UPSC Exam 2026 New Changes: The union Public Service Commission usually organizes many government exams for recruitment drives. CSE is one of the toughest competitive exams which is called Civil Service examination. In this examination thousands of candidates participate to get the opportunities like IAS, IPS and other Central Services group A recruitment. Usually, UPSC declares an important notification before commencement of the examination. These notifications consist of eligibility criteria, schedule of the application process, ending date of application process, application fees and selection process of the UPSC Civil Service examination.
The union Public Service Commission has introduced its notification however in this year the notification is updated with major changes and these are important changes that every aspirant should know before applying for the examination.
UPSC Exam 2026
In the early week of February 2026 UPSC has released the official notification of civil service examination and the Indian Forest Service examination notification. This notification clearly states that the application will start from 4th February and it will end on 24th February 2026. This notification clearly states that 933 posts will be filled through recruitment drills including IAS IPS IFS and other group A posts. For this recruitment UPSC will conduct Preliminary Mains and Interview process. However, in this notification many other important details have also been declared like eligibility changes, digital verification and new application process. These changes are very much necessary to curtail the fraud in the examination.
UPSC has done all these changes to streamline the application process and ensure the fairer exam environment. In this new pattern of UPSC examination many changes have also been included like new online Portal, New steps, biometric authentication and restriction on re-attempts.
UPSC Exam 2026 New Changes
New Four-Part Online Application System: The UPSC has completely redesigned its application portal. Yes, before that the online application portal was totally different and now UPSC has designed this portal with new digital authentication. In this system candidate have to follow 4 Time online form application process. First candidates have to create an account for this they have to register with an email and mobile number and create their own login. After creating an authenticated account candidates will get a Universal registration number that will be a permanent registration number and it will be used for future UPSC exams. After creating the permanent registration number, candidates can fill a common application form.
This common application form consists of all personal educational and category details of candidates. After this the candidate can fill an exam specific form. In this every exam has a different form. For this the candidate has to choose an optional subject, Exam Center and pay the application fee.
Mandatory live photograph capture in Adhaar verification
In new UPSC guidelines mandatory photograph and other verification is compulsory. This is one of the biggest changes made by UPSC in 2026, which shows identity proof is very necessary. Here the candidate has to upload the recent passport size photo and also have to capture a live photograph during the form filling procedure. It will ensure that the identification is verified and after uploading live photographs candidates have to complete Adhaar card verification. In this process other government IDs are also allowed.
Three-signature rule in UPSC Exam 2026
In this new regulation of UPSC candidates have to scan and upload 3 clear signatures which should be done on plain white paper, using black ink. Before this new rule, candidates usually have to upload a single signature. But now they have to enclose 3 clear signature scan copies with the application form. Candidates have to make sure that signature must be very clear and should follow the exact size and format which is specified by UPSC. Make sure that signature should not be blurred or incorrect otherwise the application could be rejected. No correction or withdrawal is allowed: Unlike previous years now candidates cannot make any corrections after the final submission.
Yes, in previous years UPSC used to allow the candidates to make Corrections and even withdrawal of the application form was possible but in 2026 the UPSC has changed all its important regulations. According to new rule, once the fee is paid no changes or the withdrawal are accepted. Now during the application process candidates have to be very much careful. They need to make sure that they are filling all the details correctly and uploading all the necessary documents without any mistakes. Mandatory face authentication at exam: One of the biggest new updates is Introduction of face authentication at Exam Center.
UPSC recently introduced the AI enabled facial recognition technology with the use of biometric. This face authentication will be done before the UPSC exam. In this authentication candidate face will be verified against the photograph provided during the registration and this step is mandatory before entering the examination Hall.
New Eligibility rules for UPSC Exam 2026
In 2026 UPSC has introduced the new eligibility rules which are as followers:
If the candidate has already been appointed as IAS or IFS then they cannot appear in CSE 2026 again. For appearing in this exam, they have to resign from past service. Candidates who qualified the preliminary and Mains exam but join the service before a later stage will also lose the eligibility. Earlier selected IPS officers who haven’t joined the training yet can compete for other service exams.
One time Improvement opportunity: In this new rule candidates are only allowed for one more attempt in CSE 2027 for improvement. Which means the candidates who are already allocated to IPS or other group A Services through CSE 2026 will only get one more single chance for improvement, only if they do take a special exemption from joining training. And if they get a better rank in 2027, they can choose which service to join
Other Important Changes in UPSC Exam 2026
As per the new UPSC regulated update candidates now have to update their URN profile once after registration. This is useful if there is genuine need to correct a permanent detail. This update will not change the previous submission of UPSC application form. This year the candidate will get the online admit card only, UPSC will not send admit cards by post or email. UPSC has incorporated some elements of the application form so candidates have to fill this carefully. In this year no withdrawal window will be available for candidates, only an added window available which is immediately after the deadline.
Before applying in this examination candidates need to go through the eligibility regarding age category and attempts count. This year the UPSC criteria and rules will be stricter than ever. strong verification of reservation certificates and each proof will be checked strictly this year. In short UPSC notification 2026 has brought structural and procedural changes in the application form. So, candidates need to be very much careful before filling this application form. There are no changes in exam pattern and stages, these will remain the same however is the application process eligibility criteria, reattempt conditions have become very much stricter.
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