The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will close the online application window for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination (CSE) 2026 today, February 24, at 6 PM. Candidates who have not yet completed their registration can submit their applications through the official websites, upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in, before the deadline.
As per the official notification, the Civil Services Examination 2026 is being conducted to fill 933 vacancies across various departments of the Central Government. The Civil Services Examination will commence with a common preliminary examination, which serves as the first stage of the selection process.
Application Process
Aspirants must apply through the official UPSC online portal at upsconline.nic.in. Candidates who have not completed the One-Time Registration (OTR) process must do so before proceeding with the application form. After logging in, applicants need to select the CSE 2026 application link and fill in their personal, academic and contact details carefully.
Applicants are required to upload scanned copies of their photograph, signature and other necessary documents as specified in the guidelines. Following this, candidates must pay the applicable registration fee online. Once all details are reviewed, the form should be submitted, and the confirmation page downloaded for future reference.
Application Fee Details
Candidates belonging to the General, OBC, and EWS categories are required to pay an application fee of ₹100. The same fee of ₹100 applies to candidates from SC, ST, and female categories. However, persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) are exempted from paying the application fee. The fee must be paid through online mode only.
The preliminary examination for CSE 2026 is scheduled to be held on May 24, 2026. Candidates who qualify in the preliminary stage will be eligible to appear for the main examination, which is set to begin on August 21, 2026.