UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test: Interviews Begin Today for 1,336 Candidates

By the Online Coaching 4u team

Last updated: 21 September 2026.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has begun the Personality Test (interview) round of the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2026 today, 21 September 2026, for 1,336 candidates who cleared the ESE Mains 2026 written exam. The schedule was released via an official notice dated 7 September 2026.

What's confirmed

UPSC's notice, issued 7 September 2026, lays out a roll-number-wise schedule for the ESE 2026 Personality Test, covering all 1,336 candidates who qualified after the Commission declared the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2026 result on 24 July 2026. Interviews run in two sessions a day — a forenoon session reporting at 9:00 AM and an afternoon session reporting at 1:00 PM — at the UPSC Examination Hall in Dholpur House, New Delhi, across a spread of dates from today through 30 October 2026. UPSC says e-Summon Letters for all scheduled candidates will be made available shortly on its website, and has stated plainly that no request for a change in a candidate's allotted date or session will be entertained.

What this means for students

For the 1,336 candidates on this list, the practical next step is checking the roll-number-wise schedule directly against the official notice, downloading the e-Summon Letter once it's live, and treating the allotted date and session as fixed — UPSC's own language rules out rescheduling requests, so travel and leave plans should be built around the assigned slot rather than a preferred one. Candidates travelling for the interview can claim Second/Sleeper Class Mail/Express train fare under UPSC's standard reimbursement rules (other travel modes are reimbursed per S.R.-132 and Commission guidelines), with the Travelling Allowance Form available on UPSC's Forms and Downloads page. For engineering aspirants still preparing for future ESE cycles, today's interview start is also a reminder of the exam's full pipeline — Preliminary, Mains and, roughly two months after the Mains result, the Personality Test — useful for pacing next year's preparation.

Important pointers

Dated, sourced, standalone facts — 21 September 2026

• UPSC's ESE 2026 Personality Test (interview) round begins today, 21 September 2026, for 1,336 candidates, per the official notice dated 7 September 2026 on upsc.gov.in.
• UPSC's Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination, 2027 online application window closes tomorrow, 22 September 2026 at 6:00 PM, per the official notification on upsc.gov.in.
• SSC's CGL 2026 Tier-1 exam runs from 30 September to 30 October 2026 in Computer-Based mode, with a newly introduced 15-minute sectional time-lock and no switching between sections — confirmed via SSC's official CGL 2026 notice.
• UPSC conducted the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 on 13 September 2026, for entry to the 158th NDA Course and 120th Indian Naval Academy Course commencing 1 July 2027, per upsc.gov.in.
• Myth check: candidates cannot request to change their allotted ESE Personality Test date or session — UPSC's official notice states no such request will be entertained, so the allotted slot should be treated as final when planning travel.

Last updated: 21 September 2026. Source: upsc.gov.in (UPSC official ESE 2026 Personality Test notice dated 07.09.2026), cross-verified against a national education-news report dated 8 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When do UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test interviews start?

Interviews begin today, 21 September 2026, and continue on set dates through 30 October 2026, per UPSC's official notice dated 7 September 2026.

How many candidates are being interviewed for ESE 2026?

1,336 candidates, shortlisted on the basis of the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2026 result declared by UPSC on 24 July 2026.

Can a candidate request a different interview date or session?

No. UPSC's notice states explicitly that no request for a change in the date and time of the Personality Test allotted to a candidate will be entertained.

Where are the UPSC ESE 2026 interviews being held?

At the UPSC Examination Hall, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi, in two sessions each day — forenoon reporting at 9:00 AM and afternoon reporting at 1:00 PM.