The UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 is one of India’s most prestigious competitive exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to elite services such as IAS, IPS, IFS, Indian Audit & Accounts Service, Indian Postal Service and many more. The notification confirms that the last date to apply is 24th February 2026, while the Preliminary Examination will be held on 24th May 2026 and the Mains Examination on 21st August 2026.

The examination will be conducted in three stages – Preliminary, Mains, and Interview/Personality Test. The Preliminary stage consists of two objective papers, where Paper-II (CSAT) is qualifying in nature with 33% minimum qualifying marks. The Mains stage is descriptive, comprising 9 papers, out of which 7 papers are counted for merit (1750 marks) along with two qualifying language papers. The final stage is the Personality Test carrying 275 marks, assessing the candidate’s suitability for a career in public service.

Candidates must possess any degree from a recognized university, and final-year students can also apply. The age limit is 21–32 years for General/EWS, with relaxations for OBC, SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen and PwBD candidates. The number of attempts ranges from 6 (General/EWS) to unlimited (SC/ST) as per existing rules.

In Karnataka, Prelims centres are available at Bengaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad, while the Mains exam will be conducted at Bengaluru.