UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

About UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and 20+ other Allied Group A & B Central Services. The examination is held in three stages: Prelims (objective, screening), Mains (descriptive, merit) and Personality Test (interview). It is India's most prestigious competitive examination attracting over 10 lakh applicants for ~1,056 vacancies.

📌 Exam Highlights

Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Services Offered	IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, IPoS and 20+ Allied Services
Total Vacancies	1,056 Posts (approx.)
Prelims Exam Date	01 June 2026
Exam Stages	Prelims → Mains → Personality Test
Prelims Paper-I Marks	200 marks (Merit-based)
CSAT Paper-II Marks	200 marks (Qualifying — min 33%)
Application Fee	₹100 \| Free for SC/ST/PwD/Women
Qualification	Bachelor's Degree from any recognized University
Age Limit	21–32 years (General/EWS)
No. of Attempts	6 (General), 9 (OBC), Unlimited (SC/ST) up to age limit
Official Website	upsc.gov.in

📅 Important Dates

UPSC CSE 2026 Notification Released

Feb 2026

Application Start Date

Feb 2026

Last Date to Apply

Mar 2026

Admit Card Download

May 2026

Prelims Exam – GS Paper-1 + CSAT

01 Jun 2026

Prelims Result Declaration

Aug 2026

Mains Examination

Sep–Oct 2026

Mains Result

Jan 2027

Personality Test (Interview)

Feb–May 2027

Final Result

May 2027

✅ Eligibility Criteria

🌐 Nationality

Indian Citizen (Indian National / Citizen of Nepal or Bhutan for certain services)

🎂 Age Limit

21–32 years

🎓 Educational Qualification

Bachelor's Degree from a recognized University or equivalent. Candidates in their final year of graduation are also eligible to apply for Prelims.

Category / Post	Min Age	Max Age
General (UR) / EWS	21 yrs	32 yrs
OBC	21 yrs	35 yrs
SC / ST	21 yrs	37 yrs
PwD (General)	21 yrs	42 yrs
PwD (OBC)	21 yrs	45 yrs
PwD (SC/ST)	21 yrs	47 yrs

ℹ️ Age relaxation: SC/ST +5 years (max 37), OBC +3 years (max 35), PwD +10 years. Ex-servicemen: 3 years after deducting military service from actual age.

📊 Exam Pattern

Stage/Tier	Mode	Subjects	Qs	Marks	Duration	Negative
Prelims – GS Paper-1	OMR / Offline	History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science & Technology, Current Affairs	100	200	2 hrs	-0.66
Prelims – CSAT Paper-2	OMR / Offline	Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Maths	80	200	2 hrs	-0.83
Mains – GS Papers I–IV	Descriptive (Written)	Indian Heritage, Governance, International Relations, Ethics & Integrity	Essay Based	1000	3 hrs each	None
Mains – Optional Paper I & II	Descriptive (Written)	Any one optional subject from 25 available subjects	Essay Based	500	3 hrs each	None
Personality Test	Interview Panel	Personality, Leadership, Current Affairs, Decision Making, GK	—	275	~30 min	None

👥 Vacancy Details

Post Name	Vacancies	Pay Scale
Indian Administrative Service (IAS)	~180	Pay Level 10–18 (₹56,100–₹2,50,000)
Indian Police Service (IPS)	~200	Pay Level 10–18
Indian Foreign Service (IFS)	~30	Pay Level 10–18
Indian Revenue Service – IT (IRS)	~200	Pay Level 10–18
Indian Postal Service (IPoS)	~50	Pay Level 10–18
Other Central Group A & B Services	~396	Pay Level 8–18

🔄 Selection Process

Prelims (Stage 1): GS Paper-1 (merit) + CSAT Paper-2 (qualifying 33%). Top ~12,000 shortlisted for Mains.

Mains (Stage 2): 9 papers over 5 days. 7 papers counted in merit (Essay + 4 GS + 2 Optional) = 1750 marks.

Personality Test (Stage 3): 275 marks. Conducted at UPSC Bhavan, New Delhi by a board.

Final Merit: Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks. Service allotment based on rank and preference.

📝 How to Apply

💳 Application Fee: ₹100 (UR/OBC) | Free (SC/ST/PwD/Female)

Visit the UPSC online portal at upsconline.gov.in

Click on 'Online Application for Various Examinations of UPSC'

Find 'Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026' and click Part-I Registration

Complete Part-I: Enter personal details, select exam centre, upload photo and signature

Complete Part-II: Pay application fee ₹100 via SBI Challan / Net Banking / Debit / Credit card

Review all details carefully before final submission

Download and print the confirmation page; keep it for reference and admit card download

Apply Online at upsc.gov.in →

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

General/EWS candidates: 6 attempts. OBC candidates: 9 attempts. SC/ST candidates: Unlimited attempts up to age 37. PwD (General): up to age 42.

Yes. Candidates in the final year of graduation can appear for UPSC Prelims 2026. Proof of graduation must be submitted before the Mains examination.

Candidates must score minimum 33% (66 out of 200) in CSAT Paper-2. CSAT marks are NOT counted in the Prelims merit list — they are purely qualifying.

IAS officers start at Pay Level 10 (₹56,100 basic pay). With HRA, DA and allowances, gross in-hand is approximately ₹85,000–₹1,20,000/month as a new IAS officer.

Approximately 12–15 times the total vacancies qualify from Prelims to Mains. For ~1,056 vacancies, about 12,000–15,000 candidates are shortlisted for Mains.