UPSC calendar 2027: CSE prelims date, notification, mains, ESE, NDA, CDS and all exam dates

UPSC 2027 exam date for Civil Services prelims and mains

UPSC has not announced CSE 2027 vacancies, interview dates or the result date. For scale, the CSE 2026 notice put vacancies at "approximately 933".

In 2026 the five mains days were spread over two weekends: the CSE (Main) 2026 time table ran from 21 to 23 August and 29 to 30 August 2026.

Full UPSC calendar 2027: ESE, NDA, CDS, CAPF, CMS, IFoS and more

Blank cells mean the calendar gives no separate notification, because candidates reach the main exam through the prelim. The calendar also blocks nine slots as "Reserved for UPSC RT/Examination": 9 January, 13 March, 5 June, 31 July, 7 August, 25 September, 16 October, 23 October and 4 December 2027. UPSC does not name the EPFO or any other recruitment test in the 2027 calendar. Those posts are announced through separate recruitment advertisements, so check the Recruitment section of upsc.gov.in for them.

What is already open, closed or next on 20 October 2026

• Engineering Services 2027: notified on 16 September 2026, applications closed on 6 October 2026. The ESE 2027 notice expects "approximately 480" vacancies, and the prelim is on 31 January 2027. If you are an engineer weighing ESE against PSU jobs, our GATE 2027 guide has that exam's dates.
• Combined Geo-Scientist 2027: notified on 2 September 2026, closed at 6 pm on 22 September 2026. The notice fixes the prelim for 10 January 2027 and the main for 19 and 20 June 2027.
• Next up: the CISF AC(EXE) LDCE notice on 25 November 2026 (for serving CISF staff), and the NDA and CDS (I) 2027 notice on 2 December 2026, with the last date on 22 December 2026.
• The 2026 cycle is still running: see our news on IFoS Main 2026, the CDS (II) 2026 and NDA (II) 2026 results, and the CSE prelims 2026 tribunal case.

Can the UPSC 2027 notification date change?

Yes. The calendar's own footnote says: "The dates of notification, commencement and duration of Examinations/RTs are liable to alteration, if the circumstances so warrant."

The 2026 cycle shows how that plays out. The 2026 calendar listed the CSE notification for 14 January 2026 and the last date for 3 February 2026. The actual CSE 2026 notice is dated 4 February 2026 (Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE), with applications open "upto 24th February, 2026 till 6:00 PM". The prelim itself still took place on 24 May 2026, the calendar date. So plan your study around 23 May 2027 and keep your documents ready from early January, but do not panic if the notice comes a few weeks late.

UPSC 2027 age limit and attempts: what the latest rules say

The CSE 2027 rules will be published by the Department of Personnel and Training along with the 2027 notice. Until then, these are the rules from the CSE 2026 notice:

For CSE 2026, the age rule meant being born between 2 August 1994 and 1 August 2005. If the 2027 rules keep the same 21 to 32 limit counted on 1 August of the exam year, General candidates born between 2 August 1995 and 1 August 2006 would be eligible. That is our arithmetic, not a UPSC statement, so check the 2027 notice.

Two rules catch people out. Sitting even one prelim paper counts as an attempt. And your date of birth is taken only from your Class 10 or equivalent certificate; once entered, UPSC will not change it.

How to apply for UPSC 2027 on the online portal

The CSE 2026 notice describes the Commission's online application portal, upsconline.nic.in, which is expected to be used again (the 2027 notice will confirm the link). It has four parts:

1. Account creation on the portal.
2. Universal Registration: creates your Universal Registration Number (URN), registered "only once in lifetime" and used for every UPSC exam.
3. Common Application Form (CAF): your personal, education and category details, photo, a live photo captured on the spot and three signatures on one sheet.
4. Examination-specific module: filled only while the notice is open, with fee and centre choice. This generates the Application Number for that exam.

The first three modules "can be filled anytime", so finish them before 13 January 2027. UPSC advises using Aadhaar as your ID. After you submit, you cannot withdraw or correct the form.

Exam centres for Gujarat candidates

In the CSE 2026 notice, Gujarat had three prelim centres: Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat. For the main exam, Ahmedabad was the only centre in the state. Centres are allotted "first-apply-first-allot" up to a cap, so apply early.

How to plan your UPSC 2027 preparation around these dates

• Until 12 January 2027: finish account creation, the URN and the CAF on the portal; collect your Class 10 certificate, degree or final-year proof and category certificate.
• 13 January to 2 February 2027: apply as soon as the notice is out, so that you get a nearby centre.
• 23 May 2027: prelims. In 2026, 13,343 candidates qualified for the mains, per the CSP 2026 result note, against 14,161 the year before.
• About 20 August 2027: mains. In 2026, qualified candidates had a window from 19 to 28 June to pay the ₹200 mains fee and fill cadre preferences, and missing it meant no admit card.

Weighing a teaching route too? See our UGC NET December 2026 guide. School students can start with our career guidance for Class 10 and 12.