The UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, including the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination 2026, was conducted on 24 May 2026 across the country. The examination was held smoothly at 2,072 venues spread across 83 examination cities. As per provisional data, nearly 5.49 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, reflecting an attendance rate of around 67%, which is higher than the previous year's attendance percentage.
How Many Candidates Qualified Prelims 2026?
A total of 13,343 candidates have qualified in the UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 and are now eligible to appear for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026. The results were announced after evaluating the performance of nearly 5.49 lakh candidates who appeared for the Prelims on 24 May 2026. These shortlisted candidates will now compete for 1,016 vacancies notified by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
How Many Candidates Appear for UPSC? - Trend Analysis
The number of candidates appearing for the UPSC exam over time has significantly increased over the years. Here is a trend analysis of UPSC Examination selection over the past 17 years:
| Year | Number of Students applied | Number of Students Who appeared for Prelims | Number of Students Who qualified for Mains | Number of Students Who appeared for Interview | Number of Students Who Cleared the Exam |
| 2007 | 333680 | 161469 | 9158 | 1883 | 553 |
| 2008 | 325433 | 167035 | 11669 | 2136 | 734 |
| 2009 | 409110 | 193091 | 11894 | 2431 | 881 |
| 2010 | 547698 | 269036 | 12271 | 2589 | 989 |
| 2011 | 499120 | 243236 | 11837 | 2415 | 965 |
| 2012 | 550080 | 271442 | 12795 | 2674 | 999 |
| 2013 | 776604 | 324279 | 14800 | 3001 | 998 |
| 2014 | 947428 | 446623 | 16706 | 3308 | 1122 |
| 2015 | 945908 | 465882 | 15008 | 2797 | 1236 |
| 2016 | 1128262 | 459659 | 15382 | 2961 | 1078 |
| 2017 | 969065 | 462848 | 13300 | 2564 | 1056 |
| 2018 | 1065552 | 500484 | 10419 | 1992 | – |
| 2019 | 1135261 | 493972 | 11845 | 2034 | 829 |
| 2020 | 1057948 | 4,82,770 | 10,564 | 2,053 | 796 |
| 2021 | 1093948 | 508619 | 10000 | – | 761 |
| 2022 | 11,35,697 | 5,73,735 | 13,090 | 2,529 | 933 |
| 2023 | 13,00,000 | - | 14624 | 2916 | 1016 |
| 2024 | 9,92,599 | 5,83,213 | 14627 | 2845 | 1009 |
| 2025 | 9,37,876 | 5,76,793 | 14161 | 2,736 | 958 |
| 2026 | 8.19 lakh |
5.9 Lakh |
13343 | - | - |
| Other Related Posts of UPSC 2027 | |
Last updated on Sep, 2026
→ UPSC 2027 Notification will be released on 13 January 2027 at upsconline.nic.in.
→ Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October.
→ Check out the latest UPSC Syllabus here.
→ Download UPSC Model Answers for Mains 2026
→ UPSC Mains Question Paper 2026 is out now for Essay & GS Paper 1, 2, 3 & 4.
→ UPSC Calendar 2027 has been released.
→ Enroll in Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Mains Test Series 2027 for structured answer writing practice, expert evaluation, and exam-oriented feedback.
→ Join Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Mentorship Program 2027 for personalized guidance, strategy planning, and one-to-one support from experienced mentors.
→ Go through the UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers to enhance your preparation.
→ UPSC has released UPSC Toppers List 2025 with the Civil Services final result on its official website.
→ Also check Best UPSC Coaching in India
Candidates Appeared for UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 FAQs
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Q3. What were the number of vacancies for UPSC 2026?+
Tags: How Many Students Appeared for UPSC 2024-25 UPSC
