UPSC Calendar 2026 is officially released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Aspirants preparing for Civil Services, Indian Forest Service, Engineering Services, and other major UPSC exams can plan their year. UPSC Calendar 2026 includes the notification dates, application deadlines, exam schedules, and duration for each examination. Get the UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF download here!
The Commission released its UPSC annual exam schedule 2026 on its official website. The UPSC Calendar 2026 includes a detailed list of all recruitment tests and examinations conducted by the commission throughout the year. This UPSC 2026 Calendar includes the Civil Services Examination, Indian Forest Service, Engineering Services, CDS, NDA, CAPF, and others. Here is the complete UPSC Calendar 2026:
Sl. No. |
Name of Examination |
Date of Notification |
Last Date for Receipt of Applications |
Date of Commencement of Exam |
Duration of Exam |
1 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
10.01.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
2 |
Reserved for UPSC Examination |
– |
– |
17.01.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
3 |
Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 |
03.09.2025 |
23.09.2025 |
08.02.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
4 |
Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 |
17.09.2025 |
07.10.2025 |
08.02.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
5 |
CBI (DSP) LDCE |
24.12.2025 |
13.01.2026 |
28.02.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
6 |
CISF AC(EXE) LDCE - 2026 |
03.12.2025 |
23.12.2025 |
08.03.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
7 |
N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (I), 2026 |
10.12.2025 |
30.12.2025 |
12.04.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
8 |
C.D.S. Examination (I), 2026 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
9 |
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 |
14.01.2026 |
03.02.2026 |
24.05.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
10 |
Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) via CS(P) Exam, 2026 |
– |
– |
24.05.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
11 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
06.06.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
12 |
I.E.S./I.S.S. Examination, 2026 |
11.02.2026 |
03.03.2026 |
19.06.2026 (Friday) |
3 Days |
13 |
Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination, 2026 |
– |
– |
20.06.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
14 |
Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2026 |
– |
– |
21.06.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
15 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
04.07.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
16 |
Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination, 2026 |
18.02.2026 |
10.03.2026 |
19.07.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
17 |
Combined Medical Services Examination, 2026 |
11.03.2026 |
31.03.2026 |
02.08.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
18 |
Reserved for UPSC Examination |
– |
– |
08.08.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
19 |
Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 |
– |
– |
21.08.2026 (Friday) |
5 Days |
20 |
N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (II), 2026 |
20.05.2026 |
09.06.2026 |
13.09.2026 (Sunday) |
1 Day |
21 |
C.D.S. Examination (II), 2026 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
22 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
26.09.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
23 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
10.10.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
24 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
31.10.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
25 |
Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2026 |
– |
– |
22.11.2026 (Sunday) |
7 Days |
26 |
S.O./Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE |
16.09.2026 |
06.10.2026 |
12.12.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
27 |
Reserved for UPSC RT/ Examination |
– |
– |
19.12.2026 (Saturday) |
2 Days |
The official UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF is now available for download. It contains all essential information such as exam name, notification date, last date to apply, exam commencement date, and exam duration. You can download the UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF from the official UPSC website or from the direct link shared below:
UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF Download Link - Click Here
The UPSC Civil Services Exam 2026 Notification will be released on 14 January 2026. Along with the CSE notification, the notification for the Indian Forest Service (Prelims) will also be released on the same day. The last date to submit the application form for the UPSC CSE 2026 is 3 February 2026. Candidates must apply online within this window to appear for the preliminary examination.
UPSC Exam Dates 2026 for major exams have been announced through the official annual calendar, detailing notification dates, application deadlines, and exam schedules for key recruitment tests like the CSE exam:
The UPSC Prelims 2026 will be held on 24 May 2026 (Sunday). This is a one-day exam consisting of two papers – General Studies Paper I and CSAT (Paper II). Both papers are objective-type (MCQ-based) and serve as a screening test for the Mains examination. UPSC CSE Calendar 2026 gives you around 16 months from now to prepare intensively. Candidates aiming for selection in 2026 should begin their preparation now. Scoring well in the prelims is essential to move ahead in the recruitment process. Also, note that the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Prelims will be held on the same day.
The UPSC Civil Services Mains 2026 will begin from 21 August 2026 (Friday). The exam will be conducted over 5 days, covering all the General Studies papers, Essay, and the Optional Subjects. Mains is a descriptive exam and requires a deep understanding of subjects along with strong answer-writing skills. Since there's a gap of roughly 3 months between Prelims and Mains as per the UPSC IAS Calendar 2026, having a strong base before Prelims is crucial. Your preparation for Mains should ideally start now and run parallel with Prelims study. Candidates clearing Mains examination will be called for the final round, i.e., interview.
By releasing the IAS calendar a year in advance, UPSC provides aspirants with ample time to prepare and plan. Candidates can now mark their exam days, note down the notification release dates, and be well-prepared for the application process.
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