The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the dates for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Mains examination. The exam will begin on November 24 and conclude on December 1. Candidates can access the IFS Mains schedule by visiting the official website, upsc.gov.in.
The preliminary exam was held on June 16, and the results for the 2024 IFS prelims were declared on July 1.
UPSC IFS 2024 Mains exam dates
| Dates | Forenoon shift | Afternoon Shift |
| November 24 | English | General Knowledge |
| November 26 | Mathematics Paper-I / Statistics Paper-I / Zoology Paper-I | Mathematics Paper-II / Statistics Paper-II / Zoology Paper-II |
| November 27 | Civil Engineering Paper-I / Botany Paper-I | Civil Engineering Paper-II / Botany Paper-II |
| November 28 | Agricultural Engineering Paper-I / Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Paper-I / Physics Paper-I | Agricultural Engineering Paper-II / Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Paper-II / Physics Paper-II |
| November 29 | Agriculture Paper-I / Forestry Paper-I | Agriculture Paper-II / Forestry Paper-II |
| November 30 | Geology Paper-I | Geology Paper-II |
| December 1 | Chemistry Paper-I / Chemical Engineering Paper-I / Mechanical Engineering Paper-I | Chemistry Paper-II / Chemical Engineering Paper-II / Mechanical Engineering Paper-II |
For the 2023 batch, the written exam results were published on July 19, listing the names of shortlisted candidates. Asodiya Parth Sureshkumar secured the top rank, followed by Shreya Thakur in second, and Mendapara Nikunjkumar Prafulbha in third.
The Indian Forest Service focuses on the management of the nation’s forests, wildlife, and environment. The IFS selection process is highly competitive, consisting of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Personality Test (Interview). The preliminary exam is shared with the Civil Services Examination (CSE) and comprises two objective-type papers.
Each paper is worth 200 marks, with the marks from Paper I considered for merit in the prelims. Paper II, however, is qualifying in nature. Candidates who pass the prelims proceed to the mains, which is descriptive and covers specialised subjects across six papers.