UPSC Section Officers’ Grade B and Stenographers LDCE 2026 – Apply Online by 06 October

Vacancies: Not finalized by Cadre Controlling Authorities · Posts: Section Officer Grade B + Stenographer Grade B / Grade I · Type: Regular Government Service (LDCE promotion) · Mode: Online + printed copy through proper channel · Fee: Check Examination Specific Module · Apply: 16 September 2026–06 October 2026 · Salary: 7th CPC Level-8 (indicative for SO / PS grade) · Selection: Written exam + record of service · Location: All India (5 written centres for SO LDCE)

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the constitutional recruiting body under the Government of India, has opened two Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations together on 16 September 2026. One is Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026. The other is Combined Stenographers’ (Grade-‘B’/Grade-‘I’) LDCE covering select list years 2022, 2023 and 2024.

This is not an open-market drive. Only serving officers in the notified feeder grades can sit. Online forms on UPSC Online close at 06:00 PM on 06 October 2026. The written exam is on 12 and 13 December 2026.

Cadre Controlling Authorities have not yet locked vacancy numbers. The SO notice (F.No.9/02/2026-E.IB) says so in plain words. Eligible Assistants and Stenographers should still apply if they meet the DoPT Gazette Rules dated 16 September 2026, because the printed copy must reach UPSC through the cadre by 23 October 2026.

Also Read: UPSC Assistant Public Prosecutor & Assistant Professor Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 212 Posts

Who Should Apply?

This window is only for in-service central government staff in the feeder grades named in the Gazette Rules. Open-market graduates cannot apply.

• Assistant Section Officers / Personal Assistants of the Central Secretariat Service and Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Service with the approved service and APAR conditions in the 16 September 2026 Gazette → Category I, Section Officers’ Grade, CSS.
• Assistants / Personal Assistants / Cypher Assistants of Indian Foreign Service, Branch ‘B’ who meet the Gazette service conditions → Category II, Section Officers’ Grade, IFS Branch ‘B’.
• Eligible feeder-grade officers of Railway Board Secretariat Service → Category III, Section Officers’ Grade, RBSS.
• Eligible Assistants / Stenographers of Intelligence Bureau → Category VIII, Section Officers’ Grade, IB.
• Eligible feeder-grade officers of Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service → Category X, Section Officers, AFHQ Civil Service.
• Eligible feeder-grade officers of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation → Category XI, Assistant Director / Section Officer / Manager Grade-‘I’, ESIC.
• Serving Stenographers in participating Private Secretary / Grade-‘B’ / Grade-‘I’ cadres who meet the separate Stenographers’ Gazette Rules for years 2022, 2023 and/or 2024 → Combined Stenographers’ LDCE.

Who cannot apply

• Candidates who are not serving in a notified feeder grade on the Gazette crucial date.
• Applicants whose Cadre Controlling Authority does not forward the printed SO application to UPSC by 23 October 2026.
• Anyone treating this as a direct UPSC recruitment like CSE or CDS.

✅ Confirmed: departmental LDCE only; six SO categories named in the SO notice; exam dates and dual application track.
❓ Not printed in the SO examination notice: exact years of approved service, APAR count, crucial date, and category-wise vacancy numbers. Those are in the DoPT Gazette of India dated 16 September 2026 and in CCA vacancy reports.

In recent Gazette cycles, Category I CSS typically needed not less than five years’ approved service in the ASO / PA grade and at least four APARs, with 1 July of the exam year as the crucial date. Treat that only as history. Check the 2026 Gazette before you tick a category.

Important Dates

No extension is mentioned in the current notices.

Quick Overview – UPSC SO Steno LDCE 2026

• Organisation: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• Sector: Central Secretariat & Allied Civil Services
• Notification / File No.: F.No.9/02/2026-E.IB (Section Officers’ LDCE, 2026)
• Exams: Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026; Combined Stenographers’ (Grade-‘B’/Grade-‘I’) LDCE, 2022, 2023 & 2024
• Job Location: Parent cadre posting after promotion (All India). Written centres for SO LDCE: Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur
• Official Website: UPSC examinations portal
• Apply Portal: UPSC Online Application Portal
• Last Date: 06 October 2026, 06:00 PM (online)
• Apply Online: Apply for UPSC SO Grade B and Stenographers LDCE 2026
• Notification PDF (SO): Download UPSC Combined Section Officers Grade B LDCE 2026 PDF
• Notification PDF (Steno): Download UPSC Combined Stenographers LDCE 2022 2023 2024 PDF

What Posts Are Available? – UPSC Vacancy & Eligibility 2026

Cadre Controlling Authorities have not finalised vacancy numbers. The SO notice states that no vacancy figure can be indicated at this stage. The table below lists every category named in the official SO notice. Vacancy cells stay blank on purpose.

Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026

You must mark one category in the application. Appointment and seniority for Category II (IFS Branch ‘B’) stay subject to judicial directions. Category III (RBSS) result for 2026 will be provisional, subject to O.A. No. 215/2022 before CAT Principal Bench, New Delhi, and any revision of the ASO seniority list.

Combined Stenographers’ (Grade-‘B’/Grade-‘I’) LDCE, 2022, 2023 & 2024

This is a separate official notice dated 16 September 2026, not an annexure to the SO notice. It covers three backlog select-list years in one sitting.

Recent Combined Steno LDCE Gazettes have used these service categories. Confirm the 2022–2024 list from the Steno PDF and the matching Gazette before you apply:

Interpretation: This cycle is a promotion exam, not a vacancy advertisement. CSS Category I usually carries the largest later allotment when CCAs report numbers (306 vacancies were reported in the 2024 SO LDCE select list year). Waiting for a vacancy table is the most common reason eligible ASOs miss the printed-copy deadline.

What Is the Age Limit for This Departmental Exam?

The SO examination notice does not print an 18–X open-recruitment age band. Eligibility is based on the length of approved service in the feeder grade, plus APAR and other conditions in the DoPT Gazette Rules dated 16 September 2026.

Do not assume SSC-style +3 / +5 / +10 figures for this LDCE. Age relaxation numbers that are not in the Gazette are not official.

Examples (service filter, not an invented age cap):

✅ An ASO who completes the Gazette-prescribed approved service and APAR count on the crucial date named in the 16 September 2026 Rules is eligible to apply in the matching category.

❌ A candidate who is not on the feeder-grade strength, or whose approved service falls short on that crucial date, is not eligible even if the online form accepts payment.

Use our Age Eligibility Calculator only if your own cadre / Gazette clause mentions an upper age. The service-length test still prevails.

What Is the Section Officer Salary in Central Secretariat?

The 2026 notices do not reprint a pay matrix. Section Officer Grade ‘B’ and Private Secretary / Stenographer Grade ‘B’ / Grade I in these cadres are paid on the 7th Central Pay Commission Level-8 matrix in normal CSS / CSSS practice (basic ₹47,600).

Indicative monthly picture after promotion, X-class city (Delhi), DA taken at about 55% of basic (rate moves with DA orders):

₹80,000–₹88,000/month is an estimate (Level-8 basic ₹47,600 + current DA band + X-city HRA, minus NPS). Actual take-home depends on your increment stage after promotion, posting city class, and deductions. Y-class HRA is 20%; Z-class is 10%. Use the 7th CPC Salary Calculator for a city-wise sketch. This calculator is indicative; the pay fixation order from your cadre prevails.

You already draw central pay as ASO / Steno. The gain here is Level-8 duties, higher Grade Pay heritage equivalent, and a clearer path toward Under Secretary / equivalent on empanelment later.

What Is the Application Fee?

The SO examination notice refers to the fee inside the Examination Specific Module. It does not print a rupee figure.

Do not copy older UPSC “₹200” figures unless the 2026 module actually shows that amount. Pay only within the official module.

How to Apply?

Applications go only through UPSC Online from 16 September 2026 to 06 October 2026 (06:00 PM).

The portal has four modules. Account creation, Universal Registration and the Common Application Form can be filled out at any time. The fourth module is examination-specific and is open only during this window.

1. Open https://upsconline.nic.in. Create an account if you do not have one.
2. Complete Universal Registration. Note the lifetime URN.
3. Fill the Common Application Form. Upload a still photograph and capture a live photograph. Sign three times, one below the other, in black ink on white paper and upload that scan. Resize files with the Photo & Signature Resizer before upload.
4. Open the Examination Specific Module for Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026 and/or Combined Stenographers’ LDCE, 2022–2024. Choose category and centre. Complete the fee if the module asks for it.
5. Submit and save the Application Number. It is different from the URN.
6. SO LDCE only: Take the printed copy by 06 October 2026. Hand it to your Ministry / Department for verification. The department forwards it to the Cadre Controlling Authority, with a copy endorsed to UPSC. The CCA must send the scrutinised copy to the Under Secretary (E-VI), Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069, by 23 October 2026.
7. Download the e-Admit Card from upsconline.nic.in. Nothing is posted.

A URN profile can be edited once. Edits do not change a form already submitted. Re-lock the profile before you file a fresh exam module.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Stopping after the online submission. For the SO exam, UPSC will consider only printed copies forwarded by the concerned CCA.
• Sending the print to Dholpur House yourself and skipping the Ministry → CCA chain.
• Picking the wrong category. You compete only in the category you mark.
• Changing the URN after submission and assuming the old form updates.
• Asking for a centre change. The SO notice says no request will be entertained.
• Treating vacancy “not finalised” as a reason to wait. The printed-copy clock does not wait for CCA figures.

यूपीएससी सेक्शन ऑफिसर ग्रेड बी और स्टेनोग्राफर एलडीसीई 2026 – 06 अक्टूबर तक ऑनलाइन आवेदन

संघ लोक सेवा आयोग ने 16 सितंबर 2026 को दो विभागीय परीक्षाएं एक साथ खोली हैं। पहली Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026 है। दूसरी Combined Stenographers’ (Grade-‘B’/Grade-‘I’) LDCE है, जो चयन सूची वर्ष 2022, 2023 और 2024 कवर करती है। यह खुली भर्ती नहीं है। केवल निर्धारित फीडर ग्रेड के सेवारत कर्मचारी आवेदन कर सकते हैं। ऑनलाइन फॉर्म 06 अक्टूबर 2026 शाम 6 बजे तक upsconline.nic.in पर खुला है। लिखित परीक्षा 12 और 13 दिसंबर 2026 को होगी।

कौन आवेदन कर सकता है?

केवल राजपत्र नियम दिनांक 16 सितंबर 2026 में बताए फीडर ग्रेड के अधिकारी। कैटेगरी I केंद्रीय सचिवालय सेवा के सेक्शन ऑफिसर ग्रेड के लिए है। कैटेगरी II भारतीय विदेश सेवा शाखा ‘B’, कैटेगरी III रेलवे बोर्ड सचिवालय सेवा, कैटेगरी VIII आसूचना ब्यूरो, कैटेगरी X सशस्त्र बल मुख्यालय सिविल सेवा, और कैटेगरी XI ईएसआईसी के पदों के लिए है। स्टेनो परीक्षा अलग पीडीएफ से पढ़ें। रिक्ति संख्या अभी कैडर प्राधिकारी ने अंतिम नहीं की है।

आयु, वेतन और चयन क्या है?

परीक्षा नोटिस में 18–30 जैसी खुली आयु सीमा नहीं छपी है। पात्रता सेवा अवधि और एपीएआर की शर्तों पर टिकी है। सेक्शन ऑफिसर ग्रेड आमतौर पर सातवें वेतन आयोग के Level-8 पर आता है। चयन लिखित परीक्षा और सेवा अभिलेख के मूल्यांकन से होता है। वर्तमान नोटिस में साक्षात्कार चरण नहीं लिखा गया है।

आवेदन कैसे करें?

upsconline.nic.in पर यूआरएन, कॉमन एप्लिकेशन फॉर्म और परीक्षा मॉड्यूल भरें। सेक्शन ऑफिसर एलडीसीई के लिए प्रिंट कॉपी 06 अक्टूबर तक अपने मंत्रालय को दें, ताकि कैडर 23 अक्टूबर 2026 तक आयोग के अवर सचिव (E-VI), धौलपुर हाउस, शाहजहां रोड, नई दिल्ली-110069 तक भेज सके। हेल्पलाइन 011-24041001 और 011-40303444, ईमेल upscsoap@nic.in। विस्तृत नियम upsc.gov.in पर हैं।

How Are Section Officers Selected through LDCE?

No interview stage is mentioned in the current SO notification. Selection runs as stages, not as a single score event.

1. Online form + (for SO LDCE) printed copy forwarded by the CCA.
2. Written examination on 12 and 13 December 2026.
3. Evaluation of the record of service of candidates who clear the written qualifying level fixed by the Commission.
4. Category-wise merit, reservation guidelines in DoPT O.M. No. 36012/2016/2019-Estt (Res.) dated 12 April 2022, subject to Civil Appeal No. 629 of 2022.
5. Recommendation to the cadre and inclusion in the select list, then promotion order by the cadre authority.

Admission to the written exam and to service-record evaluation is provisional. If you fail eligibility at any later check, candidature is cancelled.

Exam Pattern (scheme used in recent DoPT Gazette cycles — confirm from the 16 September 2026 Rules)

The 2026 SO notice names Paper-II and Paper-III in its tie-break clause and confirms negative marking in objective papers. It does not reprint the full marks table. The scheme below is the Gazette pattern used in recent Combined SO Grade B LDCEs. Verify the 2026 Appendix before you schedule prep.

In that Gazette scheme, candidates need a minimum of 40% in record-of-service evaluation to enter the rank list. Once APARs are assessed, the Board does not reopen them because a later grading has changed.

Objective papers carry a penalty for wrong answers. The 2026 notice does not print the fraction. Recent cycles have used one-third of the marks assigned to the question. Confirm the 2026 Rules / special instructions.

Paper-II booklets differ by category groups in recent sittings (for example, I / IV / VIII / IX / XI as one set; II / V as another). Read the category line on your admit card.

For Stenographer categories in recent cycles, a qualifying shorthand test at 100 words per minute in Hindi or English was also held after the written papers. Confirm that requirement from the 2022–2024 Steno notice.

Tie-break (quoted from the 2026 SO notice logic): if final aggregate marks are equal — (1) higher written total; (2) higher Paper-II + Paper-III together; (3) higher Paper-III (Noting & Drafting, Precis Writing); (4) senior in age; (5) Commission’s discretion.

Marks are rounded to two decimal places at every stage.

Representations on objective questions and provisional keys are accepted only on the Commission’s website, from the 3rd day of the exam until 06:00 PM on the 7th day.

Venue rules from the notice: face authentication is mandatory. The gate closes 30 minutes before each session. Phones, smartwatches, AI-enabled glasses, pagers and storage media are banned. No travelling allowance.

Use the Cut-off Marks Calculator only as a prep aid after written marks and last-cycle cut-offs are published. It does not replace UPSC’s official cut-off PDF.

Why Does UPSC Matter?

The Union Public Service Commission conducts this LDCE on behalf of DoPT and the participating cadres. It does not employ you after the result. Your appointing authority remains CSS, IFS(B), RBSS, IB, AFHQ or ESIC.

That split matters. UPSC ranks you. The cadre issues the promotion, decides the desk, and applies reservation and seniority rules, including the court caveats already printed for IFS(B) and RBSS.

Why candidates search this exam

Assistants search “UPSC SO LDCE” because seniority promotion in CSS is slow and the departmental exam is the faster legal route to Level-8. Stenographers search the same listing because three backlog PS years are being cleared in one December sitting. Personnel sections search “printed copy 23 October 2026” because a correct online form still dies if the CCA bag is late.

Also Read: DAV College Managing Committee Staff Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for PGT, TGT, PRT, LDC and Other Posts (CBT 2027-28)

The honest downside is structural: vacancy figures are missing at notification, Category III can stay provisional for years, and your APAR file can drop you even after a strong written score.

Internal pages that help the next search: UPSC organisation hub, central government jobs, and other UPSC exam explainers on this site.

The SahisarkariJobs.in Analyst’s Take

Put this tab next to SSC ASO LDCE 2026, not next to UPSC CSE. SSC’s June–July 2026 ASO LDCE (341 posts in CSS and MEA) moves UDC / equivalent staff to Assistant Section Officer. This UPSC paper moves people who are already ASOs or equivalent to Section Officer Grade B. The closest other path is the CSS seniority quota to the same SO grade, which does not need a December written exam but depends on vacancy year and roster.

Best fit: serving ASOs and PAs who already draft notes, know GFR and RTI, and have a clean APAR run. Also Steno Grade C / equivalent staff who can still hit 100 wpm and want the PS grade against 2022–2024 slots.

Skip this cycle if you are an outsider hunting any “UPSC vacancy 2026,” or if your approved service on the Gazette crucial date is short. A form that looks complete on the portal is useless without CCA forwarding.

Practical tip: Print the SO application the same day you submit online. Walk it to the administration section with a written request that it must leave the Ministry for the CCA in time for the 23 October 2026 UPSC receipt date. That single file movement rejects more eligible people than Paper-III.

Expect several months from December written papers to service-record scoring and the select list, going by the 2025 cycle that sat in December 2025 and saw a final result in June 2026.

What Documents Are Required for Central Secretariat Promotion Exams?

Keep this set ready for the CAF upload and for the Ministry / CCA verification:

• Aadhaar (UPSC asks you to use it as the ID document)
• Service book extracts/cadre certificate showing feeder grade and approved service
• APARs for the years the Gazette demands
• Educational certificates claimed in the CAF
• Category / PwBD certificate, if claimed
• Identity card of the department for exam day, plus e-Admit Card
• Printed online application with the Ministry / Head of Office endorsement (SO LDCE)

Document alert: signatures on the form, attendance sheet and later letters must match. A mismatch is a stated ground for cancellation.

What Happens After Selection?

1. UPSC issues the written result for the category you marked.
2. Eligible written qualifiers go to record-of-service evaluation. In the recent Gazette scheme, this block is 100 marks with a 40% floor.
3. A category-wise recommendation list is drawn using written marks + service-record marks, reservation instructions, and the printed court caveats.
4. Your Cadre Controlling Authority places you on the select list for the relevant year (2026 for SO; 2022 / 2023 / 2024 for Steno, subject to year-wise eligibility).
5. The cadre issues the promotion/appointment order. UPSC does not post you.
6. You join the Section Officer / Private Secretary / equivalent desk in the same service, on Level-8 fixation, and serve probation or confirmation rules of that cadre.

The promotion pathway after SO in CSS is typically Section Officer → Under Secretary (empanelment/vacancy) → Deputy Secretary. Exact years vary by cadre review and vacancy. Steno PS grade follows the CSSS / concerned steno service rules.

Posting stays within your service. CSS officers rotate across Ministries in New Delhi. IFS(B) work follows MEA / mission needs. IB, AFHQ, RBSS and ESIC follow those organisations. You do not get a UPSC “preference form” for a city like CSE does.

Contact & Helpline

UPSC helpdesk for this application window:

• Phone: 011-24041001, 011-40303444
• Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on working days, 16 September 2026 to 06 October 2026
• Email: upscsoap@nic.in
• Postal (applications and exam correspondence): Under Secretary (E-VI), Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069

Every letter should carry the exam name and year, URN, Application Number, Roll Number if issued, full name, postal address, registered email and mobile.

⚠️ Contact details sourced from the official SO notification. Verify before contacting. NEVER pay any money over the phone or to any person claiming to offer job assistance. Report fraud to cybercrime.gov.in.

Important Links – UPSC SO Steno LDCE 2026

FAQs – UPSC SO Steno LDCE 2026

What is the last date to apply for UPSC SO Steno LDCE 2026?

06 October 2026, till 06:00 PM, on upsconline.nic.in. For the Section Officers’ exam, the printed copy must still reach UPSC through the Cadre Controlling Authority by 23 October 2026. No extension is mentioned in the notices dated 16 September 2026.

What is the age limit for UPSC Section Officer LDCE?

No numeric open-market age band is printed in the SO examination notice. Eligibility follows approved service, APAR and other conditions in the DoPT Gazette Rules dated 16 September 2026. Do not apply SSC-style +3 / +5 years unless that Gazette says so for your cadre.

Is there an exam for UPSC SO Grade B, or is it interview-based?

Yes, there is a two-day written examination on 12 and 13 December 2026. After that, UPSC evaluates the record of service. No interview stage is mentioned in the current SO notification. Objective papers carry negative marking.

What is the salary of a Section Officer after this LDCE?

Around ₹80,000–₹88,000 in-hand in an X-class city at the start of Level-8, after NPS, if DA stays near current central rates. Basic pay begins at ₹47,600. Actual fixation depends on your increment stage and city HRA. The 2026 notice does not reprint the matrix.

Can final-year students apply for UPSC LDCE 2026?

No. This is a limited departmental exam. You must already be serving in a notified feeder grade and meet the Gazette service conditions. A campus degree without that service does not open the form in any real sense.

Is UPSC SO Grade B a permanent government job?

Yes. Success places you on the select list for a regular Section Officer / equivalent grade in your cadre, with NPS and other central rules of that service. It is a promotion inside government, not a new contractual hire. Stenographer success is the same idea for PS / Grade B / Grade I.

Can candidates from other states apply for this recruitment?

Yes, if they already serve in a notified feeder grade. There is no separate state-domicile cut. There is also no entry route for private-sector or state-government staff who are not in these cadres.

Where will I be posted if I get selected as Section Officer?

Inside your own service. CSS officers usually work in Ministries in New Delhi and move by transfer roster. IFS(B), IB, AFHQ, Railway Board and ESIC follow those organisations. UPSC does not allot a city the way it does in the Civil Services Examination.

Do I still apply if vacancies are not announced?

Yes, if you meet the Gazette eligibility. The SO notice itself says CCA vacancy figures are not ready. The online window and the 23 October 2026 printed-copy date are already fixed. Waiting for a number is how eligible ASOs miss the channel deadline.

Is shorthand compulsory for the Section Officer categories?

Not for the six SO categories listed in the 2026 SO notice (I, II, III, VIII, X, XI). Qualifying shorthand at 100 wpm has been required in recent cycles for the Stenographer / PS categories. Read the Steno notice for 2022–2024 before you skip dictation practice.

What are the disadvantages of UPSC departmental LDCE?

Worth knowing before you apply: vacancy strength is unknown at notification, Category III (RBSS) can stay provisional because of pending CAT litigation, and a weak APAR file can erase a good written rank. The printed-copy route also fails people who only finish the portal step.

How is this different from SSC ASO LDCE?

SSC ASO LDCE promotes clerical feeder grades to Assistant Section Officer. This UPSC LDCE promotes ASO / equivalent officers to Section Officer Grade B. Papers, body and target grade are different. Do not send an SSC application to upsconline.nic.in or the other way around.

How do I check my UPSC LDCE application status?

Use the same URN and Application Number on UPSC Online. For the SO exam, also confirm with your administration section that the printed copy has left the Ministry for the CCA. Admit cards appear on the portal in the week before 12 December 2026.

Final Checklist – Is This the Right Job for You?

Use this quick checklist before you apply:

• You are already serving in a Gazette-notified feeder grade, not an open-market applicant.
• You can get the SO printed copy verified and forwarded so that UPSC receives it by 23 October 2026.
• You have marked the correct category (I / II / III / VIII / X / XI, or the matching Steno category).
• You accept that vacancy numbers are still with the CCAs and that Category II / III carry court caveats.
• You are ready for a two-day written exam plus service-record scoring, with no interview listed in the current notice.

📄 Source: Combined Section Officers’ (Grade-‘B’) LDCE, 2026 details confirmed from the UPSC notice dated 16 September 2026, F.No.9/02/2026-E.IB (SO PDF). Combined Stenographers’ (Grade-‘B’/Grade-‘I’) LDCE, 2022, 2023 & 2024 details confirmed from the separate UPSC notice dated 16 September 2026 (Steno PDF). Eligibility scheme and crucial date: DoPT Gazette of India dated 16 September 2026.