The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has postponed the Maharashtra Group C Combined Preliminary Examination 2026, earlier scheduled for October 25, with the revised examination date set for January 3, 2027. The commission announced the change through a press release, citing examination-centre availability, local conditions, transport arrangements and other administrative considerations.
The examination will be conducted through the existing offline OMR-based system at centres across Maharashtra. Candidates preparing for Group C posts in various state government departments will now have to revise their preparation schedules in line with the new date.
According to the commission, it reviewed reports received from district administrations about the organisation of the examination in different districts. It also considered the State Services Main Examination 2026, the festival period, the examination schedules of other recruitment agencies and the state legislature’s winter session before finalising the revised date.
The commission had earlier announced July 12, September 27 and October 25 as examination dates at different stages of the recruitment process. The latest decision means the Group C preliminary examination has been postponed for the third time, according to the information released by the commission. The examination and the subsequent recruitment process will now extend into 2027.
The commission said that the availability of examination sub-centres and the ability of candidates to reach their centres safely and on time were among the factors considered. It also said the examination must be conducted smoothly, peacefully and in a planned manner across all districts.
Details about examination centres, admit cards, examination timings, centre-specific instructions and other arrangements will be published on the MPSC’s official website in due course. The commission has asked all candidates to regularly check official notifications for further updates.
The decision has drawn dissatisfaction from candidates, particularly because the 2026 examination process was expected to be completed by December. With the preliminary examination now scheduled for January 2027, candidates face a longer wait before the later stages of recruitment can begin. The commission’s advertisement department deputy secretary, Vivek Deshmukh, issued the information in the press release.
Candidates should rely on the MPSC website for the release of admit cards, centre details and any further changes to the examination schedule. The next official milestone is the publication of those examination-related instructions ahead of the January 3 test.
