UPSC Vacancies Year-wise, CSE 2015 to 2026

Every Civil Services Exam has two vacancy numbers. The notice, published before you apply, gives an approximate figure. The final number, reported by the Government, comes with the final result, more than a year later. For CSE 2025 the notice expected about 979 vacancies; the final result reported 1,087.

For CSE 2026 the notice expected about 933, including 33 for persons with benchmark disability. In June 2026, UPSC's press note on the prelims result gave the figure as 1,016. The final number will be known only when the CSE 2026 final result is declared.

Vacancies year by year

The table compares, for each exam year, the notice's estimate with the final number, and shows how many candidates UPSC recommended in its final result and how many it kept on its reserve list.

In every year where both figures are available, the final number was higher than the notice's estimate. That is a record of past years, not a forecast: the notice itself only says the number may change.

Why the notice and the final number differ

The notice's figure is an estimate made months before the exam. Each notice says the final number of vacancies "may undergo change after getting firm number of vacancies from Cadre Controlling Authorities". The firm numbers appear in UPSC's final-result press note, where the Government reports the vacancies to be filled, service by service and category by category.

For CSE 2026 there is also an update in between: UPSC's press note on the prelims result said 13,343 candidates had been shortlisted for the main exam against 1,016 vacancies. The same note said 14,161 had been shortlisted for CSE 2025 against 1,087.

Recommended candidates and the reserve list

In every year above, UPSC's final list was shorter than the number of vacancies. Alongside it, UPSC keeps a consolidated reserve list under the exam rules, in order of merit below the last recommended candidate in each category. When the Department of Personnel and Training asks for more candidates to fill the remaining posts, UPSC recommends them from that list. Two examples from PIB:

• CSE 2020: 761 candidates recommended against 836 vacancies; 75 more from the reserve list in December 2021.
• CSE 2023: 1,016 recommended against 1,143 vacancies; 120 more from the reserve list in October 2024.

Vacancies by service

The final-result notes break the vacancies down by service. For CSE 2025, the latest final result:

And for every year since CSE 2015:

The IAS stayed at 180 in every one of these years. The IPS had 150 vacancies in CSE 2015 to 2019, 200 in CSE 2020 to 2023, 147 in CSE 2024 and 150 in CSE 2025. The IFS ranged from 24 in CSE 2019 to 55 in CSE 2024 and 2025. Most of the change from year to year is in the Central Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ services. The guide to the other services explains what each of them does.

Vacancies by category, CSE 2025

The final-result note also gives the split by category. For CSE 2025:

Category	Vacancies
General	446
EWS	104
OBC	306
SC	158
ST	73
Total	1,087

The total includes 42 vacancies for persons with benchmark disability. Reservation is applied to the vacancies the Government fixes, as the notice says.

What the vacancies mean for you

• They set how many reach each stage. The notice says UPSC admits about 12 to 13 times the number of vacancies to the main exam and calls about twice the number of vacancies for the interview.
• They don't tell you the cut-off. UPSC publishes the cut-offs separately, after the final result. The cut-off guide has UPSC's official marks year by year.
• Your service depends on your rank and your preferences. A large number of vacancies in a service helps only if you list it. See service preferences.