UPSC CMS 2027

The criteria below are from the CMS 2026 notification (notice no. 9/2026-CMS, 11 March 2026); the 2027 notification may change them. The notification does not state a limit on the number of attempts.

• SC and ST candidates: upper age limit relaxed by up to 5 years.
• OBC candidates eligible for reservation: up to 3 years.
• Defence personnel disabled in operations or in a disturbed area: up to 3 years.
• Ex-servicemen, ECOs and SSCOs with at least 5 years of military service who meet the release conditions: up to 5 years.
• Persons with benchmark disability: up to 10 years.
• SC, ST and OBC candidates who also fall under the ex-servicemen or benchmark disability clauses get the relaxations cumulatively.

Source: CMS 2026 notification (2026 cycle).

UPSC CMS has two stages: a written examination of two objective-type papers (500 marks) and a Personality Test (100 marks). The scheme below is from the CMS 2026 notification.

• Question type: objective (multiple choice) with four options per question; the 2026 papers were set in English only.
• Negative marking: for each wrong answer, one third of the marks assigned to the question is deducted. More than one answer marked is treated as wrong; a blank answer carries no penalty.
• Qualifying marks: the Commission may fix qualifying marks in either or both papers.
• Calculators are not permitted.
• Scribe: allowed only for candidates with benchmark disabilities in blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected) and cerebral palsy, if they ask for it.
• Admit card: the printed e-Admit Card and a photo identity card are required at every session.
• 2026 schedule: both papers on 2 August 2026, Paper I from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and Paper II from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Source: CMS 2026 notification and time table (2026 cycle).

Paper I: General Medicine and Paediatrics

• General Medicine (96 questions): cardiology; respiratory diseases; gastro-intestinal; genito-urinary; neurology; haematology; endocrinology; metabolic disorders; infections and communicable diseases (viral, bacterial, spirochetal, protozoan, metazoan, fungal); nutrition and growth; dermatology; musculoskeletal system; psychiatry (depression, psychosis, anxiety, bipolar disease, schizophrenia); emergency medicine; common poisoning; snake bite; tropical medicine; critical care medicine; medical procedures; patho-physiological basis of diseases; vaccine-preventable and non-vaccine-preventable diseases; vitamin deficiency diseases.
• Paediatrics (24 questions): common childhood emergencies; basic newborn care; developmental milestones; accidents and poisonings in children; birth defects and counselling including autism; immunisation; children with special needs; national child health programmes.

Paper II: Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Preventive and Social Medicine

• Surgery (40 questions, including ENT, ophthalmology, traumatology and orthopaedics): general surgery (wounds, infections, tumours, lymphatics, blood vessels, head and neck, breast, alimentary tract, liver, bile and pancreas, spleen, peritoneum, abdominal wall and injuries); urological, neuro, ENT, thoracic and orthopaedic surgery; ophthalmology; anaesthesiology; traumatology; pre-operative and post-operative care; medicolegal and ethical issues; wound healing; fluid and electrolyte management; shock.
• Gynaecology and Obstetrics (40 questions): antenatal, intranatal and postnatal conditions; management of normal and complicated labour; applied anatomy and physiology; genital tract infections and neoplasms; high-risk pregnancy; abortions; medicolegal examination; family planning (contraceptives, IUD and oral pills, sterilisation, medical termination of pregnancy).
• Preventive and Social Medicine (40 questions): social and community medicine; concept of health, disease and preventive medicine; health administration and planning; general epidemiology; demography and health statistics; communicable and non-communicable diseases; environmental health; nutrition and health; occupational health; genetics and health; international health; medical sociology and health education.

Source: CMS 2026 notification, Appendix I (scheme and syllabus, 2026 cycle).