Candidates entering the examination center in Vijayawada to appear for the UPSC (UPSC) examination. | Photo credit: GN Rao
In its latest Civil Services Examination (CSE) notification, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has updated the number of attempts and eligibility rules for candidates who are already in the civil service.
According to the notification, candidates who were appointed to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Foreign Service (IFS) through an earlier examination and who continue to serve in these cadres will not be eligible to appear for CSE 2026.
The revision will affect 23 categories of posts subject to civil services scrutiny, the UPSC noted.
What does the UPSC rules mention about the cutoff?
The rules laid down by the UPSC stated that a candidate who is appointed to IAS or IFS on the basis of the results of an earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to appear for CSE 2026.
The latest UPSC revision states, “If such a candidate is appointed to IAS or IFS after the commencement of State Examination (Main) Examination-2026 but before the declaration of its result by the Commission and continues to be a member of that service, the candidate will not be considered for appointment to any service/post on the basis of CSE-2026 result”.
However, a candidate placed in IPS or Central Service Group ‘A’ will be given an opportunity to appear in Civil Services Examination-2027 if exempted from allotted service training.
The UPSC on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) issued a notification laying down the rules and procedures governing the conduct of the examination, from application to final service allotment. In addition, examination centers, application deadlines, fees and online submission requirements have been listed.
Candidates could apply for the civil service exam this year by logging into the website https://upsconline.nic.in. The deadline to apply is February 24 at 6:00 p.m., after which the link will be deactivated.
Number of attempts
The highest authority announced a maximum of six permissible attempts at the civil service examination. However, relaxation will be given to SC/ST/OBC and PwBD category candidates. While SC and ST candidates are allowed unlimited attempts, OBC and PwBD candidates are allowed to apply nine times.
Tentative date and location of the exam
Civil Service Exam Preliminary Exam will be held by UPSC on 24th May. The number of vacancies to be filled by the examination is expected to be around 933, of which 33 seats are reserved for persons with disabilities. The CSE preliminary exam venue will be held in 83 cities across 28 states and 8 union territories.
Published – 05 Feb 2026 17:02 IST
