NEW DELHI — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has finalized preparations for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, scheduled to take place across multiple national centers on May 24, 2026. The high-stakes screening test will be administered in two mandatory sessions.
Examination Schedule
The preliminary exam is structured into two consecutive shifts:
- Forenoon Session (General Studies Paper I): Begins at 9:00 AM.
- Afternoon Session (CSAT Paper II): Begins at 2:00 PM.
Candidates are required to arrive at their designated test centers at least 30 minutes before each session starts. Entry gates will close promptly at 8:30 AM for the morning shift and 1:30 PM for the afternoon shift. Absolutely no entry will be permitted under any circumstances after the gates are closed.
Hall Ticket Regulations
The Commission has released the electronic admit cards on its official portals, upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in.
- Mandatory Hard Copy: Candidates must download and present a clear printout of their e-Admit Card at the center. Entry will be strictly denied without a physical hall ticket.
- Data Verification: Aspirants are urged to review all printed details immediately, including name spelling, clarity of photograph, and the functionality of the encoded QR code. Any discrepancies should be reported to the UPSC administrative helpdesk without delay.
- Retention: The hall ticket must be safely preserved until the final selection results of the Civil Services Examination 2026 are announced.
Permitted and Prohibited Items
To maintain rigorous examination integrity, strict protocols regarding personal items will be enforced at all venues.
Allowed Inside the Hall:
- Physical printout of the e-Admit Card
- Valid government-issued photo identification proof
- Two identical passport-sized photographs (if required by instruction details)
- A black ballpoint pen (mandatory for encoding answers on the OMR sheets and filling out attendance logs)
- Standard analog wristwatches
Strictly Forbidden (Prohibited Items):
- Mobile phones, digital gadgets, smartwatches, or any electronic communication equipment
- Bags, textbooks, notebooks, loose paper, or study guides
- Valuable personal items or expensive accessories (centers will not provide storage security)
Structure and Evaluation
The Civil Services Preliminary Examination consists of two objective-type, multiple-choice papers aggregating a maximum of 400 marks. The examination functions strictly as a qualifying screening test. The marks scored during this preliminary stage are solely used to filter candidates eligible for the Civil Services (Main) Examination and will not factor into the final merit rankings or career appointments. All additional procedural queries can be cross-verified directly on the commission’s primary website.
