UPSC Exam Calendar 2027

UPSC Exam Calendar 2027 Out at upsc.gov.in: Complete Schedule for CSE, NDA, CDS, ESE, IFoS, IES, CMS, CAPF

Key Highlights

• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the Annual Calendar 2027 on 20 May 2026 — the official "Programme of Examinations to be held during the year 2027."
• Direct PDF: upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Calendar-Year-2027-Engl-200526.pdf.
• 15 major UPSC examinations are scheduled across 2027 — covering Civil Services, Defence Officer Entries (NDA, CDS, CAPF), Engineering Services, Indian Forest Service, Indian Economic Service / Indian Statistical Service, Combined Medical Services, and Combined Geo-Scientist.
• Key headline date: Civil Services Prelims 2027 on 23 May 2027 (Sunday).
• First exam of 2027: Combined Geo-Scientist Prelims on 10 January 2027 (notification 2 September 2026).

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the Annual Calendar 2027 on 20 May 2026 — the binding "Programme of Examinations to be held during the year 2027." This calendar is the single most important annual reference document for UPSC aspirants — it confirms the notification, application-closure, and exam dates for all 15 major UPSC recruitments and exams in 2027. This page presents the complete calendar in table form, walks through each major exam, and highlights the strategic implications for current candidates.

The full UPSC 2027 calendar

How to download the official UPSC Calendar 2027 PDF

1. Open upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Calendar-Year-2027-Engl-200526.pdf directly.
2. Alternatively, visit upsc.gov.in → Examinations → Exam Calendar → look for the entry dated 20/05/2026 — "Annual Calendar 2027" → click the PDF link.
3. Save the PDF — this is the binding document for all 2027 UPSC exam scheduling. Print and pin to your study area.

What each major UPSC exam in 2027 is

Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2027

• Prelims: 23 May 2027. Mains: 20 August 2027 (5-day descriptive exam).
• The flagship UPSC examination — selecting candidates for IAS, IFS, IPS, and ~24 Central Services.
• Notification: 13 January 2027.
• Application window: 13 January to 02 February 2027 (just 3 weeks).
• Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline; age 21-32 years (with category relaxations); Indian citizen (with limited exceptions for IFS only).

Indian Forest Service (IFoS) 2027

• Prelims (shared with CSE): 23 May 2027.
• Mains: 21 November 2027.
• Selects candidates for the Indian Forest Service — All-India Service for forestry, wildlife, and ecology administration.
• Eligibility: Graduate with at least one science subject (Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Zoology, or specified Engineering / Agriculture / Forestry degrees).

NDA & NA (I + II) 2027

• NDA-I: 11 April 2027 (notification 2 December 2026); NDA-II: 19 September 2027 (notification 12 May 2027).
• Selects candidates for the National Defence Academy (Army / Navy / Air Force cadet entry) and Indian Naval Academy — Officer entry via 3 years at NDA + 1 year at respective service academy.
• Eligibility: 16.5-19.5 years (unmarried male candidates), 10+2 from a recognised board (Class 12 appearing candidates can also apply).

CDS (I + II) 2027

• CDS-I: 11 April 2027 (notification 2 December 2026); CDS-II: 19 September 2027 (notification 12 May 2027).
• Selects candidates for IMA (Army), INA (Navy), AFA (Air Force) officer entries, and OTA (short-service commission).
• Eligibility: Graduate (degree-specific requirements per service); age 19-25 (varies by service entry).

Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2027

• Prelims: 31 January 2027 (notification 16 September 2026); Mains: 18 June 2027.
• Selects candidates for Engineering Services in central government technical cadres — Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Telecommunications.
• Eligibility: B.E./B.Tech in the relevant discipline; age 21-30 (with category relaxations).

Combined Medical Services (CMS) 2027

• Exam: 18 July 2027 (notification 3 March 2027; apply last 23 March 2027).
• Selects MBBS candidates for central health services (CGHS, Railway Medical, MCD Health Service, etc.).
• Eligibility: MBBS + completed internship; age limit 32 years.

IES / ISS 2027

• Exam: 18 June 2027 (notification 10 February 2027; apply last 02 March 2027).
• Indian Economic Service + Indian Statistical Service — central services for policy economists and statisticians.
• Eligibility: Master's degree in Economics / Applied Economics / Business Economics / Econometrics (for IES); or Statistics / Applied Statistics / Mathematical Statistics (for ISS); age 21-30.

CAPF AC 2027

• Exam: 4 July 2027 (notification 17 February 2027; apply last 9 March 2027).
• Central Armed Police Forces Assistant Commandant — Officer entry into BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB.
• Eligibility: Graduate; age 20-25; meets physical + medical standards.

Combined Geo-Scientist 2027

• Prelims: 10 January 2027 (notification 02 September 2026); Mains: 19 June 2027.
• Selects geoscientists for the Geological Survey of India + Central Ground Water Board.
• Eligibility: M.Sc. in Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Applied Geology, Mineral Exploration, or M.Tech / M.Sc. (Tech) in Hydrogeology.

Strategic implications for 2027 aspirants

For CSE aspirants

• Prelims is on 23 May 2027. From today (25 May 2026) you have exactly 12 months to prepare — a strong window if you start CSAT + GS-I-IV mock-test cycles now.
• The 3-week application window (13 Jan – 2 Feb 2027) is short — keep all documentation (Graduation certificate, photo, signature, ID proof) digitally ready by December 2026.
• The 23 May 2027 Prelims falls on a Sunday — the standard UPSC Prelims day.

For Defence aspirants

• NDA-I + CDS-I on the SAME day (11 April 2027) — candidates can choose between the two streams but not appear in both.
• NDA-II + CDS-II on the SAME day (19 September 2027) — same constraint.
• The earlier December 2026 notification means start systematic preparation by August-September 2026 for the April 2027 exams.

For Engineering aspirants

• ESE Prelims 31 January 2027 is one of the earliest 2027 exams — notification opens just 4 months from now (September 2026).
• Combined with ESE Mains on 18 June 2027, the engineering-services calendar is unusually tight — 8 weeks between Prelims result and Mains preparation window.

For Medical aspirants

• CMS on 18 July 2027 — relatively late in the year. Allows MBBS internship-completing candidates from the 2021-2026 batch to apply.

For CAPF aspirants

• CAPF AC on 4 July 2027 — the physical efficiency test following the written is the typical filter; start fitness conditioning at least 6 months before.

Where to track each exam separately

For dedicated coverage of the major upcoming exams, see:

• UPSC IAS / IFS Pre Admit Card 2026 — current cycle CSE coverage
• UPSC CDS-I Result 2026 — current cycle CDS coverage
• AFCAT vs NDA vs CDS — Defence Officer Routes — comparative defence guide
• Indian Army Agniveer CEE Admit Card 2026 — alternate defence route
• Indian Airforce Agniveer Vayu PSL List 2026 — alternate Air Force route

UPSC Exam Calendar 2027: हिंदी सारांश

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ने Annual Calendar 2027 — "Programme of Examinations to be held during the year 2027" को 20 मई 2026 को upsc.gov.in पर जारी कर दिया है। यह वार्षिक कैलेंडर 2027 की 15 प्रमुख UPSC परीक्षाओं की binding schedule है। Direct PDF: upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Calendar-Year-2027-Engl-200526.pdf पर डाउनलोड करें। 2027 की key tarikhें: Combined Geo-Scientist Prelims 10 जनवरी 2027; Engineering Services Prelims 31 जनवरी 2027; NDA-I + CDS-I 11 अप्रैल 2027 (एक ही दिन — दोनों में से एक चुनें); Civil Services Prelims + IFoS Prelims 23 मई 2027 (एक ही दिन और एक ही पेपर); IES/ISS 18 जून 2027; ESE Mains 18 जून 2027; Combined Geo-Scientist Mains 19 जून 2027; CAPF AC 4 जुलाई 2027; Combined Medical Services 18 जुलाई 2027; CSE Mains 20 अगस्त 2027 (5 दिन की descriptive exam); NDA-II + CDS-II 19 सितंबर 2027 (फिर एक ही दिन); IFoS Mains 21 नवंबर 2027। रणनीतिक निहितार्थ: CSE aspirants के लिए — आज (25 मई 2026) से Prelims (23 मई 2027) तक ठीक 12 महीने का window है; January 2027 की 3-हफ्ते की application window के लिए December 2026 तक सारे documents (graduation certificate, photo, signature, ID proof) digitally ready रखें। Defence aspirants के लिए — NDA-I/CDS-I और NDA-II/CDS-II दोनों pairs एक ही दिन हैं, इसलिए केवल एक चुन सकते हैं। Engineering aspirants के लिए — ESE Prelims से Mains तक केवल 8 हफ्ते का गैप, इसलिए integrated preparation रणनीति बनाएं। Medical (CMS) aspirants के लिए — 18 जुलाई 2027 तक का window MBBS internship-completing 2021-2026 batch के लिए perfect है।