UPSC IES/ISS 2026 – Indian Economic & Statistical Service
44 vacancies (IES: 16 + ISS: 28) officially notified. Written exam scheduled 19–21 June 2026. Group A Central Service for postgraduates in Economics and Statistics graduates. Starting salary ₹56,100/month (Level 10, 7th CPC) + DA + HRA + allowances.
What is UPSC IES/ISS 2026?
The UPSC Indian Economic Service (IES) and Indian Statistical Service (ISS) examination is a prestigious national-level recruitment conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It recruits Grade IV (Junior Time Scale) officers into two highly specialised Group A Central Civil Services.
IES officers work on economic analysis, policy advisory, budget formulation, and monitoring economic schemes across Central Government ministries and departments — including the Ministry of Finance, NITI Aayog, and planning bodies. ISS officers manage national statistical surveys, data collection, census operations, and statistical analysis through the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
This is one of the few central government exams specifically designed for Economics and Statistics postgraduates. With just 44 vacancies in 2026, it is highly competitive — but a successful candidate directly influences national economic and statistical policy, making it one of the most intellectually rewarding government careers available.
📅 IES/ISS 2026 Important Dates
✅ Confirmed: Notification, application dates, correction window, and written exam dates (19–21 June 2026) are officially confirmed. Interview and final result dates are TBN — check upsc.gov.in regularly.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IES/ISS 2026 Notification Released (Notice No. 07/2026) | 11 February 2026 | ✅ Done |
| Online Application Opens | 11 February 2026 | ✅ Done |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 3 March 2026 (6:00 PM) | ✅ Done |
| Application Correction Window | 5–11 March 2026 | ✅ Done |
| Timetable Released by UPSC | 2 April 2026 | ✅ Done |
| Admit Card Release (expected) | Late May / Early June 2026 | 🔵 Confirmed |
| 📅 Day 1 – General English (9 AM–12 PM) + General Studies (2:30–5:30 PM) | 19 June 2026 (Friday) | 🔵 Confirmed |
| 📅 Day 2 – Gen Econ I / Stats I (AM) + Gen Econ II / Stats II (PM) | 20 June 2026 (Saturday) | 🔵 Confirmed |
| 📅 Day 3 – Gen Econ III / Stats III (AM) + Indian Economics / Stats IV (PM) | 21 June 2026 (Sunday) | 🔵 Confirmed |
| Written Exam Result | TBN | ⚠️ TBN |
| Interview / Viva Voce | TBN | ⚠️ TBN |
| Final Result & Joining | TBN | ⚠️ TBN |
🎓 Eligibility Criteria for IES/ISS 2026
Nationality
Candidates must be a citizen of India. Subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, and persons of Indian origin who have migrated from certain countries with intention of permanent settlement are also eligible with a Government of India eligibility certificate.
Age Limit
Minimum: 21 years | Maximum: 30 years as on 1 August 2026 (official notification cut-off date)
Born between 2 August 1996 and 1 August 2005 (both dates inclusive)
| Category | Relaxation | Effective Max Age |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | None | 30 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | +3 years | 33 years |
| SC / ST | +5 years | 35 years |
| Ex-Servicemen (5+ yrs service) | +5 years | 35 years |
| PwBD | +10 years | 40 years |
⚠️ Attempt limit: General – 6 attempts; OBC – 9 attempts; SC/ST – no limit.
Educational Qualification
| Service | Minimum Qualification |
|---|---|
| IES (Economics) | Post-Graduate degree in Economics / Applied Economics / Business Economics / Econometrics from a recognised Indian or foreign university approved by Central Government |
| ISS (Statistics) | Option A: Bachelor's degree with Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Applied Statistics as one of the subjects Option B: Master's degree in Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Applied Statistics |
Candidates appearing in the final year of qualifying degree are also eligible to apply provisionally.
Application Fee
Vacancies 2026
UPSC has officially announced 44 total vacancies for the 2026 cycle. These are split between the two services. Reservation breakdowns and any PwBD sub-allocations are detailed in the official notification PDF available at upsc.gov.in.
| Service | Vacancies 2026 | Work Area |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Economic Service (IES) | 16 | Economic advisory, policy analysis, budget planning in GoI ministries |
| Indian Statistical Service (ISS) | 28 | National surveys, census, statistical data management via MoSPI |
| Total | 44 | Subject to change per official notification |
📌 Vacancy history: ~30–50 posts announced annually since 2018. The government reserves the right to alter numbers post-notification.
Exam Pattern 2026
📅 Paper-wise Timetable (Official — Released 2 April 2026)
| Date | Shift 1 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) | Shift 2 (2:30 PM – 5:30 PM) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun (Fri) | General English — Both IES & ISS (3 hrs) | General Studies — Both IES & ISS (3 hrs) |
| 20 Jun (Sat) | Gen. Economics I (IES) / Statistics I (ISS — 2 hrs, 9–11 AM) | Gen. Economics II (IES) / Statistics II (ISS — 2 hrs, 2:30–4:30 PM) |
| 21 Jun (Sun) | Gen. Economics III (IES) / Statistics III (ISS) (3 hrs) | Indian Economics (IES) / Statistics IV (ISS) (3 hrs) |
⚠️ ISS Statistics I & II objective papers are 2 hours (not 3 hours) — note the shorter duration on Day 2.
Indian Economic Service (IES) — Written Exam
| Paper | Type | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General English | Descriptive | 100 | 3 hrs |
| General Studies | Descriptive | 100 | 3 hrs |
| General Economics I | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| General Economics II | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| General Economics III | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Indian Economics | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Total (Written) | 1000 |
Indian Statistical Service (ISS) — Written Exam
| Paper | Type | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General English | Descriptive | 100 | 3 hrs |
| General Studies | Descriptive | 100 | 3 hrs |
| Statistics I | Objective | 200 | 2 hrs |
| Statistics II | Objective | 200 | 2 hrs |
| Statistics III | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Statistics IV | Descriptive | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Total (Written) | 1000 |
* Statistics I & II: 80 questions × 2.5 marks each = 200 marks. Objective type with no official negative marking confirmed.
💼 Viva Voce (Personality Test)
Candidates who qualify the written examination are called for a 200-mark Viva Voce conducted by a UPSC Board. The interview assesses subject knowledge, analytical thinking, current economic/statistical awareness, and overall personality. The final merit list is prepared out of 1200 marks (1000 + 200).
Detailed Syllabus 2026
Indian Economic Service (IES) Syllabus
General English
- ▸Essay writing (one essay from multiple topics)
- ▸Reading Comprehension and précis writing
- ▸Use of words and vocabulary in context
- ▸Grammar and sentence correction
General Studies
- ▸Current events of national and international importance
- ▸History of India, Indian National Movement
- ▸Indian and World Geography
- ▸Indian Polity, Governance, Constitution
- ▸Indian Economy – broad concepts
General Economics I
- ▸Theory of Consumer Demand – utility, indifference curve, Slutsky equation
- ▸Theory of Production – production functions, returns to scale
- ▸Theory of Value – pricing under perfect/imperfect competition
- ▸Theory of Distribution – marginal productivity, rent, wages, interest, profit
- ▸Welfare Economics – Pareto optimality, social welfare functions
General Economics II
- ▸Economic Thought – Classicals, Marxian, Neo-classical, Keynesian, Monetarism
- ▸National Income accounting – methods, GDP, GNP, deflators
- ▸Theory of Employment – classical vs Keynesian
- ▸Money and Banking – money supply, credit multiplier, monetary policy
- ▸International Economics – trade theories, balance of payments, exchange rates
General Economics III
- ▸Public Finance – taxation principles, incidence, budget, fiscal federalism
- ▸Environmental Economics – externalities, market failure, green economy
- ▸Industrial Economics – market structures, regulation, industrial policy
- ▸Growth and Development – theories (Harrod-Domar, Solow, endogenous growth), HDI
- ▸Environmental and natural resource economics
Indian Economics
- ▸History of Development and Planning – Five Year Plans, NITI Aayog
- ▸Federal Finance and Centre-State fiscal relations
- ▸Poverty, Unemployment and Human Development (UNDP HDI, NHFS)
- ▸Agriculture – land reforms, green revolution, crop insurance, MSP
- ▸Industry, Services and Foreign Trade – liberalisation, FDI, trade policy
- ▸Union Budget – revenue, capital, fiscal deficit, FRBM targets
Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Syllabus
General English
- ▸Essay writing, précis, reading comprehension
- ▸Grammar, vocabulary and use of words
General Studies
- ▸Current affairs, history, geography, Indian polity and economy
Statistics I (Objective)
- ▸Probability theory – axioms, conditional probability, Bayes theorem
- ▸Standard probability distributions – Binomial, Poisson, Normal, Exponential, t, F, χ²
- ▸Statistical Methods – measures of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, kurtosis
- ▸Correlation, regression, partial and multiple correlation
- ▸Sampling distributions and large-sample theory
Statistics II (Objective)
- ▸Linear models – regression analysis, ANOVA, ANCOVA
- ▸Statistical inference – point estimation, interval estimation, hypothesis testing
- ▸Non-parametric tests – Sign test, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis
- ▸Official Statistics – CSO, NSSO, National Statistical Organisation structure
- ▸Index numbers – Laspeyres, Paasche, Fisher ideal index
Statistics III (Descriptive)
- ▸Sampling techniques – SRSWOR, Stratified, Systematic, Cluster, PPS sampling
- ▸Econometrics – OLS, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, multicollinearity
- ▸Applied Statistics – time series analysis, interpolation, extrapolation
- ▸Vital statistics – mortality rates, life tables, fertility rates
Statistics IV (Descriptive)
- ▸Operations Research – LPP, transportation, assignment problems, game theory
- ▸Reliability – failure models, system reliability, maintenance
- ▸Demography – population growth, stable population theory, census methods
- ▸Survival Analysis – Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression
- ▸Clinical Trial design and analysis
💰 Salary & Career Growth
IES and ISS officers are both placed at Level 10 of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) Pay Matrix upon joining as Junior Time Scale (Grade IV) officers. The basic pay scale is ₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500/month.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic Pay (Level 10, 7th CPC – entry level) | ₹56,100/month |
| Dearness Allowance (DA) – revised periodically by GoI | Percentage of Basic Pay |
| House Rent Allowance (HRA) – X / Y / Z city class | 24% / 16% / 8% of Basic |
| Transport Allowance (TA) | As per posting city class |
| Other Central Govt benefits (LTC, medical, GPF, gratuity) | As per CCS Rules |
| Pay Scale (Level 10 band) | ₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500/month |
8th Pay Commission is expected in 2026 — salary revisions likely post-implementation. Current figures are as per 7th CPC.
Career Progression Path
| Level | Grade | Pay Level |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Time Scale (Entry) | Grade IV | Level 10: ₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500 |
| Senior Time Scale | Grade III | Level 11: ₹67,700 – ₹2,08,700 |
| Junior Administrative Grade | Grade II | Level 12: ₹78,800 – ₹2,09,200 |
| Selection Grade | Grade I | Level 13: ₹1,23,100 – ₹2,15,900 |
| Super Time Scale | Joint Secretary | Level 14: ₹1,44,200 – ₹2,18,200 |
How to Apply for IES/ISS 2026
⚠️ Note: The application window for IES/ISS 2026 has closed on 3 March 2026. The steps below are preserved for aspirants preparing for the 2027 cycle. Bookmark upsc.gov.in for the next notification.
One-Time Registration (OTR)
Visit upsconline.nic.in and complete One-Time Registration with your mobile number and email ID. Save your Unique Registration Number carefully.
Log In and Start Application
Use your registration credentials to log in, select the IES/ISS 2026 examination from the dashboard, and begin filling the application form.
Fill Personal & Academic Details
Enter category, disability status (if applicable), current address, educational qualifications, and preferred exam centre. Double-check all details before proceeding.
Upload Documents
Upload a recent passport-size photograph and your scanned signature in the prescribed format and size (as detailed in the notification).
Pay Application Fee
Pay ₹200 online (waived for Female/SC/ST/PwD candidates) via net banking, debit/credit card or UPI. Keep the payment confirmation handy.
Submit & Download Confirmation
Submit the completed application form and download the confirmation page for future reference. No physical copy needs to be sent to UPSC.
7-Month Study Plan for IES/ISS 2026
Build strong foundations in core subjects. For IES: start with Microeconomics and Macroeconomics textbooks (Hal Varian, Mankiw). For ISS: cover Probability and Statistical Methods thoroughly. Both: complete General English grammar revision and read a quality newspaper daily for General Studies current affairs.
IES: move to Public Finance, International Economics, Indian Economy Planning history and Development Economics. ISS: cover Linear Models, Sampling Techniques, and Econometrics. Practice previous year descriptive papers — UPSC IES/ISS descriptive answers demand rigour, not just breadth.
IES: deep study of Indian Economics — Union Budget, FRBM, agricultural policy, FDI, poverty indices. Read Economic Survey and Finance Commission reports. ISS: focus on Official Statistics (NSO, CSO, NSSO structure), Demography, and Vital Statistics. Both: solve 10+ years of PYQs in timed conditions.
Revise all subjects using notes. Write 2–3 full-length mock papers per week in exam conditions — IES/ISS papers are long (3 hours descriptive). Focus on answer presentation: use headings, subheadings, diagrams where applicable. Revise current economic events from the last 6 months for GS.
Best Books for IES/ISS 2026
| Book | Author | Subject | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Microeconomics | Hal R. Varian | Microeconomics (IES) | — |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | N. Gregory Mankiw | Macroeconomics (IES) | — |
| Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh (McGraw-Hill) | Indian Economy (IES) | Buy |
| Economic Survey (latest) | Ministry of Finance, GoI | Indian Economy (IES) | — |
| Mathematical Statistics | S.C. Gupta & V.K. Kapoor | Statistics I & II (ISS) | — |
| Sampling Theory and Methods | M.N. Murthy / Cochran | Statistics – Sampling (ISS) | — |
| An Introduction to Probability Theory & Its Applications | W. Feller (Vol. 1) | Statistics – Probability (ISS) | — |
| Indian Polity | M. Laxmikanth | General Studies (Both) | Buy |
| Introductory Econometrics | Jeffery Wooldridge | Econometrics (ISS) | — |
| IES/ISS Previous Year Question Papers | UPSC (official archive) | PYQ Practice (Both) | — |
Free Preparation Resources
Expert Preparation Tips
Read the Economic Survey Every Year
The Economic Survey, published by the Ministry of Finance, is the single most important resource for the Indian Economics paper (IES). Read it cover to cover and note the key statistics, policy changes, and sectoral analysis. It is also invaluable for the GS paper.
Master Answer Presentation for Descriptive Papers
IES/ISS papers are entirely descriptive (except Statistics I & II for ISS). Practise writing structured answers with headings, subheadings, and diagrams. A well-presented answer with clear logical flow scores significantly better than a disorganised one with more content.
Solve 10+ Years of PYQs in Timed Conditions
UPSC IES/ISS questions are highly conceptual — repeating themes appear across years. Solve previous year papers under strict 3-hour conditions. Analyse where you run out of time or knowledge, and revise those areas intensively in the weeks that follow.
Focus on Conceptual Clarity, Not Rote Learning
UPSC rewards analysis over memorisation. For IES Economics, understand the underlying logic of theories (why does Slutsky decompose demand changes?). For ISS, understand derivations and conditions, not just formulae. Conceptual answers get better marks even with fewer examples.
Stay Updated on RBI, MOSPI, and Government Reports
Current economic and statistical developments are tested in both General Studies and core papers. Regularly track RBI Monetary Policy Reports, MOSPI data releases, National Sample Surveys, and government flagship schemes. Subscribe to the PIB (Press Information Bureau) daily digest for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between IES and ISS in this exam?
The Indian Economic Service (IES) recruits officers for economic analysis and policy advisory roles in Central Government ministries. The Indian Statistical Service (ISS) recruits officers for national statistical operations, surveys and data analysis through the Ministry of Statistics. Both are Group A Central Services, with slightly different academic requirements and paper sets.
How many vacancies were announced for UPSC IES/ISS 2026?
UPSC announced 44 vacancies for the 2026 cycle — 16 posts for Indian Economic Service (IES) and 28 posts for Indian Statistical Service (ISS). The government reserves the right to modify vacancy numbers.
What is the educational qualification for UPSC IES 2026?
For IES, candidates must hold a Post-Graduate degree in Economics, Applied Economics, Business Economics, or Econometrics from a recognised university. For ISS, candidates must have a Bachelor's degree with Statistics, Mathematical Statistics, or Applied Statistics as a subject — OR a Master's degree in Statistics, Mathematical Statistics, or Applied Statistics.
What is the total marks and selection process for IES/ISS 2026?
The selection is in two stages: a Written Examination worth 1000 marks (6 papers × 100–200 marks each, all descriptive except ISS Statistics I & II which are objective) and a Viva Voce (Personality Test) worth 200 marks. The final merit list is prepared out of 1200 marks in total.
What is the salary of an IES/ISS officer after selection?
Newly recruited IES and ISS officers are placed at Level 10 of the 7th Central Pay Commission Pay Matrix. The basic pay starts at ₹56,100/month with a scale of ₹56,100–₹1,77,500. In addition, officers receive Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance (TA), and other Central Government benefits, making gross emoluments significantly higher.