| Conducting body | Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, District Commandant, Home Guards, Finance Officer / Treasury Officer, Assistant Director / Audit Officer (Finance), Assistant Commissioner, State Tax, Assistant Municipal Commissioner / Executive Officer, Block Development Officer, Deputy Education Officer / Staff Officer / Law Officer (School Education), Assistant Labour Commissioner, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, State Tax Officer, Other Group B posts listed in the advertisement |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts. Some posts ask for more: a commerce degree or CA for Assistant Director/Audit Officer, a postgraduate degree for Deputy Education Officer, a degree in listed subjects for Assistant Labour Commissioner, a postgraduate degree in Sanskrit plus B.Ed for Assistant Director (Sanskrit Education), a mechanical or electrical engineering degree for Assistant Director (Factories/Boilers), an agriculture or horticulture degree for Nursery Development Officer, and a postgraduate degree in sociology or social work for Case Worker. |
| Age limit | 21–42 years on 1 July 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam (objective) → Main exam (written, descriptive) → Interview / personality test (150 marks) |
| Latest notification | Uttarakhand Combined State Civil/Upper Subordinate Services Exam 2026 advertisement (A-1/E-1/2026-27) · 67 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About UKPSC PCS
The PCS exam is how UKPSC recruits officers for Group B posts in the Uttarakhand government, such as Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police. The 2026 advertisement (A-1/E-1/2026-27) was published on 9 September 2026 for 67 vacancies across departments. Selection runs in three stages: an objective prelims, a written mains and an interview.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–42 years, counted on 1 July 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 5 years
- The SC, ST and OBC relaxation is for candidates of Uttarakhand's own reserved categories.
- Ex-servicemen and commissioned officers with at least five years of army service get up to five years, based on their length of service.
- Dependants of Uttarakhand freedom fighters get five years.
Qualification
A bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts. Some posts ask for more: a commerce degree or CA for Assistant Director/Audit Officer, a postgraduate degree for Deputy Education Officer, a degree in listed subjects for Assistant Labour Commissioner, a postgraduate degree in Sanskrit plus B.Ed for Assistant Director (Sanskrit Education), a mechanical or electrical engineering degree for Assistant Director (Factories/Boilers), an agriculture or horticulture degree for Nursery Development Officer, and a postgraduate degree in sociology or social work for Case Worker.
Other conditions
- Reservation benefits apply only to candidates domiciled in Uttarakhand.
- Some posts have minimum physical standards set out in the advertisement.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam (objective)
- Main exam (written, descriptive)
- Interview / personality test (150 marks)
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: One-fourth of the question's marks for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: General Studies | 150 | 150 |
| Paper 2: General Aptitude Test (qualifying, 33% needed) | 100 | 150 |
Main exam
Mode: Written (descriptive) · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| General Hindi (35% minimum needed) | 150 |
| Essay | 150 |
| General Studies I: heritage, culture, history and geography | 200 |
| General Studies II: governance, Constitution, polity, social justice, international relations | 200 |
| General Studies III: technology, economy, environment, security, disaster management | 200 |
| General Studies IV: ethics, integrity and aptitude | 200 |
| General Studies V: knowledge of Uttarakhand | 200 |
| General Studies VI: knowledge of Uttarakhand | 200 |
UKPSC PCS syllabus
Prelims Paper 1: General Studies
- Indian history, culture and national movement, plus the history and culture of Uttarakhand
- Indian and world geography, including the geography of Uttarakhand
- Indian polity and the political system of Uttarakhand
- Economic and social development
- General science and technology, including Uttarakhand's natural resources
- Current events of state, national and international importance
Prelims Paper 2: General Aptitude Test
- Unit 1 (80 questions, 120 marks): analogies, syllogisms, coding-decoding, logical reasoning, decision making, number series and data interpretation
- Unit 2 (20 questions, 30 marks): an English passage with grammar questions (7 questions) and a Hindi passage with grammar questions (13 questions)
Mains GS V and VI: Uttarakhand
- History from early dynasties to British rule, Tehri state and the separate state movement
- Popular movements such as Coolie Begar and Dola Palki
- Society, folk culture, fairs, festivals and dialects
- State politics, local government and public policy
- Geography, economy, public finance, disasters and human resources of the state
What they ask
Prelims Paper 1 has 150 one-mark questions in 2 hours, and the syllabus says at least a third of them will relate to Uttarakhand. Wrong answers cost a quarter of the question's marks. Paper 2 has 100 questions of 1.5 marks each; you only need 33% in it, and it does not count towards the prelims merit list. In the mains, two of the six GS papers are entirely on Uttarakhand, and you must score at least 35% in General Hindi.
How to prepare
- Build an Uttarakhand file early: history, movements, geography, economy and schemes feed a third of prelims Paper 1 and two full mains papers.
- Practise Paper 2 enough to clear 33% comfortably, since failing it cancels a good Paper 1 score.
- Guess carefully in the prelims, because each wrong answer costs a quarter of the question's marks.
- Start General Hindi and essay practice before the prelims result, as the Hindi paper has a 35% minimum.
- Revise GS units with daily topic-wise quizzes on the free Improvam app.
Practise UKPSC PCS syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Previous papers and answer keys
UKPSC PCS FAQs
You must be between 21 and 42 years old on 1 July 2026. Uttarakhand SC, ST and OBC candidates get five extra years.
Sources
- UKPSC Combined State Civil/Upper Subordinate Services Exam 2026 advertisement ↗ (official, checked )
- UKPSC notice on the PCS 2026 application dates ↗ (official, checked )
- UKPSC recruitment notifications page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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