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    UPSC IAS 2026 - Application form (Extended), Exam Dates, Syllabus

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Application form (Extended), Exam Dates, Syllabus

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    Vishnukumar VUpdated on 05 Mar 2026, 10:32 AM IST
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    UPSC IAS 2026 - Union Public Service Commission will soon release the UPSC IAS 2026 admit card of prelims on the official website at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC IAS application correction window 2026 was opened from February 28 to March 3, 2026. Candiates were able to access the UPSC IAS apply link from February 4 to 27, 2026.

    This Story also Contains

    1. UPSC IAS 2026 - Overview
    2. UPSC IAS 2026 - Important Dates
    3. UPSC IAS 2026 - Vacancies
    4. UPSC IAS 2026 - Posts
    5. UPSC IAS 2026 Eligibility Criteria
    6. UPSC IAS 2026 Application Form
    7. UPSC IAS 2026 Syllabus
    8. UPSC IAS 2026 Exam Pattern
    9. UPSC IAS 2026 Exam Centres
    10. UPSC IAS 2026 Admit Card
    11. UPSC IAS 2026 - Exam Day Guidelines
    12. UPSC IAS 2026 - Answer Key
    13. UPSC IAS 2026 - Exam Analysis
    14. UPSC IAS 2026 - Question Papers
    15. UPSC IAS 2026 - Result
    16. UPSC IAS 2026 - Cutoff
    17. UPSC IAS 2026 - Selection Process
    18. UPSC IAS 2026 - Salary
    UPSC IAS 2026 - Application form (Extended), Exam Dates, Syllabus
    UPSC IAS 2026 Application Form

    The commission released the UPSC IAS notification 2026 on February 4, 2026 on the official website at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can fill and submit the UPSC IAS application form in online mode. It is advised to check the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria 2026 before filling the form. The UPSC IAS 2026 prelims exam will be conducted on May 24, 2026, while the mains will be held on August 21, 2026

    The UPSC conducts UPSC IAS exam every year to recruit eligible candidates into Indian Administrative Services. Candidates of Indian origin and within an age group of 21 to 32 years will be eligible to appear for UPSC IAS 2026. For more details regarding syllabus, exam pattern, and important dates, candidates can check the article given below.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Overview

    IAS full form

    Indian Administrative Services / Civil Services Examination

    Conducting Body

    Union Public Service Commission

    Official website

    upsc.gov.in

    UPSC IAS vacancy

    933

    Level of Exam

    National

    Selection criteria

    • Preliminary exam

    • Mains exam

    • Personality Test

    Medium of exam

    English and Hindi

    Mode of Exam

    Offline

    Application fee

    Rs. 100

    Total exam centres

    Preliminary - 80

    Mains - 24

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Important Dates

    Union Public Service Commission announces all the dates regarding UPSC Indian Administrative Services in the official notification. To be updated on the recent and upcoming UPSC IAS exam dates 2026, candidates are advised to keep checking the official website regularly. The table below details on important UPSC IAS dates.

    UPSC IAS Exam Dates 2026

    Events

    Prelims Exam

    Mains Exam

    UPSC IAS Notification

    January 14, 2026

    February 4, 2026

    TBA

    IAS application form 2026

    January 14, 2026

    February 4, 2026

    TBA

    Last date to apply for UPSC IAS 2026

    February 27, 2026

    TBA

    UPSC IAS application form correction

    February 28 to March 3, 2026

    TBA

    UPSC IAS 2026 admit card

    TBA

    TBA

    IAS exam date 2026

    May 24, 2026

    August 21, 2026

    UPSC IAS result date

    TBA

    TBA

    IAS 2026 personality test

    TBA

    TBA

    Final UPSC IAS result 2026

    TBA

    TBA

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Vacancies

    UPSC IAS vacancy 2026 is specified in the official notification by the Commission. Candidates can check the post wise UPSC IAS 2026 vacancy from the official website, upsc.gov.in. The previous years IAS vacancies has been listed in the table below.

    UPSC IAS Vacancies 2026

    Year

    Number of openings

    2026

    933

    2025

    979

    2024

    1056

    2023

    1105

    2022

    1011

    2021

    712

    2020

    796

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Posts

    The various posts under UPSC IAS recruitment 2026 are divided into two different categories like All India Services and Central Government Services. The Category wise distribution of UPSC IAS posts are given in the table below.

    UPSC Civil Services Posts

    Category

    Name of the Post

    All India Services

    Indian Administrative Services (IAS)

    Indian Police Services (IPS)

    Indian Forest Services (IFS)

    Central Government Services

    Indian Foreign Services (IFS)

    Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service

    Indian Audit and Accounts Service

    Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)

    Indian Defence Accounts Service

    Indian Revenue Service (I.T.)

    Indian Ordnance Factories Service

    Indian Postal Service

    Indian Civil Accounts Service

    Indian Railway Traffic Service

    Indian Railway Accounts Service

    Indian Railway Personnel Service

    Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection Force

    Indian Defence Estates Service

    Indian Information Service

    Indian Trade Service

    Indian Corporate Law Service

    Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service

    Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service

    Pondicherry Police Service

    Pondicherry Civil Service

    Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service

    UPSC IAS 2026 Eligibility Criteria

    The UPSC IAS eligibility criteria 2026 is prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission in the official notification. The UPSC IAS 2026 eligibility criteria details on nationality, age and qualification of applicants which must be met while filling the application form. Only those candidates fulfilling the eligibility conditions can apply for UPSC IAS 2026. For more accurate details on IAS eligibility criteria, candidates can refer to the article below.

    IAS 2026 Eligibility Criteria

    Particulars

    Details

    Nationality

    Indian

    Age

    21 - 32 years

    Qualification

    Graduate in any field from a recognised board or university

    UPSC attempt limit

    • 6 attempts for General category

    • 9 attempts for OBC

    • No attempt limit for SC/ST

    UPSC IAS 2026 Application Form

    The commission opened the UPSC IAS application correction window 2026 from February 28 to March 3, 2026. The UPSC IAS application form 2026 was closed in online on February 27, 2026. Candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be able to fill the IAS 2026 application form on the official website, upsc.gov.in. The steps to fill the IAS application form are as follows.

    How to fill the UPSC IAS application form?

    • Visit the official UPSC Login website, upsc.gov.in.

    • Login using the mailed OTR credentials after successful registration

    • Check the UPSC apply online link mentioned on the home page

    • Fill all the details in the UPSC IAS application form

    • Upload prescribed documents in order

    • Pay the IAS application fee online

    • Submit the online form and print a copy for future reference

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    UPSC IAS 2026 Syllabus

    The UPSC IAS syllabus 2026 is prescribed by the Commission. For UPSC IAS 2026 syllabus pdf download, candidates can check the official website. The UPSC IAS syllabus pdf will mention all the topics and subtopics appearing in the exam. The topic wise distribution of IAS syllabus 2026 will be mentioned in the official notification.

    UPSC IAS 2026 Exam Pattern

    The UPSC IAS 2026 exam pattern is provided in the official Indian Administrative Services notification. The IAS exam pattern 2026 will give an idea on number of questions, total marks, duration of exam and more. The table below gives stage wise details on UPSC IAS 2026 paper pattern.

    UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Pattern

    Number of Papers

    Two

    Medium of Exam

    Hindi and English

    Exam Duration

    Total 4 hours (2 hours for each paper)

    Number of questions

    General Studies

    • Paper 1 - 200 marks

    • Paper 2 - 200 marks

    Total Marks

    400 (200 for each paper)

    IAS Prelims qualifying marks

    33%

    UPSC IAS Mains Exam Pattern

    Papers

    Nine

    Medium

    Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu

    Duration

    3 hours for each paper

    Subjects

    • Regional Language

    • English

    • GS 1, 2, 3 & 4

    • Optional paper 1 & 2

    • Essay

    Total questions

    Part A & B - 300 each

    GS and optional paper - 250 each

    Maximum marks

    1750

    UPSC IAS 2026 Exam Centres

    The Union Public Service Commission prescribed a list of UPSC IAS exam centres 2026 across the country. Candidates can select the nearby UPSC IAS 2026 exam centre for them while filling the application form. They can find the area wise list of UPSC IAS exam centres in the official notification.

    UPSC IAS 2026 Admit Card

    The UPSC will release the UPSC IAS admit card 2026 at least one week before the exam day. Candidates who applied for the exam can download the IAS admit card 2026 from the official website, upsc.gov.in. The UPSC IAS admit card will contain details on name of candidate, exam center address, exam timings, guidelines and more. It is advised to carry a copy of IAS 2026 admit card along with an ID proof to the exam hall for verification purposes.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Exam Day Guidelines

    The UPSC IAS 2026 exam day guidelines are listed in the admit card. Candidates are advised to go through the IAS exam guidelines before appearing for IAS 2026. The details on Indian Administrative Services exam guidelines has been given below.

    • Candidates must arrive to the exam centre at least an hour before the exam starts

    • They must carry a copy of government issued ID along with the IAS admit card to the exam hall for verification

    • Examinees are not allowed to leave the exam hall till the time concludes

    • No kind of gadgets and electronic devices will be allowed inside the exam hall

    • Candidates are allowed to bring a ball pointed pen and transparent water bottle inside the exam hall.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Answer Key

    The official UPSC IAS answer key 2026 is released by Union Public Service Commission after the conclusion of exam. The UPSC answer key is released in two stages, provisional and final. First a provisional IAS answer key is released which can be challenged by the candidates with a valid proof and applicable fee. Considering all objections, a final UPSC IAS answer key will be released.

    The UPSC IAS 2026 answer key will be released at different time interval for various stages of exam like prelims, mains and interview. A direct link to download the IAS 2026 answer key will be provided on this page after official or unofficial release.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Exam Analysis

    The UPSC will not provide any official UPSC IAS exam analysis 2026. However, many leading coaching institutes will make list of UPSC IAS 2026 exam analysis on their respective websites. The UPSC IAS analysis will give an idea to the candidates on difficulty level of exam. The exam analysis of UPSC IAS 2026 will be prepared considering the live feedback given by the examinees.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Question Papers

    The UPSC board releases all the sets of UPSC IAS question papers 2026 on its official website. Candidates can download the previous years UPSC IAS question papers at upsc.gov.in. The IAS question papers will give candidates good practice for the examination. The UPSC IAS 2026 question paper will enhance the accuracy of candidates for the final exam.

    Previous Years IAS question papers

    Year of Exam

    Paper 1

    Paper 2

    2025

    Download

    Download

    2024

    Download

    Download

    2023

    Download

    Download

    2022

    Download

    Download

    2021

    Download

    Download

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Result

    The Union Public Service Commission will declare the UPSC IAS result 2026 a few days after the exam concludes. The UPSC IAS result pdf will be available online at upsc.gov.in. The IAS result 2026 will mention the name of the candidate along with their qualifying status and cutoff marks. Only those who qualify in prelims exam will be eligible for mains and further interview stage of UPSC recruitment 2026.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Cutoff

    The UPSC IAS 2026 cut off is released by the UPSC after the selection process concludes. The UPSC IAS cut off 2026 is released in pdf format along with the result online. The IAS 2026 cut off marks is the minimum score candidates need to get in order to qualify the exam. The IAS cut off is released separately for each stage of exam. Candidates can check the previous years UPSC IAS cutoff marks to predict the present year cut off scores.

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Selection Process

    The UPSC IAS selection process 2026 consists of three basic stages, preliminary, mains and interview. Candidates who qualify in all the stages of UPSC exam will be recruited under Group A & B posts listed above in the article.

    Teaching exams:

    UPSC IAS 2026 - Salary

    The UPSC IAS salary 2026 is the remuneration provided by the government of India. After successful completion and passing of all the recruitment tests, candidates will be offered the IAS salary 2026 of Rs. 56,100 as a basic pay. Other benefits and allowances like HRA, DA, TA and medical insurance will be included in the IAS salary. Upon gaining experience and promotions with successive years, the IAS officers salary will go high to Rs. 2,50,000 per month.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: What is the eligibility for UPSC 2026?
    A:

    Any candidates of indian origin within an age group of 21 to 32 years and having a basic bachelors degree will be eligible to appear for the IAS 2026.

    Q: What is the IAS 2025 prelims exam date?
    A:

    The UPSC IAS exam date 2026 of prelims is May 24, 2026.

    Q: How do candidates prepare for UPSC IAS exam?
    A:

    Candidates can prepare for the IAS exam by preparing a dedicated study plan and referring to previous years question papers and making it a daily practice.

    Q: Can i clear the IAS exam at the age of 40?
    A:

    No, as the UPSC IAS age requirement falls between 21 to 30 years, it is not possible to sit for the exam at 40. However, referring to age relaxation it might be possible for some categories.

    Q: What is the salary of and IAS officer in India?
    A:

    The average IAS officer salary can start from Rs. 56,100 to 2,50,00 over time and promotions.

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    Questions related to UPSC CSE

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

    Hello,

    After Class 10, it will take 2 years to complete Class 11 and 12, followed by 3 years of graduation, which is the minimum requirement for UPSC.

    UPSC preparation and clearing the exam may take 1–2 years. After selection, IAS training takes about 2 years. Overall, it takes around

    Hello Aspirant

    As your question is not clear, you are asking how to become an IAS, which course or degree you should pursue, and all the related details regarding the IAS. So, I can suggest you choosing the right stream in Intermediate is important.
    The Arts/Humanities stream is most helpful

    Hello Aspirant

    All colleges are the best, and selection mainly depends on you and your consistency. But I can help you regarding this :

    After the 10th, you can join PU (11–12th) colleges that offer strong academics and an early IAS foundation.
    Some good options are Delhi’s Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya

    Hello

    If you want to become an IAS officer, you can choose any group CEC, MPC, or BiPC as IAS does not require a specific subject stream.
    However, many students prefer CEC (Commerce, Economics, Civics) or MPC (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) because they help build analytical and general knowledge skills useful