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Official calendar dates

UPSC Notification 2027 — Date, Calendar and How to Apply

The UPSC CSE 2027 notification is scheduled for 13 January 2027, with applications open until 2 February 2027 and the Prelims exam on 23 May 2027 — per the official UPSC Annual Calendar released 20 May 2026. Vacancies and cycle-specific eligibility arrive only with the notification itself.

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Prelims 2027 prep timeline

UPSC CSE 2027 calendar

Source: official UPSC Annual Calendar 2027, released 20 May 2026. The calendar notes that dates are liable to alteration.

EventDateNote
Notification and application start13 January 2027The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2027 notification releases and applications open.
Last date to apply2 February 2027The application window in recent cycles has run about three weeks from the notification.
Prelims exam23 May 2027 (Sunday)Both papers — GS Paper I and CSAT Paper II — are held on the same day.
Mains exam begins20 August 2027The Mains examination begins on this date and runs 5 days.

What the notification will contain

The examination notice is the single authoritative document for the cycle. Based on the structure of Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, expect:

Vacancies and services

The number of vacancies and the participating services. CSE 2026 notified 933 vacancies, including 33 reserved for PwBD candidates; 2027 figures come only with the notification.

Eligibility for the cycle

The age reference date (1 August 2027, if the standard rule repeats), category-wise age relaxations, attempt limits, and the degree requirement.

Scheme of the exam and syllabus

The two-paper Prelims structure, the one-third negative marking, the CSAT 33% qualifying rule, and the full Prelims and Mains syllabus.

Application procedure and centres

How to apply on the UPSC online portal, the fee and exemptions, photo/ID requirements, and the list of exam centres with their capacity rules.

How to apply, step by step

Application mechanics below follow the CSE 2026 notification; the 13 January 2027 notice will confirm them for the new cycle.

  1. Create your account, URN and Common Application Form

    The 2026 process uses upsconline.nic.in: create an account, obtain a Universal Registration Number (URN), and complete the Common Application Form (CAF). These modules can be prepared before the examination-specific application opens. Check the 2027 notice for any changes.

  2. Fill the application when the window opens

    The calendar schedules applications from 13 January 2027. Follow the 2027 notification when it is published. In 2026, applicants completed an examination-specific module with their fee and centre choices after the URN and CAF modules.

  3. Pay the fee (or claim exemption)

    The Prelims application fee was ₹100 in the CSE 2026 notification, with women, SC/ST, and PwBD candidates exempt. Expect the 2027 notification to confirm the figure.

  4. Submit before 2 February 2027

    Review every field before submitting. Section 2.1 of the 2026 notice did not allow withdrawal or corrections after submission. A URN profile update did not change applications already submitted. Do not assume a correction window for 2027; follow that year's notification.

Don't wait for the notification to start preparing

The notification arrives just over four months before the Prelims exam. The syllabus, the two-paper pattern, and the one-third negative marking have been stable for years — everything you need to prepare is already known.

Use the month-by-month 2027 timeline to plan backwards from 23 May 2027, and confirm you clear the eligibility rules before the window opens.

Official sources

Every date and figure on this page is cited to these UPSC documents:

Related UPSC Prelims resources

UPSC Prelims 2027

The month-by-month preparation timeline from now to the 23 May 2027 exam.

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UPSC eligibility criteria

Check age, attempts, nationality, and degree rules before the window opens.

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UPSC age limit

Category-wise age limits and the date-of-birth window the 2027 notification will set.

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UPSC Prelims syllabus

The GS Paper I and CSAT syllabus mapped to subject-wise practice.

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Frequently asked questions

When will the UPSC 2027 notification be released?
13 January 2027, per the official UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 released on 20 May 2026. Applications open the same day. The calendar notes that dates are liable to alteration.
What is the last date to apply for UPSC CSE 2027?
2 February 2027, per the official UPSC Annual Calendar 2027. The application window runs about three weeks from the 13 January notification.
Where is the UPSC notification released?
UPSC publishes the PDF examination notice on upsc.gov.in. The 2026 notice directs applicants to upsconline.nic.in for account creation, Universal Registration, the Common Application Form and the examination-specific module. The 2027 notice will confirm the process for that cycle.
How many vacancies will UPSC CSE 2027 have?
Vacancies for 2027 are announced only with the notification on 13 January 2027. For reference, the CSE 2026 notification announced 933 vacancies, including 33 reserved for PwBD candidates.
What is the UPSC application fee?
₹100 for the Preliminary Examination in the CSE 2026 notification, with women, SC/ST, and PwBD candidates exempt. The 2027 notification will confirm the fee for the next cycle.
When is UPSC Prelims 2027?
23 May 2027 (Sunday), per the official UPSC Annual Calendar 2027. The Mains examination begins 20 August 2027 and runs 5 days.
Can I prepare before the notification is out?
Yes — the syllabus and exam pattern have been stable for years, and the notification arrives only about four months before Prelims. Serious preparation for 23 May 2027 starts well before 13 January 2027.

130 days from notification to Prelims

The candidates who clear 2027 will already be practising today. Start with timed mocks, PYQs, and daily current affairs.

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