UPSSSC PET 2026: preliminary eligibility test on 23, 24 and 25 October for UP Group C jobs

UPSSSC will conduct the 2026 Preliminary Eligibility Test on 23, 24 and 25 October. Advertisement 16-Exam/2026 was issued on 1 August, and the extended application window ran from 3 August to 7 September. PET is not a direct vacancy; it is the entry route for almost every Group C recruitment the Commission announces later.

Why PET matters

UPSSSC has used the PET score since 2021 to shortlist candidates for the main examinations of posts such as Junior Assistant, Lekhpal, Auditor, Forest Guard, VDO and dozens of others. A PET score stays valid for a fixed period, and only candidates with a score can apply when those posts are advertised. Anyone planning to sit for UP state jobs in 2027 needed to be in this round.

Eligibility

The minimum qualification is High School, that is a 10th pass. The age band in the advertisement is 18 to 40 years, with the state’s relaxation for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates. There is no upper limit on how many times a candidate can take PET. The fee was Rs 185 for general and OBC candidates, Rs 95 for SC and ST and Rs 25 for PwBD, with the payment deadline on 8 September.

The paper

PET is a two-hour, pen-and-paper test of 100 objective questions carrying two marks each, with negative marking of half a mark per wrong answer. The syllabus is wide: Indian history and national movement, geography, economy, polity, general science, elementary arithmetic, general Hindi, general English, logic and reasoning, current affairs, general awareness, and analysis of passages, graphs and tables. Scores are normalised across shifts and published as a percentile as well as a raw mark.

After the exam

The answer key appears within a few days of the exam with a window for objections, and the result follows in a few weeks. The Commission then uses PET scores in each main recruitment notification, calling a fixed multiple of the vacancies in order of score. Candidates should keep a copy of the PET scorecard; some later forms ask for the roll number and score.

Admit card

Admit cards will be on upsssc.gov.in about a week before the exam, and the Commission sends an SMS to the registered number. Exam centres are across Uttar Pradesh only.

FAQs

When is UPSSSC PET 2026?

The test will be held on 23, 24 and 25 October 2026.

Is PET a job?

No. PET is an eligibility test used to shortlist candidates for later Group C recruitments in Uttar Pradesh.

What is the qualification?

You need a High School (10th) pass.