There is no UPSC application open today, 20 October 2026. The last two advertisements of this cycle closed earlier this month.
But the next UPSC notification is six weeks away, and it is one of the biggest ones of the year for anyone who has just finished Class 12 or just finished a degree.
On 2 December 2026, UPSC releases two notifications on the same day — CDS (I) 2027 and NDA & NA (I) 2027. Both close on 22 December 2026. Both exams are held on 11 April 2027.
Then on 13 January 2027 comes the one everybody knows: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2027, closing 2 February, with the Prelims on 23 May 2027.
UPSC published this calendar on 20 May 2026, which means you have had the dates for months and you have six weeks of warning on the next one. Almost nobody uses that. Below is the full calendar, who each exam is actually for, and the specific things worth doing before 2 December.
UPSC Exam Calendar 2027 — every date
| # | Examination | Notification | Last date | Exam date | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering Services (Preliminary) 2027 | 2 Sep 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 | 31 Jan 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 2 | Combined Defence Services (I) 2027 | 2 Dec 2026 | 22 Dec 2026 | 11 Apr 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 3 | NDA & Naval Academy (I) 2027 | 2 Dec 2026 | 22 Dec 2026 | 11 Apr 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 4 | Civil Services (Preliminary) 2027 | 13 Jan 2027 | 2 Feb 2027 | 23 May 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 5 | Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) 2027, through CS(P) 2027 | 13 Jan 2027 | 2 Feb 2027 | 23 May 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 6 | Combined Medical Services 2027 | 10 Feb 2027 | 2 Mar 2027 | 18 Jul 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 7 | Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) 2027 | 10 Feb 2027 | 2 Mar 2027 | 4 Jul 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 8 | Combined Defence Services (II) 2027 | 28 Jul 2027 | 17 Aug 2027 | 19 Sep 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 9 | NDA & Naval Academy (II) 2027 | 28 Jul 2027 | 17 Aug 2027 | 19 Sep 2027 (Sun) | 1 |
| 10 | Civil Services (Main) 2027 | — | — | 20 Aug 2027 (Fri) | 5 |
| 11 | Indian Forest Service (Main) 2027 | — | — | 21 Nov 2027 (Sat) | Multiple |
Engineering Services (Preliminary) 2027 at number 1 has already closed — the window was 2 to 22 September 2026. If you are an engineering graduate who missed it, the next ESE cycle is a year away, and the CAPF Assistant Commandant notification on 10 February 2027 is the nearest alternative for you.
Everything from number 2 onwards is still ahead of you.
Which UPSC exam is actually for you
This is where most people waste a year. They prepare for Civil Services because that is the exam everybody talks about, when a different UPSC exam fits their qualification and age far better and has a fraction of the competition.
| If you are… | Your exam | Next notification |
|---|---|---|
| In Class 12 or just passed, aged 16½ to 19½, unmarried | NDA & NA | 2 Dec 2026 |
| A graduate aged 19 to 25 who wants to be an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force | CDS | 2 Dec 2026 |
| A graduate aged 21 to 32 aiming at IAS, IPS, IFS or the central services | Civil Services | 13 Jan 2027 |
| A graduate interested in forestry, with a science or engineering background | Indian Forest Service, via the same CSE Prelims | 13 Jan 2027 |
| An MBBS doctor looking for a central government posting | Combined Medical Services | 10 Feb 2027 |
| A graduate aged 20 to 25 who wants a uniformed Group A post in BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP or SSB | CAPF Assistant Commandant | 10 Feb 2027 |
| An engineering graduate aiming at Indian Railways, CPWD, CWC or MES as a Group A engineer | Engineering Services | Closed for 2027 — wait for the 2028 cycle |
A point worth sitting with. CAPF Assistant Commandant is a Group A central service with a starting pay level of 10, the same entry level as many CSE-recruited services, and it takes a few hundred candidates from an applicant pool a tiny fraction the size of CSE's. It is one exam, one interview, one medical. If a uniformed career appeals to you at all and you are under 25, that February notification deserves more of your attention than it usually gets.
The next one: CDS (I) and NDA (I) 2027, both out on 2 December
Six weeks. Here is what each one is.
NDA & Naval Academy (I) 2027
This is the Class 12 route to becoming a commissioned officer. You join the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla or the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, do three years of training with a degree at the end, then your service-specific academy, and you are commissioned as a Lieutenant or equivalent in your early twenties.
| Qualification — Army wing | Class 12 pass, any stream |
| Qualification — Air Force, Navy and the 10+2 Cadet Entry Naval Scheme | Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
| Age | 16½ to 19½ years. The exact date-of-birth window is printed in the notification |
| Marital status | Unmarried |
| Written exam | Mathematics 300 marks and General Ability Test 600 marks, 2½ hours each, 900 total |
| Then | SSB interview, 900 marks, over five days |
Two things about NDA that candidates consistently get wrong.
First, the General Ability Test is 600 of the 900 marks — two-thirds. Everyone prepares Mathematics because it feels like the hard paper. GAT is English plus General Knowledge covering physics, chemistry, general science, history, geography and current events, and it is where the paper is actually won.
Second, the SSB carries 900 marks, exactly equal to the written exam. A brilliant written score does not carry you through. The SSB is a five-day process and it eliminates most of the candidates who reach it. If you are serious about 11 April 2027, start working on the SSB side — fitness, group discussion, speaking without freezing — in December, not in June.
If you are in Class 12 right now, note the compatibility: the exam is on 11 April 2027, which in most boards falls right in the middle of or just after your board exams. Plan for that collision now.
Combined Defence Services (I) 2027
The graduate route to a commission, across four academies.
| Academy | Who | Age | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | Unmarried men | About 19 to 24 | Degree in any discipline |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Unmarried men | About 19 to 24 | Engineering degree |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | Unmarried men | About 20 to 24 | Degree with Physics and Mathematics at Class 12, or an engineering degree |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai | Men and women | About 19 to 25 | Degree in any discipline |
The exact age brackets and date-of-birth windows differ slightly by academy and are printed in the notification. Treat the above as the shape of it, and confirm from the notification on 2 December.
The OTA line is the one to notice if you are a woman graduate. It is the only CDS entry open to women, it accepts a degree in any discipline, and the written exam for OTA is only two papers — English 100 marks and General Knowledge 100 marks — with no Mathematics paper at all. For IMA, INA and AFA there are three papers of 100 marks each including Elementary Mathematics. There is a one-third negative marking across the board.
So a woman arts or commerce graduate aged 19 to 25 has a genuine, two-paper, no-maths route to an Army commission, and most never hear about it.
Civil Services 2027 — 13 January notification, 23 May Prelims
You have roughly seven months from today to the Prelims. That is tight for a first-time candidate starting from zero and entirely workable for someone who has done a year of reading.
| Notification | 13 January 2027 |
| Last date to apply | 2 February 2027 |
| Prelims | 23 May 2027 (Sunday) |
| Mains | From 20 August 2027, over 5 days |
| IFS Mains | 21 November 2027 |
| Age | 21 to 32 years, with relaxations — 3 years OBC, 5 years SC and ST, 10 years PwBD |
| Qualification | Degree in any discipline. Final-year students may apply and produce proof of passing at the Mains stage |
| Attempts | 6 for General and EWS, 9 for OBC, unlimited up to the age limit for SC and ST |
The Prelims is two papers of 200 marks each. General Studies Paper I decides your merit. Paper II, the CSAT, is only qualifying at 33 per cent — but failing it cancels your Paper I score entirely. Every year a number of candidates with excellent GS scores are eliminated because they ignored CSAT. There is a one-third negative marking in both papers.
A note on the IFS line in the table. Indian Forest Service candidates write the same Prelims as Civil Services and indicate their choice in the application form. If you have a science, agriculture, veterinary or engineering degree, you can be considered for both from one Prelims attempt. It costs you nothing extra and roughly doubles your chance of converting the same preparation into a service. Tick the box.
The Prelims date of 23 May 2027 is also worth noting against the Mains date of 20 August 2027. That is under three months between results and Mains. Candidates who begin Mains answer writing only after the Prelims result consistently run out of time. If 2027 is your attempt, your Mains optional should be chosen and started well before May.
What to do in the next six weeks
Register on upsconline.gov.in now
UPSC uses a One Time Registration system on its online application portal. Your name, father's name, date of birth and qualification details must match your certificates exactly. Create it now, while nothing is open and the server is idle, rather than on the last day of a December window.
Get your photograph and signature to specification
UPSC has been strict about the photograph in recent cycles, including a requirement that it be recent and carry the date on which it was taken. Get a fresh one this week and save it, with a signature scan, where you can find it in thirty seconds.
If you are going for NDA or CDS, start the physical side today
This is the advice that actually changes outcomes. The SSB and the medical examination eliminate far more defence candidates than the written exam does, and neither can be fixed in a fortnight. Begin running. Get your eyes tested against the vision standards for your chosen entry. Check your height and weight against the published tables. Dental problems, flat foot, knock knees, and vision below standard are routine rejections, and several of them are correctable with months of notice and not with weeks.
Decide between NDA and CDS if you are eligible for both
A candidate who is 19 and in the first year of a degree may be eligible for NDA on age and for CDS later. Both notifications appear on 2 December and both exams are on 11 April 2027, which means you cannot sit both. Work out which one you are actually eligible for, and if it is both, choose on age — NDA if you still have the age window, since it commissions you younger, with CDS as the fallback in a later cycle.
Problems candidates hit — and what to do
"Is any UPSC form open right now?"
No. Nothing is open as on 20 October 2026. The next notifications are CDS (I) and NDA (I) on 2 December 2026.
"I missed Engineering Services 2027. What now?"
ESE Prelims 2027 closed on 22 September 2026 and the exam is on 31 January 2027. There is no reopening. Your nearest alternatives in this calendar are CAPF Assistant Commandant, notified 10 February 2027, and Civil Services, notified 13 January 2027 — an engineering degree qualifies you for both.
"NDA and CDS are both on 11 April. Can I write both?"
No. They are the same date. Pick one.
"I am a woman graduate. Can I apply for CDS?"
Yes, for the Officers Training Academy entry. It is the only CDS academy open to women, it accepts any degree, and the written exam is just English and General Knowledge with no Mathematics paper.
"I am in my final year of a degree. Can I apply for Civil Services 2027?"
Yes. You may appear for the Prelims and produce proof of passing at the Mains application stage. Confirm the exact wording in the 13 January notification, since this provision is stated there each year.
"Will these dates change?"
They can. UPSC publishes the calendar as a programme and has revised dates in past years, usually by issuing a revised calendar. It is far more reliable than most recruitment calendars in India, but the governing document is always the individual examination notification, not the calendar.
"Where do I download the official calendar?"
From the link in this article. We have mirrored the official UPSC Calendar 2027 PDF on our own server so it downloads even when upsc.gov.in is slow or unreachable.
"I am 32 this year. Is 2027 my last CSE attempt?"
Possibly, and possibly not — the age is reckoned as on 1 August of the examination year, and your category relaxation applies on top. Work it out precisely against that date rather than against today, and if 2027 is your last attempt, note the CAPF notification on 10 February as well, since its own age limit runs differently.
"Six weeks is not enough to prepare for NDA."
Six weeks is not for preparing the exam. It is for getting registered, getting your photograph and documents right, and starting the running and the medical checks. The exam itself is on 11 April 2027, which is nearly six months away. Those are two different clocks and people confuse them every year.
Dates to put in your phone right now
- 2 December 2026 — CDS (I) and NDA (I) 2027 notifications release
- 22 December 2026 — last date for both
- 13 January 2027 — Civil Services and IFS 2027 notification
- 2 February 2027 — last date for CSE and IFS
- 10 February 2027 — CMS and CAPF Assistant Commandant notifications
- 2 March 2027 — last date for CMS and CAPF
- 11 April 2027 — NDA (I) and CDS (I) exam
- 23 May 2027 — Civil Services Prelims
- 20 August 2027 — Civil Services Mains begins
We will publish the full notification breakdown for each of these on the day it releases, with the official PDF mirrored here so you are not fighting a loaded server on day one.