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UPSC Exam Date 2026 includes the Civil Services Mains from 21 to 30 August 2026. Check the complete paper-wise schedule, exam timings, and updates on the upcoming Personality Test and final result.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially set the CSE Prelims 2026 for May 24 and the Mains for August 21, 2026, following the release of the notification on February 4. UPSC Mains Exam Date 2026 has been officially announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). As per the official timetable, the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 will commence on 21 August 2026 and conclude on 30 August 2026, with all papers conducted in two daily sessions. Candidates who qualify for the UPSC Prelims 2026 should review the paper-wise schedule and begin focused preparation for the descriptive examination.
The UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 will be conducted over five examination days across two weekends, beginning on 21 August 2026 and concluding on 30 August 2026. The examination will be held in two sessions each day—Forenoon (9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon) and Afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM). The schedule includes the Essay Paper, General Studies Papers I–IV, qualifying language papers, and Optional Subject Papers I & II. Candidates should follow the official paper-wise timetable to organise their revision and answer-writing practice effectively.
| Date (Day) | Forenoon Session (9:00 A.M. – 12:00 Noon) | Afternoon Session (2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.) |
|---|---|---|
| 21.08.2026 (Friday) | Paper-I – Essay | No Paper |
| 22.08.2026 (Saturday) | Paper-II – General Studies-I | Paper-III – General Studies-II |
| 23.08.2026 (Sunday) | Paper-IV – General Studies-III | Paper-V – General Studies-IV |
| NEXT WEEKEND | ||
| 29.08.2026 (Saturday) | Paper-A – Indian Language (Assamese / Bengali / Bodo / Dogri / Gujarati / Hindi / Kannada / Kashmiri / Konkani / Maithili / Malayalam / Manipuri (Bengali or Meitei Mayek Script) / Marathi / Nepali / Odia / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Santhali (Devanagari or Olchiki Script) / Sindhi (Devanagari or Arabic Script) / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu) | Paper-B – English |
| 30.08.2026 (Sunday) | Paper-VI – Optional Subject Paper-I (Agriculture / Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science / Anthropology / Botany / Chemistry / Civil Engineering / Commerce & Accountancy / Economics / Electrical Engineering / Geography / Geology / History / Law / Management / Mathematics / Mechanical Engineering / Medical Science / Philosophy / Physics / Political Science & 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 / English) | Paper-VII – Optional Subject Paper-II (Same optional subjects and literature subjects as Paper-VI) |
UPSC CSE 2026 Notification released on 4 February 2026 with 933 vacancies. Graduate candidates can apply online at upsc.gov.in. The exam includes Prelims, Mains, and Interview, with Prelims scheduled for 24 May 2026. Final selection is based on Mains and Interview performance
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UPSC CSE 2026 is the national-level exam conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit Group A and Group B services, like Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Revenue Services (IRS), and others.
| UPSC Exam Date 2026 | |
| Events | Dates |
| UPSC CSE Notification Release | 4th February 2026 (Released) |
| UPSC Registration Window | 4th February to 27th February 2026 |
| UPSC Application Form Correction Window | To be announced |
| UPSC Admit Card Release Date | To be announced |
| UPSC Exam Date | May 24, 2026 |
| UPSC Prelims Result | 15 June 2026 |
| UPSC Mains Exam Dates | August 21, 2026 |
| Personality Test | To be announced |
| Final Results | To be announced |
UPSC Exam Date Calendar for 2026 consists of all the important exams and their dates to be conducted by UPSC in 2026. According to the UPSC Exam Calendar 2026, the UPSC Prelims Exam Date is May 24, 2026, and the UPSC Mains Exam Date is August 21, 2026. Candidates can check the official exam calendar by visiting the UPSC official website at upsc.gov.in.
UPSC CSE 2026 Notification released on 4 February 2026 with 933 vacancies. Graduate candidates can apply online at upsc.gov.in. The exam is attended by lakhs of aspirants every year, but only a few hundred clear all three stages successfully each year.
The exam is highly competitive and is conducted to recruit candidates for various posts in the Government of India. UPSC Notification 2026 contain details regarding exam dates, eligibility criteria, exam pattern, syllabus, and application fees. Aspirants can check the table below to know more about the exam:
|
UPSC Exam Date 2026 Notification |
|
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Examination |
| Conducted by | UPSC |
| Vacancies | 933 |
| Exam-Level | National |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Application Fees | INR 100/- (General Male) |
| Stages of Exam | 3 (Prelims, Mains, and Interview) |
| Number of Papers | Prelims – 2 Mains – 9 |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
The UPSC Apply Online 2026 process has started on 4 February 2026 and will remain open till 27 February 2026 on the official website upsconline.nic.in.
UPSC Exam Date 2026 for Prelims is set for May 24, 2026. The UPSC CSE Preliminary Exam consists of two question papers – General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II. Aspirants can check the table below to get information on UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern:
| UPSC Exam Date 2026 Prelims | ||
| Particulars | GS Paper I Details | GS Paper II Details |
| Number of Questions | 100 | 80 |
| Marking Scheme | +2 for each correct answer -0.66 for each incorrect answer |
+2.5 for each correct answer
-0.83 for each incorrect answer |
| Duration | 2 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Maximum Marks | 200 | 200 |
| Cut off | Counted for merit | 33% |
| Syllabus | History, Geography, Economy, Indian Polity, Environment, Science & Tech, Current Affairs | Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, English Comprehension |
Candidates who qualify for the UPSC Prelims Exam will then appear for the UPSC Mains Exam. The UPSC Mains Exam assesses the candidates through subjective questions. It comprises a mix of compulsory, language, and optional papers. The exam consists of 9 papers, of which two language papers are qualifying in nature. The marks obtained by candidates in 7 other papers and the Personality Test are counted to make the final merit list. Aspirants can check the table below for all details related to UPSC Mains Exam:
| UPSC Exam Date 2026 Mains | ||
| Papers | Marks | Nature |
| Paper A – Indian Language | 300 | Qualifying in Nature |
| Paper B – English | 300 | |
| Paper I – Essay | 250 | Counted for Merit |
| Paper II – GS I | 250 | |
| Paper III – GS II | 250 | |
| Paper IV – GS III | 250 | |
| Paper V – GS IV | 250 | |
| Papaer VI – Optional Paper I | 250 | |
| Paper VII – Optional Paper II | 250 | |
| Total | 1750 | |
UPSC CSE is one of the toughest exams in the country to get recruitment to various posts in the Government of India. UPSC Exam Date for Prelims i set for May 24, 2026, and that of UPSC Mains is August 21, 2026. Aspirants need thorough preparation to clear all the three stages of the exam.
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The UPSC Exam Date 2026 for Prelims is May 24, 2026, and for UPSC Mains is August 21, 2026.
The IAS Prelims Exam is scheduled to be conducted on May 24, 2026.
The official notification for UPSC CSE 2026 has been released on 4th February, 2026.
The UPSC date for the application form is scheduled from February 4 to February 27, 2026.
The last date to register for UPSC CSE 2026 is February 27, 2026.
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