If you have a Master’s degree, a B.Ed and four years of teaching or headmaster experience, you can now apply for 1,475 Principal posts in Uttar Pradesh. The UP Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) wants Principals for government-aided intermediate colleges. These are schools run by private managements, but the state pays the staff. You can apply online from 23.10.2026 to 22.11.2026, and the written exam is on 07.01.2027.
25.11.2026 (the one-page short notice prints 26.11.2026, so check the Commission website for the final date)
Written exam
07.01.2027
Admit card
Exam district is shown 10 days before the exam. The exact exam centre is shown 3 days before
Interview
Not announced yet. Shortlisted candidates get at least 10 days’ notice
Application Fee
Category
Fee
General / Other Backward Class / Economically Weaker Section
Rs. 2,000
Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe
Rs. 2,000
Persons with disabilities (Divyangjan)
Rs. 2,000
Pay by credit card, debit card or net banking on the application portal. The fee is not refunded in any case, and it cannot be moved to another application.
Vacancy Details
Item
Details
Boys’ colleges
1,318 posts
Girls’ colleges
157 posts (open only to women)
Total
1,475 posts
Reservation
All posts are unreserved. The notification gives no category-wise split
Older requests included
721 posts come from older requests (599 from 2019–20 and 122 from 2021–22). They are included in line with a High Court order dated 15 April 2026
New requests (2026)
754 posts
The Commission also lists every single college, one post each, in Table-01 of the detailed advertisement. The number of posts can go up or down before the selection is finished. Here is the count for each mandal (an administrative division of the state, made up of several districts):
Mandal
Districts
Boys’ colleges
Girls’ colleges
Total posts
Agra
4
84
15
99
Aligarh
4
53
2
55
Ayodhya
5
69
2
71
Azamgarh
3
100
5
105
Bareilly
4
44
10
54
Basti
3
50
2
52
Chitrakoot
4
30
0
30
Devipatan (Gonda)
4
28
3
31
Gorakhpur
4
98
4
102
Jhansi
3
42
10
52
Kanpur Nagar
6
115
22
137
Lucknow
6
97
10
107
Meerut
6
130
25
155
Mirzapur
3
26
2
28
Moradabad
5
53
12
65
Prayagraj
4
110
12
122
Saharanpur
3
52
13
65
Varanasi
4
137
8
145
Total (18 mandals)
75
1,318
157
1,475
Eligibility Criteria
Criterion
Detail
Educational Qualification
You need a Master’s degree with at least 50% marks from a recognised university or institute. You also need a B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) degree from a course recognised by the NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education).
Experience
You need 4 years as a Lecturer or Assistant Teacher in classes 9 to 12 of a school recognised by the Central or State government. A Headmaster of a high school with 4 years in that job also qualifies. The experience certificate must come from the competent authority: a district-level officer, signed again by the divisional-level officer. For central schools it comes from the Regional Officer.
Age Limit
30 to 62 years as on 01.07.2026. Your age counts from the date of birth in your High School (class 10) or equal certificate, and nothing else. Check your age eligibility →
Age Relaxation
Not specified in notification
Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges
Men can apply only for boys’ colleges. Women can apply for both, but you must pick one (boys’ or girls’) in the form.
Other Conditions
A person with more than one living spouse, or married to someone who already has a living spouse, is not eligible unless the Governor has allowed it. You must also state clearly whether any court case is pending against you or whether a court has punished you.
In short, the experience rule is what stops most people. A fresh B.Ed graduate with a Master’s degree cannot apply, and the minimum age of 30 also rules out most young graduates.
Not sure whether you are within the age limit?
Enter your date of birth, the 01.07.2026 cut-off date and see at once whether you fall inside the 30 to 62 year band.
The post sits at Level 12 of the Pay Matrix (a government pay grade), and the Commission picks the candidates through an exam and an interview.
You choose only boys’ or girls’ colleges while applying, not a particular school. The Director of Secondary Education, Prayagraj, takes school preferences and gives out colleges later, so you cannot pick your district in the form.
The written exam carries 360 of the 400 marks and the interview only 40, so the exam does most of the work.
Nearly half of the posts (721) are older requests from 2019–20 and 2021–22 that the Commission has now taken up. The notification says the number of posts can go up or down.
If you cannot show 4 full years of teaching or headmaster experience on a proper certificate by the interview, this post is not for you yet.
Selection Process
Stage
Details
Stage 1: Written exam
120 multiple-choice questions, 360 marks, 2 hours. You get 3 marks for each right answer and lose 1 mark for each wrong or multiple answer. The paper is in Hindi and English, except for the language questions. You mark answers on an OMR sheet (a machine-read answer sheet) with a black ball pen. The syllabus is on the Commission’s website. Exam date: 07.01.2027.
Exam centre
Centres are set at district headquarters. Any centre can be given to you, and it cannot be changed. Writing the exam at any other centre cancels your candidature.
Stage 2: Interview
40 marks. Candidates are shortlisted on written exam marks. The number to be shortlisted is not given in the notification. You must bring two sets of self-attested copies of your documents and the originals, and sign the affidavit (Appendix-3).
Final merit list
Out of 400 marks (360 written + 40 interview). If marks tie, the Commission looks first at written marks, then interview marks, then the higher percentage in the Master’s degree, then B.Ed marks, and last the older candidate gets the higher rank.
College allotment
After selection, the Director of Secondary Education, Prayagraj, takes your college preferences and allots the school.
In short, the written exam comes first and only shortlisted candidates reach the interview. Your final rank is out of 400 and uses both.
Salary and Benefits
Component
Detail
Pay Matrix Level
Level 12
Pay Scale
Rs. 78,800 to Rs. 2,09,200 a month
Allowances and other benefits
Not specified in notification
In plain terms, the Pay Matrix is the government pay grade list, and Level 12 starts at Rs. 78,800 a month. The notification does not list any allowances, so the in-hand figure cannot be worked out from it.
How to Apply
Open apply.upessc.org and create your One Time Registration (OTR) if you have not done so. OTR is a permanent profile with a unique ID that works for every Commission exam. You cannot apply without it.
Sign in, pick Advertisement No. 08/2026 for Principal, and choose either boys’ or girls’ colleges.
Fill in the form in English only. Upload your photo, signature and certificates in the sizes given below.
Pay the Rs. 2,000 fee by card or net banking. Your payment counts only after the bank confirms it, so keep the receipt.
Submit the form and save three printouts. Use the correction window, which ends on 25.11.2026, to fix mistakes. Category, gender and date of birth cannot be changed once you submit.
Note: Applications by any other route are not accepted. If you submit more than one form for this post, only the last one counts and the rest are cancelled.
Photograph or signature rejected by the upload form?
The portal takes a photo and a signature scan of 10 KB to 100 KB in JPG or JPEG format. Resize yours to that range here before you upload.
JPG or JPEG, 10 KB to 100 KB. The Commission cancels the application if the photo or signature is missing, in the wrong size or not clear. Resize your photo and signature →
Signature
Scan of your own signature on white paper, JPG or JPEG, 10 KB to 100 KB
Certificates you upload
PDF only, 20 KB to 200 KB each
High School and Intermediate marksheets and certificates
Two self-attested copies of each. The date of birth on the High School certificate is the only one accepted.
Graduation, Master’s and B.Ed marksheets and degrees
Two self-attested copies of each (all three years of graduation and both years of the Master’s)
Experience certificate
Original and one self-attested copy, in the format of Appendix-2, issued by the competent authority
No Objection Certificate (NOC)
A letter from your employer saying they allow you to apply. Bring it to the interview if the Commission asks for it.
Disability certificate
Two self-attested copies in the format of Appendix-1, only for candidates with a disability
Affidavits
Two copies of the affidavit in Appendix-3, plus an affidavit about any court case, whether pending or not
Character certificates
One from your last institution and one each from two respected persons, two self-attested copies of each
Online application form
Two self-attested printouts of the submitted form
You carry the paper documents to the interview, not to the written exam. Keep two separate sets of self-attested copies ready, along with the originals.
Helpline Numbers
Help for
Contact
Technical support (application problems)
08448573939, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. Email: Support@upessc.org
Bank payment support (Canara Bank)
8173007701 or 8004930390, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM on working days
Bank payment support (ICICI Bank)
8879370946 or 8657723283, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM on working days
Commission support (qualification questions)
0532-2466851, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. Email: upesscprayagraj@gmail.com
Do not leave the fee for the last day. Your payment counts only after the bank confirms it, and without that your application is not valid.
Check the date of birth before you submit. Only the date on your High School certificate is accepted, and category, gender and date of birth cannot be changed once you submit.
Upload a clear photo and a real signature in the sizes given. The Commission cancels the application if they are missing or not clear.
Do not apply twice by habit. If you submit more than one form, only the last one counts.
Do not apply for the girls’ category if you are a man, and do not mix up the boys’ and girls’ options if you are a woman.
Do not apply without 4 years of experience on a proper certificate. A person found to have hidden or wrongly filled any detail can be debarred from future Commission exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last date to apply for UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026?
You can apply online and pay the fee until 22.11.2026.
How many Principal posts are there?
There are 1,475 posts: 1,318 in boys’ colleges and 157 in girls’ colleges, and all of them are unreserved.
What qualification do I need to become a Principal in an aided inter college?
You need a Master’s degree with 50% marks, a B.Ed, and 4 years as a lecturer, assistant teacher or high school headmaster.
What is the age limit?
You must be at least 30 and not more than 62 years old on 01.07.2026.
How much is the application fee?
The fee is Rs. 2,000 for every category, including SC, ST and disabled candidates, and it is not refunded.
What is the exam pattern?
The written exam has 120 multiple-choice questions for 360 marks in 2 hours, with 3 marks for a right answer and 1 mark cut for a wrong one.
What is the salary of a Principal?
The pay starts at Rs. 78,800 a month, in Level 12 of the Pay Matrix, and goes up to Rs. 2,09,200.
Can a man apply for a girls’ college?
No, a man can apply only for boys’ colleges, while a woman can apply for both after choosing one category in the form.
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.
