UPSC CSE 2027 schedule out: Commission releases full calendar for the year; check here
The headline date: the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Preliminary Examination 2027 will be held on May 23, 2027
- May 21, 2026,
- Updated May 21, 2026 12:58 PM IST
The Union Public Service Commission has released its examination calendar for 2027, laying out a clear schedule for the country's most competitive recruitment cycle and giving candidates the head start they need to plan their preparation.
The headline date: the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Preliminary Examination 2027 will be held on May 23, 2027. The gateway to the IAS, IPS, IFS, and several central government administrative posts, the Prelims will be preceded by a notification on January 13, 2027, with the application window closing on February 2. The Indian Forest Service Preliminary Examination 2027 will also be conducted through the same paper.
Candidates who clear the Prelims will sit for the Civil Services (Main) Examination beginning August 20, 2027, running across five days.
Key dates at a glance
For defence aspirants, the NDA & NA (I) 2027 and CDS (I) 2027 notifications will both drop on December 2, 2026, with applications closing December 22. Both exams are scheduled for April 11, 2027. The second cycle — NDA & NA (II) and CDS (II), will be notified on May 12, 2027, with applications closing June 1 and both exams on September 19, 2027.
| Examination | Notification Date | Last Date to Apply | Exam Date |
| UPSC CSE Prelims 2027 | January 13, 2027 | February 2, 2027 | May 23, 2027 |
| UPSC CSE Mains 2027 | — | — | August 20, 2027 |
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 | December 2, 2026 | December 22, 2026 | April 11, 2027 |
| CDS (I) 2027 | December 2, 2026 | December 22, 2026 | April 11, 2027 |
| NDA & NA (II) 2027 | May 12, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | September 19, 2027 |
| CDS (II) 2027 | May 12, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | September 19, 2027 |
| Combined Geo-Scientist Prelims 2027 | September 2, 2026 | September 22, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Combined Geo-Scientist Mains 2027 | — | — | June 19, 2027 |
| Engineering Services Prelims 2027 | September 16, 2026 | October 6, 2026 | January 31, 2027 |
| Engineering Services Mains 2027 | — | — | June 18, 2027 |
| CBI (DSP) LDCE 2027 | December 16, 2026 | — | February 27, 2027 |
| CISF AC (EXE) LDCE 2027 | November 25, 2026 | — | March 14, 2027 |
Why the calendar matters
For most serious aspirants, the UPSC calendar is less a schedule and more a preparation blueprint. Fixed dates allow candidates to map out revision cycles, mock test windows, and subject-wise timelines months in advance. Coaching institutes, too, rely on it to align their programmes with the examination calendar.
The Union Public Service Commission has released its examination calendar for 2027, laying out a clear schedule for the country's most competitive recruitment cycle and giving candidates the head start they need to plan their preparation.
The headline date: the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Preliminary Examination 2027 will be held on May 23, 2027. The gateway to the IAS, IPS, IFS, and several central government administrative posts, the Prelims will be preceded by a notification on January 13, 2027, with the application window closing on February 2. The Indian Forest Service Preliminary Examination 2027 will also be conducted through the same paper.
Candidates who clear the Prelims will sit for the Civil Services (Main) Examination beginning August 20, 2027, running across five days.
Key dates at a glance
For defence aspirants, the NDA & NA (I) 2027 and CDS (I) 2027 notifications will both drop on December 2, 2026, with applications closing December 22. Both exams are scheduled for April 11, 2027. The second cycle — NDA & NA (II) and CDS (II), will be notified on May 12, 2027, with applications closing June 1 and both exams on September 19, 2027.
| Examination | Notification Date | Last Date to Apply | Exam Date |
| UPSC CSE Prelims 2027 | January 13, 2027 | February 2, 2027 | May 23, 2027 |
| UPSC CSE Mains 2027 | — | — | August 20, 2027 |
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 | December 2, 2026 | December 22, 2026 | April 11, 2027 |
| CDS (I) 2027 | December 2, 2026 | December 22, 2026 | April 11, 2027 |
| NDA & NA (II) 2027 | May 12, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | September 19, 2027 |
| CDS (II) 2027 | May 12, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | September 19, 2027 |
| Combined Geo-Scientist Prelims 2027 | September 2, 2026 | September 22, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Combined Geo-Scientist Mains 2027 | — | — | June 19, 2027 |
| Engineering Services Prelims 2027 | September 16, 2026 | October 6, 2026 | January 31, 2027 |
| Engineering Services Mains 2027 | — | — | June 18, 2027 |
| CBI (DSP) LDCE 2027 | December 16, 2026 | — | February 27, 2027 |
| CISF AC (EXE) LDCE 2027 | November 25, 2026 | — | March 14, 2027 |
Why the calendar matters
For most serious aspirants, the UPSC calendar is less a schedule and more a preparation blueprint. Fixed dates allow candidates to map out revision cycles, mock test windows, and subject-wise timelines months in advance. Coaching institutes, too, rely on it to align their programmes with the examination calendar.