The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the notification for the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination (CGSE) 2027. The recruitment drive is being conducted for 127 tentative vacancies in the Geological Survey of India (GSI) under the Ministry of Mines and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Eligible candidates with relevant Master’s degrees in Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry, Hydrogeology and related disciplines can submit their applications online.
The online application process started on 2 September 2026 and the last date to apply is 22 September 2026 up to 6:00 PM.
The selection process will consist of the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test/Interview. The UPSC CGSE Preliminary Examination 2027 is scheduled to be conducted on 10 January 2027.
Important: This recruitment notice is for admission to the Preliminary Examination. Candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Examination will be eligible to proceed to the Main Examination as per UPSC rules.
UPSC CGSE Recruitment 2026 – Overview
| Organization Name | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Examination | Combined Geo-Scientist Examination 2027 |
| Post Name | Geologist, Geophysicist, Chemist (Group A), Assistant Geologist, Assistant Geophysicist, Assistant Chemist (Group B) in GSI, Scientist ‘B’ and Assistant-level posts in CGWB |
| Total Vacancies | 127 Posts (Tentative) |
| Notification No. | Examination Notice No. 01/2027-GEOL |
| Qualification | M.Sc |
| Job Location | Across India |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
Important Dates
Start Date to Apply
02 September 2026
Last Date to Apply
22 September 2026 (6:00 PM)
Preliminary Examination
10 January 2027
Main Examination
19 & 20 June 2027
The helpline is scheduled to remain operational from 2 September to 22 September 2026, on working days between 10:00 AM and 5:30 PM.
UPSC CGSE Vacancy 2027
UPSC has announced 127 tentative vacancies under two major categories. The number of vacancies may be revised by the Commission.
Category-I: Geological Survey of India
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Geologist, Group A | 29 |
| Geophysicist, Group A | 0 |
| Chemist, Group A | 7 |
| Assistant Geologist, Group B | 34 |
| Assistant Geophysicist, Group B | 35 |
| Assistant Chemist, Group B | 6 |
| Total | 111 |
There are 8 vacancies reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) across the relevant GSI posts.
Category-II: Central Ground Water Board
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Scientist ‘B’ (Hydrogeology), Group A | 5 |
| Scientist ‘B’ (Chemical), Group A | 1 |
| Scientist ‘B’ (Geophysics), Group A | 1 |
| Assistant Hydrogeologist, Group B | 7 |
| Assistant Chemist, Group B | 1 |
| Assistant Geophysicist, Group B | 1 |
| Total | 16 |
Two vacancies in Category-II are reserved for PwBD candidates.
Total vacancies: 111 + 16 = 127.
Candidates can apply for one or both categories through a single application and a single fee payment, subject to fulfilling the respective eligibility conditions.
Eligibility Criteria
Before applying, candidates should carefully check the nationality, educational qualification and age requirements prescribed by UPSC.
Nationality
A candidate must generally be:
- A citizen of India or
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan or
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India; or
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries with the intention of permanently settling in India, subject to the applicable eligibility certificate requirements.
Educational Qualification
The required qualification depends on the post and stream.
| Post/Stream | Required Qualification |
|---|---|
| Geologist / Assistant Geologist | Master’s degree in Geological Science, Geology, Applied Geology, Geo-Exploration, Mineral Exploration, Engineering Geology, Marine Geology, Earth Science and Resource Management, Oceanography and Coastal Areas Studies, Petroleum Geosciences, Geochemistry or relevant discipline |
| Geophysicist / Assistant Geophysicist / Scientist ‘B’ (Geophysics) | M.Sc. in Physics, Applied Physics, Geophysics, Exploration Geophysics, Applied Geophysics, Marine Geophysics or applicable discipline |
| Chemist / Assistant Chemist / Scientist ‘B’ (Chemical) | M.Sc. in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Hydro-Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry or relevant discipline |
| Scientist ‘B’ (Hydrogeology) / Assistant Hydrogeologist | Master’s degree in Geology, Applied Geology, Marine Geology or Hydrogeology |
UPSC CGSE Age Limit 2027
Candidates must have:
- Minimum age: 21 years
- Maximum age: 32 years
- Age calculated as on: 1 January 2027
Therefore, candidates should have been born not earlier than 2 January 1995 and not later than 1 January 2006.
Age Relaxation
Applicable relaxation includes:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| PwBD | Up to 10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 5 years |
| Eligible Government Servants | Up to 5 years |
| Disabled Defence Services Personnel | 3 years |
Candidates should check the official notification for the precise conditions attached to each relaxation.
The qualifying degree must be from a recognised university/institution meeting the conditions prescribed in the official examination rules.
Candidates who are awaiting their qualifying examination results may also be permitted to apply, subject to fulfilling UPSC’s conditions and producing the required proof of qualification before the Personality Test.
UPSC CGSE Application Fee
The application fee is ₹200.
The fee can be paid through the online payment methods specified by UPSC, including:
- Net Banking
- Visa/Master/RuPay Debit or Credit Card
- UPI
Fee exemption: Female candidates, SC candidates, ST candidates and Persons with Benchmark Disability are exempt from payment of the examination fee.
OBC and EWS candidates are required to pay the prescribed fee.
The fee, once paid, is generally non-refundable.
UPSC CGSE 2027 Exam Pattern
The selection process has three stages:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Personality Test/Interview
Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is objective type and carries 400 marks.
For the Geology/Hydrogeology stream, the examination consists of:
| Paper | Subject | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | General Studies | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Paper-II | Geology/Hydrogeology | 2 Hours | 300 |
| Total | 400 |
Similar stream-specific papers are conducted for candidates appearing in the Geophysics and Chemistry streams.
Main Examination
The Main Examination is descriptive/conventional in nature and carries 600 marks.
Candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Examination are permitted to appear in the Main Examination according to the prescribed rules.
Personality Test
Candidates qualifying through the Main Examination are called for the Personality Test/Interview, which carries 200 marks.
The marks obtained in the Main Examination and Personality Test are used for determining final merit, subject to the applicable rules.
UPSC CGSE 2027 Selection Process
The recruitment process can be summarised as:
Preliminary Examination → Main Examination → Personality Test/Interview → Final Merit List
The Preliminary Examination is used to shortlist candidates for the Main Examination. Candidates who qualify in the Main Examination are then considered for the Personality Test.
Final selection is based on merit, candidate preferences and the number of vacancies available in the respective categories/posts.
UPSC CGSE 2027 Exam Centres
Preliminary Examination Centres
The Preliminary Examination will be conducted at the following centres:
- Ahmedabad
- Bengaluru
- Bhopal
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Cuttack
- Delhi
- Dispur
- Ghaziabad
- Gurugram
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Jammu
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- Patna
- Prayagraj
- Shillong
- Shimla
- Thiruvananthapuram
Candidates should apply early because examination centres are allotted according to UPSC’s prescribed availability and centre-capacity rules.
Main Examination Centres
The Main Examination will be held at:
- Bhopal
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Dispur (Guwahati)
- Hyderabad
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- Shimla
How to Apply for UPSC CGSE
Eligible candidates can apply online by following these steps:
- Visit the official UPSC online application portal.
- Complete the required registration/Universal Registration process.
- Generate or use your Universal Registration Number (URN).
- Complete the Common Application Form (CAF).
- Select the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination 2027.
- Fill in the examination-specific application details.
- Select the applicable category/post preferences.
- Choose your preferred examination centre.
- Upload the photograph, live photo capture and signature as instructed.
- Pay the application fee, if applicable.
- Carefully review all details.
- Submit the application before 22 September 2026, 6:00 PM.
- Save/download the submitted application for future reference.
Documents Required for UPSC CGSE Application
Candidates should keep the required documents/details ready before starting the application process:
- Aadhaar Card or another accepted photo identity document
- Matriculation/Secondary School Certificate for date of birth
- Master’s degree certificate and relevant marksheets
- Category certificate, where applicable
- OBC-NCL/EWS certificate, where applicable
- PwBD certificate, where applicable
- Recent photograph
- Signature
- Other documents/details required by the UPSC application system
Candidates should ensure that certificates are valid and comply with the format and dates prescribed by UPSC.
Important Instructions for Candidates
Candidates should keep the following points in mind:
- Apply well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.
- Examination centres may be allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis subject to the prescribed capacity.
- Mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices and other prohibited electronic devices are not allowed inside the examination venue.
- Candidates must comply with the prescribed identity verification and face-authentication requirements.
- Only the permitted writing instrument should be used for the OMR examination.
- The objective papers carry negative marking for incorrect answers.
- The e-Admit Card will be made available online; it will not be sent by post.
- Candidates should carefully read the official instructions before appearing in the examination.
Official Notification: Candidates should download and read the complete Examination Notice No. 01/2027-GEOL from the official UPSC website before applying.
Important Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Official Notification | View & Download |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
UPSC has announced 127 tentative vacancies, including 111 vacancies in GSI and 16 vacancies in CGWB.
The last date to submit the online application is 22 September 2026 up to 6:00 PM.
The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 10 January 2027.
Candidates must be 21 to 32 years old as on 1 January 2027, with applicable age relaxation for eligible categories.
Candidates awaiting their qualifying examination results may be eligible to apply, subject to the conditions specified in the official notification and the requirement to produce proof of qualification at the prescribed stage.
