Which state PCS exams offer the most vacancies and the best career prospects in 2025-26?

Bihar leads on volume: BPSC's 71st CCE had 1,298 posts and the 72nd about 1,190. UPPSC PCS 2025 grew to 814 vacancies, Maharashtra's MPSC 2025 to 590, and RPSC RAS 2026 has 607. Most counts change after notification, so check the latest corrigendum.

Vacancy Comparison: State PCS Cycles Notified in 2025–26 (as of 22 Sep 2026)

Exam and cycle	Vacancies	Prelims	Status
BPSC 71st CCE (2025)	1,298 (after corrigenda)	Held 13 Sep 2025	Mains held April 2026; final result awaited
BPSC 72nd CCE (2026)	~1,190 (1,230 advertised; 1,189 in BPSC's 14 Aug 2026 calendar, 1,187 per its 3 Sep 2026 corrigendum)	Postponed from 26 Jul 2026; tentatively 25 Oct 2026	Prelims pending
UPPSC PCS 2025	814 (about 200 at notification)	Held 12 Oct 2025	Interviews scheduled 28 Sep – 24 Oct 2026
UPPSC PCS 2026	about 500	Proposed 6 Dec 2026	Applications closed
RPSC RAS/RTS 2026	607 (192 State + 415 Subordinate)	Scheduled 6 Dec 2026	Mains scheduled 1–2 May 2027
MPSC Rajyaseva 2025	590 (385 advertised, raised to 601, then 590)	Held 9 Nov 2025	Mains written result out 25 Aug 2026
MPSC State Services 2026	265 (87 advertised, raised in June 2026)	Held 31 May 2026	Mains from 3 Oct 2026
MPPSC SSE 2026	156 (155 advertised)	Held 26 Apr 2026	Mains scheduled 7–12 Sep 2026
TNPSC Group I 2025	70	Held Jun 2025	Mains held 1–4 Dec 2025
TNPSC Group I 2026	46 as reported (26 advertised, 20 added in Aug 2026)	Scheduled 27 Sep 2026 (moved from 6 Sep)	Prelims pending

No Telangana (TGPSC) Group-1 notification had been issued in 2025 or 2026 as of 22 Sep 2026.

Read vacancy numbers carefully. Almost every cycle above changed after notification: UPPSC 2025 went from about 200 to 814, MPSC 2026 from 87 to 265, BPSC 72nd from 1,230 down to about 1,190. Always check the commission's latest corrigendum rather than the number in the original advertisement.

Career Prospect Factors Beyond Raw Vacancy Numbers

1. BPSC (Bihar): best for volume and frequency. Bihar runs a new CCE almost every year with 1,000+ posts, so it offers the most seats of any state service in this period.

2. UPPSC (Uttar Pradesh): large cadre, and the count can grow. Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state, and the 2025 cycle shows how far vacancies can rise between notification and final selection.

3. RPSC RAS (Rajasthan): a large single cycle. 607 posts in 2026, with Mains papers that include Hindi and English language, which suits aspirants comfortable in both.

4. MPSC (Maharashtra): exposure to a large urban and industrial economy. Counts swing a lot between advertisement and Mains, and the exam assumes proficiency in Marathi.

5. MPPSC (Madhya Pradesh) and TNPSC Group I (Tamil Nadu): fewer seats, steady cycles. Lower volumes (156 and 46–70 posts), best suited to home-state aspirants who know the state's language and context.

How to Select Your Target State PCS

Priority	Recommended choice
Maximum number of seats	BPSC
Home-state advantage	Always prioritise your own state's PCS first
Hindi-belt aspirant running two exams	Your home state plus BPSC or UPPSC, whose GS syllabi overlap with UPSC

Mentor Tip

Pick exams by your domicile and language first, and by vacancies second: reservation and age relaxation in most state services apply only to the state's own residents, which changes your real odds far more than the headline vacancy count.

Correction (22 Sep 2026): an earlier version of this table listed cycles notified in 2024 (BPSC 70th, TSPSC Group 1 2024, and an RPSC RAS figure from an earlier cycle) and out-of-date counts (BPSC 71st ~1,264, MPSC 2025 385, MPPSC 155, TNPSC 72). The table now covers only cycles notified in 2025 and 2026, with counts from the commissions' latest notices.