Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission PET

The UPSSSC PET (Preliminary Eligibility Test) is a common screening exam conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission for direct recruitment to Group C posts under the Uttar Pradesh government. It is not a recruitment exam by itself. Your PET score is what lets you apply for, and be shortlisted for, the main exams of posts such as Lekhpal, Junior Assistant, VDO and many technical and clerical posts.

The current cycle is PET 2026 (Advertisement No. 16-Exam/2026). Applications closed in September 2026, and the written exam is scheduled for 25 October, 30 October and 1 November 2026. This page covers the dates, eligibility, fee, exam pattern, syllabus summary, score validity and how PET scores are used in later recruitments.

UPSSSC PET 2026 at a Glance

PET 2026 Notification Overview

UPSSSC published the PET 2026 advertisement on 1 August 2026. One Time Registration (OTR) on the Commission's website is compulsory before filling the PET form. The original last date of 1 September 2026 was extended to 7 September 2026, and the window for fee reconciliation and corrections closed on 8 September 2026.

The exam was first scheduled for 23, 24 and 25 October 2026. A Commission notice dated 25 September 2026 revised the schedule to 25 October, 30 October and 1 November 2026, with two shifts each day. The pattern, fee and eligibility rules are unchanged from the original advertisement.

UPSSSC PET 2026 Important Dates

Exam dates can change again, and the admit card will carry your exact date, shift and centre. Track the notices section on the official UPSSSC website and your registered mobile number and email.

Is There Any Vacancy Under PET?

PET has no vacancies of its own. It works as a filter. After the PET result, UPSSSC issues separate notifications for each Group C recruitment, and only candidates with a valid PET score can apply. Shortlisting for the main exam is then done on the normalised PET score, post by post.

For example, after the PET 2025 result, the Rajasva Lekhpal recruitment for 7,994 posts shortlisted candidates for the main exam using PET 2025 scores. Local media reported that the PET 2025 result was linked to recruitment proposals worth about 44,778 Group C posts. Treat that figure as indicative; actual vacancies are confirmed only in each recruitment notification.

UPSSSC PET Eligibility

Educational Qualification

You need to have passed High School (Class 10) or an equivalent examination from a recognised board. Candidates with Class 12, a diploma or a degree can also apply. Remember that each later recruitment has its own qualification; PET only checks the minimum.

Age Limit

Candidates must be between 18 and 40 years of age as on 1 July 2026. Upper age relaxation applies to the categories below, as reported from the PET 2026 advertisement.

Other Conditions

• Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India.

• Reservation benefits: Category reservation and related relaxations under UP rules are generally available only to Uttar Pradesh domicile candidates. Others apply as unreserved.

• No attempt limit: You can take PET in any cycle while you meet the age and qualification conditions.

Read the full rules on the UPSSSC PET eligibility page.

Application Fee and How to Apply

Female candidates, ex-servicemen, dependants of freedom fighters and sportspersons pay the fee of their base category. Fees could be paid by debit or credit card, net banking, UPI or SBI e-challan.

The application window for PET 2026 is closed. For the next cycle, the steps are usually the same:

1. Complete OTR: Create your One Time Registration on upsssc.gov.in with your basic, contact and educational details.

2. Fill the PET form: Log in with your OTR number and fill the PET application.

3. Upload documents: Upload your photograph and signature in the size given in the notification.

4. Pay the fee: Pay online and wait for the payment to reconcile.

5. Print the confirmation: Keep a copy of the submitted form and the fee receipt.

Common reasons for trouble later include a wrong category or date of birth in OTR, a blurred photograph, and an unreconciled fee payment. Check each detail before the correction window closes.

UPSSSC PET Exam Pattern

PET is a single objective paper of 100 questions for 100 marks in 2 hours. Questions on topics such as History, Geography and Science are set at the secondary or senior secondary level.

Each correct answer earns one mark and each wrong answer costs one-fourth of a mark. Because the exam runs over several days and shifts, UPSSSC normalises the scores, and the normalised score is what later recruitments use.

What This Means for You

• Half the paper is in five blocks: Current affairs, general awareness, Hindi passages, graphs and tables carry 50 marks together. These are the most dependable marks.

• Data interpretation is 20 marks: Graphs and tables need only basic arithmetic, but speed and accuracy matter.

• Guessing has a cost: Four wrong guesses wipe out one correct answer. Guess only when you can eliminate options.

See the full breakdown on the UPSSSC PET exam pattern page.

UPSSSC PET Syllabus Summary

The notification lists section names and broad topics. For a full checklist with starting points, see the UPSSSC PET syllabus page.

Selection Process: How PET Leads to a Job

1. Take PET: You receive a raw and a normalised score. There is no pass or fail mark in PET itself.

2. Apply for a Group C recruitment: Each recruitment is advertised separately. Only candidates with a valid PET score and the post's own qualification can apply.

3. Shortlisting: UPSSSC shortlists a multiple of the vacancies for the main exam, in order of normalised PET score and category. The lowest score shortlisted becomes that post's PET cut-off.

4. Main exam or skill test: The final merit is based on the main exam, skill test or physical test of that post, as the recruitment notice states.

5. Document verification: Eligibility is checked before final selection.

If you hold more than one valid PET score, the advertisement allows you to use the higher normalised score for later applications, as reported. A PET score on its own does not guarantee a job.

Score Validity

A PET score stays valid for three years from the date the result is declared. The PET 2025 result was declared in December 2025, so those scores remain usable until about December 2028. PET 2026 scores will be valid for three years from their own result date. Older pages may still say the score is valid for one year; that rule no longer applies.

PET 2025 at a Glance

Figures are as reported from the Commission's result notice.

PET Cut-off Reference

PET has no single cut-off. Each recruitment publishes the normalised PET score of the last candidate shortlisted in each category. For the Rajasva Lekhpal recruitment (7,994 posts), the shortlist released in February 2026 was reported at a normalised score of 55.12 for unreserved, OBC, SC and EWS candidates and 47.50 for ST candidates, with 3,66,712 candidates shortlisted. These are reported figures; check the official PDF before relying on them. Cut-offs change with the post, vacancies and the number of applicants, so treat them as a benchmark only. Details are on the UPSSSC PET cut-off page.

How to Prepare for UPSSSC PET

• Start with the 50-mark block: Read current affairs daily, revise static GK weekly, and practise Hindi passages, graphs and tables every day.

• Cover the 5-mark sections with NCERT basics: History, Geography, Polity, Economy and Science questions are usually at school level.

• Keep arithmetic sharp: Percentage, average and ratio drive both the arithmetic section and data interpretation.

• Practise on OMR timing: Two hours for 100 questions leaves little spare time once you add bubbling.

• Use mocks in the final weeks: Take full-length tests in exam timings and review every wrong answer.