UPSC Section Officers and Stenographers LDCE 2026 Notification Out - Apply Online

• Both examinations are Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations, meaning eligibility is restricted to serving government employees who meet the conditions prescribed for their respective service/cadre. The Section Officers' Grade-B LDCE will be held in accordance with the Rules published by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in the Gazette of India dated 16th September 2026. Final selection under different categories will be decided based on guidelines issued by DoPT vide O.M. No. 36012/2016/2019-Estt (Res.) dated 12.04.2022, subject to the final outcome of Civil Appeal No.629 of 2022 arising out of SLP (C) No.30621/2011.
• Specific qualification, minimum service, and grade-pay eligibility conditions for candidates are not detailed in the provided notification excerpt. Candidates should refer to the detailed Rules published in the Gazette of India dated 16.09.2026, and the full notification on https://upsc.gov.in, before applying, as the prescribed eligibility conditions cannot be relaxed.

How to Apply for UPSC Section Officers and Stenographers LDCE 2026

UPSC LDCE Apply Online process uses the Commission's common Online Application Portal, which applies to both the Section Officers' and Stenographers' examinations.

1. Visit the Commission's online application portal: https://upsconline.nic.in.
2. Complete Account Creation, Universal Registration, and the Common Application Form (CAF) — these three modules are common to all UPSC examination applications and can be filled anytime. A Universal Registration Number (URN) is generated on registration, common for all Commission examinations for the candidate's lifetime.
3. Fill the fourth module — the Examination Specific Form — for the Combined Section Officers' (Grade-'B') LDCE, 2026 and/or the Combined Stenographers' (Grade-'B'/Grade-'I') LDCE, during the application window (16.09.2026 to 06.10.2026). This generates an Application Number specific to that examination.
4. Upload your photograph and also capture a live photograph while filling the CAF, ensuring both are clear as per the instructions on "Instructions and FAQs > Instruction for filling the form > Photos and Signature".
5. Sign three times (one below the other) on a plain white paper using black ink, and upload the scanned signature; it must be clear and legible.
6. Submit the requisite information and supporting documents for claims such as date of birth and educational qualification, along with the URN, CAF, and Examination Specific Module (including fee and centre selection); failure to provide required information/documents will result in cancellation of candidature.
7. (For Section Officers' LDCE) Take a printout of the completed online application by 06.10.2026, and submit the complete printed copy to your respective Ministry/Department for verification/certification. Your Ministry/Department will forward it to the concerned Cadre Controlling Authority (CCA), with a copy endorsed to the Commission, so that it reaches UPSC by the prescribed date of 23.10.2026, addressed to the Under Secretary (E-VI), Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi–110069.
8. Download the e-Admit Card from the Commission's website once issued, on the last working day of the week preceding the examination date; no admit card will be sent by post.

Official Notification

UPSC Section Officers and Stenographers LDCE Selection Process 2026

For the Section Officers' Grade-B LDCE, admission to the Written Examination and evaluation of Service Record is purely provisional, subject to candidates satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If it is found, on verification before or after the Written Examination or evaluation of Service Records, that a candidate does not fulfil any eligibility condition, their candidature will be cancelled by the Commission.

UPSC Section Officers' LDCE Tie-Breaking Principles

Where candidates' Final Marks (aggregate) are equal, ties will be resolved in the following order:

1. The candidate securing more marks in the written total will be ranked higher.
2. If still equal, the candidate securing more marks in Paper-II and Paper-III put together will be ranked higher.
3. If still equal, the candidate securing more marks in Paper-III (Noting & Drafting, Precis Writing) will be ranked higher.
4. If still equal, the candidate senior in age will be ranked higher.
5. If a tie still persists, it will be resolved at the discretion of the Commission.

UPSC Section Officers' LDCE Representation on Question Papers & Answer Keys

Candidates who appear in the examination will get an opportunity to submit representations on the questions asked and on the Provisional Answer Keys of the Objective Type Question Paper(s), within a window of five days — from the 3rd day of the examination date to 06:00 PM of the 7th day. Representations must be submitted online via the Commission's website under "Examinations > Representations on Question Paper & Provisional Answer Keys"; representations by email, post, hand, or any other mode will not be accepted, and none will be accepted after the five-day window closes.

UPSC Section Officers' LDCE Face Authentication and Venue Rules

• All candidates must undergo mandatory face authentication at the examination venue.
• Entry into the examination venue closes 30 minutes prior to commencement of the examination in each session; no entry is allowed after closure under any circumstance.
• Use of mobile phones (even switched off), pagers, electronic equipment, programmable devices, storage media, smart watches, AI-enabled glasses, cameras, or Bluetooth devices capable of communication is strictly prohibited; violation may lead to disciplinary action, including a ban from future examinations.
• Candidates are advised not to bring valuable or costly items to the venue, as no safe-keeping arrangement will be made; the Commission will not be responsible for any loss.

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the Recruitment 2026 notification for Section Officers and Stenographers LDCE. Eligible candidates can submit their online applications from 16-09-2026, and closes on 06-10-2026.
• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released two Examination Notices, both dated 16.09.2026, for Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations (LDCE): the Combined Section Officers' (Grade-'B') Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2026, and the Combined Stenographers' (Grade-'B'/Grade-'I') Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2022, 2023 & 2024. Both examinations share the same application window and examination dates.