UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 Released: Check UPSC CSE, NDA, IES, CAPF, CDS, Complete Exam Schedule

UPSC Annual Exam Calendar 2026 was officially released by the UPSC. UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 will be held on 24 May 2026, UPSC CSE Mains starts from 21 Aug 2026. Check the complete exam schedules of UPSC CSE, CISF AC, NDA, CDS, IES, CAPF AC, etc. and download the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF from this Veranda RACE blog post.

UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026

The UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 was published officially by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on its official website (https://upsc.gov.in/examinations/exam-calendar#) on 15 May 2025. This UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF details the official exam notification dates, last date for receipt of applications for various exams, date of commencement of exam, duration of the exam for major government competitive exams conducted by the UPSC such as Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IFS), Indian Forest Service, Engineering Services, CDS, NDA, CAPF AC, CISF AC, IES, Engineering Services, Combined Geo-Scientist and several others to be conducted in 2026.

If you’re an UPSC aspirant targeting the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2026 or any other central government recruitment test conducted by the UPSC, this UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 is your roadmap for success. It helps you to plan your UPSC exam preparation according to official UPSC exam calendar timelines in 2026, set realistic study goals and revision milestones and avoid last-minute stress and surprises before the various exams conducted by the UPSC.

UPSC exam aspirants can bookmark this blog page of Veranda RACE or download the full UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF to stay updated on important exam dates, registration dates and notifications.

Interested UPSC Exam aspirants can download the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF from this Veranda RACE blog post using the below official link from UPSC website:

UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 – Official Calendar – Download Here

UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026: Exams in 2026

The UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026, released officially by the UPSC on 15 May 2025, mentions the programme of exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that are going to be held in 2026. This UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 that was released recently will be a big boost to the aspiring UPSC students who are eagerly waiting to crack upcoming UPSC, CDS, NDA, Indian Forest Service, IES, Engineering Services, CAPF AC, CISF AC and many more exams in 2026 to grab a permanent post in the premier government organisations and departments of the Indian Government.

The following exams are mentioned in the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF to be conducted in 2026 by the Union Public Service Commission:

· Combined Geo-Scientist (Prelims) Exam 2026

· Engineering Services (Prelims) Exam 2016

· CBI (DSP) LDCE 2026

· CISF AC (Exe) LDCE 2026

· NDA & NA Exam (I) 2026

· CDS Exam (I) 2026

· UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) Prelims 2026

· Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Prelims Exam 2026

· IES / ISS Exam 2026

· Combined Geo-Scientist (Mains) Exam 2026

· Engineering Services (Mains) Exam 2016

· Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Exam 2026

· Combined Medical Services Exam 2026

· UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) Mains 2026

· NDA & NA Exam (II) 2026

· CDS Exam (II) 2026

· Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Mains Exam 2026

· SO/Steno (GD-B/GD-I) LDCE 2026

Interested UPSC Exam aspirants can find the up-to-date information on various UPSC exams in 2016 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) here on our Veranda RACE blog.

UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026: Notification Dates

UPSC exam aspirants can find the tentative notification dates of various exams conducted by the UPSC as mentioned in the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF in the table below:

The UPSC Cicil Services Exam (CSE) 2026 Official Notification is expected to be tentatively released by the UPSC for both Civil Services such as IAS, IPS, etc. and Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 on 14 January 2026. The UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant Exam 2026 for the recruitment of Assistant Commandant (Group A) in the Central Armed Police Forces such as BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB will be released tentatively on 18 February 2026.

UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026: Exam Dates

Interested UPSC exam aspirants can find the tentative dates of commencement of various exams conducted by the Union Public Service (UPSC) as mentioned in the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF in the table below in this Veranda RACE blog post:

The UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam 2026 and the UPSC Indian Forest Service Prelims Exam 2026 to be held through UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be held on 24 May 2026.

The UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) Mains 2026 is scheduled to be held starting from 21 August 2026. The UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2026 is scheduled to be held for 5 days. The UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam 2026 will be held from 22 November 2026.

The UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant Exam 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be held on 19 July 2026 as mentioned in the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 PDF.

UPSC CSE Exam 2026: Important Dates

UPSC Civil Services Exam is the toughest and most sought-after examination conducted by the UPSC every year. It is conducted for the recruitment of Group A and Group B service and posts such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), etc. It is crucial for the students who plan to appear for the UPSC CSE Exam 2026 to acquire basic knowledge about the important dates of the UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 and UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2026.

Vernada RACE has provided all the information related to the UPSC CSE Exam 2026 as mentioned officially in the latest UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 below:

To learn more about UPSC CSE Residential Coaching & Online Learning Programmes check the below links:

Veranda IAS’ UPSC CSE Holistic Residential Learning Programme

Veranda IAS’ UPSC CSE Online Live Coaching Programme

UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026: Important Dates

UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam is conducted by the UPSC every year for the recruitment of Group A posts such as the Indian Forest Service. Candidates applying for the Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 must first appear for and qualify in the UPSC CSE Prelim Exam 2026. Those wishing to apply for both exams can do so through a common online application form, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. This UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 consists of two stages:

UPSC CSE Prelims Exam (Objective) for shortlisting candidates for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Exam.

UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam includes Written Test and Interview for final selection for the posts in the Indian Forest Service.

It is very essential for the students who plan to appear for the UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 to acquire basic knowledge about the important dates of the UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 and UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam 2026.

Vernada RACE has provided all the information related to the UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 as mentioned officially in the latest UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 below:

The UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 will consist of two papers of Objective type with Multiple Choice Questions:

General Studies – Paper I

Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – Paper II

The UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 will carry a maximum of 400 marks and is meant to serve as a screening test to select candidates for the UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2026 and UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026.

The number of candidates to be admitted to the UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam 2026 will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026.

The UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam 2026 consists of a written test and a personality test (interview). The written exam includes six conventional essay-type papers:
Paper I – General English – 300 Marks

Paper II – General Knowledge – 300 Marks

Paper III, IV, V, VI – Optional Subjects (Two Paper for Each Optional Subjects) – 200 Marks for Each Paper

Candidates who secure the minimum qualifying marks in the written exams, as determined by the UPSC, will be shortlisted for the interview stage.

Typically, about twice the number of vacancies will be called for this UPSC Indian Forest Service Interview 2026. The personality test carries 300 marks and does not have a minimum qualifying score.

The final ranking of candidates for the UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 will be based on the total marks obtained in both the written examination and the interview.

How to Download the UPSC Calendar 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide):

Here, you can find the step-by-step guide to check and download the UPSC Annual Exam Calendar 2026 PDF from the UPSC official website:

• Visit the official UPSC website: www.upsc.gov.in
• Navigate to the “Examinations” section on the homepage.
• Click on the “Calendar” option from the dropdown menu.
• You’ll see a list of annual exam calendars from recent years.
• Click on the official link titled “Annual Calendar 2026” uploaded on 15 May 2025 to open and download the UPSC Exam Annual Calendar PDF.

Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates

· UPSC Exam Annual Calendar 2026 was officially released by UPSC on its official website on 15 May 2025

· UPSC CSE Exam Official Notification 2026 to be tentatively released on 14 Jan 2026

· UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam Official Notification 2026 to be tentatively released on 14 Jan 2026

· UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 scheduled to be held on 24 May 2026

· UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2026 scheduled to start from 21 August 2026

· UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2026 scheduled to start from 22 November 2026