UPSC Civil Services Examination Notification 2026
UPSC 2026 | Civil Services Examination (CSE)
IMPORTANT DATES UPSC 2026
| Event | Date |
| Notification Release | February 2026 |
| Online Application Start Date | February 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 24 February 2026 (6:00 PM) |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 24 February 2026 (6:00 PM) |
| Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination | 24 May 2026 |
| Prelims Result Declaration | June / July 2026 |
| Mandatory Login After Prelims Result | Within 10 days of result |
| Civil Services (Main) Examination | 21 August 2026(5days) |
| Mains Written Result | December 2026 |
| Mandatory Login After Mains Result | Within 15 days of result |
| Personality Test (Interview) | January–April 2027 |
| Final Result Declaration | April / May 2027 |
FOUR STAGES IN ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM (FROM 2026)
UPSC has redesigned its online application system into four distinct stages.
Out of these, three stages are common for all UPSC examinations, and one stage is examination-specific.
This replaces the earlier single-form application structure
Step 1: Account Creation
- Candidates must first create an account on the UPSC portal:
https://upsconline.nic.in - Registration is done using:
- Valid email ID
- Active mobile number
- All future communication from UPSC will be sent through this registered contact.
New Change
- One permanent account will be used for all UPSC examinations, instead of repeated registrations.
Step 2: Universal Registration Number (URN)
- After account creation, a Universal Registration Number (URN) is generated.
- URN is:
- Unique
- Permanent
- Valid for lifetime
- URN will be required for every UPSC examination in the future.
Details stored under URN
- Name and date of birth
- Identity details
- Contact and address information
- Photo identity proof
- Aadhaar is recommended (not mandatory)
Key Change
- URN is created only once.
- No need to re-register personal details for every exam.
Step 3: Common Application Form (CAF)
- CAF contains general information common to all UPSC exams.
- It needs to be filled only once.
Information covered in CAF
- Personal details
- Educational qualifications
- Identity proof
- Address details
- Category information (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD)
Major Change
- CAF does not need to be filled repeatedly for each examination.
- Once completed, it can be reused across exams.
Step 4: Examination-Specific Module
- This module is different for each examination.
- Candidates must fill this part every time they apply for an exam.
Details included
- Selection of examination centre
- Payment of application fee
- Service preferences (for CSE)
- Optional subject selection
- Medium of examination
New Restrictions on Applying for the Civil Services Examination
1. Candidates Already Appointed to IAS or IFS
Candidates who have already been appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) through an earlier Civil Services Examination and who continue to serve in that service are not allowed to apply for the Civil Services Examination 2025.
- If a candidate joins IAS or IFS before the start of CSE-2025, he or she is not eligible to appear in the examination at any stage.
- If a candidate is appointed to IAS or IFS after the Preliminary Examination 2025 is over, but before the Main Examination is conducted, the candidate will not be permitted to appear in the Main Examination, even if the Preliminary Examination has been cleared.
- If a candidate is appointed to IAS or IFS after the Main Examination has started, but before the final results are declared, the candidate’s performance in CSE-2025 will not be considered for appointment to any service or post.
In simple terms, once a candidate becomes a member of IAS or IFS, he or she cannot continue or re-enter the Civil Services Examination process.
2. Candidates Already Selected or Appointed to IPS
Candidates who have already been selected or appointed to the Indian Police Service (IPS) through the result of an earlier Civil Services Examination are subject to a specific restriction.
- Such candidates are allowed to appear in the Civil Services Examination 2025.
- However, they are not eligible to opt for or be allotted IPS again, even if their rank would normally make them eligible.
- These candidates can only be considered for other civil services, depending on their rank and preferences.
IMPORTANTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES OF NOTIFICATION
1. CANDIDATES TO ENSURE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE EXAMINATION:
All candidates 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 http://upsconline.gov.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 Profile (Registration) 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.
2.1 Modification in OTR Profile (Registration):
In case, the candidate wants to effect any change in his/her OTR Profile (Registration) profile, it shall be allowed only once in the lifetime after the registration at OTR platform. The change in OTR profile (Registration) data shall be available till expiry of 7 days from the next day after the closure of application window of his/her first final application for any Examination of the Commission. In the case, the candidate after registration applies for the first time in this examination, the last date of modification of OTR Profile (Registration) would be 18.02.2025.
2.2 Modification in application form (Other than OTR Profile):
The Commission has also decided to extend the facility of making correction(s) in any field(s) of the finally submitted Online Application Form for this examination from next day of the closure of the application window of this Examination. This window will remain open for 7 days from the date of opening of the same, i.e., from 12.02.2025 to 18.02.2025. In case a candidate wants to carry out any change in his/her OTR Profile (Registration) during this period, then he/she should login to the OTR platform and do the needful accordingly. In other words, no change in the OTR Profile (Registration) can be made by visiting the window for Modification in application form.
2.3 The candidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications after the submission of the same.
2.4 Candidate should have details of one Photo ID Card viz. Aadhaar Card/Voter Card (EPIC)/PAN Card/Passport/Driving Licence/Any other Photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government. The details of this Photo ID Card will have to be provided by the candidate while filling up the Online Application Form. This Photo ID Card will be used for all future reference and the candidate is advised to carry this Photo ID Card while appearing for Examination/Personality Test.
3. LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS:
The Online Applications can be filled upto 11th February, 2025 till 6:00 PM. The eligible candidates shall be issued an e-Admit Card on the last working day of the preceding week of the date of examination. The e-Admit Card will be made available in the UPSC website [https://upsconline.gov.in] for downloading by the 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 has introduced a time frame of 7 days (a week) i.e. from the next day of the Examination Date to 6.00 p.m. of the 7th day is fixed for the candidates to make representations to the Commission on the questions asked in the Papers of the Examination. Such representation must be submitted through the “Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)” only by accessing the URL https://upsconline.gov.in/miscellaneous/QPRep/. 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 7 days is over.
6. FACILITATION COUNTER FOR HELPLINE FOR GUIDANCE OF CANDIDATES:
In case of any guidance/information/clarification regarding their applications, candidature etc. candidates can contact UPSC’s Facilitation Counter near gate ‘C’ of its campus in person or over Telephone No. 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543 on working days between 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs.
7. MOBILE PHONES BANNED:
(b) Candidates are advised in their own interest not to bring any of the banned items including mobile phones/pagers to the venue of the examination, as no arrangement for safe-keeping will be made at the venue of the examination.
8. Candidates are advised not to bring any valuable/costly items to the venue of the examination, as no arrangement for safe-keeping will be made at the venue of the examination. Commission will not be responsible for any loss in this regard.
(a) The photograph, uploaded by candidate should not be more than 10 days old from the start of the online application process (i.e. the application commencement date).
(b) Ensure that the name of candidate and the date on which the photograph was taken are clearly mentioned on the photograph.
(c) The candidate’s face should occupy 3/4th of the space in the photograph.
(d) The candidates must ensure that their appearance must match with their photograph at each stage of the Examination Process i.e. at the time of Preliminary, Main (Written) and Interview/Personality Test. For instance, If a candidate uploads a bearded photograph, he must appear with the same look in the Preliminary, Main (Written) and Interview/Personality Test. Same would be the case with spectacles, moustaches, etc.
NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS
Number of attempts | Category to which the Candidate Belongs | ||
SC /ST | OBC | PwBD | |
Unlimited | 09 | 09 for GL/EWS/OBC Unlimited for SC/ST | |
