UPSC Civil Service Exam 2026 - Complete Details
| Posted on: 08-02-2026 | Ends On: 24-02-2026 |
| Class: Union Public Service Commission | |
| Qualifications: Graduates (All Graduates) | |
| Experience Type: Fresher | |
| Tenure Type: Permanent | |
| States: All States | |
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is inviting online applications for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026, which is widely regarded as the most competitive and prestigious recruitment exam in India. Through CSE 2026, UPSC aims to fill 933 vacancies across various esteemed civil services, including the IAS, IFS, IPS, and others. These are permanent bureaucratic positions involving high-level administration, policy implementation, and maintaining law and order to ensure effective governance throughout the country.
Interested candidates must ensure that they meet all prescribed eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications and age limits, before applying. The deadline for submitting the online application form is 24-02-2026 (up to 6:00 PM).
Vacancies & Eligibility Criteria:
| Exam Name | Vacancies | Age Limit as on 01-08-2026 | Qualification | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Services Examination 2026 | 933 | 21 to 32 Years (Must have been between 2nd August 1994 and 1st August 2005) | Graduate degree in any discipline from a recognized University | As per Pay Level 10 of 7th CPC (56100 - 177500) Initial salary will be Approx 80000 Per Month |
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List of Participating Services:
- Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Foreign Service
- Indian Police Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Corporate Law Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Defence Estates Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Information Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Postal Service, Group 'A'
- Indian P & T Accounts and Finance Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Management Service (Traffic/Personnel/Accounts), Group 'A'
- Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group 'A'
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes / Income Tax), Group 'A'
- Indian Trade Service, Group 'A' (Grade III)
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group 'B'
- DANICS (Civil Service) and DANIPS (Police Service), Group 'B'
- Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS) and Police Service (PONDIPS), Group 'B'
Dates to Consider:
- Last Date to Apply: 24-02-2026 (6:00 PM)
- Preliminary Exam Date: 24-05-2026 (e-Admit Card will be Issued on or before May 15, 2026)
Mode of Recruitment :
The Civil Services Examination will comprise of Preliminary Examination (CSAT), Main Examination and Interview.
Preliminary Examination
Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Also called Civil Services Aptitude Test) consists of two objective-type papers carrying a total of 400 marks. It will serve only as a screening test, and marks obtained will not be counted in the final merit list. Candidates must appear in both papers for evaluation. About twelve to thirteen times the total vacancies will be shortlisted for the Main Examination.
| Paper | Marks | Duration | Syllabus Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | 200 | 2 Hours | Current events, History of India/National Movement, Physical/Social/Economic Geography, Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, Environmental ecology, and General Science. |
| Paper II | 200 | 2 Hours | Comprehension, Interpersonal skills, Logical reasoning, Decision making, General mental ability, and Basic numeracy (Class X level). |
- Paper-II will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. Paper 1 qualifying marks will be decided later.
- There will be negative marking for incorrect answers; one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
- If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers is correct.
- The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.
Notably, CSAT is also used to shortlist candidates for Mains Exam under UPSC Forest Services Examination.
Main Examination
Civil Services (Main) Examination will consist of a Written Examination and an Interview/Personality Test. The Written Examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional essay type. Marks obtained for all the compulsory papers (Paper-I to Paper-VII) and Marks obtained in Interview/Personality Test will be counted for ranking.
| Qualifying Papers | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-A | One of the Indian Language selected by the candidate from the Eighth Schedule | 300 |
| Paper-B | English | 300 |
| Papers to be counted for merit | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper-II | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 |
| Paper-III | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 |
| Paper-IV | General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 |
| Paper-V | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper-VI | Optional Subject - Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper-VII | Optional Subject - Paper 2 | 250 |
| Sub Total | Written Test | 1750 |
Candidates may choose any one of the optional subjects from the following list:
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
Interview/Personality Test
Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be summoned for an Interview/Personality Test. The number of candidates to be summoned will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The Interview/Personality Test will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks). It is intended to judge the mental calibre, social traits, and interest in current affairs of the candidate.
| Final Stage | Marks |
|---|---|
| Written Test Sub Total | 1750 |
| Personality Test | 275 |
| Grand Total | 2025 |
Tie Breaking
In cases where the marks in aggregate (Final Marks) are equal, the following principles will be applied to resolve the tie:
- The candidate securing more marks in the Compulsory (Common) Papers of written examination (Paper-I: Essay, Paper-II: GS-I, Paper-III: GS-II, Paper-IV: GS-III, Paper-V: GS-IV) and the Personality Test put together will be ranked higher.
- If the marks at the above stage are also equal, then the candidate securing more marks in the Compulsory (Common) Papers of written examination (Paper-I: Essay, Paper-II: GS-I, Paper-III: GS-II, Paper-IV: GS-III, Paper-V: GS-IV) put together will be ranked higher.
- If the marks at the above two stages are also equal, the candidate Senior in age will be ranked higher.
- In cases where a tie persists even after applying the above principles, it will be resolved at the discretion of the Commission.
Fee Structure :
Applicable application fee is to be paid online. Fee structure is -
- General/OBC/EWS will be required to pay a fee of 100.
- Female / SC/ST / Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates are exempted from payment of fee.
- Notably, Candidates admitted to Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 will be required to pay a further fee of Rs 200 (Except SC/ST/PwBD/Women), within a 10 day window to be provided after declaration of Result of Preliminary Exam.
How to Apply :
Candidates can apply online for UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 through the Online Application Portal by following these steps:
- Complete the One Time Registration (OTR) on the UPSC Online Application Portal to generate your Universal Registration Number (URN).
- Fill the Common Application Form (CAF), which will remain common for all UPSC examinations.
- Proceed to the examination-specific module for Civil Services Examination 2026 and submit the required details.
- Upload the necessary supporting documents such as proof of date of birth, educational qualifications, and other claims as required.
- Upload your photograph and capture your live photo during the CAF submission process.
- Upload your signature by signing three times (one below the other) on plain white paper using black ink, ensuring it is clear and legible.
- Provide details of one valid Photo ID (Aadhaar Card/Voter ID/PAN Card/Passport/Driving Licence or any other State/Central Government issued ID) in the URN profile and carry the same ID for future reference.
- Review all information carefully before final submission, as no withdrawal or correction/modification will be allowed after submission.
- If required, candidates may update or modify their URN profile only once; however, changes will not apply to already submitted applications.
- Submit the online application form before the last date: 24-02-2026 (up to 6:00 PM).
- Candidates are not required to send any printed copy of the application form to UPSC. However, they may keep a copy for future reference.
- For assistance during the application process, candidates can contact the UPSC helpline at 011-24041001 or email ID upscsoap@nic.in (available from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on working days during 04-02-2026 to 24-02-2026).