UPSC and bank PO exams: how many sittings you have left
Government and bank exams have age limits and attempt limits. Each year you wait to start preparing is one sitting gone.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
Leave it at 0 for the usual limit. For central exams, put in the General limit and we add your category's years. For a state PSC, put in the limit for your category.
It only changes the order on your statement.
What waiting costs you
6 sittings left
6 UPSC Civil Services sittings left
You can sit once a year until you turn 32, with 6 attempts left. 1 sitting passed while you waited.
Your small stepDownload last year's question paper this week and try one section, just to see where you stand.
How we worked this out
- Who can sit: from age 21 until you turn 32.
- Sittings by age: once a year from 24 until 32 = 8.
- Attempts: 6 allowed, 0 used, 6 left.
- Sittings left: the smaller of the two = 6.
- Age is counted on a cut-off date in each notice, so this can be off by one. Check the official notice for your year.
- How much it matters to you: 7 out of 10. It only changes the order on your statement.
Sources
- UPSC notice, via Vision IAS (2026): For UPSC Civil Services you must be 21 to 31 (General), up to 34 (OBC) or up to 36 (SC/ST). General gets 6 attempts, OBC 9, SC/ST no limit.
How it works
UPSC Civil Services is for ages 21 to 31 for General and EWS, with 6 attempts. OBC can sit up to 34 with 9 attempts, and SC and ST up to 36 with no attempt limit.
IBPS PO is for ages 20 to 30 and SBI PO for 21 to 30, with 3 more years for OBC and 5 for SC and ST. SBI PO allows 4 attempts for General and 7 for OBC.
The same calculator covers SSC CGL, RBI Grade B, NDA, Agniveer and state PSCs. Each of those has its own page too.
Age is counted on a cut-off date in each year's notice, so your count can be off by one.
Sources
- UPSC notice, via Vision IAS (2026): Age is counted on 1 August of the exam year. Other groups, like PwBD, have other limits.
Rules last checked: October 2026. They can change at any time, so check the official page before you plan anything.
Questions people ask
Do other groups get more time?
Yes. Groups like PwBD get more years. Check the official notice for your year.
Is it really one sitting a year?
For these exams, yes. Each has one main cycle a year.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.