Government Exam Eligibility Checker and How to Read the Rules

The five checks behind government exam eligibility

1. Nationality: most posts need Indian citizenship. Some notices also accept subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, or certain persons of Indian origin, with a certificate.
2. Age: a minimum and maximum, counted on a date the notice fixes.
3. Qualification: a pass in the stated class or degree, sometimes with a subject or a minimum percentage, held by a stated date.
4. Attempts: a cap in some exams, such as the UPSC civil services or JEE Advanced.
5. Physical and medical standards: height, chest, running and vision rules for police, defence and some railway posts.

State exams often add a sixth: domicile, or knowledge of the state language.

What the checker on this page does

The checker tool compares your age and highest qualification with the general category age range and minimum qualification of each exam on this site, then lists the ones that fit with a link to each syllabus. It is a first filter, not a final answer. It does not add the extra years you may get for your category, it does not know about subject conditions like the science subjects NEET demands, and it cannot see your date of birth against a specific cut off date. Use the list it gives you as a shortlist, then open each exam's eligibility page.

Reading the age rule and the relaxation table

Notices write age as a range "as on" a date, for example 18 to 27 years as on the first of a given month, or as a pair of birth dates you must fall between. Work it out from the date of birth in your class 10 certificate, which is the record every board accepts.

States follow their own tables. UPSSSC PET, for instance, gives 5 extra years to SC, ST and OBC candidates of Uttar Pradesh and to meritorious sportspersons, and 15 years to persons with disabilities. Relaxation for a reserved category usually applies only to residents of that state.

Qualification: cut off dates and final year students

Holding the degree is not enough; you must hold it by the date the notice names. Some exams let you apply while still studying:

• Allowed while appearing: NEET UG, JEE Main and CUET UG accept class 12 students, and the UPSC civil services prelims accepts final year graduates, who must prove the degree before the mains.
• Must hold on the cut off date: most staff selection and railway posts. A result declared one day late can disqualify you.
• Minimum marks: NEET UG asks for 50 percent in physics, chemistry and biology for the general category, CLAT UG for 45 percent in class 12, and UGC NET for 55 percent in the master's degree.
• Subject rules: TGT posts want the subject in graduation; NDA's air force and navy wings need physics and maths in class 12.

See the NEET eligibility, CTET eligibility and UGC NET eligibility pages for exam specific rules.

Attempts, physical standards and other limits

Attempts: the UPSC civil services exam allows a set number of attempts that rises for OBC and PwBD candidates, with no cap for SC and ST within the age limit; read the UPSC eligibility page. JEE Advanced allows only two attempts in consecutive years, as the JEE Advanced eligibility page explains. CAT and UGC NET have no attempt limit.

Physical standards: police constable, CAPF and defence posts list height, chest and weight by gender and region, then test running. Read the SSC GD eligibility or Delhi Police constable eligibility page before you start preparing, because a physical shortfall cannot be fixed in a few months.

Marital status: NDA requires unmarried candidates; see NDA eligibility.

Sports quota eligibility for govt jobs

Many governments keep posts or give relaxations for meritorious sportspersons. The rules differ by recruiting body, but the checks usually follow the same pattern:

• Level of play: representation of the country, the state, a university or national school games, with medals or positions given more weight.
• Recognised game: only games on the recruiting body's approved list count.
• Time window: achievements must fall within a set number of years before the notice.
• Certificate in the set format: issued by the national or state federation or the competent authority, not a club.

In central government, sports quota posts are filled through separate notices, for example by railway recruitment cells, the CAPF and some ministries, rather than through the general exam. In state exams, the benefit often appears as extra age, as in the UPSSSC PET rule above. Check the exact games list, levels and certificate format in each notice.

Documents that prove your eligibility

• Your matriculation certificate, which fixes your birth date and spelling of name.
• Mark sheets and the degree or provisional certificate for qualification.
• Category certificate in the format the notice asks for. OBC candidates need a current non creamy layer certificate, and EWS certificates are tied to a financial year.
• Disability certificate from the competent medical authority, for PwBD candidates.
• Domicile certificate for state reserved benefits.
• No objection certificate if you already hold a government job.
• Discharge papers for ex servicemen, and the sports certificate for quota claims.

Keep scanned copies ready before the form opens. Mismatched names or dates between documents are among the most common reasons for rejection at document verification. For exam specific rules, start with SSC CGL eligibility or return to the exam finder.