Inspector Posts LDCE 2026 – Exam Schedule, Application Dates, Eligibility & Vacancies
As per the Notification dated 14 August 2026, the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for promotion to Inspector Posts for the 2026 vacancy year will be conducted on 26 and 27 September 2026. The vacancy year covers the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.
📅 Inspector Posts LDCE 2026 – Examination Schedule
The examination will be conducted in three papers over two days:
| Date | Paper | Examination Time |
|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2026 | Paper-I | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM |
| 26 September 2026 | Paper-II | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
| 27 September 2026 | Paper-III | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
The examination will be conducted at Circle Headquarters. Candidates are required to appear at the examination centre allotted to their respective Circle.
📝 Online Application Schedule
Eligible and willing officials are required to submit their applications online through the India Post Employee Portal.
| Activity | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Online application begins | 21 August 2026, 9:00 AM |
| Last date for application submission | 5 September 2026, 5:30 PM |
| Verification by Controlling Authority | By 9 September 2026 |
| Correction & resubmission of applications | By 11 September 2026 |
| Verification of resubmitted applications | By 15 September 2026 |
| Finalisation & examination centre allotment | By 17 September 2026 |
| Last date for centre allotment | 19 September 2026 |
| Admit Card availability | From 22 September 2026, 5:30 PM |
🎯 Eligibility Criteria
As per the notification, officials possessing eight years of regular qualifying service as on the crucial date are eligible, subject to fulfillment of the prescribed Recruitment Rules.
The eligible categories include:
- Higher Selection Grade-II (HSG-II) – Level-6
- Postmaster Grade-II – Level-6
- Stenographer Grade-I – Level-6
- Lower Selection Grade (LSG) – Level-5
- Postmaster Grade-I – Level-5
- Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistant (PA/SA) – Level-4
- Stenographer Grade-II – Level-4
Age Limit
The maximum age limit is 45 years as on the crucial date for determining eligibility. Five years’ age relaxation for SC/ST officials is applicable as prescribed in the notification.
For the 2026 vacancy year, the crucial date for determining age and qualifying service is 1 January 2026.
📊 Tentative Vacancy Position – 27 Posts
The notification indicates 26 tentative vacancies for the 2026 vacancy year, along with 1 backlog PwBD vacancy. Accordingly, the total tentative vacancies are 27.
Category-wise Vacancy Position
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| UR | 21 |
| SC | 4 |
| ST | 2 |
| PwBD | 1 |
| Total | 27 |
LDCE for Inspector Posts 2026
The Department of Posts has issued Notification F. No. DE-12/5/2026-DE-DOP dated 14.08.2026 for conducting the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for promotion to the cadre of Inspector Posts against 66.66% departmental quota for the vacancy year 2026. The examination will be held on 26th and 27th September 2026.
Important dates: Online applications will commence on 21.08.2026 at 9:00 AM and close on 05.09.2026 at 5:30 PM. Verification by Controlling Authorities is to be completed by 09.09.2026, correction/resubmission by 11.09.2026, final verification by 15.09.2026, and approval/allotment of examination centres by 17.09.2026. Admit cards will be available from 22.09.2026 at 5:30 PM.
The examination will consist of three papers: Paper-I (250 marks, 2½ hours), Paper-II (50 marks, 1 hour) and Paper-III (300 marks, 3 hours). Papers I and III are objective/MCQ based, while Paper-II covers Noting & Drafting and Draft Charge Sheet. Qualifying marks are 40% in each paper with 45% overall for General candidates, and 33% in each paper with 38% overall for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
Eligible officials include specified feeder cadres such as HSG-II, Postmaster Grade-II, Stenographer Grade-I, LSG, Postmaster Grade-I, Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant and Stenographer Grade-II, generally requiring eight years of regular qualifying service. The age limit for LDCE is not exceeding 45 years, with applicable relaxation for SC/ST officials.
Applications are submitted through the APT (IT 2.0) Employee Portal. Candidates must verify their PIS details, validate mobile number/email through OTP, enter feeder cadre and joining-date details, provide preferences for all 23 Postal Circles, and upload the required photograph and signature.
The examination will be conducted at Circle Headquarters, and successful candidates will be allotted against an All-India merit list based on their Circle preferences. The notification also provides detailed procedures for application verification, correction, resubmission, admit-card download and technical support
Inspector Posts LDCE 2026, India Post LDCE 2026, Inspector Posts Exam, Department of Posts LDCE, Inspector Posts Eligibility, LDCE Exam Date 2026
Updates:
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram Channel, Twitter and Facebook for all latest updates
Post a Comment