If you are looking for a Madhya Pradesh government job in 2026, the two bodies to watch are the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) in Indore, which runs the State Service Examination and other officer-level recruitment, and the MP Employees Selection Board (ESB) in Bhopal, which runs large recruitment tests such as police constable, patwari-type and technical posts.
This guide lists what both bodies have officially scheduled for the rest of 2026, explains the MPPSC State Service Examination as it now stands (its scheme changed for 2026), and gives you a checklist for choosing what to apply for. It does not predict vacancy totals beyond the figures the bodies publish.
Checked against mppsc.mp.gov.in and esb.mp.gov.in on 9 October 2026. Many documents are in Hindi; the summaries are our translations.
What the MP Employees Selection Board has planned
ESB's revised list of probable examinations from August 2026, updated on 5 August 2026, includes:
| Recruitment test (2026) | Approximate posts | Expected month |
|---|---|---|
| Group-2 Sub-group-1: Agriculture Extension Officer | 2,784 | September 2026 |
| Group-2 Sub-group-4: Block Panchayat Officer and similar posts | 2,299 | September 2026 |
| Group-3: Sub-Engineer, Draughtsman, Lab Technician and similar posts | 700 | September–October 2026 |
| Subedar / Sub-Inspector cadre | 507 | September–October 2026 |
| Primary and Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (for in-service teachers) | Eligibility test | September–October 2026 |
| Subedar (Steno) and Assistant Sub-Inspector (Ministerial) | 566 | October–November 2026 |
| Police Constable | 7,500 | October–November 2026 |
| Police Constable (Driver) | 1,000 | November 2026 |
| Naib Tehsildar departmental test | 73 | November–December 2026 |
| Panchayat Secretary and Rozgar Sahayak | 2,900 | November–December 2026 |
| Posts in Sanskriti colleges | 33 | December 2026 |
| Group-6 Sub-group-1 | 700 | December 2026 |
ESB notes that final dates depend on the number of candidates. Two later updates show how dates move:
- For the Police Constable (GD) Recruitment Test 2026, ESB's home page shows the online form opening on 22 September 2026, and the rulebook dated 9 September 2026 gives 7,500 posts (700 Special Armed Force and 6,800 others).
- For the Group-3 test, a notice dated 1 October 2026 reopens applications from 13 to 27 October 2026 after an increase in posts and revised reservation tables, and says the examination, earlier proposed from 7 October 2026, will be held in December–January.
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Continue with Document Verification Checklist – Central and Defence Recruitment₹299 — coaching के एक महीने से काफ़ी सस्ता / far cheaper than a month of coachingWhat MPPSC has scheduled
MPPSC's revised examination programme dated 15 May 2026 lists, among others:
| Examination | Date in the programme |
|---|---|
| State Service Main Examination 2025 | To be held after the High Court's order (earlier proposed from 9 June 2025) |
| State Service and State Forest Service Preliminary Examination 2026 | 26 April 2026 (held) |
| State Service Main Examination 2026 | 7–12 September 2026 |
| State Forest Service Main Examination 2026 | 27 September 2026 |
| Internal Audit Officer 2026 | 4 October 2026 |
| Assistant District Public Prosecution Officer 2026 | 18 October 2026 |
| Scientific Officer (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) 2026 | 22 November 2026 |
MPPSC states the programme is probable and can change, including because of court orders.
The State Service Examination 2026: what changed
The State Service Examination 2026 was advertised on 31 December 2025 (Advt. No. 29/2025). After corrigenda, the preliminary result notice of 22 May 2026 refers to 156 posts. MPPSC also says final results are issued as an 87% main part and a 13% provisional part, pending litigation on OBC reservation.
Preliminary examination (new scheme): two papers, General Studies and General Aptitude Test, each of 2 hours and 300 marks (100 questions of 3 marks). Each correct answer earns 3 marks and 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. The preliminary examination is a qualifying stage; its marks are not added to the final merit.
Main examination: six descriptive papers totalling 1,500 marks:
| Paper | Marks |
|---|---|
| GS I: History and Geography | 300 |
| GS II: Political Science and Sociology | 300 |
| GS III: Economics; Science, Technology and Public Health | 300 |
| GS IV: Philosophy, Psychology and Public Administration; Entrepreneurship, Management and Personality Development (with case studies) | 300 |
| General Hindi and Grammar | 200 |
| Hindi Essay and Draft Writing | 100 |
The interview carries 185 marks, for a total of 1,685. There is no optional subject in this scheme, and two papers (300 marks) are in Hindi only.
Eligibility in Advt. No. 29/2025
- Education: a graduate degree; final-year graduation students were also eligible to apply.
- Age on 1 January 2026: 21 to under 40 for non-uniformed posts, and 21 to under 33 for uniformed posts. Relaxation of 5 years applies to several groups, including SC, ST, OBC, women and government employees, but the overall maximum is 45 (38 for uniformed posts).
- Domicile: reservation and age relaxation apply only to original residents of Madhya Pradesh; candidates of those categories from other states are treated as unreserved.
Worked example: the 3-and-minus-1 rule
Illustrative only. In a 100-question, 300-mark paper, suppose you attempt 80: 60 right and 20 wrong.
- Correct: 60 × 3 = 180
- Penalty: 20 × 1 = 20
- Score: 180 − 20 = 160 out of 300
With four options per question, a blind guess averages (0.25 × 3) − (0.75 × 1) = 0, and ruling out one option makes it (1/3 × 3) − (2/3 × 1) = +0.33. The same logic applies to any exam with this marking; check the number of options in your paper.
A checklist for choosing what to apply for
Body (MPPSC or ESB) and the exact test name:
Posts and departments I am eligible for, with the qualification each requires:
Age on the reference date in the advertisement or rulebook:
MP domicile and category certificates (if claiming reservation):
Application window, correction window and expected exam month:
Date I last checked the official website:
For general state exam preparation, see our state PSC preparation guide, and keep dated notes with the current affairs hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many posts are in the MP Police Constable 2026 test?
ESB's rulebook and schedule give 7,500 posts: 700 in the Special Armed Force and 6,800 others.
Is there negative marking in the MPPSC preliminary examination?
Yes, under the 2026 scheme: 3 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark deducted for a wrong one.
Can candidates from other states apply for MPPSC?
The 2026 advertisement allows it, but reservation and age relaxation apply only to original residents of Madhya Pradesh; others are treated as unreserved.