State PSC & Services | UPPSC

UPPSC PCS 2026 cycle

A graduate-level Uttar Pradesh state civil services exam by the UPPSC for posts such as Deputy Collector and Deputy SP, decided by a preliminary test, a descriptive main examination and an interview.

Exam scheduled3 stages1 free mock test

Overview

Conducting body: UPPSCuppsc.up.nic.in
Age limit: 21 to 40 years
Application fee: ₹25 to ₹125
Vacancies: To be announced
First stage duration: 4 hr
Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer

Uttar Pradesh Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Examination is conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission. Selection runs through 3 stages: Preliminary Examination (screening), Main Examination (written, descriptive), Interview / Personality Test.

Clear the objective Preliminary Examination, which screens candidates for the Mains.
Sit the descriptive Main Examination, whose marks count toward the final merit.
Qualify the Mains to be called for the interview / personality test.
Final selection follows the combined Mains and interview merit, service and category-wise.

Important dates

Important dates
Event	Date	Status
Notification UPPSC released the advertisement for the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) 2026 examination on uppsc.up.nic.in.	27 Jul 2026	Closed
Online application window Applications opened with the July 2026 notification and ran for a few weeks with a fee and correction window. The last date is stated in the advertisement.	To be announced	Not announced
Preliminary Examination The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 6 December 2026 (Sunday), in two sessions — General Studies Paper I and Paper II (CSAT).	6 Dec 2026	72 days left
Main Examination The descriptive Main Examination is held a few months after the Prelims result, for candidates who clear the screening. Dates are announced by the Commission.	To be announced	Not announced
Interview / Personality Test Candidates who qualify the Mains are called for the interview; the final merit combines the Mains and interview marks.	To be announced	Not announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

Open toGraduate

A Bachelor's degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification, in any discipline. A few services carry a specific degree or professional requirement as stated in the advertisement.

The general-category age band is 21 to 40 years as on 1 July of the examination year, with relaxation for reserved categories and persons with disability as per Uttar Pradesh rules. Some services carry physical standards (for example the police service).

Age

21 to 40 years as on 1 July of the examination year, as stated in the advertisement.

Upper age relaxation

SC, ST and OBC (Uttar Pradesh)+5 years
Persons with Benchmark Disability+15 years

Nationality

A candidate must be one of the following:

A citizen of India
Others as permitted under the service rules

Application fee

Category	Fee
General, OBC and EWS Examination fee of about Rs 100 plus online processing of about Rs 25. Confirm from the advertisement.	₹125
SC and ST Reduced fee for SC and ST candidates of Uttar Pradesh, plus online processing.	₹65
Persons with Benchmark Disability Concessional fee as per the advertisement.	₹25

Fees have been stable across recent cycles but are the kind of detail a notification can revise. Confirm on the official notification before paying.

Exam pattern

Stage by stage structure with question counts, marks, timing and the marking scheme.

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (screening)

Pen and paper

Section	Questions	Marks
General Studies Paper I	150	200
General Studies Paper II (CSAT)	100	200
Total	250	400

Duration: 4 hr|Negative marking: 0.33 mark per wrong answer

Two objective papers of 2 hours each, held the same day in separate sessions.
Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying at 33 per cent; Paper I decides the screening merit.
Prelims marks are used only to shortlist for the Mains and do not count toward the final merit.

Stage 2: Main Examination (written, descriptive)

Descriptive, typed

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

A descriptive written examination with compulsory papers (General Hindi and Essay) and General Studies papers.
Marks from the Mains carry into the final merit.
Refer to the advertisement for the current paper scheme, as the Commission periodically revises it.

Stage 3: Interview / Personality Test

Interview

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

A personality test before the Commission's board.
The final merit combines the Main Examination and interview marks.

Syllabus

Every subject in the paper, topic by topic. Open a subject for its weightage in this exam, the full topic list and the mock tests, practice sets and notes that cover it.

General Awareness

History of India and the Indian national movement
Indian and world geography, and geography of Uttar Pradesh
Indian polity, governance and the Constitution
Economic and social development
General science, environment and ecology
Current events of national and international importance
Uttar Pradesh specific general knowledge

General Awareness guide & weightage →

Reasoning Ability

Comprehension and interpersonal and communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision making and problem solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy and data interpretation (Class 10 level)

Reasoning Ability guide & weightage →

How to apply

Register on uppsc.up.nic.in (OTR)
Complete the UPPSC One Time Registration and create your profile with personal and educational details.
Fill the application form
Apply for the PCS examination, choose your service preferences later as required, and upload the photograph and signature to specification.
Pay the fee and submit
Pay the fee online within the last date, submit the form and save the printout for reference.

Documents to keep ready

Class 10 and Class 12 certificates for date of birth and qualification
Bachelor's degree certificate and mark-sheets
Uttar Pradesh domicile certificate where required for reservation
Category certificate (SC, ST, OBC, EWS) where applicable
Recent passport-size photograph and signature matching the uploads

Salary and job profile

Pay and allowances

Pay scale:: 7th CPC Pay Level 8 and above (about Rs 47,600 to Rs 1,51,100 basic) for posts such as Deputy Collector and Deputy SP; the level varies by service
Initial basic pay:: To be announced
Approximate in-hand:: To be announced

Allowances

Dearness Allowance revised periodically
House Rent Allowance
Travel and other allowances as applicable

Perks

Official accommodation and vehicle for many field posts, as per rules
Pension and medical benefits as applicable
A structured administrative career with promotions over time

The pay level depends on the service allotted; senior entry posts such as Deputy Collector and Deputy SP start at Pay Level 8. Confirm from the advertisement.

What the job involves

Administrative and executive roles in the Uttar Pradesh government: revenue, development, regulation and public administration.
Field postings such as Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Block Development Officer and Treasury Officer, by service.
Policy implementation, public grievance redressal and coordination across departments.

Free mock tests

Written to this exam's pattern, with the same interface, sectional locking and marking scheme you will face on exam day.

UPPSC PCS: 18-question practice mock
18 questions | 18 min
Start

Study material

How to prepare for UPPSC PCS

Treat the Prelims as a screening filter: build broad General Studies coverage and do not ignore Paper II (CSAT), which is qualifying.
Read a daily newspaper and maintain current-affairs notes with a Uttar Pradesh focus alongside national and international events.
Start Mains answer-writing practice early — the descriptive papers, not the Prelims, decide your rank.
Revise NCERT-level History, Geography, Polity, Economy and Science before moving to standard reference books.
Solve previous years' papers to learn the Commission's question style, and sit full-length timed mocks for both Prelims papers.

Frequently asked questions

What qualification is needed for UPPSC PCS?

A Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. A few services carry a specific degree or professional requirement stated in the advertisement.

When is the UPPSC PCS 2026 Prelims?

The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 6 December 2026 (Sunday), held in two sessions for General Studies Paper I and Paper II (CSAT).

Do Prelims marks count in the final selection?

No. The Prelims is only a screening test. The final merit is based on the Main Examination and the interview; Paper II (CSAT) of the Prelims is qualifying at 33 per cent.

Which posts are filled through UPPSC PCS?

Posts such as Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Block Development Officer, Treasury Officer and other Group A and B state services, as listed in the advertisement.

Last verified 21 August 2026(35 days ago, by editorial)

Not yet confirmed for this cycle: the schedule, the vacancy count and the application fee. Where we have a figure from previous cycles we show it and label it as expected; where we do not, the page says "to be announced". Check the official source below before you rely on any of it.

Official sources

Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) (official portal)
UPPSC PCS 2026 notification and Prelims date (Careers360) (other)

Found something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it, citing the source.