UPSC CGSE

Key Dates

  • Notification Release: September 3, 2025.
  • Last Date to Apply: September 23, 2025.
  • Preliminary Exam (Stage-I): February 8, 2026.
  • Main Exam (Stage-II): June 20 & 21, 2026. 
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Examination (CGSE)
(Eligibility Criteria, Examination Plan & Optional Subjects Extraction)

1. Examination Overview

  • Exam Name: Combined Geo-Scientist Examination (CGSE), 2026
  • Conducting Authority: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
  • Exam Level: National
  • Recruitment Year: 2026
  • Mode of Examination: Offline (Stage-I: OMR-based Objective Type; Stage-II: Conventional/Descriptive Type)
  • Total Stages: 3 (Stage I: Preliminary, Stage II: Main, Stage III: Personality Test)
  • Services / Posts Covered: Geologist Group ‘A’, Geophysicist Group ‘A’, Chemist Group ‘A’ in GSI; Scientist ‘B’(Hydrogeology), Scientist ‘B’(Chemical), Scientist ‘B’(Geophysics), Assistant Hydrogeologist, Assistant Chemist, Assistant Geophysicist in CGWB.
  • Source Documents Used: Official UPSC Examination Notice No. 01/2026 GEOL dated 03.09.2025 and Appendix-I: Plan of Examination.

2. Examination Stages & Plan of Examination

Stage-I: Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination

  • Nature: Objective Type (Multiple Choice Questions)
  • Medium: English only.
  • Total Marks: 400
  • Stream-wise Structure:
    • Stream-I (Geologist Group ‘A’ in GSI and Scientist B (Hydrogeology) Group ‘A’ and Assistant Hydrogeologist Group ‘B’ in CGWB):
    • Stream-II (Geophysicist Group ‘A’ in GSI and Scientist ‘B’ (Geophysics) Group ‘A’ and Assistant Geophysicist Group ‘B’ in CGWB):
    • Stream-III (Chemist Group ‘A’ in GSI and Scientist ‘B’(Chemical) Group ‘A’ and Assistant Chemist Group ‘B’ in CGWB):
  • Negative Marking Rules (Verbatim):
    • There are four alternatives for the answers to every question.
    • For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
    • If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
  • Other Official Conditions:
    • Candidates are not permitted to use calculators for answering Objective Type Papers.
    • Marks obtained in Preliminary/Stage-I Examination are counted for determining final order of merit.
    • The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main/Stage-II Examination will be about six to seven times of the total approximate number of vacancies.
    • Qualification for Main Exam based on minimum qualifying marks in General Studies Paper (Paper-I) and Stream-specific paper (Paper-II).

Stage-II: Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination

  • Nature: Conventional / Descriptive Type
  • Medium: Question paper will be set in English only. Answers must be in English only.
  • Total Marks: 600
  • Stream-wise Structure:
  • Mandatory Rules:
    • Candidates competing for selection must appear in all subjects mentioned against the respective category.
    • If any candidate fails to appear in any one or more papers, their candidature shall stand rejected and the part of the Main Examination attempted shall not be evaluated.
    • Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due economy of words.
    • Candidates will be allowed the use of Non-Programmable type Pocket Calculators. Programmable type calculators are not allowed.
    • Candidates must mark/write the papers in their own hand. Scribe facilities are provided for specified Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) as per rules.

Stage-III: Personality Test / Interview

  • Nature: Interview by a Board.
  • Maximum Marks: 200 (with no minimum qualifying marks).
  • Counts towards final merit.
  • Candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in Stage-II as fixed by the Commission shall be summoned. The number summoned will be about twice the number of vacancies.

3. Eligibility & Procedural Conditions (Explicitly Stated)

  • Nationality: Citizen of India, or subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or Tibetan refugee (before 01.01.1962), or Person of Indian Origin from specified countries who has migrated to India. Eligible candidates from categories (b), (c), (d), (e) must possess a certificate of eligibility from GoI.
  • Age Limits (as on 01.01.2026): 21 to 32 years (Born not earlier than 02.01.1994 and not later than 01.01.2005).
  • Age Relaxations: As per rules for SC/ST (up to 5 years), OBC (up to 3 years), PwBD (up to 10 years), Ex-servicemen (up to 5 years), Government Servants of GSI/CGWB (up to 7 years for corresponding posts).
  • Educational Qualification: Master’s degree in the relevant discipline from a recognized University (specific degrees listed for each post).
  • Physical Standards: As per Regulations given in Appendix-II of the rules.
  • PwBD Provisions:
    • Scribe eligibility for blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected), cerebral palsy, and other categories on production of a specified medical certificate (Appendix-IV, VI).
    • Compensatory time of twenty minutes per hour for blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected) and cerebral palsy. For other categories, on production of certificate (Appendix-IV, VI).
    • Candidates must submit required certificates (disability, scribe undertaking) as per proforma in Appendices IV, V, VI, VII.

4. Scheme of Marks & Merit Calculation

  • Stage-I (Preliminary): 400 Marks
  • Stage-II (Main): 600 Marks
  • Stage-III (Interview): 200 Marks
  • Grand Total: 1200 Marks
  • Final Merit: Based on cumulative marks of all three stages.

5. Examination Marks Summary

  • Total Stages: 3
  • Total Written Papers: 5 per stream (2 in Prelims + 3 in Mains)
  • Total Written Marks: 1000 (400 + 600)
  • Interview Marks: 200
  • Grand Total Marks: 1200

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Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2025
Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination, 2025