UPSC CSE 2026 New Attempt Rules IPS IAS: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the notification for the Civil Services Examination 2026. This year, not only have the vacancies and dates for the annual exam for IAS, IPS, and IFS posts been announced, but significant changes have also been made to the selection process and attempt rules (UPSC Attempts). According to the official notification released by the commission, a total of 933 posts will be filled this time. The application process has started, and interested candidates can apply online until February 24, 2026.
This time, UPSC has taken steps to make the examination process stricter and more transparent. Face authentication has been made mandatory before entering the examination center. This means a candidate will be allowed to sit for the exam only after their identity is verified through their face. Along with this, a major change has been seen in the rules related to retaking the exam while in service, which are much stricter than before.
According to the new rules, the freedom to repeatedly take the Civil Services Examination after being selected for UPSC will not be the same as before. If a candidate is selected for a Group-A service or IPS, they will get only one chance to improve their rank. This opportunity will be given only in the next examination, i.e., CSE 2027, and that too only if the candidate gets a One-Time Exemption from joining the training. This exemption will also be limited to the foundation course only. If a candidate neither joins the training nor takes the exemption within the prescribed time, their service obtained on the basis of both CSE 2026 and CSE 2027 will be considered automatically canceled. To appear for the exam in CSE 2028 or later, it will be mandatory for the candidate to resign from their current service.
However, no changes have been made to the rules related to IAS and IFS for now. The commission has maintained the pre-existing system for these services. The selected officer will get one chance to improve their performance. For example, if a candidate is selected for IPS in 2026, they can take the exam in 2027 to improve their rank. After that, if they want to take the exam again, they will have to resign from the service.
UPSC has also clarified this time that candidates who are already selected or appointed in IPS will not be able to get IPS again through CSE 2026. In addition, if a candidate is selected for IAS or IFS after passing the prelims but before the mains, they will not be allowed to write the mains examination.
The notification for UPSC Civil Services Exam 2026 was released on February 4, 2026. The last date to apply is February 24, 2026. The preliminary exam will be held on May 24, 2026, while the main exam is likely to start from August 21, 2026. The interview or personality test may be conducted in February-March 2027.
The level of competition in this exam is continuously increasing every year. In 2025, more than 10 lakh candidates applied, out of which about 14,000 passed the prelims to reach the mains. 2,736 candidates were called for the interview, and the final selection was made for 979 posts. In 2024, approximately 13 lakh applications were received, and 1,009 posts were filled.
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2026 Detailed Notification
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2026 Direct link to Apply
