UP PET 2026 Notification: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Age Limit, Fee and Online Application Guide
The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) has released the notification for the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) 2026 — the single gateway exam every candidate must appear in before applying for UPSSSC Group C posts. If you are aiming for any UPSSSC recruitment such as Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, Forest Guard or the various technical Group C posts, PET is compulsory. There is no way around it, and the minimum qualification is just High School (Class 10) pass.
Registration opens on 3 August 2026 and closes on 1 September 2026, with a correction window running from 10 August to 8 September 2026. Your PET score stays valid for three years, which means one good attempt covers you for several recruitment cycles. This is easily the most important exam of the year for anyone chasing government jobs in Uttar Pradesh. Read this complete guide from GovtJobsAlert.in — we have covered the full syllabus, marks distribution and fee below.
Key Highlights — UPSSSC PET 2026
UPSSSC recruits for Group C posts across departments of the Uttar Pradesh Government. Since the introduction of the two-tier system, PET works as the first screening filter — you appear for PET, receive a score card, and then use that score to apply for the Main Examinations of individual posts as they are advertised. PET is now held every year, so a missed year is no longer a lost opportunity.
- Exam Name: Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) 2026
- Conducting Body: Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission
- Minimum Qualification: High School (Class 10) pass or equivalent
- Age Limit: 18 to 40 years as on 1 July 2026
- Exam Pattern: 100 questions, 100 marks, 2 hours
- Score Validity: 3 years from the date of result
- Last Date to Apply: 1 September 2026
UPSSSC PET 2026 Vacancy Details: Why There Is No Vacancy Count
This is the question we get asked most, so let us settle it clearly: PET 2026 has no vacancy number, and it is not supposed to have one.
PET is a preliminary screening and eligibility test, not a recruitment for any specific post. The notification does not advertise a single vacancy, because PET does not fill any position by itself. What it does is generate a normalised score card that you then use to apply for the Main Examination of whichever UPSSSC post is advertised later.
The notification also states plainly that appearing in PET or holding a score card gives you no claim to any post. Vacancy numbers appear only when UPSSSC advertises an individual recruitment — for example a Lekhpal or Junior Assistant notification — and at that stage your PET score decides whether you are shortlisted for the Main Exam.
If more than one of your PET scores is valid at the time of applying, you may use the highest valid normalised score.
Eligibility Criteria — UPSSSC PET 2026
Educational Qualification
The requirement is refreshingly low, which is exactly why PET draws lakhs of applicants every year. This is a genuine chance for anyone looking at 10th pass government jobs.
- High School (Class 10) pass or an equivalent qualification from a recognised board
- The qualification must be acquired before the last date of application submission
- Only the date of birth printed on your High School certificate is accepted by the Commission — no other document is entertained for age proof
Remember that the individual posts you later apply for will have their own, higher qualification requirements. PET only checks this minimum.
Age Limit
Age is calculated as on 1 July 2026.
| Category | Age Limit |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age (All Categories) | 18 years |
| Maximum Age (All Categories) | 40 years |
🎂 Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including SC / ST / OBC / PwBD age relaxation. →
Age relaxation is available as follows:
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| Persons with Disability | 15 years |
| Classified Sportspersons | 5 years |
| Uttar Pradesh State Employees | 5 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 3 years (after deducting the entire service period from actual age) |
One honest caution here: the notification states that SC, ST and OBC candidates get relaxation “as specified by the Government” without printing a number of years. We are not going to guess a figure — check the official notification and the Commission’s announcements for the exact relaxation applicable to you.
What is the Salary After Qualifying UPSSSC PET 2026?
PET itself carries no salary, because it is an eligibility test and not an appointment to any post. There is no stipend, no honorarium and no payment of any kind for appearing in or clearing PET.
Your salary depends entirely on which post you later apply for using your PET score:
- PET qualifies you to apply for Group C posts advertised by UPSSSC
- Each recruitment — Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, Forest Guard, technical posts and others — carries its own pay level under the Uttar Pradesh pay matrix
- The pay for a post is published in that post’s own Main Examination notification, not in the PET notification
Think of PET as the entry ticket. It does not pay you anything, but without it you cannot even apply for the posts that do.
So treat PET as an investment of one exam attempt that opens three years’ worth of recruitment opportunities.
UPSSSC PET 2026 Selection Process: Exam Pattern and Subject-Wise Syllabus
The paper is a single objective test with a clear, well-published marks distribution.
Exam Pattern
The exam has 100 objective multiple choice questions carrying 100 marks, to be completed in 2 hours. There is negative marking of one-fourth (¼) mark for every wrong answer. For the first nine subjects, the difficulty level is pegged at the Secondary and Senior Secondary standard prescribed by NCERT. The notification does not prescribe any minimum qualifying marks — PET produces a score, not a pass or fail.
If the number of applicants is very large and the exam has to be held across multiple shifts or days, the Commission applies its score normalisation process for fair comparative evaluation.
Subject-Wise Marks Distribution
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| Indian History | 5 |
| Indian National Movement | 5 |
| Geography | 5 |
| Indian Economy | 5 |
| Indian Constitution and Public Administration | 5 |
| General Science | 5 |
| Elementary Arithmetic | 5 |
| General Hindi | 5 |
| General English | 5 |
| Logic and Reasoning | 5 |
| Current Affairs | 10 |
| General Awareness | 10 |
| Unseen Hindi Passage — 2 passages, 5 questions each | 10 |
| Graph Interpretation — 2 graphs, 5 questions each | 10 |
| Table Interpretation — 2 tables, 5 questions each | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Notice where the marks are concentrated: Current Affairs, General Awareness and the three interpretation sections together carry 50 of the 100 marks. Many candidates over-prepare history and under-prepare graph and table interpretation, then lose easy marks. Practise those three interpretation sections seriously — they are scoring and purely skill-based. Our exam syllabus and pattern guides can help you structure your revision.
How to Apply Online for UPSSSC PET 2026
Before you begin, note the most important prerequisite: One Time Registration (OTR) is mandatory. You must complete your OTR and make any corrections to it before starting your PET registration, because once your PET registration number is generated, your mobile number is locked. If your OTR was created from a PET-2025 registration number, your name and date of birth are locked as well.
- Complete your One Time Registration on the UPSSSC portal if you have not already done so
- Verify your OTR details carefully — your mobile number is locked once registered, and if your OTR came from a PET-2025 registration number your name and date of birth are locked too
- Visit the official UPSSSC website and open the PET 2026 notification link (direct link in the Essential Links section below)
- Log in with your OTR credentials and fill in the PET application form
- Upload your scanned photograph and signature in the prescribed format
- Submit the form and note the 11-digit registration number on the Registration Slip
- Click “Proceed for Payment” and pay through credit card, debit card, net banking, UPI or SBI e-Challan
- Download and print the completed application — your application is treated as complete only after you do this
Only these payment modes are permitted — no other method is accepted. If you spot a mistake after submitting, the correction window stays open until 8 September 2026.
UPSSSC PET 2026 Important Dates: Complete Application Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Released | 1 August 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 3 August 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 1 September 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Deposit | 1 September 2026 |
| Application Correction Window Closes | 8 September 2026 |
| Age Reckoned As On | 1 July 2026 |
| Exam Date | To be announced |
| Admit Card Release | To be announced |
The Commission has stated that the exam date, time, district and centre will be communicated in due course through the admit card.
UPSSSC PET 2026 Application Fee — Category-Wise Details
The fee shown below is the total payable, including the ₹25 online processing charge applicable to every candidate.
| Category | Total Fee |
|---|---|
| General and OBC | ₹185 |
| SC | ₹95 |
| ST | ₹95 |
| PwD | ₹25 |
Payment can be made through credit card, debit card, net banking, UPI or SBI e-Challan. Note carefully that there is no separate fee concession for women — female candidates pay according to their own category, and the same applies to ex-servicemen, sportspersons and dependents of freedom fighters.
Essential Links — UPSSSC PET 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply Online for UPSSSC PET 2026
- Visit UPSSSC Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Uttar Pradesh Government Jobs Telegram Channel
If you are serious about a UPSSSC Group C job, PET is not optional — it is the door you must walk through first. One attempt, one score card, and three years of eligibility to apply for every post that comes out. Complete your OTR early, apply before 1 September 2026, and start practising graph and table interpretation from today. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more Uttar Pradesh government job updates and the upcoming exam calendar.