What are the eligibility requirements for the PCS exam?

The candidate keen to appear in the PCS examination is supposed to abide by the following conditions:

A. Nationality:  The candidate can either be a Citizen of India, Nepal, Bhutan or Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1962.A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India;

B. Age Limit: The candidate should have attained the age of 21 years but should not be older than 37 years.However, for the position of DSP, the candidate should have attained the minimum age of 21 years and should not have attained the age of 28 years for the post of Deputy Superintendent Police in the Punjab Police Service.

Age Relaxation:

1. The upper age limit for a Punjab Government/Other State Government/ Central Government employee will be relaxed up to 47 years.
2. The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxed up to a maximum of five years for Schedules Castes and Scheduled Tribes of all States and Backward Classes of Punjab, except in the case of the posts of DSP.
3. The upper age limit for widows, divorcees and certain other categories as per instructions issued by the Government of Punjab vide Letter No. 1/50/83-5PP(1368)/3454 dated 23-04-1984 of women of Punjab will be relaxed up to 42 years, except in the case of the posts of DSP.
4. Age relaxation in upper age limit, up to 10 years is available to the disabled persons of Punjab, except in the case of the posts of DSP.
5. An Ex-serviceman of Punjab domicile shall be allowed to deduct the period of his service in the Armed Forces of the Union from his actual age and if the resultant age does not exceed the maximum age limit prescribed for direct appointment to such a vacancy in the Service Rules concerned by more than three years, he shall be deemed to satisfy the condition regarding age limit.

C. Educational Qualification: The candidate should possess a bachelor degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institution. The candidates in the final year of the study can appear in the Preliminary examination, however, the candidate shall be required to produce proof of qualifying the degree course for being eligible to take the Main Competitive Examination.

D. Physical standards for the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police:

Minimum Height :5 feet 7 inches ( Men ), 5 feet 3 inches (Women), Chest Measurement :33 inches (Men Only)

Number of Attempts for this Examinations:
1. Unless covered by any of the exceptions, which may from time to time be notified by the Government in this behalf, every candidate appearing for the examination after the commencement of Punjab State Civil Services (Appointment by Combined Competitive Examination) Rules, 2009, shall be permitted to avail up to four attempts at the examination.
2. For the purpose of this rule, the appearance of a candidate in the Preliminary Examination shall be deemed to be an attempt at the examination.
3. Ex-servicemen category candidates are permitted only three attempts at the Examination.