Contact Us
Civilsnotebook@gmail.com
Phone
+91 7973992959
Mon-Fri 9:30am - 7:30pm
Mon-Fri 9:30am - 7:30pm
Online Support
Offline Office
The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has released the notification for the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS) Combined Competitive Examination 2026. The recruitment notification, dated 26 August 2026, invites online applications for various posts in different departments of the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
The application process is being conducted through the Online Recruitment Application (ORA) system of HPPSC. Eligible candidates should carefully check the eligibility requirements, vacancy details, syllabus and examination pattern before applying.
According to the notification, the last date to submit the online application as well as the examination fee is 22 September 2026 up to 11:59 PM.
In this article, CIVILSNOTEBOOK provides the important details of Himachal Pradesh PCS 2026, including vacancies, application dates, eligibility, examination stages, Prelims and Mains syllabus, exam pattern and other important instructions.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Conducting Body | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) |
| Examination | H.P. Administrative Service Combined Competitive Examination-2026 |
| Advertisement No. | 59/8-2026 |
| Notification Date | 26 August 2026 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Starting Date | August 2026 / As notified through HPPSC online application |
| Last Date to Apply | 22 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 22 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Examination Stages | Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, Personality Test |
| Preliminary Papers | General Studies & Aptitude Test |
| Prelims Marks | 200 marks per paper |
| Prelims Duration | 2 hours per paper |
| Mains | Compulsory + One Optional Subject |
| Application Fee | ₹600 |
| Official Website | HPPSC |
The official notification is dated 26 August 2026, with the closing date for both the application and fee payment fixed as 22 September 2026 at 11:59 PM.
The notification currently lists vacancies in five different services/posts, with a total of 22 advertised posts.
The vacancy distribution is:
| S. No. | Department | Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Personnel-IV | Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services | 4 |
| 2 | Rural Development | Block Development Officer | 10 |
| 3 | Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs | District Controller | 1 |
| 4 | Treasuries, Accounts & Lotteries | District Treasury Officer | 1 |
| 5 | Revenue-A | Tehsildar | 6 |
| Total | 22 |
The notification also makes it clear that the number of vacancies may increase or decrease, and additional vacancies received from the Government up to the closing date may be included. Therefore, candidates should check subsequent HPPSC updates before assuming that 22 is the final vacancy figure.
The advertised posts carry different pay levels. HPAS has Pay Band Level 18 (₹56,100–₹1,77,500), while the BDO post is Level 17 (₹53,600–₹1,70,100). District Controller and District Treasury Officer are Level 16 (₹48,700–₹1,54,300), while Tehsildar is Level 13 (₹46,000–₹1,46,500).
The most important dates mentioned in the notification are:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| HPAS 2026 Notification | 26 August 2026 |
| Online Application | Online application process through HPPSC |
| Last Date to Submit Application | 22 September 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 22 September 2026 |
| Preliminary Examination | To be notified by HPPSC |
| Main Examination | To be notified later |
| Personality Test | To be notified later |
Candidates searching for the HPAS Prelims Exam Date 2026 should note that the notification provided for this article does not specify a fixed date for the Preliminary Examination.
Therefore, candidates should not rely on unofficial dates circulating on social media or coaching websites. HPPSC is expected to provide further information regarding the examination schedule through its official updates.
For SEO purposes, this is an important distinction: the application deadline is officially announced, but the Prelims date is not given in the uploaded notification.
A candidate must be a citizen of India and must possess a Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized university.
Candidates who have appeared in a qualifying examination and are awaiting their result may also apply subject to the conditions specified in the notification. Candidates intending to appear in the qualifying examination may also apply if the examination is completed before commencement of the competitive examination and other conditions are fulfilled.
For the general age requirement, a candidate must have:
Relaxation in the upper age limit is available to eligible reserved categories and other categories according to Himachal Pradesh Government rules.
The notification specifically provides a five-year upper-age relaxation for eligible SC, ST, OBC, Persons with Disabilities and Children/Grandchildren of Freedom Fighters of Himachal Pradesh, subject to the conditions mentioned in the advertisement.
The notification prescribes a uniform examination fee of ₹600 for all candidates, irrespective of category.
The examination fee has to be paid online through permitted modes such as debit card, credit card, UPI or other specified digital payment modes.
The fee, once paid, is non-refundable.
Candidates have to apply online through the HPPSC website.
The basic application process is:
The Commission specifically states that applications submitted through modes other than the prescribed online process will not be accepted.
The Himachal Pradesh PCS/HPAS 2026 selection process consists of three major stages:
The Preliminary Examination is a screening examination consisting of:
Both papers are objective-type papers.
Candidates qualifying in the Preliminary Examination are admitted to the Main Examination, subject to fulfilling the eligibility requirements.
The Main Examination consists of compulsory papers and one optional subject.
Candidates qualifying in the Main Examination are called for the Personality Test.
The final ranking is based on the marks obtained in the Main Examination and Personality Test. Preliminary Examination marks are not counted for final merit.
The HPAS Preliminary Examination consists of two objective-type papers.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Paper II | Aptitude Test | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test. Marks obtained in Prelims are not counted towards the final merit list.
Candidates admitted to the Main Examination will be approximately 20 times the total approximate number of vacancies.
The Aptitude Test is a qualifying paper, with a minimum qualifying requirement of 33%.
Marks obtained in Paper-II are not counted for determining merit for admission to the Main Examination. Admission to the Main Examination is based on the General Studies Paper-I merit, subject to the prescribed conditions.
Candidates must also avoid scoring zero or negative marks in General Studies Paper-I.
The HPAS Preliminary Examination has negative marking.
For every incorrect answer, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted.
If a candidate marks more than one answer for a question, it is treated as an incorrect answer and the applicable penalty is imposed.
There is no penalty for leaving a question unanswered.
The General Studies Paper consists of 100 objective-type questions carrying 200 marks.
The major areas include:
The official syllabus also includes General Science.
These topics are specifically listed under the Preliminary General Studies syllabus in the notification.
The HPAS Preliminary Aptitude Test carries 200 marks and contains 100 objective-type questions.
Major areas include:
Candidates must appear in both Preliminary Examination papers. Failure to appear in both papers results in disqualification.
The Main Examination contains compulsory papers and one optional subject.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | English | 100 |
| Paper II | Hindi | 100 |
| Paper III | Essay | 100 |
| Paper IV | General Studies-I | 200 |
| Paper V | General Studies-II | 200 |
| Paper VI | General Studies-III | 200 |
The candidate selects one optional subject, consisting of two papers:
| Paper | Marks |
|---|---|
| Optional Paper-I | 100 |
| Optional Paper-II | 100 |
Thus, candidates need to make an informed decision about their optional subject while preparing for the Main Examination.
The notification states that all Main Examination papers have a duration of three hours.
The optional subjects listed in the notification include:
The detailed Main Examination syllabus is available through the Commission's official syllabus information.
Candidates must secure at least:
The marks obtained in compulsory English and Hindi are not counted for overall ranking, although qualifying these papers is mandatory.
The number of candidates called for the Personality Test from the Main Examination will not ordinarily exceed three times the number of vacancies notified.
The final merit is determined using marks obtained in the Main Examination and Personality Test.
The Personality Test is the final stage of the selection process.
The Commission assesses candidates on qualities such as:
The Personality Test, together with the Main Examination, determines the final merit.
The application deadline is 22 September 2026 at 11:59 PM. The fee must also be paid by the prescribed deadline.
The currently advertised total is 22 posts, but HPPSC has stated that the number of vacancies may increase or decrease.
The Preliminary Examination is only a screening stage.
Paper-II requires a minimum of 33% marks.
One-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for an incorrect answer.
Candidates are required to select one optional subject for the Main Examination.
Candidates must appear in both General Studies and Aptitude Test papers.
Candidates need to upload relevant documents, including the matriculation certificate for age proof and bachelor's degree certificates/marksheets for educational qualification. Category certificates are required where applicable.
With the application deadline approaching, aspirants should not wait for the official Preliminary Examination date before beginning serious preparation.
A practical preparation strategy should focus on:
First — Himachal Pradesh-specific preparation:
Give special attention to Himachal Pradesh history, geography, polity, art and culture, economy, environment and socio-economic development.
Second — General Studies:
Cover Indian history, geography, polity, economy, environment, science and current affairs systematically.
Third — Aptitude:
Although Paper-II is qualifying, candidates should practice comprehension, reasoning, numeracy and data interpretation regularly.
Fourth — Previous-year questions:
Solve previous HPPSC/HPAS questions to understand the nature and difficulty level of the examination.
Fifth — Mock tests:
Regular full-length and sectional tests can help candidates improve accuracy, time management and question-selection skills, particularly because the Prelims examination includes negative marking.
The HPAS Combined Competitive Examination 2026 notification was dated 26 August 2026.
The last date for submitting the online application is 22 September 2026 at 11:59 PM.
The notification currently lists 22 vacancies across HPAS, Block Development Officer, District Controller, District Treasury Officer and Tehsildar posts. The number may subsequently change.
The Preliminary Examination consists of two objective papers: General Studies and Aptitude Test. Each paper carries 200 marks, with a duration of two hours.
Yes. One-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for an incorrect answer.
Yes. The Aptitude Test requires a minimum of 33% marks and its marks are not counted for determining Prelims merit for admission to Mains.
The examination has three stages:
The notification provided for this article does not mention a fixed Preliminary Examination date. Candidates should wait for the official HPPSC schedule/update.
The notification specifies a ₹600 examination fee for all candidates.
A candidate must possess a Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized university, subject to the detailed conditions of the notification.
The Himachal Pradesh PCS/HPAS 2026 notification is an important opportunity for aspirants targeting administrative and other state government services in Himachal Pradesh.
The notification currently carries 22 advertised vacancies, while HPPSC has stated that the vacancy position may change. The application deadline is 22 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, making it important for eligible candidates to complete the application process well before the deadline.
For Prelims, candidates should give particular attention to Himachal Pradesh-specific General Studies, Indian Polity, History, Geography, Economy, Environment, Science and Current Affairs, while maintaining regular practice for the qualifying Aptitude Test.
Since the Preliminary Examination date has not been specified in the notification provided, candidates should regularly monitor official HPPSC updates rather than depending on unofficial examination dates.
For HPAS 2026 preparation, keep following CIVILSNOTEBOOK for examination updates, syllabus-based study material, current affairs, practice questions and mock tests.
Civilsnotebook@gmail.com
+91 7973992959