Is this a recruitment exam for Assistant Professor posts?

No, SET 2026 is only an eligibility examination. Candidates who qualify become eligible to apply for permanent Assistant Professor posts as and when vacancies are notified.

What is the educational qualification required for HPPSC SET 2026?

Candidates must have a Master’s Degree from a UGC-recognized university. General, EWS and Unreserved candidates must have at least 55% marks, while SC, ST, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and PWD candidates of Himachal Pradesh must have at least 50% marks.

Is there any age limit for appearing in HPPSC SET 2026?

There is no upper age limit for appearing in the HPPSC State Eligibility Test 2026.

Can candidates from other states apply for HPPSC SET 2026?

Yes, candidates from all states can apply for the SET examination. However, reservation benefits are applicable only to eligible categories of Himachal Pradesh.

What is the selection and qualifying criteria for HPPSC SET 2026?

The result will be prepared based on aggregate marks obtained in both papers. Only the top 6% of candidates qualifying in both papers will be declared SET qualified.

Is there any negative marking in HPPSC SET 2026?

No, there is no negative marking for incorrect answers in either Paper I or Paper II.

What is the exam pattern of HPPSC SET 2026?

The SET examination consists of two papers conducted in offline mode. Paper I carries 100 marks with 50 questions on teaching and research aptitude, and Paper II carries 200 marks with 100 questions from the concerned subject.

What is the last date to apply for HPPSC SET 2026?

The last date to submit the online application form for HPPSC State Eligibility Test 2026 is 30-01-2026.

Is it required to send a printed application form to HPPSC?

No, candidates are not required to send a printed copy of the application form or documents to Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission at this stage. Candidates should retain a copy for future reference.

HPPSC Recruitment 2026 - Apply for State Eligibility Test 2026 for Assistant Professor Posts

Q: What is HPPSC State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026?

HPPSC State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026 is an eligibility examination conducted to determine eligibility for Assistant Professor posts in Universities and Colleges of Himachal Pradesh. It is not a direct recruitment.

Post Date	Info	Last Date
08-01-2026	State Eligibility Test 2026	30-01-2026

About this Job Notification

Posted on: 08-01-2026	Ends On: 30-01-2026
Class: State Public Service Commission, Teaching Jobs
Qualifications: Post Graduates (M.Com.), Post Graduates (M.Sc.), Post Graduates (MA), Post Graduates (MBA), Post Graduates (MPED), Post Graduates (Others)
Experience Type: Fresher
Tenure Type: Permanent
States: Himachal Pradesh

HPPSC State Eligibility Test 2026 for Assistant Professor Posts Online Application

Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has invited online applications for the State Eligibility Test 2026, conducted to determine eligibility for Assistant Professor positions in universities and colleges of Himachal Pradesh. Interested candidates are advised to carefully review the eligibility compliance before applying.

This is an eligibility examination (not a direct recruitment post), and successful qualification enables candidates to apply for permanent Assistant Professor roles as and when vacancies are notified. The last date for submission of online applications is 30-01-2026. The test assesses teaching aptitude, research skills, and subject-specific knowledge, serving as a mandatory academic benchmark for candidates aspiring to work in higher education institutions within the state.

Vacancies & Eligibility Criteria:

Exam Name	Age Limit	Qualification
State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026	No Upper Age Limit	Master’s Degree from a UGC-recognized University / Institution. General / Unreserved / EWS candidates must have secured a minimum of 55% marks, while SC / ST / OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) / PWD candidates of Himachal Pradesh must have secured a minimum of 50% marks (without rounding off). Candidates appearing in the final year of the Master’s degree or those whose results are awaited are eligible to apply on a provisional basis, subject to completion of the PG degree within two years from the date of declaration of the SET result with the required percentage of marks. Ph.D. degree holders who completed their Master’s degree on or before 19-09-1991 are eligible for a relaxation of 5% in the minimum qualifying marks.
Nature of Post / Engagement This is not a recruitment post. SET is an eligibility examination. Qualified candidates become eligible to apply for permanent Assistant Professor posts in Universities and Colleges of Himachal Pradesh as and when vacancies are notified. Domicile Conditions Candidates from all states can apply for the SET examination. Though, Reservation benefits are applicable only to eligible categories of Himachal Pradesh. Notably Candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their post-graduation only. The candidates, whose Post Graduation subject is not covered in the list of SET subjects may appear in UGC-NET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test. NET/SET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor(s) in Universities/ Colleges/ Institutions. However, those candidates, who have been awarded a Ph. D. Degree in accordance with the UGC Regulations 2022, shall be exempted from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET /SET for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor. For SET Qualified Candidates - Candidates who have cleared the State Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC for eligibility for Assistant Professor held prior to 1st June 2002, are exempted from appearing in NET, and are eligible to appear/apply for Assistant Professor(s) anywhere in India. For SET held from 1st June, 2002 onwards, the qualified candidates are eligible to apply for the post of Assistant Professor(s) only in the Universities/Colleges situated in the State from where they have cleared their SET.

Exam Name

Age Limit

Qualification

State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026

No Upper Age Limit

Master’s Degree from a UGC-recognized University / Institution.
General / Unreserved / EWS candidates must have secured a minimum of 55% marks, while SC / ST / OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) / PWD candidates of Himachal Pradesh must have secured a minimum of 50% marks (without rounding off).
Candidates appearing in the final year of the Master’s degree or those whose results are awaited are eligible to apply on a provisional basis, subject to completion of the PG degree within two years from the date of declaration of the SET result with the required percentage of marks.
Ph.D. degree holders who completed their Master’s degree on or before 19-09-1991 are eligible for a relaxation of 5% in the minimum qualifying marks.

Nature of Post / Engagement

This is not a recruitment post. SET is an eligibility examination.
Qualified candidates become eligible to apply for permanent Assistant Professor posts in Universities and Colleges of Himachal Pradesh as and when vacancies are notified.

Domicile Conditions

Candidates from all states can apply for the SET examination.
Though, Reservation benefits are applicable only to eligible categories of Himachal Pradesh.

Notably

Candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their post-graduation only.
The candidates, whose Post Graduation subject is not covered in the list of SET subjects may appear in UGC-NET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test.
NET/SET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor(s) in Universities/ Colleges/ Institutions. However, those candidates, who have been awarded a Ph. D. Degree in accordance with the UGC Regulations 2022, shall be exempted from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET /SET for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor.
For SET Qualified Candidates -
- Candidates who have cleared the State Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC for eligibility for Assistant Professor held prior to 1st June 2002, are exempted from appearing in NET, and are eligible to appear/apply for Assistant Professor(s) anywhere in India.
- For SET held from 1st June, 2002 onwards, the qualified candidates are eligible to apply for the post of Assistant Professor(s) only in the Universities/Colleges situated in the State from where they have cleared their SET.

Subjects for SET

Chemical Sciences
English
Life Sciences
Commerce
Economics
Geography
Hindi
History
Mathematical Sciences
Music
Physical Sciences
Physical Education
Sociology
Sanskrit
Political Science
Public Administration
Computer Science and Applications
Tourism Administration and Management
Mass Communication and Journalism
Psychology
Education
Environment Sciences

Dates to Consider:

Online Application forms will be received by : 30-01-2026

Mode of Recruitment :

The State Eligibility Test will be conducted in offline mode and will consist of two objective-type papers held in two separate sessions. Candidates must appear in both papers to be considered for qualification.

Paper	Subject	Marks	Number of Questions	Duration
Paper I	General Awareness (Teaching / Research Aptitude)	100	50	01 Hour
Paper II	Concerned Subject	200	100	02 Hours

All questions will be multiple-choice type. Each question will carry 02 marks. There will be no negative marking for incorrect answers.

The examination will be conducted at various centres across Himachal Pradesh, subject to the number of candidates. Cities will include Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Kangra at Dharamshala, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Nahan, Una, Kullu and Chamba. During exam, Candidates are required to bring printout of online Admit Card, alongwith ID proof in-original (with a passport size photograph).

Qualifying Criteria

The result will be prepared based on aggregate marks obtained in both papers.

Top 6% of candidates qualifying in both papers will be declared qualified for Appointment to Assistant Professor Posts arising in State's Universities / Colleges.
General category candidates must secure at least 40% aggregate marks.
Reserved category candidates must secure at least 35% aggregate marks.
In case of a tie at the last qualifying cut-off, all candidates with equal marks will be considered qualified.

Fee Structure :

Applicable application fee is to be paid online. Fee structure is -

General Category: Rs. 1150
General-EWS of Himachal Pradesh: Rs. 600
Other Backward Class (Non-Creamy Layer) of Himachal Pradesh: Rs. 600
SC / ST/ BPL (General BPL / SC BPL / ST BPL) / Persons with Disability (General PWD / SC PWD / ST PWD / OBC PWD) / EWS BPL of Himachal Pradesh : Rs. 325

How to Apply :

Candidates should apply for the examination by completing the following steps in sequence.

One Time Registration (OTR)
1. Register on the online portal of Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission through the One Time Registration system by providing personal, contact, and educational details.
2. Generate User ID and password and log in to the account.
Application Form Filling
1. Select the State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026 advertisement from the dashboard.
2. Enter personal details, category, educational qualifications, subject selection, and examination centre preference carefully.
3. Verify all entered details, as no modification will be allowed after final submission.
4. Upload clear Signature, Photograph and other requisite documents.
Payment of Examination Fee
1. Pay the applicable category-wise examination fee online through Debit Card, Credit Card, or Internet Banking.
2. Ensure that the fee payment is completed successfully before the closing date.
Final Submission and Record Keeping
1. Preview the application form and uploaded documents to ensure correctness and readability.
2. Submit the online application on or before 30-01-2026.
3. No printout of the application form or documents is required to be sent to Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission at this stage.
4. Candidates may retain a copy of the submitted application form and fee receipt for future reference.
Helpline
1. In case of any guidance, information, or clarification regarding applications or candidature, candidates can contact the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission Help Line Centre at Telephone No. 0177-2629738 or Toll Free Number 1800-180-8004 on any working day between 10:00 AM and 05:00 PM.

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HPPSC Recruitment 2026 - Apply for State Eligibility Test (SET) 2026