UPSC IAS Exam 2026 - Application form Date (Extended), Eligibility, Admit card

The Union Public Service Commission will issue the UPSC IAS admit card 2026 of prelims on the official  website at upsc.gov.in/upsconline.nic.in. The UPSC IAS 2026 application correction window was opened from February 28 to March 3, 2026. Candidates were able to access the UPSC CSE 2026 application form from February 4 to 27, 2026. The UPSC IAS notification 2026 was released on February 4, 2026.

The commission previously announced the UPSC IAS exam dates on the official website and annual calendar. The UPSC IAS 2026 exam for prelims will be held on May 24, 2026, at various centres across India. The UPSC IAS Mains exam is going to be conducted on August 21, 2026.
Candidates who submitted the application form successfully can download the IAS admit card 2026 around 7 days before the UPSC IAS exam date 2026. They can make use of the UPSC syllabus for their exam preparation. The CSE selection process comprises the prelims exam, mains exam and personal interview. To improve the IAS exam preparation, candidates may refer to the previous year's CSE exam question paper. For more details about the Civil Services exam, candidates can check the details below. Before applying for the UPSC exam 2026, aspirants must ensure they fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria.

IAS Exam 2026 Highlights

• IAS notification has been released on February 4, 2026.
• The last date to apply for the IAS exam is February 27, 2026.
• The IAS application form correction facility is provided by the commission from February 28 to March 3, 2026. 
• IAS admit card date for prelims is not announced yet.
• IAS exam date 2026 for prelims is on May 24, 2026.
• The UPSC exam age limit to apply for the CSE exam is 21 to 32 years for general category candidates.
• To apply for the Civil Service exam, candidates must have a graduation degree from a recognised University/Institute
• Candidates preparing for the CSE exam must check the IAS exam syllabus for their effective preparations. Aspirants can get the latest IAS syllabus on this page.
• The IAS exam 2026 for prelims is objective type, while the main exam is a descriptive type.
• The CSE exam for mains is scheduled to be held from August 21, 2026 onwards.
• The selection process for the IAS exam is prelims, mains exam and personal interview.

IAS Exam - Overview

UPSC CSE Exam - A guide to all stages

IAS Exam Vacancies- Year wise

IAS Exam Contact Details

Suppose candidates face any problem with any aspect of the IAS exam 2026. In that case, they can contact the Union Public Service Commission at the following address, phone number and email.

UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Dholpur House,
Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069

Facilitation Counter: 011-23098543 / 23385271 / 23381125 / 23098591
Email: feedback-upsc@gov.in

IAS Exam 2026 - People Also Ask

Who is eligible for IAS exam 2026?

As per the minimum eligibility to apply for the IAS exam, candidates must have graduated from a recognized university and should be at least 21 years of age and not more than 32 years of age. 

What are the 3 exams of IAS?

As per the selection process of IAS exam, there are three exams. They are prelims, mains and personality test/personal interview.

Can I join IAS after 12th?

No, candidates should have completed graduation from a recognized university are eligible to apply for the IAS exam.

What is the full form of UPSC CSE?

The full form of UPSC CSE is the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination. The CSE exam is commonly known as the IAS exam by many. IAS full form is Indian Administrative Services. The objective of the IAS exam is to recruit eligible and qualified civil servants, such as IAS officers, for the task at hand.

What is the UPSC IAS exam?

The Civil Services exam is a highly prestigious exam conducted by the Commission to recruit eligible and qualified candidates as civil servants in different state departments. The sort form of the Civil Service Exam is CSE. It is commonly known as the IAS exam by many. The number of applicants who clear the CSE exam every is .01% of the total number of candidates that appear for the exam every year. 

The IAS exam is held once every by the Commission. The UPSC CSE recruitment process has three stages - prelims, mains and personality tests. On clearing, all the stages of the CSE exam candidates are recruited to Group A and B services across the country in different states and UTs. 

The IAS exam is conducted to test the knowledge of candidates in every field possible. The Civil Service exam tests candidates in every way possible based on various parameters. So to qualify the CSE exam one must have the knowledge and a basic understanding of every field. The final selection of the IAS exam is based on the main exam and the interview. 

Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services examination for the recruitment of candidates to services like Indian Administrative Services (IAS Exam), Indian Police Services (IPS) and Indian Forest Services (IFS) and Central Services such as Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS), Indian Foreign Service etc.

Applicants who qualify the IAS exam will then have to undergo training for the service they are selected for before they are deputed to their respective cadres. A total of 24 services are recruited through the CSE exam. salary of IAS officer is mentioned in the official UPSC CSE notification 2026.