UPSC Notification 2026: Exam Date, Vacancy, Eligibility & Application Details

The UPSC Notification 2026 is about to be released on 14th of January 2026. Candidates will be able to check the necessary details related to UPSC examination dates, eligibility criteria, exam patterns, and selection process from the official notification.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will make public the notifications on the official website ‍‍‍‍‍upsc.gov.in. With this release of notification, the online application process will also begin. Aspirants should be prepared with all necessary documents, scanned photographs, and signatures to not get interrupted in registration. 

UPSC Notification 2026 Highlights

Every year the UPSC gives chances to candidates so that they can get recruited for renowned services under the Government of India itself. Candidates, wrap up your study because the UPSC Prelims 2026 is going to happen on 24th May 2026.

With continuous preparation, proper planning and dedicated hard work, any aspirant is capable of clearing the UPSC CSE 2026 exam.

UPSC 2026 Overview

As all the candidates know that this is a national-level exam conducted to hire people on officer level for Group A and Group B services. It includes IAS,IPS, IRS level posts. 

There are in total three stages:

• Prelims (Objective type)
• Mains (Descriptive type)
• Personality Test (Interview)

It will be in bilingual language that is both English and Hindi. 

UPSC CSE 2026 – Key Details

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	UPSC Civil Services Examination
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission
Official Websites	upsc.gov.in / upsconline.nic.in
Vacancies	To be Announced
Exam Level	National
Exam Mode	Offline
Application Fee	₹100 (General/OBC/EWS Male)
Fee Exemption	SC/ST, Women, PwBD
Languages	English & Hindi
Number of Papers	Prelims – 2, Mains – 9
Selection Stages	Prelims, Mains, Interview

UPSC Exam Date 2026

Finally, it happened that the UPSC announced the UPSC Prelims exam date. It will be on 24th May 2026, and the main exam will be going to happen on 21st August 2026. Additionally, UPSC also provides candidates with an application correction window, usually a week after the application deadline, to rectify minor errors.

UPSC Exam Schedule 2026

Event	Date
UPSC Notification Release	January 14, 2026
Application Form Start Date	January 14, 2026
Application Form Last Date	February 3, 2026
Application Correction Window	To be announced
Prelims Exam Date	May 24, 2026
Mains Exam Date	August 21, 2026
Admit Card	To be announced
Result Date	To be announced
Personality Test	To be announced
Final Result	To be announced

UPSC Notification 2026 PDF

Candidates will be able to download UPSC’s notification PDF from 14th January 2026 on the official website. That particular document will have:

• Eligibility criteria
• List of services
• Vacancy details
• Reservation rules
• Exam dates & syllabus
• Exam centres
• Application fee
• Instructions & guidelines

For those who are attempting for the first time, they should carefully read the notification and then download it. 

UPSC Vacancy 2026

The total number of vacancies also gets announced in the official notification. It will be easier for candidates to check vacancies service-wise and category-wise as well. 

Steps to Fill UPSC Application Form 2026

These are some steps which can help a candidate in completing UPSC application form:

1. Visit the Official Website
2. Part I Registration, includes entering personal details such as name, date of birth, address, and contact information.
3. The candidate needs to verify details – Carefully review all information before proceeding.
4. Part II Registration includes uploading scanned photographs and signatures in JPG format, the way it is asked to upload
5. Select Exam Centre 
6. Pay Application Fee 
7. Final Submission

UPSC Application Fee 2026

Category	Application Fee	Payment Mode
General / EWS / OBC (Male)	₹100	Online or SBI Challan
SC / ST / PwBD / Female	Nil	Fee Exempted

UPSC Posts 2026

Through UPSC CSE 2026, candidates can seek after for the following services:

Group A Services

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax & Customs)
• Indian Audit & Accounts Service
• Indian Defence Accounts Service
• Indian Corporate Law Service
• Indian Postal Service
• Indian Railway Management Service
• Indian Trade Service
• Indian Information Service

Group B Services

• Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service
• DANICS
• DANIPS
• PONDICS
• PONDIPS

UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2026

To apply for UPSC CSE 2026, candidates must:

• Candidate should be a citizen of India 
• Their age should not lease than 21 and should not be above 32 as on 1st August 2026
• Should have a degree from recognized university
• Meet the attempt limit:
  • General – 6 attempts
  • OBC – 9 attempts
  • SC/ST – Unlimited
• Fulfil age and attempt relaxations, if applicable

UPSC Exam Pattern 2026

UPSC Prelims

• Paper I (GS): 200 marks, negative marking (⅓)
• Paper II (CSAT): 200 marks, qualifying (33%)

UPSC Mains

• Total Papers: 9
• Total Marks: 1750
• Includes Essay, GS Papers I–IV, Optional Papers I & II

Interview

• Marks: 275

Final Merit = Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks

UPSC Selection Process 2026

The selection process includes:

1. Prelims – It is the qualifying stage
2. Mains – This is mainly descriptive evaluation
3. Personality Test – Final assessment

Candidates must clear each stage to reach the final merit list.

UPSC Exam Centre 2026

Students can mainly go for three exam centre choices when they are registering for the exam. Centres are in basic major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and other regions. But, it is also to mention that final allotment depends on if there is any availability or not. 

UPSC Admit Card 2026

The admit card for the exam will also be releasing approximately a week ago from the exam date on upsconline.nic.in so, candidates can download the admit card with their registration ID and password, also should carry a valid photo ID to the centre.