Ultimate Government Exam Calendar 2026

Preparing for government exams requires meticulous planning. To help you stay on track, we have consolidated the official exam dates for the 2026-27 recruitment cycle from UPSC, SSC, IBPS, and Railways.

1. UPSC Exam Calendar 2026

The Union Public Service Commission has announced its major dates for the year. The Civil Services Prelims is the big highlight.

Examination	Prelims Date	Mains Date
UPSC CSE 2026	May 24, 2026	Aug 21, 2026
NDA & NA (I) 2026	April 12, 2026	-
CDS (I) 2026	April 12, 2026	-
CAPF (ACs) 2026	June 19, 2026	-

2. SSC Exam Schedule 2026

The Staff Selection Commission has optimized its schedule for 2026. Note that several notifications will be released in the first quarter.

• SSC CGL 2026: Tier-I window expected in May – June 2026.
• SSC CHSL 2026: Tier-I window expected in July – Sept 2026.
• SSC JE 2026: Tier-I exams in May – June 2026.

3. Banking (IBPS) 2026-27

IBPS maintains its consistent cycle. Prelims for PO and Clerk typically begin in the second half of the year.

• IBPS PO (CRP XVI): August 22 & 23, 2026.
• IBPS Clerk (CRP XVI): October 10 & 11, 2026.
• IBPS SO: August 29, 2026.

4. RRB Railway Exams 2026

Indian Railways is following an annual recruitment model to ensure regular job openings.

• RRB ALP (Loco Pilot): Notification in Jan-Feb 2026.
• RRB Technician: Exam window March 5 – 9, 2026.
• RRB NTPC (Graduate): Notification window July – Sept 2026.

Preparation Strategy for 2026

With both SSC CGL and UPSC Prelims falling in May 2026, many aspirants will face a overlapping schedule.

1. Prioritize Core Subjects: Math, Reasoning, and English are common across most exams.
2. Current Affairs: Start your daily news tracking from now, as most 2026 exams will cover news from May 2025 onwards.
3. Mock Tests: Use YourMockTest to simulate the exact environment of these upcoming CBT exams.

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Stay tuned for updates as official notifications are released!