The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the official notification for the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination 2027 for recruitment to various Group A and Group B scientific posts in the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines, and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Ministry of Jal Shakti. The examination notice was issued on 02 September 2026 under Examination Notice No. 01/2027-GEOL. A total of 127 tentative vacancies are available across Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry and Hydrogeology streams.
The UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist online application process has started, and eligible candidates can submit their applications through the UPSC online portal. The last date to apply is 22 September 2026 up to 6:00 PM. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 10 January 2027, while the Main Examination will be conducted on 19 and 20 June 2027. Candidates should carefully check the educational qualification, age limit, physical standards and stream-specific eligibility before applying.
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Examination | Combined Geo-Scientist Examination 2027 |
| Examination Notice No. | 01/2027-GEOL |
| Ministry/Departments | Ministry of Mines & Ministry of Jal Shakti |
| Total Vacancies | 127 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Notification Date | 02 September 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 22 September 2026 |
| Preliminary Exam Date | 10 January 2027 |
| Main Exam Date | 19 & 20 June 2027 |
| Selection Process | Preliminary Exam → Main Exam → Personality Test/Interview |
| Job Location | All India / As per Government allocation |
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Released | 02 September 2026 |
| Online Application Start | 02 September 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 22 September 2026 |
| Last Date & Time | 22 September 2026, 6:00 PM |
| Preliminary Examination | 10 January 2027 |
| Main Examination | 19 & 20 June 2027 |
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹200/- |
| Female Candidates | Nil |
| SC Candidates | Nil |
| ST Candidates | Nil |
| PwBD Candidates | Nil |
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Vacancies, Qualification
| Post | Group | Vacancies | Essential Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geologist | A | 29 | Master’s Degree in Geological Science/Geology/Applied Geology/Geo-Exploration/Mineral Exploration/Engineering Geology/Marine Geology/Earth Science & Resource Management/Oceanography & Coastal Areas Studies/Petroleum Geosciences/Geochemistry |
| Geophysicist | A | 00 | M.Sc. in Physics/Applied Physics/Geophysics/Exploration Geophysics/Applied Geophysics/Marine Geophysics or specified equivalent qualifications |
| Chemist | A | 07 | M.Sc. in Chemistry/Applied Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry |
| Assistant Geologist | B | 34 | Master’s/Integrated Master’s Degree in Geology/Applied Geology/Mineral Exploration/Marine Geology/Earth Science |
| Assistant Geophysicist | B | 35 | M.Sc./M.Sc. Tech./Integrated M.Sc. in Geophysics/Exploration Geophysics/Applied Geophysics/Geo-Exploration/Marine Geophysics/Physics/Applied Physics/Applied Geology |
| Assistant Chemist | B | 06 | M.Sc./Integrated M.Sc. in Chemistry/Applied Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Physical Chemistry/Inorganic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry/Hydro-Chemistry/Industrial Chemistry |
Category-II – Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
| Post | Group | Vacancies | Essential Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientist ‘B’ (Hydrogeology) | A | 05 | Master’s Degree in Geology/Applied Geology/Marine Geology/Hydrogeology |
| Scientist ‘B’ (Chemical) | A | 01 | M.Sc. in Chemistry/Applied Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry |
| Scientist ‘B’ (Geophysics) | A | 01 | M.Sc. in Physics/Applied Physics/Geophysics/Exploration Geophysics/Applied Geophysics/Marine Geophysics or specified equivalent |
| Assistant Hydrogeologist | B | 07 | Master’s Degree in Geology/Applied Geology/Marine Geology/Hydrogeology |
| Assistant Chemist | B | 01 | M.Sc./Integrated M.Sc. in specified Chemistry disciplines |
| Assistant Geophysicist | B | 01 | M.Sc./M.Sc. Tech./Integrated M.Sc. in specified Geophysics/Physics/Applied Geology disciplines |
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Age Limit
The candidate must have attained 21 years and must not have attained 32 years as on 01 January 2027. Therefore, the candidate should have been born not earlier than 02 January 1995 and not later than 01 January 2006.
Age relaxation is available as per the applicable Government rules. SC/ST candidates are eligible for up to 5 years, eligible OBC candidates up to 3 years, Ex-Servicemen/ECOs/SSCOs as prescribed, and eligible PwBD candidates up to 10 years, subject to the conditions in the notification.
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Selection Process
The selection process consists of three successive stages:
- Stage-I – Combined Geo-Scientist Preliminary Examination
- Stage-II – Combined Geo-Scientist Main Examination
- Stage-III – Personality Test/Interview
The Preliminary Examination is objective type and consists of two papers. Candidates qualifying Stage-I are admitted to the Main Examination. The Main Examination is conventional/descriptive type and consists of three papers for each stream. Candidates qualifying the required standard in Stage-II are called for the Personality Test/Interview.
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Exam Pattern
Stage-I – Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination carries 400 marks and consists of two objective-type papers.
| Stream | Paper | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geology/Hydrogeology | General Studies | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Geology/Hydrogeology | 2 Hours | 300 | |
| Geophysics | General Studies | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Geophysics | 2 Hours | 300 | |
| Chemistry | General Studies | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Chemistry | 2 Hours | 300 |
Total: 400 Marks
There is negative marking for incorrect answers. For each wrong answer, one-third of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. No penalty is imposed for questions left unanswered.
Stage-II – Main Examination
The Main Examination carries 600 marks.
| Stream | Papers | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geologist / Assistant Geologist | 3 × Geology Papers | 3 Hours each | 600 |
| Geophysicist / Assistant Geophysicist | 3 × Geophysics Papers | 3 Hours each | 600 |
| Chemist / Assistant Chemist | 3 × Chemistry Papers | 3 Hours each | 600 |
| Scientist B (Hydrogeology) / Assistant Hydrogeologist | 2 × Geology + 1 × Hydrogeology | 3 Hours each | 600 |
The Main Examination papers are conventional/descriptive type and are to be answered in English.
Stage-III – Personality Test/Interview
The Personality Test/Interview carries 200 marks, with no minimum qualifying marks prescribed for the Personality Test itself. Candidates meeting the required Stage-II standard are called for the interview, generally in a number approximately twice the number of vacancies.
Overall Examination Marks: 1200
- Preliminary: 400 Marks
- Main: 600 Marks
- Personality Test: 200 Marks
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Important Documents
Candidates should keep scanned copies of the following documents ready:
- Matriculation/10th certificate for Date of Birth
- Educational qualification certificates and marksheets
- Master’s Degree certificate/marksheets
- SC/ST/OBC/EWS certificate, where applicable
- PwBD certificate, where applicable
- Age relaxation/fee concession documents, where applicable
- Other certificates/documents supporting claims made in the application
- Valid Photo ID such as Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport or Driving Licence
- Photograph
- Signature
Original documents will be required at the Personality Test/Interview stage.
How to Apply for UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026
Candidates are required to apply online only through the UPSC Online Application Portal. Applicants must first complete the required Universal Registration Number (URN) and Common Application Form (CAF) modules and then complete the examination-specific application module for the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination.
Candidates should carefully enter their personal details, educational qualifications, category information, examination centre and other required information. Photograph and live photograph capture are required during the CAF process, and the prescribed signature must also be uploaded. Candidates should keep a printout or soft copy of the submitted application for future reference.
The application form can be submitted up to 22 September 2026 at 6:00 PM. After submission, withdrawal is not permitted and correction/modification in the submitted application is generally not allowed.
UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Important Links
| Link | Details |
|---|---|
| UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Notification | Notification |
| UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist Recruitment 2026 Apply Online | Apply Online |
| UPSC Official Website | UPSC |
