The 2026 government-exam calendar is busy across every sector: SSC, UPSC, banking, railways, defence and teaching all run major recruitments through the year. Most big exams follow a predictable annual rhythm of notification, admit card, exam and result, even when exact dates shift. This guide maps the major exams to track in 2026 by sector with their usual timing, so you can plan rather than react. Exact dates always follow each body official notification, so treat the timing here as the usual pattern and confirm on the live exam pages, which we link throughout along with the on-site exam calendar you can subscribe to.
By Vishal Thakur, Senior Editor — Central Recruitment. Published 18 June 2026. Last verified 18 June 2026.
In short
- The 2026 government-exam calendar is busy across every sector: SSC, UPSC, banking, railways, defence and teaching all run major recruitments through the year.
- Most big exams follow a predictable annual rhythm — a notification, then admit cards, then the exam, then the result — even when exact dates shift.
- This guide maps the major exams to track in 2026 by sector, with the usual timing for each, so you can plan rather than react.
- Exact dates always follow each body's official notification; we link the live pages so you can confirm and set reminders.
If you are preparing for a government job, the hardest part is often just keeping track of what opens when. Dozens of recruiters run their own calendars, and a missed notification can cost you a full cycle. This roundup pulls the year together: the biggest exams across each sector, the windows in which they usually appear, and where to confirm the live dates. Treat the timing here as the usual pattern, not a promise — the only authority on a date is the official notification, which we link throughout.
How to use this calendar
Every recruitment moves through the same four stages, and tracking that cycle is the whole game:
- Notification — vacancies, eligibility and the application window are announced.
- Admit card — released a week or two before the exam.
- Exam — the test itself, sometimes in multiple tiers or shifts.
- Result — followed by document verification, medical or interview where applicable.
The simplest way to stay ahead is to let the dates come to you. Our government exam calendar collects application deadlines, exam dates and results in one place, and you can subscribe so the next date lands in your phone instead of you hunting for it.
SSC exams 2026
The Staff Selection Commission runs some of the highest-volume exams in the country. The ones to track:
- SSC CGL (graduate-level officer and assistant posts), SSC CHSL (12th-pass), SSC MTS, SSC GD Constable, SSC CPO (sub-inspector), SSC JE (junior engineer) and Stenographer.
- These are spread across the year, with notifications and tier-1 exams arriving in different quarters.
Browse every live SSC recruitment on the SSC jobs hub. If you are weighing SSC against other tracks, SSC versus banking versus railway compares them honestly.
UPSC exams 2026
The Union Public Service Commission's calendar is the most predictable of all, which helps long-range planning:
- Civil Services (IAS/IPS/IFS) — notification usually early in the year, Prelims around mid-year, Mains a few months later.
- CDS and NDA each run twice a year (a I and a II cycle).
- CAPF Assistant Commandant, Engineering Services (ESE) and the Indian Forest Service (through the CSE route) round out the year.
See current UPSC notifications and admit cards on the UPSC jobs hub. The differences between the top services are explained in IAS vs IPS vs IFS compared.
Banking exams 2026
Banking recruitment clusters in the second half of the year once the annual calendars are published:
- IBPS — RRB (officer and office assistant), PO and Clerk, plus Specialist Officer.
- SBI — PO and Clerk.
- RBI — Grade B and Assistant.
- NABARD and other financial institutions also recruit.
Track live banking notifications on the bank jobs hub. For pay context, bank PO salary breaks down what these roles actually pay.
Railway exams 2026
The railways run the single largest recruitment drives, and 2026 is no exception:
- RRB NTPC (graduate and undergraduate levels), RRB Group D, ALP, Technician and RRB JE.
- These appear as large, periodic drives rather than fixed monthly slots, so the notification is the trigger to watch.
All live railway recruitments are on the railway jobs hub. The popular comparison RRB NTPC graduate vs undergraduate helps you pick the right level.
Defence exams 2026
For aspirants targeting the armed forces:
- NDA and CDS (twice each, via UPSC), AFCAT (Air Force, usually twice a year), and Agniveer entries across Army, Navy and Air Force.
- The Navy and other services run their own technical and cadet entries through the year.
The defence jobs hub lists current openings. If you are considering the Agniveer route, Agniveer salary and what happens after four years lays out the package honestly.
Teaching exams 2026
Teaching recruitment is steady and spread across central and state bodies:
- CTET and UGC NET (UGC NET is usually held in June and December), KVS and NVS teaching posts, and a long list of state TETs such as UPTET and REET.
See live teaching notifications on the teaching jobs hub.
State PSC and police
Beyond the central bodies, every state runs its own Public Service Commission (UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC, MPSC and others) plus state police and SSSB recruitments. These follow their own calendars and often carry very large vacancies, so candidates focused on a home state should track the state commission directly alongside this central calendar.
How to never miss a 2026 date
Three habits keep you ahead of the cycle:
- Bookmark the calendar. The exam calendar shows what is closing, examining or releasing next, and you can subscribe to it.
- Plan by sector, not by panic. Knowing UPSC Prelims is mid-year or banking clusters late in the year lets you sequence preparation instead of cramming.
- Confirm every date at the source. Use this guide to know what is coming; use the official notification, linked on each exam page, to confirm when.
A final point worth keeping in view: the value of every one of these jobs is rising with the coming pay revision. If you want the financial backdrop to your preparation, what the 8th Pay Commission could change is the place to start.
Government Exams 2026: हिंदी सारांश
2026 का सरकारी परीक्षा कैलेंडर हर क्षेत्र में व्यस्त है — SSC, UPSC, बैंकिंग, रेलवे, रक्षा और शिक्षण सभी वर्षभर बड़ी भर्तियाँ करते हैं। अधिकांश बड़ी परीक्षाएँ एक निश्चित वार्षिक क्रम में चलती हैं — अधिसूचना, फिर एडमिट कार्ड, फिर परीक्षा, फिर परिणाम — भले ही तिथियाँ बदलती रहें। यहाँ दी गई समय-सीमा सामान्य प्रवृत्ति है, गारंटी नहीं; अंतिम तिथि हमेशा आधिकारिक अधिसूचना से ही तय होती है, जिसे हमने प्रत्येक हब पर जोड़ा है। सबसे आसान तरीका — हमारे परीक्षा कैलेंडर को सब्सक्राइब करें, ताकि अगली तिथि स्वयं आपके फ़ोन पर आ जाए। क्षेत्र के अनुसार योजना बनाएँ, घबराहट में नहीं — यही पूरे साल आगे रहने की कुंजी है।