If you're a BSc Nursing or GNM graduate in Uttar Pradesh looking at a stable government health job, NHM UP CHO is one post you can't skip. It's not glamorous like a doctor's job, but it comes with real responsibility, a government pay structure, and a posting close to home in most cases.
This post covers everything you need before you fill the form: eligibility, the exam, the syllabus, salary, and how to actually prepare for it without wasting months. Let's get into it.
Latest notification and important dates
As of July 2026, there is no fresh official NHM UP CHO notification live on upnrhm.gov.in. Several aggregator sites are talking about an "upcoming" 2026 cycle with around 4,000 posts, but that figure is not backed by an official advertisement yet. Treat any 2026 vacancy number you read online as a rumour until UP NHM publishes a PDF notification.
The table below uses the last confirmed cycle (2024) as your reference point, since that's the most recent real notification with verified numbers.
| Event | Date (2024 cycle - reference) |
|---|---|
| Notification released | October 2024 |
| Online registration starts | 28 October 2024 |
| Last date to apply | 17 November 2024 |
| Age reckoning date | 17 December 2024 |
| Admit card | Released before exam (site notice) |
| Exam date | Announced separately by NHM UP |
| Result / merit list | After exam, on upnrhm.gov.in |
| 2026 cycle | Not yet notified (tentative, watch official site) |
Keep checking Pareeksha exam news so you don't miss the actual 2026 advertisement when it drops. When it does, the pattern, fee structure and process are unlikely to change much from the 2024 cycle.
What the job actually is
A Community Health Officer is posted at a Health and Wellness Centre (HWC), which used to be called a sub-centre. You're the first point of contact for a village or a cluster of villages. Your day involves screening patients for common diseases like diabetes, hypertension and TB, running maternal and child health checkups, managing basic medicines, coordinating with ASHA workers and ANMs, and reporting data into government health portals.
It's mid-level clinical work, not just paperwork. You'll do blood pressure checks, sugar tests, antenatal visits, immunisation follow-ups, and health awareness camps. If someone needs a doctor, you refer them up. It's a job that puts you in direct contact with people every single day, which some candidates love and others find exhausting. Know what you're signing up for.
Vacancy details / post breakdown
The 2024 cycle had 7,401 posts, split roughly as:
| Category | Approx. Vacancies |
|---|---|
| UR | 2,960 |
| EWS | 740 |
| OBC | 1,998 |
| SC | 1,555 |
| ST | 148 |
| Total | 7,401 |
The exact 2026 number will only be confirmed once the official notice comes out. Given how UP NHM keeps refilling HWC posts every year or two, a fresh cycle with a few thousand vacancies is realistic.
Eligibility
Age limit (as per the 2024 cycle):
- Minimum: 21 years
- Maximum: 40 years
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | Usually 3 years |
| SC/ST | Usually 5 years |
| PwD | Additional relaxation as per UP government rules |
| Women (UP domicile) | Relaxation as per state norms |
Note: exact relaxation figures are confirmed only in the official notification, so don't lock in a number until you see the PDF.
Educational qualification: You need a B.Sc. (Nursing) or Post Basic B.Sc. (Nursing), with a Certificate in Community Health for Nurses (CCHN) integrated into the course, from a recognised nursing council. GNM candidates with the CCHN certificate have also been eligible in past cycles. Check the latest notification for exact wording, because this eligibility criterion has shifted slightly between cycles.
Domicile: UP domicile is generally required or preferred. Some cycles have allowed all-India candidates for a portion of seats, so read the fine print each time.
Registration: A valid nursing council registration is compulsory. Don't apply without it.
Application process, fee, and how to apply
Good news here: the 2024 cycle had zero application fee for all categories. If that continues for 2026, it's one less thing to worry about.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| UR/OBC/EWS | Nil (as per 2024 cycle) |
| SC/ST/PwD | Nil (as per 2024 cycle) |
How to apply, step by step:
- Go to the official portal, www.upnrhm.gov.in, once the notification is live.
- Find the CHO recruitment link and read the full PDF notification carefully.
- Register with a working mobile number and email ID.
- Fill in your personal, educational and nursing council details.
- Upload photo, signature and required certificates.
- Review everything before final submission. There's usually no correction window, so don't rush this step.
- Take a printout of the confirmation page for your records.
Exam pattern
The selection process has three stages: Computer Based Test (CBT), Document Verification, and a Medical Fitness check.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge (Nursing) | 80 | 80 |
| General Aptitude, Reasoning, GK, Basic IT | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Duration is 2 hours. There's no negative marking, which is a relief compared to SSC-style exams. That means you should attempt every question, even the ones you're unsure about.
Detailed syllabus
Professional Knowledge (the bulk of your marks):
- Community Health Nursing – concepts, primary health care, health promotion
- Maternal and Child Health Nursing – antenatal, intranatal, postnatal care, newborn care
- Medical Surgical Nursing – common diseases, their management, basic emergency care
- Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases – TB, malaria, dengue, diabetes, hypertension
- National Health Programmes – RCH, NHM, Ayushman Bharat, immunisation schedule
- Nutrition and Dietetics – malnutrition, balanced diet, growth monitoring
- Environmental Hygiene and Sanitation
- Mental Health Nursing basics
- First Aid and Emergency Response
- Basic Anatomy and Physiology
- Health Education and Communication Skills
- Ward and Health Centre Administration
General Aptitude and Reasoning (20 marks):
- Quantitative: percentage, ratio, profit and loss, time and work, simple interest, mensuration
- Reasoning: coding-decoding, blood relations, series, analogies, direction sense
- General Awareness: current affairs, Indian geography, history, government schemes, static GK
- Computer Knowledge: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint basics, computer fundamentals, shortcuts
Since 80 of the 100 marks come from your nursing subject knowledge, that's where you should spend most of your prep time. Don't ignore the 20 general marks though, because in a no-negative-marking exam, every mark counts toward the merit list.
For the general section, use free UP-level practice sets and the Quantitative Aptitude guide and Reasoning guide to build speed. The General Awareness guide is useful for static GK and government scheme questions that show up often in this exam.
Salary, pay scale and career growth
CHOs are paid on a fixed contractual basis, not a regular pay-band scale. As per the 2024 cycle:
- Basic honorarium: around ₹20,500 per month
- Performance-linked incentive: up to ₹15,000 per month, based on targets achieved at your HWC
- In hand, most CHOs report earning somewhere between ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 monthly once incentives kick in, though this varies by centre performance
It's a contractual post, renewed periodically based on performance and government policy, not a permanent pensionable job like a state PSC post. Some CHOs later move into regular NHM cadre positions or use the experience to write PSC nursing exams for permanent government jobs. Think of it as a strong entry point into government health service, not necessarily a lifetime posting.
Previous year cut-off
Official category-wise cut-off marks for UP NHM CHO are usually published only after results are declared, and public archives for the exact 2021/2022/2024 numeric cut-offs are patchy. What is consistently published is the minimum qualifying percentage:
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|
| General/EWS | 33% |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 30% |
| SC/ST/PwD | 24% |
Actual merit cut-offs run higher than these minimums, since selection is competitive and depends on vacancy count and number of applicants each cycle. Don't aim for the bare minimum. Aim for 55-65% correct to be safely in contention.
Best books and preparation strategy
You don't need ten books for this. Stick to a focused list:
- Your BSc Nursing / GNM textbooks for Community Health Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, and Maternal-Child Health — these cover 80% of your syllabus already
- A standard general nursing competitive exam guide for CHO/staff nurse recruitment
- A basic quantitative aptitude and reasoning book for the 20-mark general section
- Static GK book for government schemes and current national health programmes
A simple month-wise plan if you have 2-3 months:
Month 1: Revise Community Health Nursing, MCH nursing, and National Health Programmes thoroughly. These topics repeat the most.
Month 2: Cover Medical Surgical Nursing, communicable diseases, nutrition, and first aid. Start daily practice of 20-25 general aptitude questions.
Month 3: Full-length mock tests every 2-3 days, error analysis, and revision of weak topics. Use free mock tests to simulate the real 100-question, 2-hour format so you're not caught off guard on exam day.
Follow a proper study plan instead of random studying. Structure beats motivation every time in a two-to-three-month prep window.
Common mistakes and honest advice
Most candidates who don't clear this exam make the same mistakes. They ignore their own nursing syllabus and instead over-focus on general knowledge, when it's the professional knowledge section that decides your fate. They also skip mock tests entirely and go into the exam without ever managing a 2-hour, 100-question paper under time pressure.
Another common issue: candidates apply without checking their nursing council registration status is active, and get stuck at document verification. Sort your registration paperwork early, don't leave it for the last week.
Also, don't wait for the "perfect" notification date to start studying. The syllabus for this exam barely changes between cycles. Start preparing now with the reference syllabus above, and you'll be ready the day the 2026 notification actually drops.
FAQ
Is there a 2026 NHM UP CHO notification out right now? No official notification was live as of July 2026. Aggregator sites are speculating about 4,000 posts, but wait for the official PDF from upnrhm.gov.in before trusting any number.
What is the eligibility for UP NHM CHO? B.Sc. (Nursing) or Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing with CCHN certification, or GNM with CCHN in some cycles, plus valid nursing council registration.
Is there an application fee? In the last confirmed cycle, there was no fee for any category.
What is the exam pattern? 100 objective questions, 2 hours, no negative marking. 80 marks from professional nursing knowledge, 20 from general aptitude and awareness.
What is the salary? Around ₹20,500 basic per month plus performance incentives up to ₹15,000, so in-hand pay is often ₹25,000-35,000.
Is this a permanent government job? No, it's a contractual post renewed based on performance, not a pensionable permanent job.
What is the age limit? In the last cycle it was 21 to 40 years, with standard category relaxations. Confirm exact numbers when the new notice releases.
Do I need UP domicile to apply? Generally yes, or preference is given to UP domicile candidates. Check the specific notification.
How many stages are there in selection? Three: Computer Based Test, Document Verification, and Medical Fitness Examination.
Where do I apply? Only through the official portal, www.upnrhm.gov.in, when the notification is active.
Final word
NHM UP CHO is a solid option if you have a nursing background and want to start your government career without a long wait for a permanent PSC post. The pay isn't huge, but the work is meaningful and the entry process isn't overly complicated once you have your papers in order.
Don't sit around waiting for the notification to start your prep. The syllabus is set, the pattern is known, and your nursing textbooks are already sitting on your shelf. Open them today. When the 2026 form comes out, you'll already have a head start over everyone who's just getting started. Keep an eye on exam guides and current affairs on Pareeksha so you're ready the moment it's live.
Related reads on Pareeksha
- UP Lekhpal recruitment guide
- UP Police Constable recruitment guide
- UPSSSC PET complete guide
- UP SI recruitment guide
Official sources to bookmark:
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