UPSC Exam Date 2026 & 2027 — CSE Prelims, Mains, Interview Timeline

UPSC CSE 2026 — Confirmed Dates

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year in three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview). Below is the verified UPSC CSE 2026 calendar as published on the official portal upsconline.nic.in and the UPSC Annual Calendar at upsc.gov.in.

Prelims 2026 paper structure (24 May):

• Paper I — General Studies: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM (100 questions, 200 marks, 1/3 negative marking)
• Paper II — CSAT (Aptitude): 02:30 PM – 04:30 PM (80 questions, 200 marks, qualifying at 33%)

Gate closing time is 09:00 AM for Paper I and 02:00 PM for Paper II. Late entry is not permitted. Both papers are mandatory on the same day — Prelims is single-day, not multi-shift.

UPSC CSE 2027 — Expected Calendar

UPSC publishes its Annual Calendar a year in advance. Based on the 2024-2026 pattern (notification in Feb, Prelims on the last Sunday of May, Mains in late August), here is the expected 2027 timeline. Verify against the official Annual Calendar PDF on upsc.gov.in when it is released in late 2026.

Stage-by-Stage Timeline (2026 cycle)

Event	Date (2026)	Source
Official Notification (CSE 2026)	22 January 2026	upsc.gov.in
Online Application Opens	22 January 2026	upsconline.nic.in
Online Application Closes	11 February 2026	upsconline.nic.in
Application Correction Window	12–18 February 2026	upsconline.nic.in
Prelims Admit Card	15 May 2026 evening	upsconline.nic.in
CSE Prelims (GS Paper I + CSAT)	Sunday, 24 May 2026	upsc.gov.in Annual Calendar
Prelims Answer Key (Provisional)	Within 7 days post-exam	upsc.gov.in
Prelims Result	Expected late June 2026	upsc.gov.in
DAF-I (Detailed Application Form for Mains)	Within 7-10 days of Prelims result	upsconline.nic.in
CSE Mains Examination (9 papers)	22–31 August 2026 (5 exam days)	upsc.gov.in Annual Calendar
Mains Result	Expected December 2026 / January 2027	upsc.gov.in
DAF-II + Personality Test (Interview)	January – April 2027	upsc.gov.in
Final Result & Cadre Allocation	April – May 2027	upsc.gov.in

Application Process — Step by Step

Every CSE aspirant must complete a two-stage online application: a One-Time Registration (OTR) on the UPSC OTR portal, followed by the CSE-specific application on upsconline.nic.in. Below is the verified flow.

Step 1: One-Time Registration (OTR)

Visit upsconline.nic.in and complete the OTR. UPSC introduced OTR in 2024 so candidates do not have to re-enter personal and educational details for every commission examination. You will need a valid email, mobile number, and a recent photograph + signature.

Step 2: Fill the CSE Application Form (Part I & Part II)

• Part I — Personal & Educational Details: Auto-filled from your OTR. Name (exactly as on Class 10/12 marksheet), date of birth, category, PwBD status, educational qualifications. Pay the Part I fee.
• Part II — CSE-Specific Choices: Choose your Prelims exam centre, Mains exam centre, medium of examination, optional subject (for Mains), and whether you claim any reservation or PwBD relaxation. Upload photo and signature.

Step 3: Upload Documents

• Recent passport-size photograph (20-300 KB, JPG/JPEG)
• Scanned signature (20-300 KB, JPG/JPEG)
• Photo identity proof (Aadhaar / Passport / Voter ID / Driving Licence)
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) if claiming relaxation
• PwBD certificate (if applicable)

Step 4: Pay the Application Fee

Category	Fee (CSE 2026)
General / OBC / EWS (Male)	Rs. 100
Female / SC / ST / PwBD	Rs. 0 (fee exemption)

Payment via SBI net banking, debit card, credit card, UPI or SBI bank challan. The same fee structure has been stable for several cycles.

Step 5: Submit & Download Confirmation

After successful submission, download and save the application confirmation page. UPSC does not send a physical confirmation. The admit card for Prelims is released roughly 10 days before the exam on upsconline.nic.in.

Admit Card Details

The UPSC e-Admit Card for CSE Prelims 2026 was released on the evening of 15 May 2026 (T-9 from exam) on upsconline.nic.in and mirrored on upsc.gov.in. Mains admit cards follow a similar T-10 release pattern. Key points:

• Download and print the e-Admit Card on A4 paper. A clear monochrome printout is sufficient.
• Verify all details: Name (matches photo ID), photograph, exam centre address, date, paper timings, roll number. Email the UPSC helpdesk immediately if any detail is incorrect — do not wait for the centre.
• Carry to centre: The admit card is mandatory. Carry the printout along with the photo identity proof you used in the application (Aadhaar / Passport / Voter ID / Driving Licence). Without both, entry is denied.
• Visit the centre a day before if possible. Prelims uses thousands of centres across India; finding yours on exam day under traffic stress is avoidable.
• Paper timing: Both Prelims papers (GS I & CSAT) are on the same Sunday. There is no "shift" system — you sit for both papers in the same centre on the same day with a one-hour gap.

Exam Day SOP — Prelims, Mains, Interview

Prelims (1 day, 2 papers)

Paper	Reporting	Gate Closing	Exam Window	Marks
GS Paper I	08:30 AM	09:00 AM	09:30 AM – 11:30 AM	200 (merit-deciding)
CSAT (Paper II)	01:30 PM	02:00 PM	02:30 PM – 04:30 PM	200 (qualifying, 33%)

Mains (5 days, 9 papers)

Mains is a descriptive (written) examination conducted over 5 consecutive days, with two papers per day. The nine papers are: Paper A (Indian language — qualifying), Paper B (English — qualifying), Essay, GS I, GS II, GS III, GS IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude), Optional Paper I, Optional Paper II. Optional Paper I and II are based on the optional subject you chose during application. Each paper is 3 hours.

Interview (Personality Test)

Held at UPSC Bhawan, Dholpur House, New Delhi. Conducted by a Board chaired by a UPSC Member. Worth 275 marks. Schedule is communicated individually after Mains result.

What to Bring

• Printed e-Admit Card (mandatory)
• Valid photo ID (the same one declared in your application)
• Black ballpoint pen (Prelims OMR + Mains descriptive)
• Transparent water bottle (1 litre)
• Simple analog wristwatch (digital watches with calculators or memory not allowed)

What NOT to Bring

• Mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, fitness bands
• Calculators of any kind (not permitted even in Mains)
• Books, notes, printed material, study aids
• Bags, wallets, purses (most centres provide a deposit room but at your own risk)

Result Declaration, Cut-off & Final Selection

How UPSC Declares Results

UPSC publishes results as raw marks, not percentile scores. There is no normalization across shifts because each stage of CSE is single-shift. The Prelims result is a list of roll numbers who qualify for Mains; the Mains result is a similar qualifying list for Interview; the Final Result publishes ranks, marks (Mains + Interview), and service allocations.

Cut-off Pattern

• Prelims (GS Paper I): Recent cycles have seen cut-offs around 75–100 marks out of 200 for General category, with category-wise relaxations. CSAT (Paper II) is qualifying at 33%.
• Mains + Interview: Final selection is based on aggregate marks out of 2025 (Mains 1750 + Interview 275). General category final cut-offs typically range between 950–1000.
• Cut-offs are released several months after the final result for each cycle on upsc.gov.in.

Service Allocation

Final selected candidates are allotted services (IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, IAAS, IRTS, IDAS and other Group A & B services) based on rank, category, and the preferences they submit in DAF-II. Cadre allocation follows the All India ranking and the DoPT cadre allocation policy.

Frequently Asked Questions