UPESSC Recruitment 2026 Notification Out – Apply Online for 2647 Principal, Headmaster Posts

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Recruitment 2026: Quick Summary

• Who is recruiting? Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), Prayagraj.
• Which posts? Principal (Advt. No. 08/2026) and Headmaster (Advt. No. 09/2026) in aided non-government schools, boys' and girls' institutions.
• How many vacancies? 2,647 in total: 1,475 Principal and 1,172 Headmaster.
• Who can apply? Citizens of India who meet the qualification, experience and age conditions given for each post.
• Application start date? 23 October 2026.
• Last date? 22 November 2026 is the last date to pay the online application fee. The last date for corrections in the application is 25 November 2026.
• Application mode? Online only, through One Time Registration (OTR) on www.upessc.up.gov.in.
• Job location? Aided non-government schools in Uttar Pradesh. School-wise requisitions are listed in the notification.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Recruitment 2026 Overview

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Important Dates

Both notifications list the same dates. The notification does not mention a separate "last date to submit application" in the dates table, so candidates should complete registration, application and fee payment on or before 22 November 2026.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Vacancy 2026

UPESSC has invited online applications for 1,475 Principal posts and 1,172 Headmaster posts in aided non-government schools. The notification states that the number of vacancies may increase or decrease.

Posts Linked to Court Directions

The notification states that the requisition list includes posts relating to Special Appeal No. 376/2026 (Rajkumar Singh and others versus State of U.P. and others), in compliance with the order of the Hon'ble High Court dated 15 April 2026. These posts are already counted within the totals above.

The notification refers to the requisition list for these posts as Appendix-4 in this clause. The contents page of each PDF lists the school-wise requisition as Table-2 (Sarani-2). It runs from page 15 to page 62 in the Principal notification and from page 15 to page 54 in the Headmaster notification. It gives the division, district, school name, requisition year, boys/girls category, type of institution and the number of posts for each school.

Reservation and PwBD Information

All vacancies are unreserved. The Directorate of Secondary Education, Prayagraj has informed the Commission that the Principal and Headmaster posts are identified for candidates with benchmark disabilities in these sub-categories: O.A., O.L., B., B.A., L.V., D., H.H., L.C., D.W., A.A.V., A.S.D., S.L.D., I.D., M.I., B.L., B.L.A., B.H. and M.D.Y.

The notification defines physical disability as covering: (a) blindness and low vision; (b) deaf and hard of hearing; (c) locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, cured leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; (d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; and (e) multiple disabilities from among (a) to (d), including deaf-blindness.

Note 2 of the notification quotes the Government Order dated 18 April 2022 (point 5): a person with a disability can be appointed against an unreserved vacancy provided the post is identified as suitable for that person's category of disability.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Eligibility Criteria

Citizens of India can apply. Candidates must hold all the qualifications given for the post on or before the last date for accepting applications. A candidate who applies with less than the required qualification is solely responsible for the consequences. The Commission's decision on a candidate's eligibility or ineligibility is final.

UPESSC Principal Qualification

1. A postgraduate (Master's) degree with at least 50% marks from a university, deemed university or institution established by law in India or recognised by the Government.
2. A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree from a course recognised by NCTE.
3. At least 4 years of teaching experience as Lecturer or Assistant Teacher in higher classes (Class 9 to 12) of an institution recognised by the Central or State Government, or at least 4 years of experience as Headmaster in a High School, issued by the competent authority.

UPESSC Headmaster Qualification

1. A postgraduate (Master's) degree with at least 50% marks from a university, deemed university or institution established by law in India or recognised by the Government.
2. A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) or B.P.Ed. degree from a course recognised by NCTE.
3. At least 4 years of teaching experience as Lecturer or Assistant Teacher in higher classes (Class 9 to 12) of an institution recognised by the Central or State Government, or at least 4 years of experience as Headmaster in a Junior High School, issued by the competent authority.

Experience Certificate: Who Is the Competent Authority?

• For experience certificates, "competent authority" means a certificate issued by the district-level officer and countersigned by the divisional officer.
• For Kendriya Vidyalayas, the competent authority is the Regional Officer.
• The issued experience certificates will be maintained by the concerned office.

The format of the experience certificate is given in Appendix-2 of the notification.

Other Eligibility Conditions

• The Commission does not give separate advice on eligibility. Candidates should read the notification carefully and apply only after they are satisfied that they meet the conditions.
• Candidates must have a health condition and physical fitness that allow them to perform their duties efficiently. Before final selection, the Commission will ask for a health certificate from a government hospital or primary health centre, issued by a medical officer as per rules.
• No male candidate is eligible for appointment as Principal in a girls' institution. Both notifications carry this clause with the wording "Principal" (Pradhanacharya).
• Female candidates are eligible for both boys' and girls' schools, but must choose only one category (boys' or girls') while filling the application.
• A candidate who is married and has more than one living spouse, or who has married a person who already has a living spouse, is not eligible unless the Governor has exempted the candidate from this restriction.
• Candidates must state clearly whether any case is pending against them in a court of law, and whether they have been punished or not. If information is hidden or wrongly given and this later comes to the Commission's notice, the candidature or selection will be cancelled.
• Candidates working in a job must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer, to be produced when the Commission asks for it at the time of interview.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Age Limit

• Applications without a date of birth, or from candidates who are over 62 years of age on 1 July 2026, will not be accepted.
• Only the date of birth recorded in the High School or equivalent certificate is valid. No other document is accepted as proof of date of birth.
• The notification does not give any age relaxation for any category.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Application Fee

• The fee can be paid by credit card, debit card or net banking through the online payment gateway on the portal, right after registration.
• When paying by card or net banking, the payment is valid only after the bank confirms it.
• Keep the fee receipt safe after payment.
• A candidate who does not complete the application by the last date after One Time Registration and payment will not have the application accepted.
• Once the fee is paid, it will not be refunded in any situation and it will not be adjusted against another application.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Salary

The notification gives only the pay level and pay range. Allowances and other benefits are not mentioned.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Selection Process

Selection for both posts is based on a total of 400 marks: a written examination of 360 marks and an interview of 40 marks. The final merit list is prepared from the marks obtained out of these 400 marks.

Exam Pattern

• Every question has four options, of which only one is the most suitable answer. The answer bubble must be darkened with a black ball point pen on the OMR sheet.
• The question paper will be in Hindi and English, except for language subjects.
• Each correct answer carries 3 marks. For every wrong or multiple answer, 1 mark is deducted (negative marking).
• The cut-off and marks obtained by candidates will be displayed on the Commission's website after the selection process is complete.
• The syllabus for the written examination is available on www.upessc.up.gov.in.

Tie-Breaking Rules

If more than one candidate has equal merit, marks are compared in this order:

1. Marks in the written examination.
2. If still equal, marks obtained in the interview.
3. If still equal, the highest percentage in the postgraduate degree.
4. If still equal, marks in B.Ed. (Principal) or B.Ed./B.P.Ed. (Headmaster).
5. If the written exam, interview, postgraduate and B.Ed. (or B.Ed./B.P.Ed.) percentages are all equal, the older candidate is placed higher.

Exam Centres and Admit Card

• Exam centres will be fixed as required at district headquarters. A candidate can be allotted any centre.
• The district of the exam centre will be shown on the website 10 days before the exam date. The admit card with centre details can be downloaded through the link on the Commission's website 3 days before the exam.
• Candidates will be informed by SMS, e-mail, newspaper and website or portal. The admit card can be downloaded from www.upessc.up.gov.in using the "Admit Card Download" button with registration number or mobile number and date of birth.
• Candidates must appear only at the centre allotted to them. Change of exam centre is not allowed. If a candidate takes the exam at a centre other than the one printed on the admit card, the answer sheet will not be evaluated and the candidature will be cancelled.

Interview

• Shortlisted candidates will be informed of the interview date, time and place by SMS, e-mail, newspaper and the Commission's website at least 10 days in advance. The interview letter can be downloaded from www.upessc.up.gov.in.
• Candidates declared successful for the interview must be present. They must submit an affidavit in the format given in Appendix-3 on the interview date.
• The interview date cannot be changed. If the Commission changes it due to unavoidable circumstances, candidates will be informed by SMS, e-mail, portal or website.
• No daily allowance or travel allowance is payable for the written exam or the interview.

Documents Required at the Interview

Shortlisted candidates must bring two separate sets of self-attested photocopies of the following, along with the originals for verification in order. If the originals are not brought, the interview will not be held and the candidate is fully responsible.

1. Two self-attested copies of the online application form.
2. High School marksheet and certificate (two self-attested copies each).
3. Intermediate marksheet and certificate (two self-attested copies each).
4. Graduation first, second and third year marksheets and degree (two self-attested copies each).
5. B.Ed. marksheet and degree (Principal); B.Ed./B.P.Ed. marksheet and degree (Headmaster), two self-attested copies each.
6. Postgraduate first and second year marksheets and degree (two self-attested copies each).
7. Original and self-attested copy of the experience certificate issued by the competent authority (Appendix-2).
8. Original and self-attested copy of the No Objection Certificate.
9. Two self-attested copies of the disability certificate (Appendix-1), if applicable.
10. Two copies of the affidavit (Appendix-3).
11. Two self-attested copies of the character certificate from the last educational institution.
12. Two self-attested copies of character certificates given by two respectable persons.
13. An affidavit stating whether any case is pending in the Hon'ble Court, and whether the candidate has been punished or not, in case of any pending case.

Documents not related to the candidate need not be attached. The formats for Appendix-1, Appendix-2 and Appendix-3 are available on the Commission's website.

How to Apply for UPESSC Principal Headmaster Recruitment 2026

The notification gives the following application process. Only online applications through the Commission's OTR-based system are accepted. Applications sent by any other means will not be accepted.

1. Visit the official website www.upessc.up.gov.in.
2. Complete One Time Registration (OTR). Registration is compulsory before applying.
3. Read the User Manual (Hindi and English) and watch the tutorial videos available on the website before applying.
4. Fill the registration and application form in English only.
5. Upload your scanned signature on a white background and a passport-size photograph, both in JPG or JPEG format with a file size between 10 KB and 100 KB.
6. Upload certificates and documents in PDF format, with a file size between 20 KB and 200 KB.
7. Pay the application fee online as per your post (₹2,000 for Principal, ₹1,500 for Headmaster).
8. Submit the application. Take three printouts for future use and keep the fee receipt safe.

The notification does not give a direct application link or screen-by-screen steps. Candidates should use the official website and the User Manual.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Apply Online: Important Instructions

• After the application is finally submitted, no change is allowed in category, sub-category, date of birth, gender and similar details. Fill in all details correctly while registering and submitting.
• A chance to correct errors will be given until the date fixed by the Commission (25 November 2026). Fees paid for an erroneous application will not be refunded.
• If a candidate submits more than one application for the same post, only the last application is accepted and all others are treated as cancelled.
• An application will be rejected if the photograph or signature is not uploaded in the prescribed size, or if the declaration is not accepted.
• If the declaration made in the application is found to be false, the candidate's candidature will be cancelled. The candidate may be debarred from this and all other selections/examinations and face other penal action.
• If at any stage it comes to light that a candidate has hidden information or filled it wrongly, the candidature will be cancelled and the candidate may be debarred from future examinations/selections.
• Candidates must keep three copies of the submitted application. Two copies must be submitted to the Commission office at the time of interview, with two separate sets of the documents.
• A candidate who tries to cheat, shows indiscipline or misbehaves in the exam hall can have candidature cancelled and may be barred from future examinations.

OMR Sheet and Exam Day Instructions

• Bring a black ball point pen to the exam hall. Use only black ball point pen to fill the boxes and bubbles on the OMR sheet. Blue or other colour ball pens, fountain pens, gel pens, sketch pens, H.B. pencils and whitener are prohibited.
• Once a bubble is darkened, no change is accepted. If more than one bubble is darkened for a question, it will not be evaluated and no marks are given.
• Use of eraser, nail, blade or whitener on the OMR sheet is prohibited. An OMR sheet damaged in any way will be cancelled and not evaluated.
• Fill the required information on the OMR sheet correctly and darken only the related bubbles. Do not make any other mark such as dots or ink marks. If the OMR sheet is not evaluated because of a mistake, the candidate is solely responsible.
• Candidates can download the OMR answer sheet format from the Commission's website and practise before the exam.

Candidates with disabilities will be given a scribe as per the Government Orders dated 4 December 2019 and 8 September 2022. The scribe must be brought by the candidate. Such candidates must get the written exam scribe details registered at the Commission office at least one week before the exam. An additional 20 minutes per hour is allowed. No travel allowance is paid to the scribe.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Appointment and School Allotment

• Allotment of schools to selected candidates is done by the authorised officer, the Director, Secondary Education, U.P., Prayagraj.
• The Commission will conduct the written exam and interview for the Principal and Headmaster posts in aided non-government schools (boys/girls).
• Appearing in the written exam or even succeeding in it does not make a candidate finally eligible for selection as Principal or Headmaster. Candidates must confirm for themselves that they meet the minimum qualifications.
• The Commission will provisionally allow candidates into the written exam on the basis of the information given, but if it is found later that the candidate is not eligible or the application should not have been accepted at the initial stage, the candidature will be cancelled. If a recommendation has already been made for appointment, it will be withdrawn.
• In a dispute, the candidate must first make a representation to the Commission.

UPESSC Principal Headmaster Recruitment 2026 Important Links