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UPSSSC PET 2026 — Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility, Last Date

Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC), Lucknow  •  Uttar Pradesh

PET is the compulsory first stage for every UPSSSC Group C post, Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, VDO, Stenographer and the rest. One paper, 100 objective questions, 100 marks, two hours, with marks deducted for a wrong answer, pitched at NCERT school level rather than degree level. The score stays valid for three years, and where you hold more than one, the highest valid score is the one used. This page sets out the full syllabus subject by subject, the exam pattern, who can apply and the age relaxations, the fee, One Time Registration, the two separate deadlines, and the mistakes that cost candidates their candidature. Applications close on 1 September 2026.

What PET is, and why you cannot skip it

Since November 2020, Uttar Pradesh has used a two-stage system for every Group C post under UPSSSC. The Preliminary Eligibility Test is that first stage. Whatever post you are aiming for (Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, VDO, Stenographer, forest or revenue posts) you cannot even fill the main examination form without a valid PET score.

Understand clearly what PET does and does not do. It does not select you for anything. The notification states plainly that appearing in PET, or holding a score card, gives you no claim to selection against any post. What it does is decide whether you are allowed to sit the main examination, and your shortlisting there is based on your PET score.

The two deadlines: and the gap between them

Note the gap between those last two dates. Your form must be submitted by 1 September, but you get one further week, until 8 September, to correct permitted fields. After that the form is frozen, and the Commission has stated that no representation, online or offline, will be considered.

• Notification published: 01 August 2026
• Registration, application and fee payment open: 03 August 2026
• Last date to register, pay the fee and submit the form, 01 September 2026
• Last date to modify a submitted application: 08 September 2026

One Time Registration comes first

You cannot apply for PET 2026 directly. UPSSSC introduced One Time Registration so candidates need not re-enter basic details for every advertisement, and OTR must be completed before the PET form opens for you.

Some OTR fields cannot be changed later, and this is where candidates get stuck. If you completed OTR using your PET 2025 registration number, your name, date of birth and mobile number are locked permanently. If you are registering fresh, your mobile number is locked. Everything else can still be edited, but only before you generate your PET 2026 registration number. Once that number is issued, neither the OTR nor the application can be altered.

So check your OTR details carefully first. Fixing them afterwards is not possible.

Who can apply

The educational requirement is deliberately low, because PET is a gateway rather than a post: High School (Class 10) or equivalent, obtained before the last date of application.

Age is calculated as on 01 July 2026: you must have completed 18 years and not exceeded 40.

• SC, ST, OBC and other notified categories: relaxation as specified by the state government
• Classified sportspersons: 5 years
• Ex-servicemen: 3 years, after deducting the full period of service from actual age
• Persons with disabilities: 15 years
• Serving UP state government employees: 5 years

Exam pattern

One paper, 100 objective multiple-choice questions, 100 marks, two hours. Marks are deducted for every wrong answer, so answering blindly works against you.

Difficulty is pegged to NCERT secondary and senior secondary level, school standard, not degree standard. Candidates who prepare from advanced competitive material often over-prepare for the wrong depth.

If the number of applications is large, the exam runs across multiple shifts or days, and scores are then normalised for comparison. The Commission has said its decision on normalisation is final.

Syllabus

• Indian History: Indus Valley to the British period
• Indian National Movement: early years, Swadeshi and Civil Disobedience, revolutionary movements, Quit India, INA
• Geography: physical and political geography of India and the world, rivers, forests, minerals, climate, time zones, migration
• Indian Economy: 1947 to 1991, Five Year Plans, Green Revolution, bank nationalisation, 1991 reforms, GST, labour and agricultural reform
• Indian Constitution and Public Administration: features, Directive Principles, fundamental rights and duties, federal structure, judiciary, district administration, panchayati raj
• General Science: elementary physics, chemistry and biology
• Elementary Arithmetic: fractions, percentage, squares and square roots, exponents, averages
• General Hindi: sandhi, antonyms, synonyms, idioms, common errors, authors and works
• General English: grammar and unseen passage
• Logic and Reasoning: order and ranking, relations, odd one out, calendar and clock, cause and effect, coding-decoding, statement analysis
• General Awareness: neighbouring countries, capitals and currencies, states and union territories, Parliament, national and international days, world organisations, tourism, art and culture, sports, research organisations, books and authors, awards, climate and environment
• Comprehension: two unseen Hindi passages, two graphs and two tables for interpretation and analysis

Your score is valid for three years

The PET score remains effective for three years from the date the result is issued and uploaded to the Commission's website. PET is now held annually, which means you may hold more than one valid score at the same time.

When that happens the rule works in your favour: you may apply using the highest valid normalised score you hold, and your shortlisting for the main examination is done on that highest score. A weaker attempt in a later year does not replace a stronger earlier one while it is still valid.

Fee and payment

The fee is category-wise, made up of an application fee plus an online processing charge. Payment is accepted by credit card, debit card, internet banking, UPI, or SBI e-challan, and by no other method.

One provision is frequently misread. Dependants of freedom fighters, ex-servicemen, outstanding sportspersons and women candidates pay according to their own original category, being in one of those groups does not by itself reduce the fee.

If payment succeeds but the application does not appear, the amount has not been reconciled. Use "Update Your Transaction ID by Double Verification Mode" on the Commission's homepage before the last date. Your application is complete only once you have downloaded and printed the form.

Mistakes that cost candidates their candidature

One further point deserves attention. The UP Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 applies to this examination, and it provides for punishment extending to life imprisonment and a fine of up to one crore rupees. Impersonation and malpractice are no longer matters of mere debarment.

• Date of birth taken from any document other than the High School certificate. No other proof is accepted
• Assuming the fee deadline extends the submission deadline; both fall on 1 September
• Missing the correction window that closes on 8 September
• Submitting more than one application: only the last one submitted is accepted and the rest are cancelled
• Claiming extra age relaxation without recording the governing rule, order or court direction in the form
• Treating a PET score card as proof of selection; it is only an entry ticket to the main examination

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UPSSSC PET exam?

The Preliminary Eligibility Test is the first stage of the two-stage system Uttar Pradesh has used for every UPSSSC Group C post since November 2020. It selects you for nothing on its own, the notification says plainly that appearing in PET, or holding a score card, gives no claim to selection. What it does is decide whether you may sit the main examination for a post, and your shortlisting there is based on your PET score.

What is the PET syllabus?

Indian History; the Indian National Movement; Geography of India and the world; the Indian Economy from 1947 to 1991 and the 1991 reforms; the Constitution and Public Administration; General Science; Elementary Arithmetic; General Hindi; General English; Logic and Reasoning; General Awareness; and Comprehension, two unseen Hindi passages, two graphs and two tables. The subject-by-subject breakdown is on this page.

How many marks is PET, and is there negative marking?

One paper of 100 objective multiple-choice questions for 100 marks, in two hours. Yes, marks are deducted for every wrong answer, so guessing works against you. The difficulty is pegged to NCERT secondary and senior secondary level, which is school standard rather than degree standard; candidates preparing from advanced competitive material often over-prepare for the wrong depth.

How many years is a PET score valid?

Three years from the date the result is issued and uploaded to the Commission’s website. Because PET is now held annually you may hold more than one valid score at once, and the rule works in your favour: you may apply on the highest valid normalised score you hold, and a weaker later attempt does not replace a stronger earlier one while it is still valid.

Who can apply for UPSSSC PET 2026?

High School (Class 10) or equivalent, obtained before the last date of application, the requirement is deliberately low because PET is a gateway rather than a post. Age is calculated as on 01 July 2026: at least 18 and not more than 40. Relaxations are specified for SC, ST, OBC and other notified categories, classified sportspersons (5 years), ex-servicemen (3 years after deducting service), persons with disabilities (15 years), and serving UP state government employees (5 years).

Is the PET exam held every year?

Yes. PET is now held annually, which is why a candidate can hold more than one valid score at the same time. Each remains effective for three years from its result date.

What is the last date to apply for UPSSSC PET 2026?

Applications close on 1 September 2026, under Advertisement 01-Pariksha/2026. Note that there are two separate deadlines and a gap between them, and that One Time Registration has to be completed before the application can be started at all. Both are explained on this page.

⚠️ Please read the official notification carefully before applying. Dates and eligibility can be changed by the department at any time.

Last updated: 24 Aug 2026