NEW DELHI, October 12 — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday released the comprehensive administrative roadmap and schedule matrix for the Personality Test (Interview) stage of the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 on its official portal (upsc.gov.in), notifying qualifying candidates regarding mandatory submission timelines for Detailed Application Form-II (DAF-II).
According to the Commission's examination directive, candidates vying for 1,056 notified vacancies across the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Central Group 'A' and 'B' services will appear before interview boards constituted at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi. The Personality Test carries 275 marks, evaluating candidate mental alertness, critical assimilation abilities, balanced judgment, and integrity of character alongside academic proficiencies assessed during the written mains phase.
In alignment with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Cadre Allocation Policy 2017, candidates must finalize their zone-wise cadre preferences (structured across Zone-I North to Zone-V South) and priority ranking of central services during the online DAF-II verification window. The Commission emphasized that biometric verification and digital document validation will precede entry to the interview chambers.
Constitutional mandates under Part XIV of the Indian Constitution (Articles 315 to 323 governing the composition, powers, and independence of Public Service Commissions), Article 312 governing All India Services, the statutory role of the Civil Services Board in fixed tenure norms, and civil service neutrality are foundational topics across UPSC Civil Services (GS-II: Governance, Constitution & Bureaucracy) and State PSC examinations.