The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has postponed the Personality Test (Interview) for candidates appearing in the Civil Services Main Examination (CSME) 2025. The interview, which was earlier scheduled for the afternoon session on January 22, 2026, will now be held on Friday, February 27, 2026, during the forenoon session.
The decision was announced through an official notice issued by the commission.
Why did UPSC reschedule the interview?
According to UPSC, the rescheduling has been necessitated due to the early closure of offices on January 22, 2026, in view of the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade, 2026.
“The Personality Test of the candidates of CSME-2025, which was scheduled to be held on 22.01.2026 (Afternoon Session), has now been rescheduled on Friday, 27.02.2026 (Forenoon Session) due to early closure of office on 22.01.2026 on account of Full dress rehearsal for Republic Day Parade, 2026,” the commission stated in its notification.
Interview schedule and reporting time
UPSC had earlier released the Phase 1 interview timetable on December 2, 2025, under which 649 candidates were interviewed between December 8 and December 19, 2025.
The remaining 2,107 candidates are being interviewed under Phase 2, which is scheduled from January 5 to February 27, 2026.
Candidates appearing for the forenoon session are required to report at the UPSC venue by 9 AM, while those assigned the afternoon session must report by 1 PM. The commission has cautioned that late reporting may result in disqualification from the Personality Test.
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Travel reimbursement guidelines
UPSC will reimburse travel expenses incurred by candidates for attending the interview. The reimbursement is limited to second-class or sleeper-class train fares. Aspirants must submit hard copies of both onward and return tickets, along with tariff details and the Travelling Allowance (TA) claim form, in duplicate. The TA forms are available on the official UPSC website.
Civil Services Examination 2026: What to Know
The commission is expected to issue the notification for the Civil Services Examination 2026 soon. As per the UPSC calendar, the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 is scheduled to be held on May 24, 2026. The notification that was earlier slated for January 14 has been postponed due to administrative reasons.
