UPSC SO / Steno LDCE Application Form
Last verified 07 Oct 2026
📅 UPSC SO / Steno LDCE Important Dates
| Notification | 16 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Application Start Date | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 06 Oct 2026 |
| Printed Application via Cadre Authority | By 23 Oct 2026 |
| Admit Card | Expected: early Dec 2026 |
| Exam Date | 12-13 Dec 2026 |
| Previous Cycle (SO LDCE 2025) | Final Result: 24 Jun 2026 | Marks: 16 Sep 2026 |
Checked against official notices · updated 07 Oct 2026. Dates marked “Expected” are tentative until the conducting body announces them.
UPSC SO / Steno LDCE applications are submitted online at upsconline.nic.in. Since 2025 UPSC uses a four-module portal, and three of those modules can be completed before the notification is even published.
Important dates — SO LDCE 2026 with Stenographers LDCE 2022, 2023 and 2024
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 16 September 2026 |
| Online application | 16 September 2026 to 6 October 2026 (6:00 PM) |
| Printed application to reach UPSC through the Cadre Controlling Authority | 23 October 2026 |
| Examination | 12 and 13 December 2026 |
Application fee
₹200. SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempted.
The URN and the Common Application Form
UPSC issues every candidate a Universal Registration Number (URN), which is registered once in a lifetime and is common to every UPSC examination. The Application Number, by contrast, is generated per examination and changes each time. Keep both — UPSC asks for them in any future correspondence.
How to apply
- Create an account on upsconline.nic.in.
- Complete Universal Registration to generate your URN. This can be done at any time — you do not need to wait for a notification.
- Fill the Common Application Form (CAF) with your personal details, qualification and category, and upload the supporting documents. A live photograph must be captured at this stage in addition to the uploaded photo.
- Open the examination-specific module during the application window, choose your centre and options, pay the fee and submit.
UPSC advises using an Aadhaar card as the identity document, because it verifies automatically and avoids manual checks later.
Correcting your application
UPSC provides a one-time facility to update the URN profile. Changes made to the profile do not flow back into applications already submitted — they apply only to applications made after the profile is re-locked. This catches people out every cycle.