The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has opened the application window for candidates who have qualified for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026. Eligible candidates are required to complete the Detailed Application Form (DAF) process through the official UPSC portal between June 19 and June 28, 2026.
A special window has been provided from June 19 to June 28, 2026, for submission of the application form, payment of the examination fee, updating scribe details, and submitting requirements for assistive devices and large-font question paper, wherever applicable, and for submission of cadre preferences. Candidates belonging to the Female, SC, ST and PwBD categories have been exempted from payment of the ₹200 examination fee.
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UPSC has made it mandatory for every shortlisted candidate to log in to the portal and submit or reconfirm the required details during the prescribed period. It has been clarified that e-Admit Cards for the Main Examination will be generated only after the application form is successfully submitted. Candidates who fail to complete this process within the stipulated timeline will not be permitted to appear in the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026.
As per the Civil Services Examination Rules 2026, the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination is scheduled to commence on August 21, 2026.
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How to Fill UPSC Mains Application Form (DAF):
1. Visit the official UPSC portal.
2. Log in using registration credentials.
3. Verify your personal and educational details.
4. Update category and reservation information, if applicable.
5. Fill cadre preferences carefully.
6. Enter your scribe/assistive device details, if required.
7. Pay the examination fee of ₹200 (except exempted categories).
8. Review all information and submit the form.
9. Download and save the confirmation page for future reference.
10. Check for e-Admit Card release before the examination.
The UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 will be conducted in a written format and will consist of nine papers. Out of these, two papers—an Indian Language paper and an English paper carrying 300 marks each—are qualifying in nature, and the candidates are required to secure the minimum qualifying marks prescribed by the Commission. The merit ranking will be based on seven papers carrying a total of 1,750 marks.
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These include one Essay paper (250 marks), four General Studies papers (GS I, GS II, GS III and GS IV) carrying 250 marks each, and two papers of the candidate’s chosen Optional Subject carrying 250 marks each. Candidates who qualify the written examination will be called for the Personality Test (Interview), which carries 275 marks.
