UPSC 2026 exam dates are out! The Union Public Service Commission has announced the Civil Services Examination Dates 2026. As per the official UPSC calendar, the UPSC CSE prelims exam is scheduled for May 24, 2026.
The UPSC Prelims Notification 2026 will be announced on January 14, 2026, only at upsc.gov.in. All the interested and eligible candidates should carefully read the UPSC Notification 2026 PDF and then apply within the deadline.
Candidates who have completed their graduation and fall within the age group of 21-32 years can apply. Read ahead to know the complete details of the UPSC 2026 exam, including the latest news, exam dates, eligibility, vacancies, and more.
UPSC 2026 Notification Latest News
UPSC CSE is one of the toughest examinations in the country. It is conducted every year for the recruitment of eligible candidates for posts like IAS, IPS, IFS, and others. Lakhs of candidates appear in this exam every year.
The UPSC 2026 selection process is divided into three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. You should clear the cutoff marks in all the phases to be eligible for the appointment. Find below all the latest news about the UPSC 2026 notification:
- UPSC Prelims Notification 2026 release date is announced. The UPSC Notification 2026 will be released on January 14, 2026.
- The last date to submit the UPSC Application Form 2026 is also available. The UPSC registration link will remain active till February 3, 2026.
- UPSC Exam Dates 2026 are out in the UPSC exam calendar. UPSC Prelims 2026 is scheduled for May 24, while the mains exam will be held on August 21, 2026.
UPSC Notification 2026 Date
The UPSC 2026 notification release date was officially announced in the UPSC exam calendar. The official calendar states that the official notification for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026, will be released on January 14, 2026.
The UPSC Notification PDF comprises details like eligibility, vacancies, exam date, pattern, syllabus, and all exam-relevant details. The UPSC Notification 2026 PDF link will be activated here once it is released officially.
UPSC Exam Date 2026
The UPSC exam date 2026 has been announced. Candidates should carefully check the UPSC 2026 exam dates for prelims and mains. This will help them plan their preparation better. Most importantly, candidates should check all the important dates related to UPSC 2026 to avoid missing any crucial deadlines.
Find below the UPSC Prelims Exam Date 2026 and other event details in the table below.
Events | Dates |
UPSC Notification 2026 Release Date | January 14, 2026 |
Last Date of UPSC 2026 Apply Online | February 3, 2026 |
UPSC Prelims Exam Date 2026 | May 24, 2026 |
UPSC Mains Exam Date 2026 | August 21, 2026 |
UPSC Notification 2026 Overview
Aspirants are eagerly awaiting the release of the UPSC Notification 2026. It will be made available online only at the UPSC website (upsc.gov.in).
To help, we have shared below the key overview of the UPSC 2026 notification for reference purposes.
UPSC 2026 Overview | |
Exam Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
Exam Name | Civil Services Examination 2026 |
Post Name | IAS, IPS, IFS, etc |
Eligibility | 21 years, Graduate |
Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, and Interview |
Prelims Exam Date | May 24, 2026 |
Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC CSE 2026 Post List
Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services Examination for the recruitment of various reputed services and posts shared below. You must read the official UPSC 2026 notification carefully to avoid any last-minute hassles.
Here is the UPSC 2026 post list shared below for reference purposes.
(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)
UPSC 2026 Vacancy
Candidates must carefully read the UPSC 2026 notification to know the number of vacancies to be filled through the Civil Services Examination 2026.
They can review past UPSC vacancy trends shared below to get an idea of the competition level.
UPSC Vacancy Past Trends | |
Year | Total Vacancies |
2025 | 979 |
2024 | 1056 |
2023 | 1105 |
2022 | 1022 |
2021 | 712 |
2020 | 836 |
2019 | 927 |
2018 | 812 |
2017 | 1058 |
2016 | 1209 |
2015 | 1164 |
UPSC 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should fulfil the UPSC eligibility criteria 2026 before filling out the application form. This includes age limit, qualification, nationality, and number of attempts.
If any candidate is found ineligible, their candidature shall be disqualified at any stage. Check below the UPSC 2026 age limit, qualification, and more.
- UPSC Age Limit: 21 years- 32 years
- UPSC Age Limit Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC
- UPSC Educational Qualification: A Graduate degree from any recognised University.
- UPSC Number of Attempts: General category: 6, SC/ST: unlimited, OBC: 9.
UPSC CSE 2026 Apply Online Link
The UPSC 2026 apply online link will be activated soon after the notification is out. The UPSC application form 2026 is expected to be released on January 14, 2026.
Thus, candidates should keep all the documents and details handy to complete the application process without any hassles.
As per the UPSC exam calendar 2026, the UPSC apply online link will remain active till February 3, 2026. The UPSC application form 2026 link will be provided on this page once it is officially released.
How to Fill UPSC Application Form 2026?
Candidates can apply online for UPSC 2026 at upsconline.gov.in. They need to register first at the One Time Registration (OTR) platform and then move ahead to fill the UPSC application form 2026.
Here are easy steps to complete the UPSC 2026 application form with ease:
- Go to the official website, upsconline.gov.in.
- Click on “New Registration”
- Fill out the UPSC registration 2026 form with all required details.
- Log in with your valid credentials.
- Fill out the UPSC application form and upload all necessary documents.
- Pay the application fees via the prescribed mode.
- Take the printout of the UPSC application form for future reference.
UPSC Registration Trends (2016-2024)
Candidates should check the previous year’s UPSC registration trends to get an idea of the competition level. It reveals the total number of candidates who applied and qualified the exam over the years.
Below are the UPSC registration trends from 2016-2024 for reference purposes.
Year | Applicants Applied | Appeared for Prelims | Qualified for Mains | Qualified for Interview | Final Recommendation (Selected) |
2016 | 11,28,262 | 4,59,659 | 15,382 | 2,961 | 1,078 |
2017 | 9,69,065 | 4,62,848 | 13,300 | 2,564 | 1,056 |
2018 | 10,65,552 | 5,00,484 | 10,419 | 1,992 | 759 |
2019 | 11,35,261 | 4,93,972 | 11,845 | 2,034 | 829 |
2020 | 10,57,948 | 4,82,770 | 10,564 | 2,053 | 796 |
2021 | 10,93,948 | 5,08,619 | 10,000 | – | 761 |
2022 | 11,35,697 | 5,73,735 | 13,090 | 2,529 | 933 |
2023 | 13,00,000 | – | 14,624 | 2,916 | 1,016 |
2024 | 9,92,599 | 5,83,213 | 14,627 | 2,845 | 1009 |
UPSC Selection Process 2026
Candidates can find the complete selection procedure in the official UPSC 2026 notification. This will help them understand the exam requirements and set realistic targets accordingly.
The UPSC selection process is divided into the following stages:
- Preliminary Examination (Objective)
- Main Examination
- Interview/Personality Test
UPSC 2026 Exam Pattern
Candidates should carefully check the UPSC 2026 Exam Pattern for Prelims & Mains. It provides insights into question type, total questions, maximum marks, duration, and more.
The UPSC prelims exam is an objective test, while the mains exam is descriptive. But the UPSC 2026 prelims are meant to act as a screening test only. The marks secured in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam will be used to shortlist candidates for the Main exam.
It will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. Find below the UPSC exam pattern 2026 for prelims and mains.
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
The UPSC Prelims exam consists of two papers of objective-type questions. It will carry a maximum of 400 marks. The exam duration shall be 2 hours for each paper.
The General Studies Paper-II of the prelims exam will be a qualifying paper with a minimum mark fixed at 33%. The medium of the exam will be Hindi and English.
There shall be a negative marking of one-third (0.33) mark for every wrong answer. Check the UPSC exam pattern 2026 for Prelims below:
Paper | Marks | Exam Duration |
General Studies Paper 1 | 200 marks | 2 hours |
General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT) | 200 marks | 2 hours |
UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2026
The UPSC Main exam consists of 9 papers of a conventional essay type. Check the UPSC exam pattern 2026 for Mains below:
Paper Type | Paper | Subject | Maximum Marks |
Qualifying Papers | Paper-A | (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution). | 300 Marks |
Paper-B | English | 300 Marks | |
Papers to be counted for merit | Paper-I | Essay | 250 Marks |
Paper-II | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 Marks | |
Paper-III | General Studies -II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 Marks | |
Paper-IV | General Studies -III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 Marks | |
Paper-V | General Studies -IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 Marks | |
Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 Marks | |
Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 Marks | |
Sub Total (Written test) | 1750 Marks | ||
Personality Test | 275 Marks | ||
Grand Total | 2025 Marks | ||
UPSC 2026 Syllabus
The candidate should also review the latest UPSC 2026 syllabus to focus only on the relevant topics. They must first clear the concepts and then practice advanced-level questions to achieve mastery.
Find below the UPSC syllabus 2026 for the prelims exam.
Paper | UPSC Syllabus 2026 |
Paper I | Current events of national and international importance. History of India and Indian National Movement. Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. General Science. |
Paper II | Comprehension; Interpersonal skills including communication skills; Logical reasoning and analytical ability; Decision making and problem solving; General mental ability; Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. Class X level) |
UPSC Previous Year Question Papers
Candidates should start practising UPSC previous year question papers after completing 50% of the syllabus. This helps them check their exam readiness and solidify their basic concepts.
Most importantly, the past papers reveal question type, recurring topics, and difficulty level. Solving exam-level questions will also help you understand the actual exam pressure.
To help, we have shared below the UPSC previous year papers link for the prelims exam.
UPSC Question Paper 2025 | |
General Studies Paper 1 | |
General Studies Paper 2 | |
UPSC Cut Off 2026- Previous Year Cutoff Trends
UPSC releases the CSE Cutoff for prelims, mains, and final on its official website. You must check the UPSC previous year cutoff to get an idea of the competition level.
This helps you build a strategic approach and set realistic targets in your exam preparation. Given below is the previous year UPSC cut off for various stages:
UPSC Cut Off 2024
The UPSC Cut Off 2024 for the prelims exam have been announced. It is the minimum qualifying standards secured by the last recommended candidate in various categories at various stages:
Examination | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwBD-1 | PwBD-2 | PwBD-3 | PwBD-5 |
CS (Prelim) | 87.98 | 85.92 | 87.28 | 79.03 | 74.23 | 69.42 | 65.3 | 40.56 | 40.56 |
CS (Main) | 729 | 696 | 702 | 685 | 684 | 663 | 696 | 307 | 361 |
CS (Final) | 947 | 917 | 910 | 880 | 884 | 876 | 913 | 701 | 461 |
UPSC Cut Off 2023
Candidates can find the UPSC Cut Off 2023 for prelims, mains, and interview in the table shared below:
Examination | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwBD-1 | PwBD-2 | PwBD-3 | PwBD-5 |
CS (Prelim) | 75.41 | 68.02 | 74.75 | 59.25 | 47.82 | 40.4 | 47.13 | 40.4 | 33.68 |
CS (Main) | 741 | 706 | 712 | 694 | 692 | 673 | 718 | 396 | 445 |
CS (Final) | 953 | 923 | 919 | 890 | 891 | 894 | 930 | 756 | 589 |
UPSC IAS Salary 2026
The initial UPSC IAS salary is INR 56100 per month according to the 7th Pay Commission. The salary will increase over time based on the years of service, work performance, and promotions.
The highest IAS officer salary will be INR 250000 per month, which is given to the Cabinet Secretary. Given below is the rank-wise IAS salary structure for your reference:
IAS Rank-Wise Post | Basic Pay (INR) | Pay Level | Year of Experience |
Assistant Collector cum Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Under Secretary, and Assistant Secretary | 56,100 | Level 10 | 0-4 years |
Deputy Collector cum Additional District Magistrate, Deputy Secretary, and Under Secretary | 67,700 | Level 11 | 5-8 years |
Collector cum District magistrate, Joint secretary, and Deputy secretary | 78,800 | Level 12 | 9-12 years |
Collector cum District magistrate, Special secretary/ Director, and Director | 1,18,500 | Level 13 | 13-16 years |
Divisional commissioner, Secretary/Commissioner, and Joint secretary | 1,44,200 | Level 14 | 16-24 years |
Divisional commissioner, Principal secretary, and Additional secretary/Director General | 1,82,200 | Level 15 | 25-30 years |
Chief secretary | 2,25,000 | Level 17 | 30+ years |
Cabinet Secretary | 2,50,000 | Level 18 | 37+ years |
How to Prepare Well for UPSC 2026?
The UPSC 2026 preparation demands consistency, smart planning, and expert guidance. If you are a beginner, you must start by clearing concepts from standard books. Here are the tips and tricks to prepare well for the UPSC 2026 exam:
- Review the UPSC syllabus and exam pattern to identify relevant topics and exam requirements.
- Create a realistic UPSC study plan that ensures balanced coverage of the syllabus and unlimited practice.
- Choose the best mock test series and PYQs to strengthen your prep level.
- Revision matters in UPSC preparation as it helps you retain topics for a longer period.
You can also join a reputed UPSC coaching like Legacy IAS Academy for a structured approach, personalised mentorship and exam-level mock test series. The best part is that they offer UPSC coaching in both online and offline modes.
UPSC 2026 FAQs
Q) How to Apply for the IAS Exam 2026?
A) You can apply for the IAS Exam 2026 after the UPSC 2026 apply online link is activated on the official website.
Q) Can I give UPSC 2026?
A) Candidates who have completed their graduation and fall within the age group of 21-32 years can apply.
Q) What are the UPSC Exam Dates 2026?
A) The UPSC Prelims 2026 is scheduled for May 24, while the mains exam will be held on August 21, 2026.
Q) When will the UPSC 2026 Notification be released?
A) The UPSC Prelims Notification 2026 will be announced on January 14, 2026, only at upsc.gov.in.
