March 26, 20269 min read

UPSSSC PET 2026: Preliminary Eligibility Test for UP Group C Posts — Exam Pattern, Syllabus and Eligibility

Complete guide to UPSSSC PET exam for Uttar Pradesh Group C recruitment. Covers exam pattern, syllabus, PET score validity, eligible posts like Lekhpal and VDO, cutoff trends, preparation strategy, and how to apply at upsssc.gov.in.

UPSSSC PET UP government jobs UPSSSC Group C vacancy UP Lekhpal Uttar Pradesh recruitment

If you want any Group C government job in Uttar Pradesh — whether it's Lekhpal, VDO, Junior Assistant, Excise Constable, or any other state-level post — you need to clear the UPSSSC PET first. The Preliminary Eligibility Test is a mandatory screening exam that acts as a gateway to all Group C recruitments under the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission. No PET score, no Group C job in UP. It's that simple.

Here's the complete guide to understanding PET, its exam pattern, syllabus, and how it connects to actual job vacancies.

What Is UPSSSC PET?

UPSSSC PET (Preliminary Eligibility Test) was introduced in 2021 to streamline the recruitment process for Group C posts in UP. Before PET, each recruitment (Lekhpal, VDO, etc.) had its own preliminary exam, which led to delays and administrative confusion. Now, PET serves as a single qualifying exam — clear it once, and you can apply for multiple Group C posts using your PET score.

Key facts:

Conducted by: Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC)
Purpose: Mandatory screening for all Group C posts in UP state government
PET score validity: 1 year from the date of result declaration
PET is not the final exam — it's only a screening. Each post has its own separate Mains exam
PET score determines eligibility; Mains score determines selection

Think of PET as a "license to apply" — you need a valid PET score to even be eligible for the Mains exam of any specific post.

Exam Pattern

Parameter	Details
Mode	Offline (OMR-based, pen and paper)
Questions	100 MCQs
Duration	2 hours
Maximum marks	100
Negative marking	0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer
Language	Bilingual (Hindi and English)
Qualifying nature	Yes — only qualifying, not ranking

Important: PET is bilingual, but the Hindi section specifically tests Hindi comprehension. The rest of the paper is available in both languages.

Syllabus — Subject-Wise Breakdown

Here's the detailed syllabus with marks distribution:

Subject	Marks	Questions	Key Topics
Indian History	05	5	Ancient, Medieval, Modern India — Indus Valley to Independence movement
Indian National Movement	05	5	1857 revolt, Congress sessions, Gandhi era, freedom fighters
Geography	05	5	Indian and world geography — rivers, mountains, climate, soil
Indian Economy	05	5	Five Year Plans, GDP, budget, banking, economic reforms
Indian Constitution & Public Administration	05	5	Fundamental Rights, DPSPs, Parliament, state legislature, amendments
General Science	05	5	Physics, Chemistry, Biology (10th level)
Elementary Arithmetic	05	5	Number system, percentage, simple/compound interest, ratio
General Hindi	05	5	Sandhi, Samas, Upsarg, Prathyay, Muhavare, Lokoktiyan
General English	05	5	Grammar, fill in blanks, error correction, vocabulary
Reasoning	05	5	Analogies, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction
Current Affairs	10	10	National and international events, sports, awards, schemes
General Awareness	05	5	Indian culture, heritage, festivals, environment
Hindi Comprehension (2 passages)	10	10	Unseen passage reading and answering questions
Elementary Mathematics (Graph, Table, Chart)	10	10	Data interpretation from graphs, tables, pie charts
Reasoning (Analytical)	10	10	Advanced reasoning — Venn diagrams, syllogisms, puzzles
Total	100	100

Level of difficulty: The syllabus is equivalent to Intermediate (12th) level. If you've prepared for SSC CGL or SSC CHSL, you'll find PET relatively straightforward.

Which Posts Require PET Score?

This is where PET's value becomes clear. Here are the major Group C posts that require a valid PET score:

Post	Pay Level	Approximate Salary	Mains Exam
Lekhpal (Revenue)	Level 3	₹22,000-28,000	Yes — separate Mains
Village Development Officer (VDO)	Level 3	₹22,000-28,000	Yes
Excise Constable	Level 3	₹22,000-28,000	Yes + Physical Test
Junior Assistant	Level 2-3	₹20,000-26,000	Yes + Typing Test
Forest Guard	Level 2	₹20,000-25,000	Yes + Physical Test
Mandi Inspector	Level 4	₹25,000-32,000	Yes
Supply Inspector	Level 4	₹25,000-32,000	Yes
Lab Technician	Level 5	₹28,000-35,000	Yes
Various other Group C posts	Level 2-5	₹20,000-35,000	Post-specific

The math is simple: One PET qualification opens the door to 15-20 different Group C posts. You can apply for multiple Mains exams using the same PET score (within its 1-year validity period).

PET vs Mains — How the System Works

Let's clarify the flow, because many candidates get confused:

Step 1: Clear UPSSSC PET (screening exam) — get a valid PET score Step 2: When a specific post notification comes out (e.g., Lekhpal), apply for the Mains using your PET score Step 3: UPSSSC shortlists candidates for Mains based on PET score (typically 10x the vacancies) Step 4: Appear for the post-specific Mains exam Step 5: Final selection based on Mains score (PET score is NOT added to Mains — it's only used for shortlisting) Critical point: Your PET score does NOT contribute to your final merit. It only determines whether you're eligible to sit for the Mains. A candidate who scored 90 in PET and 60 in Mains will rank below a candidate who scored 65 in PET and 80 in Mains.

Cutoff Trends

PET cutoffs vary by category. Here's the trend from recent years:

Category	PET 2022 Cutoff	PET 2023 Cutoff	Expected 2026 Range
General (Male)	65-70	68-72	67-73
General (Female)	60-65	63-67	62-68
OBC (Male)	58-63	60-65	60-66
OBC (Female)	53-58	55-60	55-61
SC (Male)	50-55	52-57	52-58
SC (Female)	45-50	48-53	48-54
ST (Male)	42-47	45-50	45-51

Scoring target: If you're General category, aim for 75+ to be safe. For OBC, 65+ gives comfortable margin. These cutoffs are for PET qualification — the Mains shortlisting cutoff for specific posts may be higher.

How to Apply

Website: upsssc.gov.in Application process:

Visit upsssc.gov.in and register for a new account (or login if already registered)
Fill the PET application form with personal, educational, and category details
Upload photograph, signature, and required documents
Pay the application fee online

Application fee:

General / OBC: ₹185
SC / ST: ₹95
PwD: ₹25

Documents needed:

10th and 12th marksheets
Aadhaar card
Caste certificate (if applicable)
Domicile certificate (UP domicile mandatory)
Recent passport-size photograph and signature

Eligibility to apply for PET: Any UP domicile holder aged 18-40 years with at least Intermediate (12th) pass qualification. The 12th pass requirement is the minimum — some posts linked to PET require graduation, but you need at least 12th to appear for PET itself.

Preparation Strategy

Best approach for PET:

Current Affairs (20 marks combined): Read a monthly current affairs magazine or capsule. Focus on government schemes, UP state-specific news, sports, and awards. This is the highest-weightage area.

Hindi comprehension (10 marks): Practice reading Hindi passages and answering inference-based questions. This section is easy marks if you're comfortable reading Hindi.

Data Interpretation (10 marks): Practice bar graphs, pie charts, and tables. Questions are basic — 10th level maths with data reading.

Reasoning (15 marks total): Cover standard SSC-level reasoning topics. Analogies, series, coding-decoding, and Venn diagrams appear most frequently.

Static GK (30 marks combined): History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science — use Lucent GK or equivalent. These topics are predictable and scoreable.

Time allocation: 100 questions in 120 minutes gives you 1.2 minutes per question. Don't spend more than 90 seconds on any question — skip and return.

Track all UPSSSC PET notifications, exam dates, and cutoff updates on SarkariNaukriHub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for PET if I'm not from Uttar Pradesh? No. UPSSSC PET is exclusively for candidates with UP domicile. You must have a valid Uttar Pradesh domicile certificate to apply. How long is my PET score valid? PET score is valid for 1 year from the date of result declaration. You need to appear for PET again after expiry if you want to continue applying for Group C posts. Is PET score added to the Mains score? No. PET score is used only for shortlisting candidates for the Mains exam. Your final merit is determined entirely by the Mains exam score. PET is purely a screening mechanism. Can I apply for multiple posts with one PET score? Yes. That's the whole point of PET. One valid PET score allows you to apply for any Group C post notification that comes out during the validity period. You can apply for Lekhpal, VDO, Junior Assistant, and more — all using the same PET score.