Indian Forest Service Exam 2021
Eligibility | Dates | Pattern | Syllabus
Last Updated on 8th April, 2021
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) hosted by Union Public Service Commissions (UPSC) is one of the Civil Service Examinations for recruitment of officers on an All India Level for the Scientific Management of the Indian Government’s forest. The exam is conducted on the basis of the guidelines set by the UPSC.
The exams are conducted in three rounds preliminary, main exam and interview. Candidates qualifying for the preliminary round are eligible for the main exam. On qualifying for the main exam candidates are selected for the interview round. IFS officer’s main role is to conserve and protect the heritage of forests.
Exam Highlights
| Level of Exam | Graduate, National Level |
| Exam Medium | English, Hindi |
| Exam Frequency | Once in a year |
| Purpose of the Exam | Recruitment of officers for the scientific management in forest. |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
IFS Exam Eligibity Criteria 2021
- Nationality
- Educational Qualification
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in at least one of the following subjects- Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Maths, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Physics, Zoology, and Statistics.
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Forestry or Engineering from a recognized university or equivalent.
- Age Limit The age of the candidate to appear in the IFS examination should be minimum of 21 years and maximum of 32 years.
For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
For other services, a candidate must be either:—
(a) a citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
However, there are age relaxations for candidates belonging to the reserved categories. They are given below in the table:
| Category | Upper Age Limit |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 37 years |
| OBC | 35 years |
| Defence service personnel | 35 years |
| Ex-servicemen | 37 years |
| ECOs/SSCOs | 37 years |
| Deaf-dumb, blind or Orthopaedically challenged individuals | 42 years |
The number of times candidates are permitted to take the Indian Forest Service Exam is given below:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
|---|---|
| General Category | 6 |
| SC/ST | No restriction |
| OBC | 9 |
| Physically Handicapped | 9 |
IFS Exam Important Dates 2021
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Starting Date of Application | March 4, 2021 |
| Last Date of Application | March 24, 2021 |
| Preliminary Exam | June 27, 2021 |
| Starting date of Main Exam | November 21, 2021 |
| Main Exam Result | To be notified |
| Filling detailed application form (DAF-II) | To be notified |
| Date of IFS Main Interview Round 2020 | To be notified |
| Final Result | To be notified |
IFS Exam Pattern 2021
IFS Exam comprises of three-stage selection processes like any other UPSC exams: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam and Interview.
Pattern for Preliminary Exam
The preliminary examination intends to focus on analytical abilities and understanding rather than the ability to memorize.
| Sl. No. | Name of the Paper/Section | Nature | Nos. of Questions | Question Type | Duration | Negative Marking | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper 1: General Studies |
Merit Ranking Nature | Objective (Multiple Choice) | 120 mins | 0.33 | 200 | |
| 2 | Paper 2: General Studies (CSAT) |
Qualifying Nature | Objective (Multiple Choice) | 120 mins | 0.33 | 200 | |
| Total Marks* | 200 |
*The total marks shown here are considered for merit ranking purposes.
Pattern for Mains Exam
In Mains Examination, there are total 6 papers.
Paper-I—General English
Paper-II—General Knowledge
Papers III, IV, V and VI—Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects mentioned below.
Each optional subject will have two papers— 200 marks for each paper.
**Note: Answer scripts of only those candidates who have obtained the minimum marks as decided by the Commission for Paper-II (General Knowledge) will be evaluated.
List of optional subjects :
(i) Agriculture
(ii) Agricultural Engineering
(iii) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
(iv) Botany
(v) Chemistry
(vi) Chemical Engineering
(vii) Civil Engineering
(viii) Forestry
(ix) Geology
(x) Mathematics
(xi) Mechanical Engineering
(xii) Physics
(xiii) Statistics
(xiv) Zoology
Provided that the candidates will not be allowed to offer the following combination of subjects :
(a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engg.
(b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
(c) Agriculture and Forestry.
(d) Chemistry and Chemical Engg.
(e) Mathematics and Statistics.
(f) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering—not more than one subject;
| Sl. No. | Name of the Paper/Section | Nature | Nos. of Questions | Question Type | Duration | Negative Marking | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper I: General English Candidates will be required to write an essay in English. |
Merit Ranking Nature | Descriptive | 300 | |||
| 2 | Paper II: General Knowledge |
Qualifying Nature | Descriptive | 300 | |||
| 3 | Paper III: Optional Subject 1 This is the first paper of optional subject 1. |
Merit Ranking Nature | 8 | Descriptive | 200 | ||
| 4 | Paper IV: Optional Subject 1 This is the second paper of optional subject 1. |
Merit Ranking Nature | 8 | Descriptive | 200 | ||
| 5 | Paper V: Optional Subject 2 This is the first paper of optional subject 2. |
Merit Ranking Nature | 8 | Descriptive | 200 | ||
| 6 | Paper VI: Optional Subject 2 This is the second paper of optional subject 2. |
Merit Ranking Nature | 8 | Descriptive | 200 | ||
| Total Marks* | 1400 |
*The total marks shown here are considered for merit ranking purposes.
Pattern for Personality Test
Total marks allotted: 300The objective of the personal interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to evaluate the mental calibre of a candidate.
IFS Exam Syllabus 2021
Syllabus for Preliminary Exam
1 Paper 1: General Studies
2 Paper 2: General Studies (CSAT)
Syllabus for Mains Exam
1 Paper I: General English
2 Paper II: General Knowledge
experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject.
3 Paper III: Optional Subject 1
See the table given below in the note.
4 Paper IV: Optional Subject 1
See the table given below in the note.
5 Paper V: Optional Subject 2
See the table given below in the note.
6 Paper VI: Optional Subject 2
See the table given below in the note.
Points Related to the Mains Exam
Syllabus for IFS optional papers
| Paper | Syllabus | Marks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional Papers | Paper- I | Paper-II | 400 |
| Agriculture |
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| Agricultural Engineering |
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| Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science |
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| Botany |
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| Chemistry |
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| Chemical Engineering |
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| Civil Engineering |
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| Forestry |
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| Geology |
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| Mathematics |
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| Mechanical Engineering |
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| Physics |
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| Statistics |
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| Zoology |
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Syllabus for Personality Test
There is no specific syllabus for the interview. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only a candidate’s intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, the ability for social cohesion, LEADERSHIP, and intellectual and moral integrity.
Exam Highlights
| Level of Exam | Graduate, National Level |
| Exam Medium | English, Hindi |
| Exam Frequency | Once in a year |
| Purpose of the Exam | Recruitment of officers for the scientific management in forest. |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |