UPSSSC PET 2026 Notification – Apply Form Online from 3 August

Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UPSSSC) is the state-level commission responsible for recruiting Group B and Group C non-gazetted staff for various departments of the Uttar Pradesh government. Its official portal is upsssc.gov.in.

UPSSSC PET 2026 Notification – Apply Online from 3 August

UPSSSC has released the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) 2026 notification under Advertisement No. 16-Exam/2026. Online applications open 3 August 2026 and close 1 September 2026. PET is not a recruitment exam in itself — it is the mandatory qualifying screening test that candidates must clear before applying for almost every Group B and C Mains exam in Uttar Pradesh.

Source: UPSSSC PET 2026 Notification, Advertisement No. 16-Exam/2026, Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission, released 1 August 2026.

UPSSSC PET 2026 – Important Dates

UPSSSC PET 2026 – Application Fee

Fees can be paid online through UPI, Debit Card, Credit Card, or Net Banking only. Age limits are 18 to 40 years as on 1 July 2026, with extra relaxation for reserved categories as per UPSSSC PET rules.

What Is UPSSSC PET, and Why It Matters

PET is not a job by itself — it is a 100-question, 2-hour objective test (General Studies, General Hindi, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability) with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. Only candidates holding a valid PET scorecard can apply for the specific Mains exams UPSSSC conducts for individual posts — Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, Village Development Officer, X-Ray Technician, Forest Guard, and dozens of other Group B and C roles. A single PET score now stays valid for 3 years, up from the 1-year validity that applied through the 2021–2023 cycles — meaning a good PET score bought in one year can be reused across several Mains recruitments announced later.

UPSSSC PET – Past History, Trend & Analysis

PET has been held four times since it was introduced in 2021: in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025 — the Commission did not conduct a PET cycle in 2024. Attendance has swung noticeably from year to year, shaped by exam-date clashes, re-registration cycles, and how many candidates already held a still-valid score from an earlier year.

Candidates Appeared by Year (in Lakhs)

Attendance Rate by Year (Appeared ÷ Registered)

A few patterns stand out from this trend. First, registrations climbed from roughly 20 lakh in 2021 and 2023 to over 25 lakh in 2025 — the largest PET registration pool on record — reflecting the growing pipeline of Group C aspirants in the state. Second, attendance dipped sharply in 2023 (just 62.7%, the lowest of the four cycles) before recovering to 76.7% in 2025, though it has not returned to 2021's 86.8% peak. Third, UPSSSC PET 2025's result itself had to be reissued in December 2025 after errors were found in the original written-exam result (517 candidates reclassified as "Provisionally Allowed," 41 OMR corrections, and 44 candidates flagged under "Unfair Means"), and the eventual category-wise cut-offs for Group C posts based on that scorecard ranged between 60 and 80 marks out of 100. Candidates preparing for PET 2026 should treat these cut-off ranges as a rough benchmark rather than a guarantee, since actual cut-offs depend on that year's paper difficulty and applicant volume.

How to Apply for UPSSSC PET 2026 – Step by Step

1. Complete OTR registration: If you don't already have a One-Time Registration (OTR) number on the UPSSSC portal, register first.
2. Open the official site: Go to upsssc.gov.in and find the PET 2026 application link under Notifications.
3. Fill your details: Enter personal, educational, and category details carefully using your OTR number.
4. Upload documents: Upload scanned photograph, signature, and ID proof as specified in the notification.
5. Pay the fee: Pay online via UPI, Debit Card, Credit Card, or Net Banking before 1 September 2026.
6. Preview and submit: Check every column carefully in the preview screen before final submission.
7. Print your form: Save and print a copy of your final submitted application for your records.

UPSSSC PET 2026 – What Happens After You Clear It

Clearing PET does not get you a job by itself — it only makes you eligible to apply for post-specific Mains exams over the next 3 years. Once UPSSSC announces vacancies for a particular post (for example, Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, Village Development Officer, or Forest Guard), only candidates holding a valid PET scorecard meeting that post's cut-off can apply for the Mains written exam, followed by document verification, skill test, or physical test where applicable, and a final merit list.

UPSSSC PET 2026 – Official Links

UPSSSC PET 2026 – Frequently Asked Questions