UPSC IAS (Pre.) Exam 2026 Notification Released
1. CANDIDATES TO ENSURE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE EXAMINATION:
All candidates (male/female/transgender) are requested to carefully read the Rules of Civil Services Examination notified by the Government (Department of Personnel and Training) and this Notice of Examination derived from these Rules. The Candidates applying for the examination should ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions for admission to examination. Their admission to all the stages of the examination will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. Mere issue of e-Admit Card to the candidate will not imply that his/her candidature has been finally cleared by the Commission. The Commission takes up verification of eligibility conditions with reference to original documents only after the candidate has qualified for Interview/Personality Test.
2. HOW TO APPLY:
Candidates are required to apply online by using the website upsconline.nic.in. It is essential for the applicant to register himself/herself first at One Time Registration (OTR) platform, available on the Commission’s website, and then proceed for filling up the online application for the examination. OTR has to be registered only once in life time. This can be done anytime throughout the year. If the candidate is already registered, he/she can proceed straightway for filling up the online application for the examination.
3. LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS :
The Online Applications can be filled upto 24th February, 2026 till 6:00 PM. The eligible candidates shall be issued an e-Admit Card three weeks before the commencement of the examination. The e-Admit Card will be made available in the UPSC website [ https://upsconline.nic.in ] for downloading by candidates. No Admit Card will be sent by post.
4. PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS:
Candidates should note that there will be penalty (negative marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.
5. Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep):
The Commission will be providing an opportunity to the appeared candidates to make representations to the Commission on the questions asked in the Papers of the Examination and on the Answer key of the Question paper (Objective Type) of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination in a time frame of 5 days (Five Days) i.e. from the third day of the Examination Date to 6.00 p.m. of the 7th day. The appeared candidates may login to the Commission’s website https://upsconline.nic.in and submit their representation(s), if any, on Question Paper(s) under the header Examinations > Representations on Question Paper. No representation by email/post/hand or by any other mode shall be accepted and the Commission shall not involve into any correspondence with the candidates in this regard. No representation shall be accepted under any circumstances after this window of 5 days is over.
Face Authentication for Candidates at the Examination Venue
In order to ensure a secure and smooth examination process, all candidates will be required to undergo face authentication at the examination venue mandatorily. Candidates are advised to enter the examination venue well in time for face authentication/identity verification and frisking.
F.No. 1/2/2025-E.I(B): Preliminary Examination of the Civil Services Examination for recruitment to theServices and Posts mentioned below will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on 24th May, 2026 in accordance with the Rules published by the Department of Personnel & Training in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 04th February, 2026, All candidates must carefully read the Civil Services Examination- 2026 Rules together with all the Appendices along with the Annexures thereof and this Examination Notice derived from the CSE Rules-2026 in entirety for gaining awareness of the current Rules and Regulations as changes may have been incorporated since the previous Examination Rules.
(i) Indian Administrative Service
(ii) Indian Foreign Service
(iii) Indian Police Service
(iv) Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(v) Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(vi) Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’
(vii) Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
(viii) Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
(ix) Indian Information Service, Group ‘A’
(x) Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’
(xi) Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘A’
(xii) Indian Railway Management Service (Traffic), Group ‘A’
(xiii) Indian Railway Management Service (Personnel), Group ‘A’
(xiv) Indian Railway Management Service (Accounts), Group ‘A’
(xv) Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group ‘A’
(xvi) Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) Group ‘A’
(xvii) Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) Group ‘A’
(xviii) Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Grade III)
(xix) Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)
(xx) Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS), Group ‘B’
(xxi) Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS), Group ‘B’
(xxii) Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group ‘B’
(xxiii) Pondicherry Police Service(PONDIPS),Gr
The number of vacancies to be filled through the examination is expected to be approximately 933 which include 33 Vacancies reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability Category, i.e. 7 Vacancies for candidates of (a) blindness and low vision; 11 Vacancies for (b) deaf and hard of hearing; 8 Vacancies for (c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; and 7 Vacancies for (e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (c) except the combination of blind & deaf (B+D). The final number of vacancies may undergo change after getting firm number of vacancies from Cadre Controlling Authorities. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, the Economically Weaker Sections and Persons with Benchmark Disability in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.
PRABITHA SETU PORTAL (erstwhile PUBLIC DISCLOSURE SCHEME):-
As per the policy notified by the Government for increasing the access of unemployed to job opportunities, the information of candidates who appeared in the final stage of Examination (Interview /Personality Test) but not recommended, will be made accessible to any registered Private Company, Public Sector Undertaking, Statuary and Autonomous organisations of Government of India on the dedicated portal on the website of the Commission to identify suitable candidates in line of their requirements for providing employment. Short biodata of the candidates with their educational qualifications, contact numbers, details including their percentile (not absolute or percentage marks), etc will also be made accessible on this dedicated portal. The data available on this portal shall be restricted for the purpose of evaluation of suitability of the candidates for employment purpose only to these registered organisations. These lists will be made available after the Reserve List/Extended List is utilized/exhausted after declaration of final result. It may be noted that there is no option for partial disclosure and choice once opted cannot be changed.
Candidates will be required to give their consent at the time of filling the exam specific module. A candidate may opt out of the scheme also and in that case his/her details will not be published by the Commission.
Besides sharing of the information of the non-recommended willing candidates of this examination, the Commission will not assume any responsibility or liability for the method and manner in which information related to such candidates is utilized by these registered organizations.
3. Eligibility Conditions: (I) Nationality
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For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
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For other services, a candidate must be either:-
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a citizen of India, or
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a subject of Nepal, or
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a subject of Bhutan, or
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a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
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a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India.
(II) Age Limits:
(1) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August, 2026 i.e., the candidate must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1994 and not later than 1st August, 2005.
(a) up to a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe;
(b) up to a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates;
(c) up to a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services Personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof;
(d) up to a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs)/ Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2026 and have been released:
(i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st August, 2026, otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency); or
(ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service; or
(iii) on invalidment.
(e) up to a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service as on 1st August, 2026 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
(f) up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates belonging to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories viz.
(i) blindness and low vision;
(ii) deaf and hard of hearing;
(iii) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy;
(iv) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness;
(v) multiple disabilities from amongst person under clauses (i) to (iv) including deafblindness.
(III) Minimum Educational Qualifications :
A candidate must hold a Graduate degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification.
Note-I: Candidates who have appeared at a qualifying examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s Examination but have not been informed of the result as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the written part of Civil Services Examination, 2026. However, all such candidates, who are declared qualified by the Commission for Interview/Personality Test, will be required to produce proof of passing of the requisite qualifying examination within the time limit prescribed in Rule 13 of CSE, 2026.
Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
Only valid proof of passing the qualifying examination viz. Degree Certificate/Final Mark Sheet/Provisional Degree Certificate etc. as are normally issued to the candidate by the competent authority after the formal declaration of results by the University/Boards may be accepted. Proof of completion of internship is required in case of MBBS/BDS/Veterinary Science etc. and equivalent degree.
Note-II: In exceptional cases, the Commission may treat a candidate who does not have any of the foregoing qualifications as a candidate, provided that the candidate has passed an examination conducted by any other institution the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies the admission to the Civil Services Examination.
Note-III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognised by Government as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the Civil Services Examination.
Note-IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S or any other equivalent professional examination leading to a medical degree or certificate but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Civil Services Examination, provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professional examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the time of their interview the original degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree.
(IV) Number of attempts:
Every candidate appearing at the examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted six (6) attempts at the CSE. However, relaxation in the number of attempts will be available to the SC/ST/OBC and PwBD category candidates who are otherwise eligible. The number of attempts available to such candidates as per relaxation is as under:
4. FEE:
candidates (Except Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only) by using Net Banking facility of any bank or by using Visa/Master/RuPay/Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment for appearing in Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 and Candidates admitted to the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 will be required to pay a further fee of Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two hundred only) (Except exempted category i.e. SC/ST/PwBD/Women) through a window of 10 (Ten) days to be provided after declaration of Result of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.
5. How to Apply:
Candidates are required to apply online by using the website https://upsconline.nic.in.Candidates are advised to go through the General instructions, Profile/Module wise instructions and instructions for uploading of documents before proceeding to fill up the form. A candidate who is willing to apply for Civil Services Examination shall be required to submit the requisite information and supporting documents towards various claims, such as date of birth, educational qualification, etc as may be sought by the Commission alongwith the Universal Registration Number (URN), Common Application Form (CAF) and the fourth module i.e. Examinaiton Specific module (including fees and centre etc.). Failure to provide the required information/documents alongwith the Common Application Form (CAF) will entail cancellation of candidature for the examination.
NOTE 1:- The Commission provides a one-time facility for candidates to update or modify their Universal Registration Number (URN) profile. Please note that any changes made to the URN Profile will not be reflected in applications already submitted. The updated information will apply only to applications submitted after the candidate has made the necessary changes and successfully re-locked the URN Profile.
NOTE 2 – Live Photo Capture for filling up of Common Application Form (CAF) Applicants are required to upload their photograph and also capture their live photograph while filling up the Common Application Form (CAF). Applicants must ensure that the uploaded photograph and the live photograph captured are clear as per instructions given on “Instructions and FAQs > Instruction for filling the form > Photos and Signature” available on the Commission’s website https://upsconline.nic.in.
NOTE 3 :- Uploading of Signature
Applicants are required to sign three times (one below the other) on a plain white paper using a black ink and upload the same while filling up the Common Application Form (CAF). The uploaded signatures should be clear and legible. The Candidates are advised to refer to the instruction for uploading the signature available under “Instructions and FAQs” on the website of the Commission with the URL: https://upsconline.nic.in.”
NOTE 4 – The cadidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications after the submission of the same. Further no correction /alteration/modification in any field(s) of the Application Form is allowed after submission.
(b) All candidates, whether already in Government Service, Government owned industrial undertakings or other similar organizations or in private employment should submit their applications direct to the Commission.
Persons already in Government Service, whether in a permanent or temporary capacity or as work charged employees other than casual or daily rated employees or those serving under the Public Enterprises are however, required to submit an undertaking that they have informed in writing to their Head of Office/Department that they have applied for the Examination. Candidates should note that in case a communication is received from their employer by the Commission withholding permission to the candidates applying for/appearing at the examination, their application will be liable to be rejected/candidature will be liable to be cancelled.
NOTE 1: The Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in the categories of blindness, locomotor disability (both arm affected – BA) and cerebral palsy will be provided the facility of scribe, if desired by the person. In case of other category of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities as defined under section 2(r) of the RPWD Act, 2016, the facility of scribe will be allowed to such candidates on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation to write, and scribe is essential to write examination on his/her behalf, from the Chief Medical Officer/ Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care institution as per proforma at Appendix- V. The candidates have discretion of opting for his/her own scribe or request the Commission for the same. The details of scribe i.e. whether own or the Commission’s and the details of scribe in case candidates are bringing their own scribe, will be sought at the time of filling up the application form online. Suitable provisions in Common Application Form have been made.
NOTE 2: The qualification of the Commission’s scribe as well as own scribe will not be more than the minimum qualification criteria of the examination. However, the qualification of the scribe should always be matriculate or above.
NOTE 3: The Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in the category of blindness, locomotor disability (both arm affected – BA) and cerebral palsy will be allowed Compensatory Time of twenty minutes per hour of the examination. In case of other categories of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, this facility will be provided on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation to write from the Chief Medical Officer/ Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care institution as per proforma at Appendix – V.
NOTE 4: Candidates applying for Civil Services Examination, 2026 will be required to indicate information such as (a) detail of Centres for Civil Services (Main) Examination and Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination (b) Optional subject to be selected for the examination, (c) Medium of examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination, (d) Medium of Examination for Optional Subject if he/she chooses any Indian Language as the Medium of Examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination and (e) compulsory Indian Language for Civil Services (Main) Examination at the time of the filling up Exam Specific Form itself. No request for changes in these details once Exam Specific Form is submitted shall be entertained by the Commission.
The candidates applying for the Civil Services Examination should ensure that they fulfil all the eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. Their admission at all the stages of Examination for which they are admitted by the Commission viz. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, Civil Services (Main) Examination – either Written or the Interview/Personality Test – will be purely provisional, subject to their satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If on verification at any time before or after the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination (Written) and Interview/Personality Test, it is found that they do not fulfil any of the eligibility conditions, their candidature for the Examination will be cancelled by the Commission. The decision of the Commission as to the eligibility or otherwise of a candidate for admission to the Examination shall be final.
CIVIL Services Examination, 2026 reproduced below:
(1) A candidate who is or has been declared by the Commission to be guilty of :-
(a) Obtaining support for candidature by the following means, namely:-
(i) offering illegal gratification to; or
(ii) applying pressure on; or
(iii) blackmailing, or threatening to blackmail any person connected with the conduct of the examination; or
(b) impersonation; or
(c) procuring impersonation by any person; or
(d) submitting fabricated/incorrect documents or documents which have been tampered with;or
(e) uploading irrelevant or incorrect photo/signature in the application form in place of actual photo/signature; or
(f) making statements which are incorrect or false or suppressing material information; or
(g) resorting to the following means in connection with the candidature for the examination, namely:-
(i) obtaining copy of question paper through improper means; or
(ii) finding out the particulars of the persons connected with secret work relating to the examination; or
(iii) influencing the examiners; or
(h) being in possession of or using unfair means during the examination; or
(i) writing obscene matter or drawing obscene sketches or irrelevant matter in the scripts; or
(j) misbehaving in the examination hall including tearing of the scripts, provoking fellow examinees to boycott examination, creating a disorderly scene and the like; or
(k) harassing, threatening or doing bodily harm to the staff employed by the Commission for the conduct of the examination; or
(l) being in possession of or using any mobile phone, (even in switched-off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc. or camera or bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories (either in working or switched-off mode) capable of being used as a communication device during the examination; or
(m) violating any of the instructions issued to candidates along with their admission certificates permitting them to take the examination; or
(n) attempting to commit or, as the case may be, abetting the commission of all or any of the acts specified in the foregoing clauses;
In addition to being liable to criminal prosecution, shall be disqualified by the Commission from the Examination held under these Rules; and/or shall be liable to be debarred either permanently or for a specified period:-
(i) by the Commission, from any examination or selection held by them;
(ii) by the central government from any employment under them; and shall be liable to face disciplinary action under the appropriate rules if already in service under Government;
Provided that no penalty under this rule shall be imposed except after:-
(i) giving the candidate an opportunity of making such representation in writing as the candidate may wish to make in that behalf; and
(ii) taking the representation, if any, submitted by the candidate within the period allowed for this purpose, into consideration.
(2) Any person who is found by the Commission to be guilty of colluding with a candidate(s) in committing or abetting the commission of any of the misdeeds listed at the clauses (a) to (m) above will be liable to action in terms of the clause (n) in Rule 19 (1) above.
Note: “If a candidate is found to be in possession or using unfair means, may not be allowed to continue in the said exam as soon as the incident comes to notice of the Examination functionaries and the action against the candidates may be taken in consultation with the Commission. Further, the candidate may also not be allowed in any of the subsequent papers of the said examination.”
LAST DATE FOR ONLINE SUBMISSION AND WITHDRAWL OF APPLICATIONS:
The Online Applications can be filled up to 24.02.2026 till 6:00 P.M
Courtesy: UPSC
