UPSC Mains 2026 vs 2025: Qualified Candidates, Vacancies and Selection Ratio

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually to recruit candidates for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other central services.

The UPSC Civil Services Mains 2026 written result was declared on November 5, 2026. A total of 2,526 candidates qualified for the Personality Test against 933 tentative vacancies.

Comparing UPSC Mains 2026 vs 2025 provides a clearer picture of changes in the number of shortlisted candidates, available vacancies and the interview-stage selection ratio. In 2025, 2,736 candidates qualified for the Personality Test against 1,087 vacancies.

UPSC Mains 2026 vs 2025: Key Statistics

The following table compares the major recruitment figures for both examination cycles.

Note: The 2025 figure of 14,161 represents candidates who qualified to appear for the Written Mains examination, while the 2026 figure of 13,343 represents candidates reported to have appeared for Mains. These are not strictly identical metrics.

The comparison shows that the number of candidates shortlisted for the Personality Test decreased by 210 in 2026. Vacancies also declined by 154 compared with the previous examination cycle.

UPSC Mains 2026: How Many Candidates Qualified?

UPSC shortlisted 2,526 candidates in the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 for the Personality Test.

The written examination was conducted from August 21 to August 30, 2026. Candidates who cleared this stage will proceed to the interview round, which is the final stage of the Civil Services Examination.

The result is available in both name-wise and roll-number-wise PDF formats.

Candidates can also check the detailed UPSC Mains Result 2026 to access the result PDFs, important dates and further selection instructions.

For a detailed breakdown of the latest result, candidates can refer to the UPSC Mains 2026 Result Analysis.

UPSC Vacancy Comparison: 2025 vs 2026

The total number of vacancies notified for the Civil Services Examination has decreased in 2026.

• UPSC CSE 2025: 1,087 vacancies.

• UPSC CSE 2026: 933 tentative vacancies.

This represents a reduction of 154 vacancies, approximately 14.17% compared with the previous year.

The major service-wise vacancy figures available for comparison are:

The overall vacancy figures are based on the respective examination notifications. Candidates should refer to the official UPSC notifications for the complete service-wise allocation and any subsequent revisions.

UPSC Mains 2026 vs 2025: Qualifier-to-Vacancy Ratio

The qualifier-to-vacancy ratio indicates how many candidates have been shortlisted for the Personality Test against each notified vacancy.

It can be calculated using the following formula:

Qualifier-to-Vacancy Ratio = Candidates Qualified for Interview ÷ Total Vacancies

Based on the available figures:

UPSC CSE 2026

• Candidates shortlisted: 2,526

• Total vacancies: 933

• Ratio: 2,526 ÷ 933 = approximately 2.71

UPSC CSE 2025

• Candidates shortlisted: 2,736

• Total vacancies: 1,087

• Ratio: 2,736 ÷ 1,087 = approximately 2.52

Therefore, the interview shortlist ratio increased from approximately 2.52 candidates per vacancy in 2025 to 2.71 in 2026.

This does not represent the final selection probability. It only compares the number of candidates shortlisted for the Personality Test with the notified vacancies. Final appointments depend on interview performance, merit, category-wise vacancies and other applicable rules.

What Does the UPSC Mains 2026 vs 2025 Comparison Indicate?

The comparison highlights three important trends:

1. Fewer candidates shortlisted: The number of candidates qualifying for the Personality Test decreased from 2,736 in 2025 to 2,526 in 2026.

2. Reduction in vacancies: The total notified vacancies decreased from 1,087 to 933, representing a decline of approximately 14.17%.

3. Higher shortlist ratio per vacancy: Despite fewer shortlisted candidates, the ratio increased from 2.52 to 2.71 candidates per vacancy because the vacancy count declined at a faster rate.

These figures provide a useful overview of the competition at the interview stage. However, they should not be interpreted as a prediction of the final cutoff or an individual candidate's selection chances.

UPSC Mains 2026: Important Updates for Qualified Candidates

Candidates shortlisted for the Personality Test should keep track of the following post-result requirements:

• DAF submission: The online application update window will remain open from November 11 to November 25, 2026, until 6:00 PM.

• Document verification: Candidates must keep their educational, category and other applicable certificates ready.

• Reservation certificates: Candidates claiming reservation benefits should check the applicable UPSC Reservation Certificate Cut-off Date 2026.

• Interview schedule: UPSC will announce the Personality Test dates separately.

Candidates should also note that the Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is a separate examination from the Civil Services Examination. Those preparing for the forest service examination can check the IFoS Mains Time Table 2026 for its separate examination schedule.