UPSC Prelims Registration 2026: Date, Steps to Apply and Fee Details

UPSC Prelims Registration 2026: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will start the registration process for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Prelims 2026 from January 14, 2026, on its website, upsconline.nic.in. The commission conducts the  UPSC CSE annually to recruit candidates for posts like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Candidates are required to ensure the eligibility criteria before applying. 

As per the official UPSC 2026 calendar, the last date to apply for the UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 is March 3, 2026. Candidates will have to register first at the One Time Registration (OTR) platform, available on the Commission’s website, then proceed to fill out the online application for the IAS Prelims exam 2026. This year, the UPSC CSE prelims exam is scheduled for May 24, 2026. Candidates can check the official UPSC calendar 2026 from upsc.gov.in.

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UPSC Prelims 2026 Registration Dates

Candidates can check the important dates related to the UPSC IAS prelims exam 2026 in the table below. 

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UPSC IAS Prelims Registration Process 2026

The registration process for UPSC IAS Prelims 2026 includes the following steps.

UPSC Prelims Exam 2026: Official website

Candidates can check the image of the UPSC’s official website given below.

How to Apply for UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026?

UPSC aspirants can follow the steps given below to fill out the UPSC IAS Prelims registration form 2026 online. 

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Commission, upsconline.nic.in

Step 2: Register yourself and then log in using the necessary credentials

Step 3: After this, fill out the UPSC IAS prelims registration form 2026 by using basic and personal details 

Step 4: Pay the online application fee (if required) and then upload the valid documents as asked

Step 5: Submit and save the application confirmation page for future use

Note - Candidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications after submission.

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UPSC CSE Prelims 2026: Application Fee

Aspirants are required to make the online payment of the UPSC IAS application fee 2026 at the time of registration. Female candidates and candidates belonging to SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability are exempted from the payment of the fee. Check the application fee details below. 

About UPSC Prelims Exam 2026 

The UPSC CSE preliminary examination comprises two compulsory papers of 200 marks each. Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions), and each will be of two hours' duration. The General Studies paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.