If you grew up in a UP town or a village nearby, you've probably heard someone say "constable ki naukri lag gayi" like it's the biggest news of the year. It kind of is. Steady government pay, a uniform, respect in the family, and a job that doesn't move you 2000 km away from home. That's why lakhs of candidates fight for every UP Police Constable vacancy.
This year's cycle is already past the written exam stage and now sitting at document verification. If you're one of the candidates who cleared the paper, or you're planning for the next cycle, this post walks you through everything you need — dates, cut-off, syllabus, physical standards, salary, and how to actually prepare without wasting a year.
Latest notification and important dates
The 2026 cycle for 32,679 constable posts is now past the written exam. Here's where things stand and what's coming next. Dates marked "tentative" are not yet confirmed by the board (UPPRPB / UPPBPB) and can shift by a few days.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | December 2025 |
| Online application start | December 31, 2025 |
| Online application end | January 30, 2026 |
| Written exam (PBT) | June 8–10, 2026 (2 shifts/day) |
| Result of written exam | Declared, July 2026 |
| Document Verification & PST | Starts August 17, 2026 |
| Physical Efficiency Test (PET) | September 2026 (tentative) |
| Final result | To be announced |
If you missed this cycle, don't worry. UP Police runs constable recruitment fairly often given the size of the state force, and the next notification usually comes within a year or two of the last one closing. Keep checking exam news on Pareeksha so you don't miss the next window.
What the job actually is
A UP Police Constable is the person on the ground doing the actual policing — patrolling, manning police stations and check posts, controlling traffic, handling law and order during events and festivals, assisting in investigations, and responding to emergency calls. It's a physically demanding job with long and irregular hours, especially during election duty, VIP movement, or festival season like Kumbh and Kanwar Yatra.
Depending on which stream you're recruited into, your posting changes:
- Civil Police constables work in local police stations and thanas across districts.
- PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) constables handle law and order, riot control, and are often deployed on election and disaster duty.
- Special Security Force (SSF) guards sensitive government installations, courts, and airports.
- Women Battalion constables work in all-women units posted across the state.
- Mounted Police work with horses, mostly for ceremonial and crowd-control duty.
- Jail Warders guard and manage prisoners inside district and central jails.
Postings are anywhere in UP, and transfers happen over the course of your career. It's not a desk job. If you like fieldwork and don't mind irregular shifts, this fits. If you want a 9-to-5, this isn't it.
Vacancy details and post breakdown
This cycle's 32,679 posts are split as follows:
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Constable Civil Police | 10,469 |
| Constable PAC | 15,131 |
| Special Security Force | 1,341 |
| Women Battalion | 2,282 |
| Mounted Police | 71 |
| Jail Warder (Male) | 3,279 |
| Jail Warder (Female) | 106 |
Civil Police and PAC together make up the bulk of the seats, so most candidates are competing for those two categories.
Eligibility
Age limit
| Category | Minimum age | Maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 18 years | 25 years |
| Female | 18 years | 28 years |
Age relaxation on the upper limit (as per UP government rules, verify exact figures in the current notification):
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| Ex-servicemen | As per rules, usually service period + 3 years |
| Persons with disability | Up to 10 years (as applicable) |
Education
You need to have passed Class 12 (Intermediate) from a board recognised by the UP government or an equivalent board. No graduation is required, which is one reason this exam pulls in such a massive number of applicants every cycle.
Domicile
You must be a resident of Uttar Pradesh, with a valid domicile certificate.
Physical standards
| Category | Male height | Female height |
|---|---|---|
| General/OBC | 168 cm | 152 cm |
| SC/ST | 160 cm | 147 cm |
Chest measurement (male candidates only, general/OBC): around 79 cm unexpanded, 84 cm expanded. SC/ST candidates get roughly 2 cm relaxation on both. There's no chest requirement for female candidates. Always cross-check the exact figures in the current year's official notification since these can be revised slightly.
Application process and fee
The application is entirely online through the official UPPBPB portal.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General/OBC/EWS | ₹400 |
| SC/ST | Concession as per notification (check current cycle) |
| PwD | Concession as per notification |
Steps to apply:
- Go to the official website uppbpb.gov.in.
- Register with your basic details, mobile number, and email.
- Fill in the full application form — personal, educational, and category details.
- Upload photo, signature, and required documents.
- Pay the fee online.
- Submit and download the confirmation page for your records.
Keep scanned copies of your Class 10 and 12 marksheets, domicile certificate, and category certificate ready before you start filling the form. A rushed application with wrong details is the number one reason candidates get stuck at the correction window later.
Exam pattern
The written exam (PBT — Pen and Paper Based Test) is the first and biggest filter. Out of every applicant pool, only a fraction clears this stage.
| Section | Approx. questions | Approx. marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | ~38 | ~76 |
| General Hindi | ~37 | ~74 |
| Numerical & Mental Ability | ~38 | ~76 |
| Mental Aptitude / IQ / Reasoning | ~37 | ~74 |
| Total | 150 | 300 |
Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes). The exam is objective type, multiple choice, in Hindi. Negative marking rules have varied slightly across cycles, so confirm the exact deduction per wrong answer in your admit card instructions before exam day — don't guess and lose marks over a rumour.
After the written test, qualified candidates move to Document Verification (DV) and Physical Standard Test (PST), followed by the Physical Efficiency Test (PET), which is a running/timing-based test. There's no separate interview for constable posts — DV, PST, and PET decide your final merit along with the written score.
Detailed syllabus
General Knowledge Current affairs (national and UP-specific), Indian history (freedom movement focus), geography of India and UP, Indian polity and constitution, general science, sports, awards and honours, books and authors, important days, UP government schemes and culture. This section rewards daily reading more than rote learning, so make current affairs a daily habit rather than a last-week cram.
General Hindi Sandhi, Samas, Alankar, Ras, Chhand, Paryayvachi and Vilom shabd, Muhavare and Lokoktiyan, shudh ashudh vaakya, Hindi vyakaran basics, and comprehension passages. This is a scoring section if your Hindi grammar basics are solid from school.
Numerical and Mental Ability Number system, percentage, ratio and proportion, average, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, time and work, time and distance, mensuration, data interpretation, simplification. If maths scares you, start from NCERT Class 8-10 level and build up. The Quantitative Aptitude guide on Pareeksha breaks this down topic by topic with practice questions.
Mental Aptitude, IQ, and Reasoning Analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, statement and conclusion, non-verbal reasoning (figures and patterns), logical thinking. This is where a lot of candidates lose easy marks simply because they never practiced enough puzzles. The Reasoning guide covers each pattern with solved examples.
For general awareness that overlaps with GK, the General Awareness guide is a good companion resource.
Salary, pay scale, and career growth
A UP Police Constable is placed in Pay Level 3 of the state pay matrix, with a starting basic pay around ₹21,700 rising up to ₹69,100 over the years, plus Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance (if not provided quarters), and Travel Allowance. In-hand salary for a fresh recruit typically lands somewhere around ₹28,000 to ₹35,000 a month depending on posting city and allowances, and it climbs steadily with DA revisions and increments.
Career growth is real if you put in the years and clear departmental exams. A constable can be promoted to Head Constable, then Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Sub-Inspector (SI), and further up through seniority and departmental promotion exams. Many senior UP Police officers started their careers as constables decades ago. It's not a dead-end post — it's an entry point.
Previous cut-off and this year's numbers
For this 2026 cycle, 76,184 candidates cleared the written exam against 32,679 vacancies, which is about 2.33 times the seats, giving the board a healthy pool to shortlist through DV/PST/PET. The category-wise written exam cut-off (out of 300 marks) was:
| Category | Cut-off marks |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 258.04 |
| EWS | 247.93 |
| OBC | 251.63 |
| SC | 239.34 |
| ST | 220.11 |
| Women – General | 255.84 |
| Women – OBC | 247.94 |
| Women – SC | 236.32 |
| Women – ST | 211.48 |
These numbers tell you plainly: general category candidates needed to score close to 86% to clear the written stage this year. That's brutal, and it's only going to get more competitive as more candidates take the exam online-savvy and better prepared. Don't aim for "just clearing" — aim to comfortably beat last year's cut-off by 15-20 marks as a safety margin.
Best books and preparation strategy
You don't need twenty books. You need three or four good ones and consistent daily practice.
- General Knowledge: Lucent's General Knowledge, plus a daily newspaper habit (Hindi paper is fine, even better for this exam).
- Hindi: Lucent's Samanya Hindi or any standard Hindi grammar book used for competitive exams.
- Maths: R.S. Aggarwal's Quantitative Aptitude, alongside NCERT Class 8-10 for basics.
- Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal's Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
A rough month-wise plan if you're starting fresh:
- Month 1-2: Build basics in all four subjects. Don't skip weak topics, spend extra time there.
- Month 3-4: Move to full-length practice. Take free mock tests weekly and track your score trend, not just one good day.
- Month 5 onward: Focus on speed and accuracy. Do topic-wise timed drills using topic-wise practice sets, and revise GK daily instead of trying to memorize everything at once.
Also start your physical preparation from day one, not after the written result. Running, push-ups, and stamina building take months to show real improvement — you can't cram PET the way you can cram GK.
Common mistakes and honest advice
Most candidates who fail don't fail because the syllabus is hard. They fail because they:
- Ignore Hindi grammar, assuming "it's my mother tongue, I'll manage." The Sandhi-Samas-Alankar questions are specific and need actual study.
- Leave GK for the last month and try to cram years of current affairs in weeks. It doesn't work — GK needs daily habit, not a sprint.
- Skip physical fitness prep until after the written result, then struggle to hit the running time cut-off under pressure.
- Don't attempt enough full-length mock tests, so exam-day time pressure catches them off guard.
- Fill the application form carelessly and then struggle with corrections or documentation mismatches during DV.
None of these are hard to fix. They just need you to start early and stay consistent, not brilliant.
FAQ
Is UP Police Constable a good job? Yes, for stability, respect, and a real career ladder. It's physically demanding and postings can be tough, but the job security and growth are solid.
What is the minimum qualification for UP Police Constable? Class 12 pass (Intermediate) from a recognised board. No graduation needed.
What is the age limit for UP Police Constable? 18 to 25 years for male candidates, 18 to 28 years for female candidates, with relaxation for reserved categories.
How many stages are there in the selection process? Four: written exam, document verification, physical standard test (PST), and physical efficiency test (PET).
Is there an interview for UP Police Constable? No separate interview. Selection is based on the written exam score combined with clearing DV, PST, and PET.
What is the salary of a UP Police Constable? Pay Level 3, roughly ₹21,700 to ₹69,100 basic pay, with in-hand salary around ₹28,000-35,000 a month for freshers including allowances.
When is the next UP Police Constable exam? The 2026 cycle (32,679 posts) already had its written exam in June 2026 and is currently at the DV/PST stage. A new notification typically follows a year or two after a cycle closes — track it on exam guides.
Is the written exam tough? The questions themselves aren't very hard, but the competition is fierce. This year's general category cut-off was around 258 out of 300, which means accuracy under time pressure matters more than raw knowledge.
Do I need to prepare for PET separately? Yes. Running timing standards are strict and you can't build stamina overnight. Start physical training months before the exam, not after.
Can candidates from outside UP apply? No, only UP domicile holders are eligible for UP Police Constable recruitment.
Related reads on Pareeksha
If you're preparing for UP government jobs, these related guides will help round out your prep:
- UP Lekhpal exam guide
- UP Police Constable exam guide
- Check exam guides for more UP-level recruitment posts and comparison with SSC exams like SSC GD Constable and SSC CHSL, which share overlapping syllabus with UP Police.
For official updates, always cross-check with uppbpb.gov.in directly, and for broader UP recruitment news keep an eye on upsssc.gov.in.
Final word
UP Police Constable is one of those exams where the syllabus is manageable but the competition is not. Lakhs apply for a few thousand seats, and this year's cut-off shows just how sharp candidates have become. The good news is that the syllabus rewards consistent daily effort over last-minute brilliance. Start your GK reading habit today, fix your Hindi grammar, get comfortable with maths and reasoning speed, and don't neglect your running practice. Build a study plan you can actually stick to, and give it the months it needs. That's really the whole game here.
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