UPSC CSE 2026 Registration Starts; Attempt Restrictions Introduced For Selected Candidates

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the notification for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 on February 5. The last date to submit the online application is 24 February 2026, 6 pm. Candidates can visit the official website, upsc.nic.in, to register.

This year, UPSC has announced 933 vacancies for administrative roles, including IAS, IPS, IFS, and other group A services.

The selection process for UPSC CSE involves three stages – Preliminary examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test.

Candidates with a graduate degree and those appearing in their final year of the graduation degree are eligible to apply for the UPSC CSE 2026.

As per the UPSC rules, candidates who had already been selected for the services could appear for the next cycle of the exam, this year the commission has introduced new rules for the selected candidates regarding their attempts and appearance in the exam.

As per the notification, candidates appointed to the IAS or IFS, based on previous examination and continuing as a member of that service, will not be eligible to appear in CSE 2026. If such an appointment to IAS or IFS takes place after the CSE 2026 preliminary examination but before the mains, the candidates will not be allowed to appear in the UPSC Main exam even if they have qualified the prelims exam.

If the appointment to the service happen after the mains examination has begun but before results are declared, candidates will not be considered for the appointment to any service based on the CSE 2026.

Similarly, clear restrictions are prescribed for the IPS candidates. Those who have already been selected or appointed for the IPS will not be eligible to opt for or be allocated the IPS again on the basis of the CSE 2026 result.

IPS and other group A services candidates will be allowed to appear in CSE 2027 only if they are granted a ‘one time exemption from joining training’ by the concerned authority.

They can defer joining only the foundation course. If they neither join training nor take exemption, their service allocation under CSE 2026 will be cancelled, the notice clarifies.

If recommended again in CSE 2027, candidates will have the option to accept either the service allocated in 2026 or 2027, with the other allocation standing cancelled.

They will not be permitted to appear in CSE 2028 or any later examination unless they resign from the allocated service.