BharatNotes Medium is declared in the Prelims application form itself (from CSE 2025 onwards). It cannot be changed after submission — not during the correction window, not in DAF. Discrepancy between declared and written medium risks disqualification.
When Is Medium Declared?
From the UPSC CSE 2025 notification onwards, major structural changes were made to the application process:
- Medium of examination is declared during the Prelims application form, not in a separate DAF stage
- The form now has four stages rather than two; medium is among the details locked at the Prelims stage
- Cadre preferences are filled in a 10-day window after Prelims results; medium is not re-declared at this stage
In prior years (pre-2025), medium was declared in DAF-I (submitted after Prelims selection). The 2025 change brought this declaration forward.
Can Medium Be Changed After Submission?
No. Multiple official and coaching-institute analyses of the 2025 notification confirm:
- Medium of examination is among the fields that cannot be modified even during the application correction window
- Details like optional subject, exam centre, Paper A language choice, and medium are all locked at submission
- UPSC's application correction window (typically a 5-7 day window after Prelims form closure) explicitly excludes medium from editable fields
Consequence of Discrepancy
If a candidate declares English medium but writes answers in Hindi, or vice versa, the answer papers may be treated as irregularly submitted. UPSC rules provide that answers not in the declared medium may be ignored or attract zero marks. In practice, UPSC answer booklets have the medium printed on the cover; a mismatch creates a formal irregularity.
Key Advice
- Decide medium before filling the Prelims form — not tentatively
- Do not assume you can update it later; you cannot
- If genuinely undecided, write two full mock GS papers in each language and compare the quality of your expression before the form deadline
- UPSC Prelims notification (typically February each year) specifies the exact deadline for form submission
Source: UPSC CSE 2025 Notification (upsc.gov.in, January 2025); Vision IAS and PW OnlyIAS analysis of notification changes.
