CSE 2026 notice — released 4 Feb 2026
The Union Public Service Commission published Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE on 4 February 2026, the same day the Department of Personnel & Training notified the CSE 2026 Rules in the Gazette. Online applications opened on 4 February. The notice set the last date as 24 February 2026 (6 PM), and UPSC’s exam page later showed it extended to 27 February 2026 (6 PM). The Prelims were held on 24 May 2026, the result came out on 15 June and the Main (written) exam was held on 21–23 and 29–30 August 2026. The Mains written result comes next. As of 12 October 2026, UPSC had not announced a date for it, or for the Personality Test and final result.
Read the notice once, from start to finish. It sets the age and qualification rules, the number of attempts, the fee, the centres, the Prelims and Mains scheme and the syllabus. Anything else you read online is a summary of it. The 2026 window is closed. UPSC’s 2027 calendar lists the next notice (CSE 2027) on 13 January 2027, tentatively.
Key highlights
The Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) screening is held through this same Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, but the Indian Forest Service Examination is a separate exam with its own notice and vacancies, which are not part of the figures above. The notice says the final number of CSE vacancies may change once the Cadre Controlling Authorities confirm it.
What the notice contains
Every section you should read carefully:
How to download the notice
- Open UPSC’s websiteGo to upsc.gov.in, the Commission’s official website.
- Find the exam pageIn the Examinations section, open the page for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026.
- Open the notice PDFClick the examination notice (Notif-CSP-2026-Engl-060226Rev.pdf), or use the direct PDF link at the top of this page.
- Download & saveSave the file and read every part, including Appendix I (plan and scheme of the exam) and Section III (syllabus). Keep the later press notes from the same exam page alongside it.
Prepare for UPSC Prelims with your own daily plan
Daily targets, practice mocks & PYQ practice sets — mapped to the GS Paper I and CSAT syllabus.
Turn the notification into a plan
The notice tells you what you have to clear, and JobSafal helps you prepare for it. Once you’ve read it, start a plan built around the Prelims syllabus for GS Paper I and CSAT, well before the CSE 2027 notice.
Syllabus-mapped plan
A daily plan built around the official Prelims syllabus.
PYQ practice sets
Practice sets in the app’s PYQ section. For actual past papers, use upsc.gov.in.
Practice mocks
Timed practice mocks from the app’s mock catalogue.
Date alerts
Notice, e-admit card and result reminders.
