UPSC Adds New Exam Centres to Ease Civil Services Preliminary Exam Rush

According to UPSC, nearly 23,000 candidates have opted for these newly established centres, helping ease pressure on adjoining cities that previously handled large examination volumes.

In a major step aimed at making the Civil Services Examination process more accessible and candidate-friendly, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced three new examination centres at Bhubaneswar, Kanpur and Meerut for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026.

With the addition of these new centres, the total number of examination centres for the prestigious national-level examination has increased from 80 to 83. The move is expected to significantly reduce congestion at existing centres and provide greater convenience to thousands of aspirants appearing for the examination across the country.

According to UPSC, nearly 23,000 candidates have opted for these newly established centres, helping ease pressure on adjoining cities that previously handled large examination volumes.

UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar said the initiative reflects the Commission's continued efforts to make the examination process more efficient, inclusive and accessible for aspirants from different regions of the country.

He stated that the addition of new centres is intended to reduce overcrowding, minimize travel difficulties and improve the overall examination experience for candidates. He also emphasized the Commission's focus on inclusivity, particularly for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), by ensuring that candidates receive their preferred examination centres whenever possible.

The newly introduced Bhubaneswar centre has significantly reduced the burden on the nearby Cuttack examination centre. UPSC officials informed that Bhubaneswar alone received 10,656 applications for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026, indicating strong demand from candidates in Odisha and neighbouring regions.

Similarly, the newly created Kanpur centre has helped reduce the heavy load traditionally handled by Lucknow. The Kanpur centre received 6,938 applications, offering greater convenience to candidates from central Uttar Pradesh and nearby districts.

In western Uttar Pradesh, the introduction of the Meerut examination centre has benefited aspirants from surrounding regions who earlier depended largely on Ghaziabad and Delhi-area centres. The newly established Meerut centre received 5,902 applications, reflecting the growing demand for examination infrastructure in the region.

The Commission also highlighted its strengthened commitment toward accessibility and inclusion for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. Under a revised mechanism introduced by UPSC, PwBD candidates are being allotted examination centres of their preference even if additional infrastructure or expanded capacity needs to be created.

As a result of this initiative, nearly 805 PwBD candidates were allotted their preferred centres in the Delhi region alone, marking a significant improvement in accessibility arrangements for differently-abled aspirants.

Officials stated that the move aligns with the Commission's broader efforts to remove both physical and geographical barriers that candidates may face during the examination process.

The UPSC has received a total of 8,19,372 applications this year for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026, once again highlighting the enormous scale and competitiveness of one of India's most prestigious recruitment examinations.

To further improve planning and examination infrastructure in future years, the Commission also introduced a new dropdown option in the online application form allowing candidates to indicate preferred nearby cities for examination centres.

According to UPSC, the information gathered through this exercise will help identify emerging demand patterns and feasible locations for establishing additional examination centres in future examination cycles.

Officials explained that the survey-based approach will support data-driven decision-making and help the Commission better align examination infrastructure with regional candidate requirements.

The Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC is among the country's most competitive examinations and serves as the gateway for recruitment into elite services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and several other central civil services.

Experts have welcomed the addition of new centres, stating that reducing travel stress and overcrowding can positively impact candidates' examination experience and overall accessibility, especially for aspirants from smaller cities and semi-urban regions.

The latest initiatives reflect UPSC's ongoing efforts to modernize examination administration while maintaining the highest standards of transparency, fairness and integrity in the recruitment process.