). Can I apply for the IFS?
yes u can.any person with an engineering background can apply.
Sir I’m doing bsc (physics) from ignou can I apply for IFS.
If we apply for only ifos exam and appear for prelims will it be counted as CASE attempt? Last year, UPSC desk office said appearing only for ifos exam is also a cse attempt.
Please confirm
No…In the same online application, there are separate options for marking CSE or IFS. If you opt only for IFS, that will not be counted as a CSE attempt.
sir in options we can apply for both cse and ifos ?
it will have same paper or seperate paper for ifos and cse ?
Thanku very much
Sir i had completed my degree in fisheries (B.F.Sc) am I eligible to apply for IFS.
Sir, i have completed B.Sc in english medium ,i studied 10th in telugu medium,i am fluent in telugu can i choose main exam in IAS telugu language & interview
Sir is IPS and Indian forest services exam is same. And known as CSP which will conduct on 3rd June 2018?
Sir,i have completed b pharm can i apply for ifs exam
Respected Sir/ Madam
In some sites I noticed that bachelor with one subject as statistics is eligible for IFoS…! But here it does not appear….! I am a b.com graduate from IGNOU and studied statistics as one of my core subject in third year…! Am I eligible for
IFOS exam
I am a bcom graduate with statistics as one of main subject in third year of B.Com Am I eligible for IFOS exam
Where as the candidates from sience stream can apply both the categories in IFS/IAS,students from Arts stream also should have been allowed to appear in the both IFS and IAS examinations because Arts stream students get less chance for applying the UPSC ( IFS). it is being deprived from the view of financial and merit categories.
I have done my bachelors with chemistry and biotechnology (zoology till 2nd year of graduation). Can I apply for IFS??
Is a b pharmacy student eligible for this test??
I’ve done Bachelor of Computer Application. Can I also apply for this ??
I m a MBBS student can I appear for ifos exam?
I am botany student 2nd year for ifos
exam eligible
Sir what are number of attempts for IFS
I am eligible for ifos if I am only doing 3yrs course of bvsc not animal husbandary.
And second question is that I will take only veterinary subject for prelims not animal husbandary shall I take that subject or not.
Sir I am a itm graduate can I apply for the exam
I’m in BE automobile-2nd year.can I give IFS exam ?
I had completed Msc microbiology can I apply for this exam???
can an MBBS graduate write this exam? please reply
I have completed my graduation in Botany. I’m very much interested in IFS. I have not moved applications yet for IFS exam. What shall I do now? Should I wait for next year’s test? Or should I go for Msc. Botany?
Sir I’m willing to IFS (Indian forest service) I’m completely my graduation degree in B.Sc Biotechnology course I’m eligible or I deserve it sir please tell me
I am completed plus two examination
Can I apply for this exam ?
I have completed Bachelor Degree in Economics and one paper having statics. Can I apply Indian Forest Service?
Sir i had completed my degree in BBA am I eligible to apply for IFS.
sir I have done my BSc in forensic science am i eligible for the exam. I dont have any of the forementioned subjects in eligibility criteria but i had studied the gist of every Subject
Sir horticulure degree can included in ifs…….???
Sir anyone who has done his bachelor degree in architecture (B. Arch) can apply?
Is life sciences graduates are eligible for indian foreign service exam?
I am a life sciences student…
Am i eligible to write IFS exam?
Sir i am studying 12th std. I want more information about IFS &eligiblity creteria
Sir,,,,,,
I have master degree in zoology . Am interested to take Ifos/IFS exams, but i have dowt in physical criteria .
Is there height required ? Someone says height is required , my hieght is 5.4 so can i apply ?
Sir,I’m in last year of my graduation in bsc.medical.with subjects chemistry, zoology and botany..how can apply for ISF
I’m in none of these departments, so can’t i become IFS
I have done B.Sc. Horticulture…. Can I apply for IFS
I am 2015 bscit pass out and have 4 years of experience in IT industry and now I want to change my career path. Can I apply for IFOS ?
Please do reply as it I am very confused right now.