UPSC publishes Civil Services Main Exam 2026 timetable
The Union Public Service Commission published the written Main Examination timetable, with papers scheduled for 21 to 23 and 29 to 30 August 2026.
Important dates
Times are shown in IST when the authority specifies them. A date without a time does not imply a midnight deadline. Recheck the official source for changes.
What students should do
- Open the official timetable and confirm the date and session for each paper you will take.
- The listed final examination date has passed. Check later official UPSC notices for the next stage; this timetable is not a result announcement.
Turn the update into action
Prepare for UPSC CSE
Review the exam structure and use a timed practice test instead of stopping at the announcement.
Frequently asked questions
What does the UPSC CSE schedule tell me?
A schedule sets out the sequence of a cycle rather than a single date: when applications open and close, when the examination is held, and often when results and subsequent stages follow. Its value in preparation is working backwards from it. A tentative schedule is a planning document, not a commitment, and the interval between one stage and the next is usually the more reliable part of it, because that gap tends to hold even when the dates themselves move. Where the UPSC CSE schedule is marked tentative, treat every date on it that way.
What is the UPSC CSE exam pattern?
The GS Paper I stage is 100 questions for 200 marks in 120 minutes, covering History of India and Indian National Movement, Indian and World Geography, Indian Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change, General Science and Current events of national and international importance. Wrong answers are penalised 0.667 per question. Every figure is taken from the official source linked on the pattern page and carries the date it was last checked.
Are there free UPSC CSE mock tests?
Yes. There are 15 free tests for UPSC CSE on TakeMockTest, with no sign-up and no paywall. Each is marked to the exam's own scheme rather than a flat one mark per question, so the score you see reflects what the same attempt would earn in the real paper.
How is this update verified, and how current is it?
This summary was written from Union Public Service Commission's own published notice, which is linked on this page, and it records the date that source was last checked rather than the date this page was generated. That is the limit of the claim: it says the notice read as summarised on that date. Conducting bodies revise dates, vacancy counts and eligibility conditions without notice, so confirm anything you are about to act on against the official source before you act.