UPSC IFS Main 2026 Time Table Out – Exam from 22 to 29 November

The Union Public Service Commission has released the UPSC IFS Main 2026 time table for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2026. The exam will be held from 22 November 2026 to 29 November 2026 in two sessions every day, with 24 November 2026 kept as a gazetted holiday on which no paper is scheduled. This notice announces only the date-wise and session-wise paper schedule, so candidates who qualified the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 can now plan the final two months of revision around their own two optional subjects.

Update Overview

Important Dates

UPSC IFS Main 2026 Time Table — Date-wise Paper Schedule

Both sessions run for three hours each. The forenoon session is from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and the afternoon session from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Optional Subject-wise Exam Dates

Every optional subject has both its papers on the same day — Paper-I in the forenoon and Paper-II in the afternoon. The third column shows which other subjects are scheduled in the very same two sessions, which is the clash a candidate must check against their own two optional subjects.

What This Means for You

This is an informational notice — there is nothing to fill in, pay or submit. What it does give you is a fixed calendar, and here is how to read it for your own combination of subjects.

1. Mark your own exam days first. Everyone sits General English and General Knowledge on 22.11.2026. After that, only the two days carrying your two optional subjects matter to you — the rest of the window is free study time.
2. Check that your two optional subjects fall on different days. Find both subjects in the subject-wise table above. If they appear on the same date, that combination cannot be written in this examination, and you should refer to the rules in the Commission’s notification for permitted subject combinations.
3. Count the real gaps between your papers. For example, a Forestry plus Zoology candidate writes on 23.11.2026 and 27.11.2026 and gets three clear days in between, while a Botany plus Chemistry pairing would fall on the same day — plan revision around the gaps you actually have.
4. Treat 24.11.2026 as a study day, not a rest day. It is a gazetted holiday with no paper in either session, and for many candidates it sits right between two of their papers.
5. Get used to the timings now. Both sessions are three hours long, the first starting at 9:00 AM and the second at 2:30 PM. Writing full-length practice papers in those exact slots is the cheapest way to prepare for a day that may hold two three-hour papers.
6. Watch upsc.gov.in for the e-Admit Card. The time table does not announce it. UPSC normally releases the e-Admit Card a few weeks before the exam, and the exam centre and reporting time are printed on it, not in this notice.

Important Links

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Do not confuse this with the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 — that stage was held on 24.05.2026 and its result was declared on 15.06.2026.
• Do not assume there is a paper on 24.11.2026 — it is a gazetted holiday, and turning up at a centre that day is a wasted trip.
• Do not read the whole 22–29 November window as your personal exam schedule; after 22.11.2026 only the days carrying your two optional subjects apply to you.
• Do not treat this time table as an admit card — it carries no roll number, no exam centre and no reporting time, all of which come only on the e-Admit Card.
• Do not book travel or leave on the basis of a coaching-institute calendar or a social-media post; the dates above are from UPSC’s own time table, and any later change will also come from upsc.gov.in.
• Do not overlook that one day can hold two three-hour papers of the same subject — Paper-I in the forenoon and Paper-II in the afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When will the UPSC IFS Main 2026 exam be held?
The Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2026 will be held from 22 November 2026 to 29 November 2026, as per the time table UPSC uploaded on 17.09.2026.

2. What are the exam timings for each session?
The forenoon session runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and the afternoon session from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, three hours each.

3. Which papers are held on the first day?
On 22.11.2026 (Sunday), General English is in the forenoon session and General Knowledge in the afternoon session.

4. Is there any exam on 24 November 2026?
No — the time table marks 24.11.2026 (Tuesday) as a gazetted holiday with no paper in either session.

5. On which date are the Forestry papers scheduled?
Forestry Paper-I and Paper-II are both on 27.11.2026 (Friday), in the same two sessions as the Agriculture papers.

6. How many optional subjects are listed in the time table?
Fourteen optional subjects are listed, and Physics is the only one that has a full day — 28.11.2026 — to itself.

7. When will the UPSC IFS Main 2026 e-Admit Card be released?
The time table does not state an e-Admit Card date; UPSC issues it separately on upsc.gov.in, and the exam centre and reporting time are printed on that card.

8. Who is eligible to appear in this Main examination?
Only candidates declared qualified in the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 — held on 24.05.2026, with the written result declared on 15.06.2026 — can appear.

Disclaimer: The information above has been compiled from the official notification for the convenience of job seekers. Candidates are advised to verify all details from the official website before applying.