UPSC Exam Calendar 2026: The UPSC Calendar 2026 was made public on May 15, 2025, informing applicants of the dates of numerous notifications, application deadlines, and the approximate dates of their exams. In contrast to previous years, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has made the yearly schedule for the next year available far in advance of the dates in order to assist UPSC candidates in starting their preparations appropriately.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) offers a number of UPSC exams, including CSE, IFS, NDA, CDS, CISF AC (EXE), LDCE, Engineering Services, and others. Candidates who want to take these exams should bookmark this UPSC Exam Calendar so they may organise their study appropriately.
UPSC Calendar 2026 Out
With its yearly calendar, UPSC announces the dates of its several national-level exams. The UPSC CSE & IFS Notification 2025 will be released on January 14, 2026, and the preliminary test will take place on May 24, 2026.
The written test will be held on April 12, 2026, while the notifications for NDA 1 and CDS 1 will be made public on December 10, 2025. Refer to the UPSC Calendar 2026, which is attached, for further notice and exam dates.
UPSC Calendar 2026: Click Here to Download PDF
UPSC Exam Calendar 2026: Notification & Registration Dates
The table below outlines the notification release dates and corresponding registration periods for major UPSC examinations in 2026:
| Exam Name | Notification Release Date | Registration Period |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 3rd September 2025 | 3rd to 29th September 2025 |
| Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 17th September 2025 | 17th September to 7th October 2025 |
| CISF AC(EXE) LDCE–2026 | 3rd December 2025 | 3rd to 23rd December 2025 |
| N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (I), 2026 | 30th December 2025 | 30th December to 20th January 2026 |
| C.D.S. Examination (I), 2026 | 30th December 2025 | 30th December to 20th January 2026 |
| Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 14th January 2026 | 14th January to 3rd February 2026 |
| Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 14th January 2026 | 14th January to 3rd February 2026 |
| I.E.S./I.S.S. Examination, 2026 | 11th February 2026 | 11th February to 3rd March 2026 |
| Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination, 2026 | 18th February 2026 | 18th February to 10th March 2026 |
| Combined Medical Services Examination, 2026 | 18th March 2026 | 18th March to 7th April 2026 |
| N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (II), 2026 | 20th May 2026 | 20th May to 9th June 2026 |
| C.D.S. Examination (II), 2026 | 20th May 2026 | 20th May to 9th June 2026 |
| S.O./Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE | 16th September 2026 | 16th September to 6th October 2026 |
UPSC Annual Calendar 2026: Exam Dates
Below is the schedule of examination dates as per the UPSC Annual Calendar for 2026:
| S.No. | Exam Name | Exam Date & Day | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 10th January 2026 (Saturday) | 2 Days |
| 2 | Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 18th January 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 3 | Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 8th February 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 4 | CBI (DSP) LDCE | 24th January 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 5 | CISF AC(EXE) LDCE–2026 | 1st March 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 6 | N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (I), 2026 | 12th April 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 7 | C.D.S. Examination (I), 2026 | 12th April 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 8 | Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 24th May 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 9 | Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 | 24th May 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 10 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 6th June 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 11 | I.E.S./I.S.S. Examination, 2026 | 26th June 2026 (Friday) | 3 Days |
| 12 | Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination, 2026 | 20th June 2026 (Saturday) | 2 Days |
| 13 | Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2026 | 28th June 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 14 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 4th July 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 15 | Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination, 2026 | 9th August 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 16 | Combined Medical Services Examination, 2026 | 23rd August 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 17 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 5th September 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 18 | Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2026 | 18th September 2026 (Friday) | 5 Days |
| 19 | N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (II), 2026 | 6th September 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 20 | C.D.S. Examination (II), 2026 | 6th September 2026 (Sunday) | 1 Day |
| 21 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 26th September 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 22 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 3rd October 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 23 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 10th October 2026 (Saturday) | 1 Day |
| 24 | Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2026 | 21st November 2026 (Saturday) | 10 Days |
| 25 | S.O./Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE | 12th December 2026 (Saturday) | 2 Days |
| 26 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 19th December 2026 (Saturday) | 2 Days |
| 27 | Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination | 26th December 2026 (Saturday) | 2 Days |
Major UPSC Exams in 2026: Key Dates
Civil Services Examination (CSE) & Indian Forest Service (IFS)
- Notification Release Date: 14th January 2026
- Application Period: 14th January to 3rd February 2026
- Preliminary Exam Date: 24th May 2026 (Sunday)
- Main Exam Date: 21st August 2026 (Friday)
National Defence Academy (NDA) & Naval Academy (NA)
- NDA & NA Examination (I)
- Notification Release Date: 30th December 2025
- Application Period: 30th December 2025 to 20th January 2026
- Exam Date: 12th April 2026 (Sunday)
- NDA & NA Examination (II)
- Notification Release Date: 20th May 2026
- Application Period: 20th May to 9th June 2026
- Exam Date: 13th September 2026 (Sunday)Jobrasta
Combined Defence Services (CDS)
- CDS Examination (I)
- Notification Release Date: 30th December 2025
- Application Period: 30th December 2025 to 20th January 2026
- Exam Date: 12th April 2026 (Sunday)
- CDS Examination (II)
- Notification Release Date: 20th May 2026
- Application Period: 20th May to 9th June 2026
- Exam Date: 13th September 2026 (Sunday)
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
- Notification Release Date: 18th February 2026
- Application Period: 18th February to 10th March 2026
- Exam Date: 19th July 2026 (Sunday)
Steps to Download UPSC Annual Calendar 2026
Officially, the UPSC Exams 2026 yearly calendar is now available at www.upsc.gov.in. You may get the UPSC Annual Calendar 2026 pdf page by following the instructions below.
- Go to www.upsc.gov.in, the UPSC’s official website.
- Click “Calendar” under the “Recruitment” section.
- You need to look up “Annual Calendar 2026” on the new page that appears.
- The UPSC Exam Calendar 2026 pdf opens on the screen when you click on it.
- Download the test you want to study for, then look for it.