UPSC Exam Calendar 2026 Out, Download UPSC Prelims Schedule PDF here

UPSC Calendar 2026: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the official UPSC Exam Calendar 2026 on 15 May 2025, outlining the complete examination schedule and notification dates for the 2026 exam cycle. The annual UPSC calendar also provides key dates related to notifications, registrations, and examinations for major recruitment exams such as CSE (IAS), IES, Combined Geo-Scientist, CDS, NDA, Engineering Services, and others.

According to the UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF, the UPSC CSE 2026 notification will be issued on 14 January 2026. The Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 is scheduled for 24 May 2026 (Sunday), while the Mains examination will begin on 21 August 2026 onwards. 

UPSC Calendar 2026 Out

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:

UPSC Exam Date 2026

The UPSC Exam Dates 2026 for major examinations have been officially announced through the UPSC Annual Calendar 2026. The calendar outlines important details such as notification release dates, application timelines, and examination schedules for key recruitment exams, including the Civil Services Examination (CSE). Here is the UPSC CSE 2026 Exam Date given below:

UPSC Prelims Exam Date 2026

UPSC Prelims 2026 date was announced through UPSC 2026 Calender. The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 will be conducted on 24 May 2026 (Sunday). It is a one-day screening examination comprising two objective-type papers—General Studies Paper I and CSAT (Paper II). The Prelims stage is qualifying in nature and is meant to shortlist candidates for the Mains examination. As per the UPSC Calendar 2026, aspirants now have sufficient time to prepare strategically. It is important to note that the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Prelims 2026 will also be held on the same day.

UPSC Mains Exam Date 2026

The UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination 2026 will commence on 21 August 2026 (Friday) and will be conducted over five days. This stage includes Essay, General Studies papers, and Optional subject papers, all of which are descriptive in nature. Since there is a gap of nearly three months between Prelims and Mains, candidates are advised to begin Mains-oriented preparation alongside their Prelims studies. Candidates who qualify the Mains examination will be called for the Personality Test (Interview).

UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF

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 2026 Calendar PDF from the official UPSC website or from the direct link shared below:

UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF Download Link - Click Here

UPSC Notification 2026 Released Date

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.

Steps to Download UPSC Calendar 2026 PDF?

• Go to the official UPSC website – https://www.upsc.gov.in/
• Look for the “Calendar” on the homepage under the “Examination” tab.
• Click on the “Calendar” tab to access the relevant section.
• There you will find the PDF links to the annual calendar for the last three years.
• Click on the “UPSC Annual Calendar 2026” link to download the PDF.

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