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Exam comparison · from official notices

UPSC EPFO vs UPSC CSE: salary, eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus

  • UPSC EPFO is conducted by UPSC; UPSC CSE is conducted by UPSC.
  • Qualification — UPSC EPFO: Essential: Degree of a recognised university or equivalent. UPSC CSE: Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification.
  • Age limit — UPSC EPFO: Not more than 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC) or 40 years (SC/ST) (as on Closing date of online application (11 September 2026)). UPSC CSE: 21–32 years (as on 1 August 2026).
  • UPSC EPFO has 2 stages in its printed pattern; UPSC CSE has 2.

UPSC EPFO vs UPSC CSE: side by side

Each cell is copied from the exam's latest official notice. Always confirm in the notice before applying.

FactUPSC EPFOUPSC CSE
Conducting body
  • UPSC
  • upsc.gov.in
  • UPSC
  • upsc.gov.in
Latest notice
  • Special Advertisement No. 52/2026 — Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner, EPFO (Vacancy No. 26085201722) (published 22 August 2026 (online applications open))
  • Civil Services Examination, 2026 — Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (published 4 February 2026)
Application status
  • Applications closed on 11 September 2026.
  • Applications closed on 24 February 2026.
Posts
  • Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, Ministry of Labour & Employment
  • Level-10 in the Pay Matrix as per 7th CPC; Central Board Group 'A', permanent
  • 23 services: IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Group ‘A’ / Group ‘B’ services listed in the notice
Pay (as printed)
  • Level-10 in the Pay Matrix as per 7th CPC; Central Board Group 'A', permanent

Pay Level 10 →

  • Not printed in the notice data shown here
Age limit
  • Not more than 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC) or 40 years (SC/ST) (as on Closing date of online application (11 September 2026))
  • 21–32 years (as on 1 August 2026)
Qualification
  • Essential: Degree of a recognised university or equivalent
  • Desirable: Diploma in Company Law / Labour Laws / Public Administration
  • Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification
  • Number of attempts: 6 for General/EWS; 9 for OBC and PwBD; unlimited for SC/ST (subject to age)
Selection stages
  • Recruitment Test (RT) (2 hours)
  • Interview (—)
  • Preliminary (2 hours per paper)
  • Main (written) and Personality Test (See notice)
Negative marking
  • Not printed in the notice data shown here
  • Preliminary: Negative marking: one-third (0.33) of the marks of a question for each wrong answer.
Vacancies
  • 80 (UR 29, OBC 18, SC 15, ST 10, EWS 8; 3 reserved for PwBD)
  • Approx. 933 (including 33 for Persons with Benchmark Disability)
Application fee
  • ₹25, by Visa/Master/RuPay credit or debit card, UPI or internet banking; non-refundable
  • Female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempt. OBC, EWS and unreserved male candidates have no exemption.
  • ₹100 for the Preliminary; ₹200 more for the Main
  • Women, SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disability are exempted from the fee.
Official noticeOpen official notice ↗Open official notice ↗

Read more on each exam

UPSC EPFO

UPSC CSE

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between UPSC EPFO and UPSC CSE eligibility?

UPSC EPFO: age Not more than 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC) or 40 years (SC/ST) as on Closing date of online application (11 September 2026); Essential: Degree of a recognised university or equivalent. Desirable: Diploma in Company Law / Labour Laws / Public Administration. UPSC CSE: age 21–32 years as on 1 August 2026; Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification. Number of attempts: 6 for General/EWS; 9 for OBC and PwBD; unlimited for SC/ST (subject to age). Both from the latest official notices.

How is the selection process of UPSC EPFO different from UPSC CSE?

UPSC EPFO: Recruitment Test (RT): pen-and-paper, objective multiple-choice, 2 hours, 300 marks; Interview: 100 marks; Final weightage of RT and interview in the ratio 75:25. UPSC CSE: Preliminary examination: two objective papers (screening); Main examination: written papers (two qualifying, seven counted for merit); Personality test (interview).

How many vacancies are there in UPSC EPFO and UPSC CSE?

UPSC EPFO: 80 (UR 29, OBC 18, SC 15, ST 10, EWS 8; 3 reserved for PwBD). UPSC CSE: Approx. 933 (including 33 for Persons with Benchmark Disability). As printed in each latest notice.

What is the application fee for UPSC EPFO and UPSC CSE?

UPSC EPFO: ₹25, by Visa/Master/RuPay credit or debit card, UPI or internet banking; non-refundable. UPSC CSE: ₹100 for the Preliminary; ₹200 more for the Main. Fee exemptions are listed in each notice.

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