UPSC Civil Services (Main) 2026 Held 21–30 August — 13,343 Had Qualified From Prelims
UPSC scheduled the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 for 21–23 August and 29–30 August 2026, with the question-paper representation portal open from 31 August to 4 September. 13,343 candidates qualified from the preliminary examination of 24 May. The written result is the next stage.
Key details
- Vacancies
- ≈1,016
- Application fee
- ₹200General, OBC, EWS
- No feeWomen, SC, ST, PwBD
The further fee for admission to the Main examination, paid in the June window by qualified candidates. The preliminary examination fee was ₹100.
Useful links
Checked against www.upsc.gov.in on 12 Oct 2026.
Important dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Examination notice issued | Next upCompleted | |
| Preliminary examination | Next upCompleted | |
| Preliminary result | Next upCompleted | |
| Main examination begins (Essay) | Next upCompleted | |
| Main examination ends (optional papers) | Next upCompleted | |
| Question-paper representation window closes | Next upCompleted |
Eligibility
- Age counted as on
- Age limit
- 21 to 32 years — born not earlier than 2 August 1994 and not later than 1 August 2005.
- Age relaxation
- Up to 5 years for SC/ST and 3 years for OBC, with further relaxations in the notice. Six attempts in all; nine for OBC and for PwBD (General, EWS, OBC); unlimited for SC/ST.
- Qualification
- A graduate degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification.
About this notification
The Union Public Service Commission scheduled the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 over two weekends: Essay on 21 August, General Studies I–IV on 22–23 August, the qualifying Indian-language and English papers on 29 August, and the two optional-subject papers on 30 August 2026. Its press note of 19 August opened the Question Paper Representation Portal from 31 August to 4 September for representations on the Main papers.
The preliminary examination was held on 24 May 2026 and its result declared on 15 June: 13,343 candidates qualified for the Main examination. That press note sets them against 1,016 vacancies notified for CSE 2026; the examination notice of 4 February gave the expected number as approximately 933, including 33 for persons with benchmark disabilities, and said the final number could change. UPSC will publish Prelims marks, cut-offs and answer keys only after the final result.
The written result of the Main examination is the next stage; candidates who qualify are called for the interview/personality test.