The UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 followed this official timeline (sourced from upsc.gov.in):

Notification released: 22 January 2025 Application window: 22 January 2025 to 21 February 2025 (6 PM) Vacancies announced: 979 (CSE only; 150 additional for IFoS, combined total 1,129) Prelims exam: 25 May 2025 Prelims admit card released: 13 May 2025 Prelims result declared: 11 June 2025 (14,161 candidates qualified) DAF-I (Mains registration) window: 16 June 2025 to 25 June 2025 Mains exam: 22 August 2025 to 31 August 2025 (nine papers over two weekends) Mains result declared: 11 November 2025 (2,736 candidates shortlisted for interview) DAF-II (Interview registration) window: 13 November 2025 to 27 November 2025 Interviews Phase 1: 8 December 2025 to 19 December 2025 Interviews Phase 2: 5 January 2026 to 27 February 2026 Final result declared: 6 March 2026 (958 candidates recommended; AIR 1 — Anuj Agnihotri)

All official notifications and result PDFs are published at upsc.gov.in under the Examinations section.

The UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 notification was officially released on 4 February 2026 on upsc.gov.in.

Key dates for the 2026 cycle (confirmed from upsc.gov.in):

• Notification date: 4 February 2026
• Application window: 4 February 2026 to 27 February 2026 (6 PM) — now closed
• Vacancies announced: 933 (Civil Services); IFoS 2026 notification released simultaneously
• Prelims exam: 24 May 2026 (Sunday) — 8 days away as of today (16 May 2026)
• Mains exam commences: 21 August 2026 (Friday)

The 933 CSE vacancies include 33 posts reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) and cover services such as IAS, IPS, IFS (Foreign Service), IRS, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, and other Group A and B Central Services.

Mains result, interview, and final result dates for the 2026 cycle have not yet been officially announced — they will be notified later on upsc.gov.in after each preceding stage completes.

The UPSC Annual Exam Calendar is an official document listing the scheduled notification release dates, application deadlines, and exam dates for every examination UPSC conducts in the coming year. It is typically released around mid-May of the preceding year.

The UPSC Exam Calendar 2026 was officially published on 15 May 2025 and covers all major examinations scheduled for calendar year 2026, including CSE, IFoS, NDA (I and II), CDS (I and II), CAPF, Engineering Services Examination (ESE), Combined Medical Services (CMS), and several departmental/recruitment exams.

The UPSC Exam Calendar 2027 is expected to be published around May 2026.

How to access the official calendar:

1. Visit upsc.gov.in
2. Click on the 'Examinations' tab in the top navigation menu
3. Select 'Exam Calendar' from the dropdown
4. Download the annual calendar PDF for the relevant year

The calendar is published in English as a downloadable PDF. Aspirants should bookmark this page and check it at the start of each year, as UPSC may issue revised calendars if exam dates are rescheduled. Always rely on upsc.gov.in rather than coaching institute summaries for official dates.

The UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026, released on 15 May 2025 and available at upsc.gov.in, lists the following confirmed dates:

NDA and NA Examination:

• NDA and NA (I) 2026: 12 April 2026 (Sunday) — completed
• NDA and NA (II) 2026: 13 September 2026 (Sunday)
• NDA-II 2026 registration: 20 May 2026 to 9 June 2026

CDS (Combined Defence Services) Examination:

• CDS (I) 2026: 12 April 2026 (Sunday) — completed
• CDS (II) 2026: 13 September 2026 (Sunday)

CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces — Assistant Commandants) Examination 2026:

• Written exam: 19 July 2026 (Sunday)

IFoS (Indian Forest Service) Examination 2026:

• Prelims: 24 May 2026 (Sunday) — held jointly with CSE Prelims; the IFoS notification was released alongside the CSE 2026 notification on 4 February 2026
• IFoS Mains: scheduled separately after CSE Mains (approximately October-November 2026)

Engineering Services Examination (ESE/IES) 2026:

• Listed in the UPSC 2026 calendar; specific stage dates are available on upsc.gov.in under the ESE section

All dates are sourced from the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF at upsc.gov.in/examinations/exam-calendar. Status as of 16 May 2026: NDA-I and CDS-I have been conducted; Prelims 2026 is 8 days away.

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is one of the longest selection processes in the country. Based on the verified CSE 2025 cycle:

Stage 1 — Prelims: Held in late May. Results declared approximately 2.5 to 3 weeks later.

• CSE 2025: Prelims 25 May 2025; result 11 June 2025

Stage 2 — DAF-I (Mains registration): Opens within days of Prelims result, typically for about 10 days.

• CSE 2025: 16 June 2025 to 25 June 2025

Stage 3 — Mains Exam: Held in late August, spanning nine papers over two weekends.

• CSE 2025: 22 to 31 August 2025

Stage 4 — Mains Result: Declared approximately 10 to 11 weeks after Mains. About 2,700 to 3,000 candidates are shortlisted.

• CSE 2025: 11 November 2025

Stage 5 — DAF-II (Interview registration): Opens within 2 days of Mains result; approximately 2 weeks to submit.

• CSE 2025: 13 to 27 November 2025

Stage 6 — Personality Test (Interview): Conducted across two phases over roughly 3 months at UPSC Bhavan, New Delhi.

• CSE 2025: December 2025 to February 2026

Stage 7 — Final Result: Declared 1 to 2 weeks after the last interview session.

• CSE 2025: 6 March 2026

Total duration (Prelims to Final Result for CSE 2025): approximately 9.5 months.

For CSE 2026: Prelims on 24 May 2026; Final Result expected approximately January-February 2027.

The Detailed Application Form (DAF) is a critical step in the UPSC CSE process and comes in two distinct parts:

DAF-I (Detailed Application Form — I): Filled by candidates who qualify the Preliminary Examination. It serves as formal registration for the Civil Services (Main) Examination.

• Contains biographical data, educational qualifications, service preferences, and optional subject choice
• For CSE 2025: window was open 16 June 2025 to 25 June 2025 (approximately 10 days)
• A registration fee of Rs 200 applies (exempted for women, SC, ST, and PwBD candidates)
• Submitted on upsconline.gov.in
• For CSE 2026: DAF-I window expected approximately mid-June 2026 (after Prelims result)

DAF-II (Detailed Application Form — II): Filled exclusively by candidates who clear the Main Examination and are shortlisted for the Personality Test.

• Contains detailed background information, hobbies, extracurriculars, and personal data that the interview board uses to frame questions
• For CSE 2025: released 13 November 2025 (two days after the Mains result), with deadline 27 November 2025 at 6 PM
• Submitted online at upsc.gov.in or upsconline.gov.in

Key planning tip: Aspirants should have all documents, certificates, and service preference lists ready well in advance. Incorrect service preferences in DAF-I or factual errors in DAF-II can affect service allocation and interview preparation. UPSC does not ordinarily allow changes after submission.

After the UPSC Mains result is declared, the Personality Test (interview) process follows a well-defined sequence:

Step 1 — DAF-II submission: UPSC opens the DAF-II window within 1 to 2 days of the Mains result. Shortlisted candidates must submit within the specified window (typically 2 weeks).

Step 2 — Interview schedule release: UPSC releases phase-wise interview schedules on upsc.gov.in under the 'Interview Schedules' section. Candidates are assigned to specific dates and sessions.

Step 3 — e-Summon Letter (Call Letter): UPSC issues electronic summon letters approximately 1 to 2 weeks before each candidate's assigned interview date. These are downloaded from upsc.gov.in using the candidate's registration number.

CSE 2025 example (verified from upsc.gov.in):

• Mains result: 11 November 2025
• DAF-II window: 13 to 27 November 2025
• Interview Phase 1: 8 to 19 December 2025 (649 candidates)
• Interview Phase 2: 5 January 2026 to 27 February 2026
• Interview venue: UPSC Bhavan, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi

Interviews last 20 to 45 minutes per candidate on average. UPSC does not send interview results on the same day — the final merit list is published only after all interviews are completed.

Candidates should regularly check the official UPSC website and their registered email for schedule updates, as dates can be revised.

UPSC calculates a candidate's age strictly as on 1st August of the year in which the Civil Services Examination is held, regardless of the actual date of the Preliminary Examination.

For CSE 2025: Age was reckoned as on 1 August 2025. For CSE 2026: Age will be reckoned as on 1 August 2026.

Category-wise age limits (as per UPSC CSE notification):

Additional relaxation of up to 5 years is available for ex-servicemen and certain other categories as specified in each year's notification. Always verify the exact age limits from the official UPSC notification PDF for the relevant year at upsc.gov.in, as categories and relaxations are defined in the notification itself.

This is one of the most misunderstood rules in UPSC CSE eligibility. The official rule is clear:

An attempt IS counted when: A candidate actually appears in at least one paper of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination on exam day. Even appearing in only Paper I (GS) or only Paper II (CSAT) is sufficient to count as a used attempt. Disqualification or cancellation of candidature after appearing still counts as a used attempt.

An attempt is NOT counted when: A candidate applies online, pays the fee, downloads the admit card, but does not enter the exam hall on the day of the Preliminary Examination.

Category-wise attempt limits (as per UPSC notifications):

Practical implication: If you are unsure about your preparation level, you can withdraw from the attempt by simply not appearing on exam day — your attempt count is preserved. Verify the rule in the specific year's notification at upsc.gov.in, as rules can be updated.

UPSC announces the number of vacancies for the Civil Services Examination as part of the official notification, released on upsc.gov.in. Vacancies are notified simultaneously for CSE and IFoS (Indian Forest Service) since they share the Preliminary stage.

The vacancy figure covers all civil services recruited through the exam: IAS, IPS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS), and other Group A and B Central Services. A portion of vacancies is reserved for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwBD categories.

Recent vacancy trends (official notifications):

The 979 vacancies in CSE 2025 were the lowest in several years. Of these, 958 candidates were ultimately recommended in the final result (6 March 2026), as some advertised posts may remain unfilled due to candidate shortfalls in specific reserved categories.

Key point: The vacancy figure in the notification is an indicative number. Actual recommended candidates at the Final Result stage may differ slightly. Vacancies are fixed before the exam cycle begins — performance in the exam determines allocation to specific services, not vacancy additions mid-cycle.

Always download the official notification PDF from upsc.gov.in to see the category-wise vacancy breakup.