School timeline
| Class / stage | Session | Age (at session start) |
|---|
Exams after 12th: how many chances
Starting school earlier or later changes the chances for competitive exams. Below is a comparison of both (General category).
| Exam | Earliest admission | Admission one year later |
|---|
Exam-wise eligibility
| Exam | Age on cut-off | Age limit for you | Status | Until which year |
|---|
Exams marked “~” may change their cut-off date with each notification. Always check the date-of-birth range in the official notification before applying. Data last checked in Oct 2026.
At what age should a child start school?
Under the 5+3+3+4 structure of NEP 2020, a child does 3 years of pre-school (Nursery / Balvatika) from age 3 and joins Class 1 at age 6. From 2026-27, CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Delhi schools require the child to be 6 by 31 March for Class 1. Maharashtra is phasing in the same rule (30 June cut-off) by 2030-31.
Under this rule most children finish 12th at 17–18 and graduation at 20–21 (3-year course). These ages fit well with exams such as NEET (17), NDA (16½–19½) and UPSC (21–32).
Why the birth month matters
With a 31 March cut-off, children born in April–December will be the oldest in their class and those born in January–March the youngest. Even one day can make a whole year’s difference. Press “Admission one year later” in the timeline to see how chances for exams like NDA change.
How is the exam age limit counted?
Every exam fixes an “as on” date, such as 1 August of the exam year for UPSC Civil Services. Your completed age on that day is what counts. “21 to 32 years” means you must have turned 21 and must not have turned 32 by 1 August. For the 2026 exam, that means a birth date between 2 August 1994 and 1 August 2005. OBC candidates get 3 extra years, SC/ST 5 years, and PwBD 10 years (on top of the category) where the rules allow.
Frequently asked questions
How many UPSC attempts are allowed?
General and EWS get 6, OBC 9, and SC/ST unlimited attempts within the age limit. PwBD (General/EWS/OBC) get 9 attempts. Appearing in Prelims counts as an attempt.
What is the maximum age for NEET?
There is currently no upper age limit for NEET UG. You only need to turn 17 by 31 December of the admission year.
Which date of birth is used?
Almost every government exam uses the date of birth on the 10th (matriculation) certificate. Requests to change it later are usually not accepted.