If you like the outdoors and you're the kind of person who doesn't want a desk job, UPSSSC Forest Guard is one of the better UP government posts on offer right now. It's not glamorous, and the pay isn't huge, but it's stable, it's outdoor work, and the competition is a notch lower than UP Police or SSC GD because the vacancy pool is smaller and specific.
UPSSSC has actually released a fresh notification for this post in 2026, so this is not old news you're reading by mistake. Below is everything you need — dates, eligibility, physical standards, syllabus, salary, and a plan to actually clear it.
Latest notification and important dates
The 2026 cycle for Forest Guard (Van Rakshak) and Wildlife Guard (Vanya Jeev Rakshak) is live. UPSSSC released it under its usual PET-linked hiring model, which means you needed a valid PET 2025 score to apply.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 23 April 2026 |
| Online application starts | 30 June 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 20 July 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | 20 July 2026 |
| Correction window closes | 27 July 2026 |
| Admit card | To be released before the exam (not out yet) |
| Written exam date | Not announced yet — tentative, expect UPSSSC to notify around 4-6 weeks before the exam |
If you missed the application window this cycle, don't panic. UPSSSC runs Forest Guard recruitment every few years, and the eligibility rules rarely change much. Use this article as reference for the next cycle too, and keep checking pareeksha.in exam news so you don't miss the next notification.
What the job actually is
A Forest Guard, called Van Rakshak in UP, is the person on the ground protecting forest land. You'll be posted inside or near reserve forests, wildlife sanctuaries, or forest ranges. The daily work includes patrolling forest boundaries, stopping illegal tree felling and poaching, checking for forest fires, helping with plantation drives, and reporting encroachment.
A Wildlife Guard (Vanya Jeev Rakshak) does similar work but is attached to wildlife sanctuaries and national parks — think Dudhwa, Pilibhit, or Katarniaghat. You'll be tracking animal movement, helping with anti-poaching operations, assisting forest officers during rescue operations, and maintaining sanctuary records.
Both are field jobs. You walk a lot, you're outdoors in heat and rain, and postings can be in remote areas away from cities. If that scares you, this isn't the post for you. If you like fieldwork and nature, it's actually a satisfying job with real responsibility early in your career.
Vacancy details
This cycle has 708 total posts split as:
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Forest Guard (Van Rakshak) | 328 |
| Wildlife Guard (Vanya Jeev Rakshak) | 61 |
| Remaining posts across category-wise breakup | balance of 708 |
Category-wise distribution (approximate, as per notification):
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Unreserved | 132 |
| OBC | 315 |
| SC | 218 |
| ST | 11 |
| EWS | 32 |
OBC and SC candidates have a real shot here given the numbers. ST vacancy is small, so competition within that category will be sharp relative to seats.
Eligibility
Age limit: 18 to 40 years, counted from 1 July of the recruitment year.
| Category | Age relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC / SC / ST (UP domicile) | As per UP government rules, generally 5 years |
| Ex-servicemen | Additional relaxation as per rules |
| Sports quota candidates | Relaxation up to 5 years |
| PwD candidates | Relaxation as per government norms |
Education: You need to have passed Class 12 (Intermediate) from a UP board or an equivalent board recognized by the government. No graduation needed, no forestry degree needed. Candidates with an NCC 'B' certificate or state/national level sports achievement get preference in tie-breaks.
Domicile: You must be a domicile of Uttar Pradesh. If you're not, you can still apply but you'll be treated as unreserved and won't get category benefits.
PET requirement: This is important. UPSSSC now runs almost all its group-C recruitment through the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET). You needed a valid PET 2025 scorecard to apply for Forest Guard. If PET 2025 lapses by the time the next window opens, watch for the next PET cycle.
Physical standards (PST):
| Category | Height (Male) | Chest without expansion | Chest with expansion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved / OBC | 168 cm | 84 cm | 91 cm |
| SC / ST | 160 cm | 82 cm | 87 cm |
| Category | Height (Female) |
|---|---|
| Unreserved / OBC | 152 cm |
| SC / ST | 147 cm |
Female candidates don't have a chest measurement requirement.
Physical Efficiency Test (PET, the running test — not to be confused with the UPSSSC PET exam):
- Male candidates: run 25 km carrying a 10 kg load, within 4 hours
- Female candidates: run 10 km carrying a 10 kg load, within 4 hours
This running test is tough if you haven't trained. Start building stamina months in advance, not weeks.
Application process and fee
You apply online at upsssc.gov.in using your registered PET scorecard credentials. The process is roughly:
- Go to the UPSSSC official site and find the Forest Guard / Wildlife Guard recruitment link.
- Log in using your PET registration number and details (you don't fill fresh personal details — it pulls from your PET application).
- Fill the post preference and category details.
- Upload photo, signature, and required certificates.
- Pay the application fee online.
- Submit and download the confirmation page for your records.
| Category | Application fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹25 |
| SC / ST | ₹25 |
| PwD | ₹25 |
Because this recruitment runs on the PET system, the heavier PET exam fee was already paid separately when you registered for PET 2025. This Forest Guard-specific fee is a small additional charge for the recruitment form itself.
Exam pattern
Selection happens in stages: PET 2025 score (qualifying, used for shortlisting) → Written Main Exam → Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test → Document Verification.
Written exam pattern:
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-related knowledge (forestry, environment, wildlife) | 50 | 50 |
| Elementary Mathematics & Biology | 15 | 15 |
| Computer & IT knowledge | 15 | 15 |
| Uttar Pradesh General Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
- Duration: 2 hours
- Question type: objective, multiple choice
- Negative marking: 1/4 mark deducted for every wrong answer
This is a moderate-difficulty paper. If you've prepared for any other UP-level exam like UP Police Constable or UP Lekhpal, a good chunk of the GK and math syllabus overlaps. Use free UP-level practice sets on pareeksha.in to get comfortable with the question style before exam day.
Detailed syllabus
1. Subject-related knowledge (50 marks) — this is the section that decides your result
- National parks, bird sanctuaries, tiger reserves and elephant reserves in India, with focus on UP
- Reserved forests and protected forests — definitions and differences
- Ecosystem, food chain, food web
- Forest ecology, afforestation, deforestation causes and effects
- Human-wildlife conflict and management
- Ozone layer depletion, waste management, pollution basics
- Climate change and soil conservation
- Indian agricultural systems and their link to forest cover
- Basic wildlife protection laws and forest conservation concepts
2. Elementary Mathematics (part of the 15 marks)
- Percentage, profit and loss, simple interest
- Averages
- LCM and HCF
- Area and perimeter of basic shapes
- Number systems, simplification
3. Biology (part of the 15 marks)
- Nutrition and digestion
- Respiration
- Transportation in plants and humans
- Excretion
- Nervous system and brain function
- Plant coordination and hormones
4. Computer & IT knowledge (15 marks)
- Computer fundamentals and history of computers
- Hardware and software basics
- Internet, email, and networking basics
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint basics)
- Operating systems
- Digital payments and cybersecurity basics
- Emerging tech — AI, IoT (basic awareness level, not technical depth)
5. Uttar Pradesh General Knowledge (20 marks)
- UP history, culture, and heritage
- Geography — rivers, soil, climate of UP
- Natural resources and forests of UP
- UP economy and agriculture
- Administrative structure of UP
- Recent state government schemes and achievements
Since a full 50 marks come from forestry and environment topics, spend most of your prep time there. It's a small, learnable syllabus if you actually sit and read it rather than skimming YouTube videos. For the math and reasoning-adjacent parts, our Quantitative Aptitude guide and Reasoning guide cover the basics well even though reasoning isn't a separate section here — the number sense helps across all UP exams.
Salary, pay scale and career growth
Forest Guard and Wildlife Guard are hired on Pay Level matching Pay Matrix Level 3, in the range of ₹19,900 to ₹63,200 (as per 7th Pay Commission).
In-hand salary in the first year, after standard deductions (NPS, insurance, etc.), typically comes to around ₹22,000 to ₹25,000 per month, depending on posting location and applicable allowances like forest allowance and dearness allowance.
Career growth is slow but real. A Forest Guard can be promoted over years of service to Forester, then to Deputy Ranger, and eventually to Forest Ranger with enough seniority and departmental exams. It's not a fast-track post, but it's government-secure, and pension and allied benefits apply.
Previous year cut-off
Exact cut-offs vary a lot cycle to cycle depending on paper difficulty and vacancy count. Here's what past cycles looked like (written exam marks out of 100 unless noted):
| Category | 2019 cycle | 2022 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| General | 132 (out of 150 then) | ~135.75 |
| OBC | 123 | ~135.75 |
| SC | 111 | ~134.25 |
| ST | 90.57 | ~119.75 |
| EWS | — | ~135.75 |
Note the marks scale changed between cycles as UPSSSC has adjusted total marks and pattern over the years, so treat these as a rough sense of competition level, not a fixed target. For the current 100-mark paper, expect general category cut-off to land somewhere around 55-65 marks out of 100, but this is only an estimate until the official result comes out — don't stake your entire strategy on a guessed number.
Best books and preparation strategy
You don't need ten books for this exam. What you need is focus on the forestry section and consistent revision.
Recommended approach:
- Lucent's General Knowledge for the UP GK and general science portions
- NCERT Class 9-10 Science (Biology chapters) for the biology section
- Any standard UP-specific GK book for state history, geography, and current schemes
- A basic computer awareness book — even a Class 10 computer textbook covers most of what's asked
- Newspaper or current affairs page on pareeksha.in for recent forest and wildlife news from UP — new sanctuaries, tiger reserve updates, forest schemes
Month-wise plan if you have 3 months:
Month 1: Build your forestry and environment notes from scratch. This is 50% of your paper, so don't rush it. Cover national parks, reserves, ecosystem basics, and UP forest specifics.
Month 2: Move to math, biology, and computer sections. These are static, scoring, and quick to revise once learned. Start daily mock tests on pareeksha.in to check retention.
Month 3: Full revision cycle plus physical test prep. Start your running practice now if you haven't — 25 km with 10 kg load isn't something you build in a week. Run daily, build up distance gradually, and train with some weight on your back at least twice a week.
Don't neglect the physical test while focusing only on the written exam. Many candidates clear the written stage comfortably and then struggle in the PET run because they never trained for it.
Common mistakes and honest advice
A lot of candidates treat this like a "easy exam, low competition" post and under-prepare. That's a mistake. Yes, competition is lower than SSC GD or UP Police, but 708 posts against lakhs of PET-qualified candidates is still a tough ratio.
Another common mistake: ignoring the forestry section because it feels unfamiliar, and over-preparing GK topics you already know from other exams. Flip that. The 50-mark subject section is where you'll actually gain or lose the exam.
Also, don't wait till the last month to start running practice. The physical test has failed more candidates historically than the written paper has. Train your body alongside your books, not after.
FAQ
Is UPSSSC Forest Guard a good job? Yes, if you like outdoor work and want government job security. Pay isn't huge to start, but it's stable with pension benefits and slow but steady promotions.
Do I need a PET score to apply for Forest Guard 2026? Yes, this recruitment cycle required a valid UPSSSC PET 2025 scorecard. Watch for the next PET cycle if you missed this one.
What is the difference between Forest Guard and Wildlife Guard? Forest Guard protects general forest land — reserved and protected forests. Wildlife Guard is posted in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, focused on animal protection and anti-poaching work.
What is the age limit for UPSSSC Forest Guard? 18 to 40 years as of 1 July of the recruitment year, with relaxation for reserved categories as per UP government rules.
Is there an interview in this recruitment? No. Selection is through PET score, written exam, physical standard/efficiency test, and document verification. No personal interview.
What is the salary of a Forest Guard in UP? Pay Level 3, ₹19,900 to ₹63,200, with in-hand salary roughly ₹22,000 to ₹25,000 per month in the first year after deductions.
Can female candidates apply for Forest Guard? Yes. Height requirement is 152 cm for unreserved and 147 cm for SC/ST female candidates, and the running test is 10 km with 10 kg load instead of 25 km.
How many questions are in the written exam? 100 questions for 100 marks, in 2 hours, with 1/4 negative marking per wrong answer.
Where can I practice for the exam? Use free mock tests and topic-wise practice sets on pareeksha.in to test your prep before the real exam.
Is graduation required for this post? No. Class 12 pass from a recognized board is the minimum qualification.
Final word
UPSSSC Forest Guard is a solid option if fieldwork suits you and you don't mind a posting away from big cities. The written exam is learnable in a focused three-month window if you prioritize the forestry and environment section, and the physical test is beatable with real training, not last-minute cramming.
Check upsssc.gov.in regularly for the exam date announcement since it wasn't out at the time of writing. For structured prep, browse exam guides and build a proper study plan instead of preparing randomly. A little structure here goes a long way given how compact this syllabus actually is.
Related reads on Pareeksha:
- UP Lekhpal complete guide
- UP Police Constable recruitment guide
- UPSSSC PET complete guide
- SSC GD Constable guide for candidates also eyeing central forces alongside UP posts
Official sources for updates: UPSSSC official website and the UP Forest Department.
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