The civil services preliminary examination to select IAS and IPS officers among others has been scheduled to be held on June 3 next year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has said. Except for this year’s test, which was held on June 18, the preliminary tests for 2016, 2015 and 2014 were held during the month of August, as per UPSC records.  The preliminary exam for 2013 was held on May 26. The civil services preliminary examination, 2018, is scheduled to be held on June 3, as per the UPSC’s programme of examinations for 2018. The notification for next year’s exam will be issued on February 7. The last date for receipt of applications would be March 6, 2018, it said. The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages — preliminary, main and interview — to select officers for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. The number of vacancies to be filled on the result of the 2017 civil services examination is expected to be approximately 980 which include 27 vacancies reserved for those in physically handicapped category. The result of civil services preliminary examination 2017 was declared on July 27.