What Do You Need for IES–ISS?
IES–ISS Examination at a Glance
One UPSC examination, two Group A services: the Indian Economic Service and the Indian Statistical Service.
| Item | IES | ISS |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 vacancies | 16 | 28 |
| Degree | PG in Economics | Statistics degree* |
| Age | 21–30 | 21–30 |
| Papers | 6 descriptive | 6 (2 objective) |
| Interview | 200 | 200 |
* Bachelor’s with Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Applied Statistics, or a master’s in one of these. Fee ₹200; women, SC, ST and PwBD exempt. 2026 exam began 19 June 2026. Always confirm on upsc.gov.in.
Who Is Eligible?
1. Age
21–30 years as on 1 August of the exam year (for 2026: born 2 Aug 1996 – 1 Aug 2005).
2. IES
Postgraduate degree in Economics, Applied Economics, Business Economics or Econometrics.
3. ISS
Bachelor’s with Statistics, Mathematical Statistics or Applied Statistics, or a master’s in one of these.
4. Age relaxation
5 years SC/ST, 3 years OBC, 10 years PwBD, and ex-servicemen as per rules.
Selection Process
The same two stages for both services.
Written exam
Six papers over three days — 1000 marks.
Interview
Personality test of 200 marks.
Final merit
Written + interview = 1200 marks, separately for IES and ISS.
Training
Probation and training before the first posting.
IES Written Exam Pattern
All six papers are descriptive, 3 hours each. Full IES guide →
| Paper | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| General English | 100 | 3 h |
| General Studies | 100 | 3 h |
| General Economics I | 200 | 3 h |
| General Economics II | 200 | 3 h |
| General Economics III | 200 | 3 h |
| Indian Economics | 200 | 3 h |
| Total | 1000 |
ISS Written Exam Pattern
Statistics I and II are objective with negative marking; the other papers are descriptive.
| Paper | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| General English | 100 | 3 h |
| General Studies | 100 | 3 h |
| Statistics I Objective | 200 | 2 h |
| Statistics II Objective | 200 | 2 h |
| Statistics III | 200 | 3 h |
| Statistics IV | 200 | 3 h |
| Total | 1000 |
Pattern as per recent notifications. General English and General Studies are common with the IES.
Syllabus Overview
Tap a paper group to see its main areas.
General English & General StudiesCommon to IES and ISS
- Essay, précis and comprehension
- Grammar and usage
- Current events, polity, history, geography and general science
IES — General Economics I, II, IIIEconomics papers
- Microeconomics, welfare and quantitative methods
- Macroeconomics, money, public finance and international economics
- Growth, development, environment and the world economy
IES — Indian EconomicsIndian economy in depth
- Planning and reforms
- Agriculture, industry and services
- Poverty, employment and inclusive growth
- Fiscal, monetary and external sector policy
ISS — Statistics I & II (objective)Probability and inference
- Probability theory and distributions
- Statistical methods and sampling distributions
- Numerical analysis and computer applications
- Linear models, estimation and hypothesis testing
ISS — Statistics III & IV (descriptive)Applied statistics
- Sampling techniques and design of experiments
- Economic and official statistics, index numbers
- Econometrics and time series
- Demography and vital statistics
- Operations research and reliability
- Multivariate analysis and quality control
Free IES–ISS Study Material
Notes for both services.
These resources are being added paper by paper. Pages marked “Coming soon” are not published yet.
IES Economics Notes
General Economics I–III and Indian Economics.
Explore →Probability & Inference
Notes for Statistics I and II.
Coming soon →Applied Statistics
Sampling, design, econometrics and OR.
Coming soon →Official Statistics
NSO, surveys, index numbers and national accounts.
Coming soon →English & GS
Essay, précis and general studies.
Coming soon →IES–ISS Practice
Objective tests for ISS and answer-writing practice for both services.
Under development. The practice sets below are planned and will open here when ready.
Statistics I (Objective)
Statistics II (Objective)
Economics Answer Writing
Previous-Year Papers
How to Prepare
Start with the common papers
English and GS carry 200 marks for both services — don’t neglect them.
IES: theory + India
Pair economic theory with the Economic Survey, Budget and RBI reports.
ISS: speed + depth
Practise MCQs for Statistics I–II and full derivations for III–IV.
Solve past papers
UPSC repeats themes — practise previous IES and ISS papers under time.
Write regularly
Use diagrams, equations and Indian data in descriptive answers.
Prepare for the interview
Know current economic and statistical issues in India.
IES–ISS Dates
The 2026 exam was notified on 11 February 2026 and began on 19 June 2026. The next cycle is usually notified early in the year with the exam in June — check the UPSC exam calendar.
FAQs
What is the IES–ISS Examination?
A combined UPSC examination that recruits officers for the Indian Economic Service (economists) and the Indian Statistical Service (statisticians), both Group A central services. Official information is on upsc.gov.in.
Can I apply for both IES and ISS?
No. You apply for one service, based on your qualification and choice.
What qualification does ISS need?
A bachelor’s degree with Statistics, Mathematical Statistics or Applied Statistics as a subject, or a master’s in one of these, as specified in the notification.
Is there negative marking?
Yes, in the objective ISS papers (Statistics I and II), as in other UPSC objective tests. The descriptive papers have no negative marking.
Is there a prelims?
No. There is one written stage of six papers, followed by the interview.
Where do IES and ISS officers work?
IES officers work as economic advisers in ministries and policy bodies. ISS officers work in statistical offices such as the National Statistics Office and the statistical wings of ministries.