UPSC Notifications

UPSC Notification 2026

UPSC Notification 2026 was released on 4th February 2026 by the Union Public Service Commission to fill 933 UPSC Vacancy 2026 which marks the beginning of the UPSC Application Process 2026. As per the official UPSC Notification 2026, the number of vacancies to be filled through the examination is expected to be approximately 933, which includes 33 Vacancies reserved for Persons with a benchmark disability category.

The UPSC CSE Notification gives the following information:

1. UPSC Exam Dates
2. UPSC Vacancies
3. UPSC Exam Centres
4. Exam Fees
5. How to apply/online application procedure
6. Eligibility for civil services exam (nationality/age limit/number of attempts/educational requirement)
7. UPSC Exam Plan
8. UPSC Posts (for which the civil services exam is held)
9. Latest UPSC CSE Syllabus Notification

UPSC 2026 Exam dates

Important events	Dates
UPSC Notification Release date of Calendar	May 15, 2025
UPSC Notification Release date of Notification	February 4, 2026
UPSC Application Process 2025: Starting date	February 4, 2026
UPSC Application Process 2025: End date	February 27, 2026 (Extended up to 6:00 PM)
UPSC Application Process 2025: Date of Correction Window	February 28, 2026 – March 3, 2026
UPSC Prelims Exam Date 2025	May 24, 2026 (Sunday)
UPSC Mains Exam Date 2025	August 21, 2026 (Friday)

UPSC Vacancy 2026

As per the official UPSC Notification 2026, the number of vacancies to be filled through the examination is expected to be approximately 933, which includes 33 Vacancies reserved for Persons with a 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 a change after getting the firm number of vacancies from the 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.

Year	Vacancy
2024	1056
2025	979
2026	933

UPSC Exam Centres

The UPSC notification also gives information on the venue or centres of examination for both the prelims and the mains exams. Candidates should apply as soon as possible if they wish to receive a centre of their choice as they are allocated on a “first-apply-first-allot” basis.

UPSC Eligibility Conditions

Before filling up the UPSC online application form, ensure that you are eligible as per the UPSC notification and the rules listed in the Gazette. Broadly speaking, the IAS eligibility criteria can be subdivided into the following categories:

1. Nationality
2. Age Limit
3. Minimum Educational Qualification
4. Number of Attempts
5. EWS Certificate Criteria

UPSC Exam Fees

The UPSC notification also gives the amount of fees that candidates have to pay while registering for the IAS exam.

• The registration/application fee for the UPSC Prelims exam is Rs.100/-, and for the Mains exam is Rs.200/-.
• Female/SC-ST/Disabled candidates are exempt from paying the fees.
• Payment can be made while applying for the prelims exam online, either by cash mode or by online payment. Cash payment can be made by opting for the “Pay by Cash” mode and generating the Pay-in-slip. After that, the fee should be deposited the next working day at an SBI branch.
• Candidates should pay the exam fees (unless they are exempt) well before the last date to avoid any last-minute hiccups.
• Candidates who will clear the IAS prelims will have to apply again for the mains exam. The UPSC will give out the notification for that as well. Follow the procedure as mentioned in the notification and apply for the mains before the due date.

Apply Online for UPSC Recruitment

The UPSC notification gives the detailed procedure for online IAS application. Read through the notification thoroughly before applying for the exam.

1. Visit the official UPSC application website (upsconline.nic.in)
2. Navigate to the UPSC Civil Services Examination Link
3. Click on Fill Part-I Registration
4. Once the registration number is generated, use it to fill out Part-II Registration
5. Click on submit once done

Things to note while filling out the UPSC online form:

• Candidates should note that the UPSC CSE Prelims exam is also the same for the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). So, candidates should specify while applying whether they are applying for civil services or forest service or both.
• There are two parts to the registration process – Part I and Part II. Candidates should also pay the fees, give centre preference, and upload the photo and signature images on the website. They should also specify the language of the medium of exam for papers I to V. The optional subject should also be selected. Candidates should also specify the Indian language for paper A. (The medium, language and optional subject selection are required for mains exam only but they have to be specified while applying for the prelims itself).
• While filling in the above details, candidates are advised to be careful as once submitted, no changes are entertained by the UPSC in this regard.
• Candidates should read the instructions carefully before filling out and applying for the exam.
• Candidates are advised to read the UPSC Notification in detail before applying online for the civil services exam. Further important details are given in the UPSC notification.

Number of Attempts allowed

Category	Max attempts	Upper age
General / EWS	6	32 years
OBC	9	35 years
SC / ST	Unlimited	37 years
PwBD – GL / EWS / OBC	9	42 years
PwBD – SC / ST	Unlimited	42 years

Services & Posts (23 total)

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• Indian Audit & Accounts Service
• Indian Civil Accounts Service
• Indian Corporate Law Service
• Indian Defence Accounts Service
• Indian Defence Estates Service
• Indian Information Service
• Indian Postal Service
• Indian P&T Accounts & Finance Service
• IRM Service – Traffic, Personnel, Accounts
• Indian Railway Protection Force
• Indian Revenue Service (Customs & GST)
• Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
• Indian Trade Service
• Armed Forces HQ Civil Service
• DANIPS Group B
• Pondicherry Civil & Police Service

Examination Scheme

• Stage 1: Civil Services Preliminary Examination, objective type, screening stage only
• Stage 2: Civil Services Main Examination, written examination plus Interview/Personality Test
• Prelims total: 400 marks, with two compulsory papers of 200 marks each
• CSAT/General Studies Paper-II: qualifying paper with 33% minimum marks
• Negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to a question for every wrong answer
• Mains written: 9 papers, out of which 2 are qualifying language papers
• Mains merit papers: 1750 marks
• Interview/Personality Test: 275 marks
• Final merit total: 2025 marks

Candidate Checklist

• Create the Universal Registration Number once and retain it.
• Keep the exam-specific Application Number safely after submission.
• Keep Photo ID, live photo, signature and educational/category documents ready.
• No withdrawal or correction is allowed after final submission.
• Download e-Admit Card from the online portal; it will not be sent by post or email.
• Appear in both Prelims papers; absence in either paper leads to disqualification.
• Use QPRep only within the permitted five-day window after the Preliminary Examination.