UPSC Combined Medical Services
Feb 27, 2023, 16:45 IST
Combined Medical Services Examination (CMS) is an entrance examination for recruiting medical officers for central government organizations and services conducted by Union Public Service Commission. UPSC CMS Notification 2023 will be released on April 19, 2023, for the posts of Medical Officers, Assistant Medical Officers, General Duty Medical Officers, Junior Scale Posts in Central Health Services, etc. as per the available vacancies.
Candidates can fill out UPSC CMS 2023 Application Form from April 19 to May 09, 2023. The written examination will be conducted on July 16, 2023. This article contains all the information about UPSC CMS 2023.
UPSC CMS Overview
UPSC CMS is conducted in 2 phases - Computer Based Examination and Personality Test. The computer-based examination consists of 2 papers - Paper 1 (General Medicine & Paediatrics), and Paper 2 (Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics and Preventive & Social Medicine).
The table below gives an overview of the UPSC CMS Examination 2023:
| Particulars | Details |
| Name of the exam | Combined Medical Services Examination (CMS) |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Annual |
| Exam Phases |
Written - Paper I and Paper II Personality/Interview Test |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Fees |
General - Rs. 200/- Female/SC/ST/Disabled - NIL |
| Examination Mode | CBT Based |
| Examination Duration | 2 hours per paper |
| Language | English |
| Purpose of the exam |
To recruit medical officers to post at different levels in two categories |
UPSC CMS Exam Dates 2023
UPSC Combined Medical Services Examination will be conducted on May 28, 2023. Important dates related to the UPSC CMS Exam date are given in the table below.
| Events | Important Dates |
| Release of the Notification | April 19, 2023 |
| Availability of application form | April 19, 2023 |
| Last day to fill out the application form | May 9, 2023 |
| Admit card | June 2023 |
| Computer-Based Exam Date | July 16, 2023 |
| Result of CBE | August 2023 |
UPSC CMS Exam Pattern 2023
The examination is conducted in two phases: CBT examination, qualifying which a person becomes eligible to appear in the personality test. The written examination consists of two papers: I and II carrying 250 marks each, each to be conducted for 2 hours. The exam is in English, with a booklet set in multiple choice question type. The following are UPSC CMS Exam Pattern 2023 for the entrance examination-
Paper I
| Subject | Number of Question | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| General Medicine | 96 | 250 | 2 hours |
| Pediatrics | 24 | ||
| Total | 120 |
Paper II
| Subject | Number of Question | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Gynaecology & Obstetrics | 40 | 250 | 2 hours |
| Surgery | 40 | ||
| Preventive & Social Medicine | 40 | ||
| Total | 120 |
UPSC CMS Application
For UPSC CMS Registration, fill out the UPSC CMS Application Form for which candidates need to follow the steps given below:
- Step 1: Visit the UPSC official website and navigate to the Examination tab after clicking on the Activate Examination button.
- Step 2: Click on the link for CMS examination 2023 for all the data and application links.
- Step 3: Click on the ‘apply’ button.
- Step 4: Now candidates can register themselves using email Id password, etc.
- Step 5: After registration, log in to your account using login credentials.
- Step 6: Fill in all the details which are required in the Application Form.
- Step 7: Upload scanned copies of required documents including photograph, signature, and photo ID.
- Step 8: Submit and make payment of the application fee.
Document Required for UPSC CMS
- The documents required for UPSC CMS are as follows:
- Scanned passport-size photograph.
- Scanned signature.
- Scanned impression of left-hand thumb.
- Class 10th/12th passing certificate/mark sheet.
- Signed declaration.
UPSC CMS Application Fee
Information about application fees for different categories is provided in the table below.
| Category | Application Fee |
| General | Rs.200/- |
| SC/ST/PH//female | Exempted from fee payment |
Eligibility for UPSC CMS
The eligibility criteria of UPSC CMS are prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Before filling out the application form, candidates appearing for the UPSC CMS exam can check their eligibility in three categories: Age, Nationality, and Educational Qualification. Check out the detailed UPSC CMS Eligibility Criteria in the table given below.
| Criteria | Requirements | |
| Educational Qualification | M.B.B.S. degree | |
| Upper Age limit | General | Candidates should be below the age of 32 years as of August 1, 2023. |
| Medical Officers Grade in General Duty Medical Officers Sub-cadre of Central Health Services | Candidate should not be older than 35 years as of August 1, 2023. | |
| Age relaxation | For SC (Scheduled Caste) or ST (Scheduled Tribe) | Maximum 5 years |
| BC eligible for reservation | Maximum 3 years | |
| Ex-servicemen (with appropriate conditions) | Maximum 5 years | |
| Disability (Visual, hearing, mental, locomotor disabilities and illness) | Maximum 10 years | |
| Nationality | Indian Citizen | |
| Subject of Nepal or Bhutan | ||
| Tibetian refugee | Has come to India before January 1, 1962, to permanently settle in India. | |
| Indian origin | Migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam to permanently settle in India. | |
UPSC CMS Cutoff
UPSC will release the UPSC CMS Cutoff 2023 after the declaration of the Computer-Based Exam result which is calculated out of 500 marks. Candidates must qualify for the minimum marks released by the UPSC to appear in the next round selection process. The commission also releases the UPSC CMS Final Cut Off where the scores of Computer Based Examination and Personality are added which is calculated out of 600 marks. The comparison of the cut-off of the previous year's exam is mentioned in the table below.
| Category | Cut-Off Marks (Out of 500) For 2019 | Cut-Off Marks (Out of 500) For 2020 | Cut-Off Marks (Out of 500) For 2023 |
| General | 224 | 279 | 250 |
| OBC | 183 | 242 | 200 |
| SC | 192 | 251 | 230 |
| ST | 159 | 198 | 180 |
| EWS | 126 | 129 | 125 |
UPSC CMS Syllabus 2023
The UPSC CMS Syllabus 2023 is provided below:
- General Medicine
- Cardiology
- Respiratory diseases
- Gastro-intestinal
- Genito-Urinary
- Neurology
- Haematology
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic disorders
- Infections/Communicable Diseases
- Virus
- Rickets
- Bacterial
- Spirochetal
- Protozoan
- Metazoan
- Fungus
- Nutrition/Growth
- Diseases of the skin (Dermatology)
- Musculoskeletal System
- Psychiatry
- General
- Emergency Medicine
- Common Poisoning
- Snakebite
- Tropical Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Emphasis on medical procedures
- Patho physiological basis of diseases
- Vaccines preventable diseases and Non-vaccines preventable diseases
- Vitamin deficiency diseases
- In psychiatry consists – Depression, psychosis, anxiety, bipolar diseases, and Schizophrenia
Paediatrics
- Common childhood emergencies,
- Basic newborn care,
- Normal developmental milestones,
- Accidents and poisonings in children,
- Birth defects and counselling including autism,
- Immunization in children,
- Recognizing children with special needs and management, and
- National programs related to child health
Surgery
- Wounds
- Infections
- Tumours
- Lymphatic
- Blood vessels
- Cysts/sinuses
- Head and neck
- Breast
- Alimentary tract
- Oesophagus
- Stomach
- Intestines
- Anus
- Developmental
- Liver, Bile, Pancreas
- Spleen
- Peritoneum
- Abdominal wall
- Abdominal injuries
- Urological Surgery
- Neuro Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology E.N.T.
- Thoracic surgery
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Ophthalmology
- Anesthesiology
- Traumatology
- Diagnosis and management of common surgical ailments
- Pre-operative and post-operative care of surgical patients
- Medicolegal and ethical issues of surgery
- Wound healing
- Fluid and electrolyte management in surgery
- Shock patho-physiology and management
Obstetrics
- Ante-natal conditions
- Intra-natal conditions
- Post-natal conditions
- Management of normal labors or complicated labor
Gynaecology
- Questions on applied anatomy
- Questions on applied physiology of menstruation and fertilization
- Questions on infections in the genital tract
- Questions on neoplasma in the genital tract
- Questions on the displacement of the uterus
- Normal delivery and safe delivery practices
- High-risk pregnancy and management
- Abortions
- Intra-Uterine growth retardation
- Medicolegal examination in obgy and Gynae including Rape
Family Planning
- Conventional contraceptives
- U.D. and oral pills
- The operative procedure, sterilization, and organization of programs in the urban and rural surroundings
- Medical Termination of Pregnancy
Preventive Social and Community Medicine
- Social and Community Medicine
- Concept of Health, Disease, and Preventive Medicine
- Health Administration and Planning
- General Epidemiology
- Demography and Health Statistics
- Communicable Diseases
- Environmental Health
- Nutrition and Health
- Non-communicable diseases
- Occupational Health
- Genetics and Health
- International Health
- Medical Sociology and Health Education
- Maternal and Child Health
- National Programmes
- Management of common health problems
- Ability to monitor national health programs
- Knowledge of maternal and child wellness
- Ability to recognize, investigate, report, plan and manage community health problems including malnutrition and emergencies
UPSC CMS Vacancy
The UPSC usually recruits candidates for various posts in two categories. Since the official notification for the UPSC CMS Vacancy 2023 is not released yet, candidates can use the previous years' vacancy list given in the table below for reference and estimation:
| Category | Post/Position | Vacancy for 2022 | Vacancy for 2021 |
| I | Medical Officers Grade in General Duty Medical Officers Sub-cadre | 314 | - |
| Junior Scale Posts in Central Health Service | - | 349 | |
| II | Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in the Railways. | 300 | 300 |
| General Duty Medical Officer in New Delhi Municipal Council. | 3 | 5 | |
| General Duty Medical Officer Gr-II in East Delhi Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, and South Delhi Municipal Corporation | 70 | 184 | |
| Total | 687 | 838 | |
UPSC CMS Salary
The starting UPSC CMS salary is INR 56100. However, the salary for different posts in UPSC Combined Medical Services will vary. The employees will be on probation for the next two years after the selection process.
| Category | Post | Amount |
| I | Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in the Railways | level 10 of Pay Matrix (Rs. 56100-177500/-) and it carries Non-Practising Allowance |
| II | Medical Officers Grade in General Duty Medical Officers Sub-cadre of Central Health Service. | Level-10 (Rs. 56,100 to Rs.1,77,500/-) of the pay matrix and NPA |
| Junior Scale posts in the Central Health Service. | Level-10 (Rs. 56,100 to Rs.1,77,500/-) of the pay matrix and NPA | |
| General Duty Medical Officer in the New Delhi Municipal Council: | Pay Matrix Level-10 Rs. 56,100-1,77,500/- + restricted Non-practicing allowance (NPA). | |
| General Duty Medical Officer Gr.II in East Delhi Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, and South Delhi Municipal Corporation: | Salary at the minimum of the first cell of Rs.56,100/- in level 10 of the Pay Matrix under 7th CPC |
UPSC CMS Results
UPSC will announce UPSC CMS Result 2023 for Computer Based Examination and Personality separately on its official website. Only those candidates who qualify for the Computer Based Examination will be eligible for Personality Test. The exam conducting authority also releases the final result of the qualified candidates of both stages which are prepared by the addition of the marks of the computer-based examination and personality test.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What does a UPSC CMS officer do?
Ans. The following are the responsibilities of a UPSC CMS officer:
- Reviewing records, and reports, and examining data so they can diagnose patients' conditions.
- Researching data about most modern medical programs to provide the best diagnosis and health care treatment to patients.
- Overseeing the medical needs of their patients and the tasks performed by the accompanying medical staff.
- Making revised programs by thoroughly reviewing the clinical services and programs implemented by the staff.
- Maintaining proper and consistent documentation of medical records for patients.
Q2. Which is better UPSC CMS or PG?
Ans. UPSC CMS and PG both are good options after MBBS. It is simple If someone wants to continue studies, then it is better to go for NEET PG and do MS or MD course. But if someone is looking for administrative jobs, then UPSC CMS will open various opportunities.
Q3. Who is eligible for UPSC CMS?
Ans. Candidates who have completed a degree MBBS or are in their final year and below the age of 32 years can apply for the UPSC CMS examination.
Q4. What is UPSC CMS exam?
Ans. UPSC CMS is an entrance examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for the recruitment of medical graduates into various Central Government Organizations and Services.
Q5. What is the age limit for UPSC CMS Exam?
Ans. Candidate must be below the age of 32 years as on August 01, 2023, i.e. the candidate must have been born later than August 02, 1989.
Q6. What is the basic educational qualification for UPSC CMS?
Ans. Candidates should be graduated with MBBS or in the final year of graduation can appear for the UPSC CMS exam.
Q7. Is UPSC CMS tough?
Ans. No, the UPSC CMS difficulty level is low as only MBBS pre-final and final year is included in the exam syllabus.
