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UPSC IFoS Previous Year Question Papers

Indian Forest Service Examination

Union Public Service Commission4 papers · 2024–2025Verified 3 Oct 2026
Browse Previous Year PapersOfficial website

Papers by year

All 4 papers

About UPSC IFoS

The Indian Forest Service Examination recruits officers for the all-India forest service. It has no separate preliminary paper: candidates apply for it alongside the Civil Services Examination and are screened through the common CSE preliminary test, after which UPSC prepares a separate list for the IFoS Main. The Main has science- and engineering-oriented optional subjects, so applicants need a degree in a science, agriculture, forestry or engineering field.

Eligibility (summary)

Bachelor's degree with at least one of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics or Zoology, or a degree in Agriculture, Forestry or Engineering; age 21-32 as on 1 August 2026 (relaxations apply); 6 attempts for general candidates. Read the latest notification for exact age limits, relaxations and qualifications.

Stages & subjects

  1. 1

    Preliminary Examination (CSE Prelims screening)

    Common objective screening through the Civil Services Preliminary Examination; marks not counted for merit

  2. 2

    Main Examination (Written)

    Six descriptive papers answered in English: General English, General Knowledge and two optional subjects of two papers each

  3. 3

    Personality Test

    Interview of candidates who clear the written Main

General Studies (CSE Prelims Paper I)CSAT (CSE Prelims Paper II)General EnglishGeneral KnowledgeOptional subjects (two from Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Forestry, Geology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Statistics, Zoology)

Exam pattern

Summarised from the official notification. Patterns change; confirm in the latest notice.

StagePattern
Preliminary Examination (CSE Prelims screening)Same as CSE Prelims: 2 objective papers, 400 marks total; GS Paper-II qualifying at 33%; one-third negative marking; screening only2026 notification (Exam Notice 06/2026-IFoSE) · source
Main Examination (Written)General English 300 marks, General Knowledge 300 marks, plus 2 optional subjects x 2 papers x 200 marks (1400 total); each paper 3 hours; restricted optional combinations apply2026 notification (Exam Notice 06/2026-IFoSE) · source
Personality Test300 marks with no minimum qualifying marks2026 notification (Exam Notice 06/2026-IFoSE) · source

Preparing with UPSC IFoS papers

  • Start with the most recent paper (2025) to see the current style, then work backwards.
  • Practise each stage separately: Preliminary Examination (CSE Prelims screening), Main Examination (Written), Personality Test.
  • Re-check the syllabus in the latest notification before relying on older papers.

FAQs

Where can I download UPSC IFoS previous year papers?

PYQSathi lists 4 UPSC IFoS papers from 2024 to 2025, each linked to its official source. Open the paper library above and pick a year.

Who conducts UPSC IFoS?

UPSC IFoS is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Notifications, dates and results are published on its official website.

Is this information official?

No. PYQSathi is independent. We summarise official documents and link to them, last checked 3 Oct 2026. Always confirm on the official website before applying.

Official sources

Last verified 3 Oct 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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