Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) is accepting applications for the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service Combined Competitive Examination 2026. Following an increase in the notified vacancies, the recruitment now covers 35 posts across H.P. Administrative Service and five other state services/posts.
The recruitment initially included 22 vacancies. HPPSC subsequently added 13 Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise posts, raising the current vacancy count to 35. The online application deadline has also been extended, giving eligible candidates until 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM to complete their applications.
Graduates who satisfy the prescribed age and other eligibility conditions can apply through HPPSC’s online recruitment system. For the standard age condition, candidates must be 21 to 35 years old as on 01 January 2026, although separate provisions apply to certain categories and eligible Himachal Pradesh Government employees.
What Changed in the HPAS 2026 Recruitment?
Two updates are particularly important for candidates.
First, the number of vacancies has increased from the original 22 to 35 after 13 posts of Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise were added to the recruitment.
Second, the original application closing date of 22 September 2026 has been extended to 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Candidates who saw the earlier advertisement should therefore use the latest vacancy and deadline information rather than relying only on the original recruitment schedule.
HPPSC HPAS Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Commission | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission |
| Examination | H.P. Administrative Service Combined Competitive Examination 2026 |
| Advertisement No. | 59/8-2026 |
| Original Notification Date | 26 August 2026 |
| Current Total Vacancies | 35 |
| Qualification | Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent |
| Standard Age Limit | 21 to 35 years |
| Age Cut-off | 01 January 2026 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Extended Last Date | 15 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Selection | Preliminary Exam + Main Exam + Personality Test |
| Job Location | Himachal Pradesh |
Current Vacancy Position: 35 Posts
The recruitment now covers six types of posts.
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| H.P. Administrative Service | 4 |
| Block Development Officer | 10 |
| District Controller | 1 |
| District Treasury Officer | 1 |
| Tehsildar | 6 |
| Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise | 13 |
| Total | 35 |
The 13 Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise vacancies are additional posts notified after the original advertisement.
The Commission may increase or decrease the number of vacancies according to Government requirements and applicable recruitment rules.
Where Are the 13 Additional Vacancies?
The 13 additional posts are for Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise, Group-B (Gazetted) in the Department of State Taxes and Excise.
The notified category distribution for these additional posts is:
| Category | Posts |
|---|---|
| UR | 4 |
| UR Ex-Servicemen | 2 |
| UR WFF of HP | 1 |
| SC of HP | 1 |
| ST of HP | 2 |
| EWS of HP | 3 |
| Total | 13 |
These posts carry Pay Band Level-13, Rs. 46,000-1,46,500.
Candidates should check the latest HPPSC addendum for the conditions attached to these additional vacancies.
Qualification Required for HPAS 2026
The essential academic requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent from a recognised university.
The recruitment rules also provide for candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in a qualifying examination, subject to the conditions prescribed by HPPSC regarding production of proof.
Candidates who have passed the final professional MBBS or an equivalent medical examination but have not completed their internship may also receive provisional consideration under the specific conditions laid down in the notification.
In addition to the essential qualification, knowledge of the customs, manners and dialects of Himachal Pradesh and suitability for appointment under the particular conditions prevailing in the state is listed as desirable.
Age Limit as on 01 January 2026
Under the standard age condition, an applicant must have attained 21 years and must not have attained 35 years as on 01 January 2026.
| Requirement | Age |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 21 years |
| Maximum Age | 35 years |
| Cut-off Date | 01 January 2026 |
Eligible reserved categories of Himachal Pradesh receive age relaxation according to the applicable rules and the reservation status of the concerned post.
The upper age limit is relaxable by five years for eligible SC, ST, OBC, Persons with Disabilities and Children/Grandchildren of Freedom Fighters of Himachal Pradesh where applicable under the recruitment conditions.
Separate rules apply to Ex-Servicemen of Himachal Pradesh.
Candidates can calculate their exact age on 01 January 2026 using the CareerAlert24 Age Calculator:
https://careeralert24.com/age-calculator/
Special Age Provisions for H.P. Government Employees
Candidates already serving under the Himachal Pradesh Government should pay attention to the separate upper-age provisions applicable to eligible government servants.
Depending on the post, the upper-age limit can differ from the normal 35-year ceiling. For example, eligible H.P. Government servants may have an upper-age limit of up to 45 years for H.P. Administrative Service and specified allied posts, subject to the detailed service and eligibility conditions.
Candidates relying on this provision should read the corresponding clause in the official notification rather than applying the general 21-35 age range to themselves.
Post-Wise Pay Levels
The recruitment includes posts across several pay levels.
| Post | Pay Level / Scale |
|---|---|
| H.P. Administrative Service | Level-18, Rs. 56,100-1,77,500 |
| Block Development Officer | Level-17, Rs. 53,600-1,70,100 |
| District Controller | Level-16, Rs. 48,700-1,54,300 |
| District Treasury Officer | Level-16, Rs. 48,700-1,54,300 |
| Tehsildar | Level-13, Rs. 46,000-1,46,500 |
| Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise | Level-13, Rs. 46,000-1,46,500 |
Candidates should distinguish these notified pay bands from estimated monthly in-hand salary figures. Actual monthly earnings depend on the applicable service rules, allowances, deductions and posting.
Application Fee
The notified examination fee is Rs. 600.
| Particular | Amount |
|---|---|
| Examination Fee | Rs. 600 |
Candidates should follow the payment instructions available through the HPPSC online recruitment portal and the latest notification/addendum.
The fee is paid through the prescribed online digital payment options. Applications without successful payment of the applicable examination fee are liable to rejection.
Because the application period has subsequently been extended, candidates applying during the extended window should follow the current payment deadline and instructions displayed by HPPSC’s application system/latest extension notice, rather than relying on an older table showing 22 September as the fee deadline.
HPAS Selection Has Three Major Stages
The Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service Combined Competitive Examination follows a multi-stage selection system:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Written Examination
- Personality Test
Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is primarily a screening stage.
It consists of two objective-type papers:
| Paper | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|
| General Studies | 200 |
| Aptitude Test | 200 |
| Total | 400 |
Preliminary marks are not used for determining the final order of merit.
Candidates should check the official examination scheme for the qualifying requirements, negative marking and detailed syllabus applicable to the 2026 examination.
Main Examination
Candidates who qualify through the Preliminary Examination become eligible for the Main Examination according to HPPSC’s shortlisting rules.
The Main Examination includes compulsory language papers, Essay, General Studies papers and optional-subject papers.
The broad structure includes:
- English
- Hindi
- Essay
- General Studies-I
- General Studies-II
- General Studies-III
- Optional Subject Paper-I
- Optional Subject Paper-II
The language papers have their own qualifying conditions. Candidates should therefore not assume that scoring strongly in General Studies or an optional subject can compensate for failure to meet a compulsory language requirement.
Personality Test and Final Merit
Candidates qualifying the Main Examination according to the prescribed standard are called for the Personality Test.
The Personality Test is intended to assess a candidate’s overall suitability for administrative responsibilities.
Final merit is prepared using the marks prescribed by HPPSC from the Main Examination and Personality Test. Preliminary Examination marks do not form part of the final merit score.
Important Dates After the Extension
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Original Advertisement | 26 August 2026 |
| Original Closing Date | 22 September 2026 |
| Extended Closing Date | 15 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Preliminary Examination | To be announced |
| Main Examination | To be announced |
| Personality Test | To be announced |
Candidates who have not yet submitted the form should treat 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM as the critical current application deadline.
How to Apply for HPPSC HPAS Recruitment 2026
Applications must be submitted through the official HPPSC online recruitment system.
Candidates who do not already have an account should first complete the required One Time Registration (OTR) process. Existing users can log in using their registered credentials.
After logging in, locate Advertisement No. 59/8-2026 or the corresponding HPAS Combined Competitive Examination entry among the available advertisements.
Fill in personal, educational, category and other required information carefully. Upload the certificates and documents required for the claims made in the application.
Complete the applicable online examination-fee payment and review all information before final submission.
Candidates should save the final submitted application and payment acknowledgement for use during later stages of recruitment.
Documents Candidates Should Keep Ready
Applicants should prepare documents according to their individual eligibility and reservation claims.
Important records can include:
- Matriculation certificate for proof of date of birth
- Bachelor’s degree certificate
- Degree mark sheets or consolidated mark sheet
- SC/ST/OBC/EWS certificate, where applicable
- Bonafide Himachali certificate for applicable reserved-category claims
- PwD certificate, where applicable
- Ex-Servicemen documentation, where applicable
- Ward of Ex-Servicemen or Freedom Fighter documentation, where applicable
- Government-service documents where a special age provision is being claimed
Candidates should upload and produce documents in the form and validity period required by HPPSC.
What Candidates Should Check Before Applying
The increase from 22 to 35 vacancies makes it particularly important to review the updated post and category distribution before selecting preferences.
Candidates should also check whether the reservation they intend to claim is specifically applicable to the concerned post. Some age-relaxation and reservation provisions are tied to Himachal Pradesh categories and the reservation status of the vacancy.
The extended deadline should not be treated as a reason to postpone submission until the final hours. Candidates should complete OTR, document uploads and payment sufficiently early to resolve any technical or documentation issues.
CareerAlert24 Insight
The addition of 13 Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise posts materially changes this recruitment. The original 22-vacancy examination has effectively become a 35-vacancy state civil-services recruitment, with the new Assistant Commissioner allocation alone exceeding the vacancy count of any other individual post.
Graduates preparing for administrative services should also recognise that HPAS selection is not determined by the Preliminary Examination. Prelims is the gateway to the Main Examination, while the later stages are decisive for final merit.
Candidates should therefore prepare with the full examination cycle in mind. Prelims requires broad objective preparation, but Main examination success depends much more heavily on descriptive writing, General Studies depth and optional-subject preparation.
For candidates applying close to the extended deadline, the priority should be to confirm post eligibility, reservation/category documents and successful final submission before 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Important Links
Apply Online:
HPPSC Online Application / One Time Registration Portal
Original HPAS Notification:
Advertisement No. 59/8-2026
Deadline Extension / Updated Notice:
HPPSC official extension notice
Official Website:
Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission
CareerAlert24 WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb4FJQUFHWq7OjRm6l2U
CareerAlert24 Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/+SrlOP9kOsm9mZTc9
Conclusion
HPPSC HPAS Recruitment 2026 now offers 35 vacancies across H.P. Administrative Service, BDO, District Controller, District Treasury Officer, Tehsildar and Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise posts.
The addition of 13 Assistant Commissioner vacancies and extension of the application deadline are important updates for candidates who saw the original advertisement. Eligible graduates should review the latest HPPSC notices, confirm their age and category conditions, and submit the online application by 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are currently 35 vacancies. The recruitment initially had 22 posts, after which HPPSC added 13 Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise vacancies.
The online application deadline has been extended to 15 October 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Candidates need a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised university, subject to the detailed conditions in the notification.
The standard age requirement is 21 to 35 years as on 01 January 2026. Relaxation and special upper-age provisions apply to eligible categories.
After the latest addition, Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes & Excise has 13 vacancies, followed by Block Development Officer with 10 posts.
There are 4 H.P. Administrative Service vacancies in the notified recruitment.
The selection process consists of the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test.
No. The Preliminary Examination is used for screening. Final merit is determined according to the marks prescribed for the Main Examination and Personality Test.
