IAS Exam Centers 2026: Check City-wise Test Centers for Prelims and Mains

UPSC IAS Exam Centres 2026 for Prelims, Main, and Interviews are specified by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Candidates can select an exam center for Prelims and Main according to their convenience. For the IAS Interview, there is only one centre i.e. UPSC Headquarters, New Delhi. IAS Prelims will be conducted in 80 centers across 28 States and 6 UTs. IAS Mains will be conducted in 24 centers across 20 States and 3 UTs.

UPSC IAS Interview Exam Centre 2026

There is only one center for UPSC IAS interviews, i.e., the UPSC Headquarters.

UPSC IAS Interview 2026 Center: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069.

IAS Exam Centres 2026: Points to Remember

• You need to travel to the exam center mentioned in the IAS Admit Card on the exam day.
• Admission into the exam center will be closed 10 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the exam. Candidates are advised to reach the venue earlier.
• Things you have to carry to the exam center:
  • Printout of the Admit Card
  • Photo Identity Card (mentioned in the admit card)
  • Black Ball Point pen

UPSC IAS Exam Tips 2026

Below are the exam tips for various stages of the UPSC IAS exam:

A. UPSC IAS Prelims Tips 2026

• UPSC IAS Prelims are scheduled on Sundays. This year’s UPSC IAS Prelims are set to be conducted on May 24, 2026.
• Prelim exams are generally held in the heated months of summer. UPSC conducts these exams in the government schools and colleges. Generally, the rooms in these exam centers are not properly ventilated, do not have ACs, and sometimes the number of fans are also less. So, you should practice prelims mock tests in these exam-like conditions and be mentally and physically ready for these situations.
• There is a gap of 3 hours between Paper 1 and Paper 2. Managing Paper 2 is hard because the temperature increases in the latter half of the day and there is a general sense of fatigueness if you are not properly rested.
• Candidates from a different city should find a place nearby to rest and eat something (light). They should find a cafeteria or a hotel room nearby. If your exam center is at a secluded place and you can not find any place to rest then you should hire a cab.
• Candidates from the same city, if possible, can take a rest and eat something (light) at their home but if your home is far from the exam center then they should also find a cafeteria or a hotel room nearby.

B. UPSC IAS Mains Tips 2026

• In UPSC IAS Mains there will be 9 papers, two each day. The exams last over 2 weeks and are conducted on Fridays and weekends. The timing of shifts is as follows:
• There is a gap of 2 hours between 2 papers in the same day. Candidates should follow the strategy mentioned for the prelims exam.
• Also, you should have a practice of writing for 6 hours in a day.

C. UPSC IAS Interview Tips 2026

• UPSC IAS interview is divided into 2 sessions: morning and afternoon.
• The timing of the sessions is as follows:
  • Morning session- Starts at 9:00 AM
  • Afternoon session- Starts at 1:00 PM
• The session in which you have to appear for the interview will be mentioned on your IAS admit card.