Uttar Pradesh Exams 2026: UPPSC PCS and UPSSSC PET Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Dates

Uttar Pradesh exams at a glance

These facts are as per UPPSC Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2025 of 20 February 2025 for the Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Examination 2025, the UPPSC examination calendar for 2026 issued on 30 January 2026, the Commission's notices of 18 and 22 September 2026, UPSSSC Advertisement No. 16-Exam/2026 of 1 August 2026 for PET 2026, and the UPSSSC notice of 9 September 2026.

Selection process

UPPSC PCS, step by step

1. One Time Registration and online application. A candidate first obtains an OTR number on otr.pariksha.nic.in and then applies on uppsc.up.nic.in. For PCS 2025 the window ran from 20 February to 24 March 2025.
2. Preliminary Examination. Two objective papers are answered on OMR sheets on one day. It is a screening test, and merit is decided on Paper-I alone. Paper-II is qualifying at 33%. A candidate absent from either paper is disqualified. Fifteen times the number of vacancies are declared successful for the Mains.
3. Main (written) Examination. Successful candidates fill a second online application and pay a separate fee: ₹225 in general, ₹105 for SC, ST and ex-army candidates of UP, and ₹25 for candidates with disabilities of UP. They sit eight compulsory conventional papers under the same roll number.
4. Interview (Personality Test), 100 marks. Three times the number of vacancies are called. Post preferences are taken at this stage and cannot be changed later. Original certificates are verified at the interview.
5. Final selection is made on the total of Main (written) and interview marks. For a few posts, the service rules provide selection on written marks alone.

The same Prelims also screened candidates for the Assistant Conservator of Forest/Range Forest Officer Services Examination 2025, whose Mains is held separately. The minimum efficiency standard is 35% for SC and ST candidates and 40% for others in the Preliminary and Main examinations. Candidates must also reach the minimum marks fixed for the compulsory General Hindi paper. Reservation and age relaxation go only to permanent residents of Uttar Pradesh.

UPSSSC PET and how its score is used

Under a government order of 20 November 2020, UPSSSC recruits to its Group 'C' posts through a two-tier system. PET is the first tier, and appearing in it is compulsory for anyone who wants these posts. Under the government order of 28 April 2025, PET is held every year. Its score stays valid for three years from the date the result is issued. When UPSSSC advertises a main examination for a post, only candidates holding a valid PET score card can apply. They are shortlisted for that main examination on their highest valid normalised PET score. A PET score by itself gives no claim to any post.

Exam pattern

PCS Preliminary Examination

Each question has four options. One-third (0.33) of the marks of a question is deducted for a wrong answer. Marking more than one option counts as a wrong answer. A blank question carries no penalty.

PCS Main (written) Examination

All eight papers are conventional and last three hours each. Question papers are set in Hindi and English. The Essay paper has three sections, and the candidate writes one essay of about 700 words from each.

UPSSSC PET 2026

The paper is objective and multiple-choice. A quarter mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Questions in the first nine subjects are set at the NCERT secondary and senior secondary level. When the test runs in several shifts, scores are normalised.

General Studies syllabus and Uttar Pradesh GK

PCS Prelims: General Studies-I

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and the Indian National Movement
• India and world geography: physical, social and economic
• Indian polity and governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
• Economic and social development: sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives
• General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change
• General Science

The notice adds that candidates are expected to know these subjects with special reference to Uttar Pradesh. General Studies-II tests comprehension, reasoning, decision making, mental ability, and mathematics, English and Hindi up to Class 10.

PCS Mains: General Studies

General Studies-I to IV follow the national pattern: Indian culture, modern and world history, society and geography (GS-I); the Constitution, governance, welfare schemes and international relations (GS-II); economic planning, budgets, agriculture, infrastructure, science and technology, environment and disaster management (GS-III); and ethics, integrity and aptitude with case studies (GS-IV). General Studies-V and VI are about Uttar Pradesh alone.

• General Studies-V: history, culture and ancient cities of UP; its architecture, museums and archaeology; UP's role in the freedom struggle and its eminent personalities; festivals, fairs, folk dances, languages and dialects; the Governor, Chief Minister, legislature, High Court, Public Service Commission and State Election Commission; local self-government, land reforms, security, law and order, health, education, tourism and the current affairs of UP.
• General Studies-VI: the economy and budgets of UP; trade, industry and investment; state schemes and the One District One Product policy; energy; demography and census; agriculture, forests and the UP New Forest Policy; geography, climate, drainage and minerals; national parks and wildlife sanctuaries; transport; pollution and the natural resources of UP.

PET: General Awareness and Current Affairs

The PET syllabus asks General Awareness on India's neighbours, countries with their capitals and currencies, states and union territories, Parliament and state legislatures, national and international days, world organisations and their headquarters, tourist places, art and culture, sports, research organisations, books and authors, awards, and climate change. It lists no separate Uttar Pradesh section.

GK24 covers national GK and current affairs. It does not run a separate Uttar Pradesh GK section, so the two UP papers need state sources as well. As guidance, GK24's notes on Polity, History, Geography, the Economy and Science map to PCS Prelims GS-I, Mains GS-I to III and most PET subjects, and its daily current affairs map to the current-events parts of all three.

Eligibility and age limit

UPPSC PCS 2025

• Qualification: a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university by the last date of application. Some posts, such as Assistant Prosecuting Officer, Food Safety Officer and the audit posts, prescribe specific degrees.
• Age: 21 to 40 years on 1 July 2025, that is, born between 2 July 1985 and 1 July 2004. The upper limit for persons with disabilities is 55 years.
• Relaxation for UP residents: 5 years for SC, ST and OBC of UP, skilled players of UP and UP State Government employees, including teachers and staff of the Basic Shiksha Parishad and aided secondary schools; 15 years for persons with disabilities of UP; 3 years plus army service for Emergency or Short Service Commissioned Officers and ex-army personnel of UP.
• Candidates from other states can apply but get no reservation or age relaxation. EWS candidates and dependants of freedom fighters get no age relaxation.
• The date of birth in the High School certificate is final.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Excise Inspector, District Youth Welfare Officer and some other posts also prescribe physical standards.

UPSSSC PET 2026

• Qualification: High School (Class 10) or equivalent by the last date of application.
• Age: 18 to 40 years on 1 July 2026.
• Relaxation: SC, ST and OBC as specified by the government; 5 years for skilled players of classified games and for UP State Government employees; 15 years for persons with disabilities; 3 years for ex-servicemen after deducting their service.
• Age for each main examination is counted again under that post's own advertisement.

Important dates

The UPPSC calendar says its dates are proposed and may change. The PCS 2026 advertisement had not been published on uppsc.up.nic.in as of 25 September 2026. UPSSSC will announce the PET 2026 admit cards separately on its website.

How to prepare General Studies and current affairs for UP exams

This plan is guidance built on the syllabus in the notices.

1. Build the national base first. Read the GK24 GK notes topic by topic: Polity, Modern History and the national movement, Geography, the Economy, then Science. This covers PCS Prelims GS-I and most PET subjects.
2. Read daily current affairs. GK24 publishes daily current affairs in English and Hindi from official releases. PET gives 10 marks to current affairs, and the PCS lists current events in both Prelims and Mains.
3. Add Uttar Pradesh from state sources. For GS-V and GS-VI, use the state government's own publications, such as the budget speech, departmental reports and district profiles. Keep a separate notebook for UP schemes, ODOP, census data, rivers and national parks.
4. Take timed quizzes. The PCS deducts a third of a question's marks and PET a quarter mark for each wrong answer. GK24 quizzes train you to skip what you do not know.
5. Solve previous-year questions. UPPSC publishes past PCS question papers on its website. Use them with the previous-year questions on GK24 to see which topics repeat.
6. Do not skip the scoring extras. PET gives 30 marks to Hindi passages, graphs and tables. The PCS Mains has a 150-mark General Hindi paper.

Posts and pay

The PCS 2025 details of posts, issued on 22 September 2026, list 28 posts in 11 groups. The advertisement had estimated about 200 vacancies; the numbers listed against the 28 posts add up to 814. Pay is shown as printed in that notice.

UPSSSC's field is direct-recruitment Group 'C' posts from pay band-1 (₹5,200–20,200) with grade pay ₹1,900 up to, but below, pay band-2 (₹9,300–34,800) with grade pay ₹4,600. The pay of each post appears in its own main examination advertisement, not in the PET notice.