UPSC CMS 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply

The Combined Medical Services Examination (CMS) is how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruits MBBS doctors as medical officers for the Central Health Service, as assistant divisional medical officers in the Railways, and as general duty medical officers in the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the CMS 2027 exam on Sunday 18 July 2027, with the notification on 3 March 2027 and the last date to apply on 23 March 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). This guide covers the dates, eligibility, the two papers and a plan for preparing alongside work or internship.

UPSC CMS at a glance

UPSC CMS 2027 exam date

From UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF), read on 20 October 2026:

In 2026 the exam was on 2 August, with Paper I from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Paper II from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The calendar says dates can change; check the exam calendar page and our CMS exam-dates page.

One more thing to check in the 2027 notice: UPSC's site has a page of demo files for a computer-based CMS. The 2026 exam was on paper with an OMR sheet, so read the 2027 notice for the mode before you practise.

How to apply for UPSC CMS 2027

Apply online at upsconline.nic.in, the only way UPSC's notices allow.

1. Create an account on the portal.
2. Get your Universal Registration Number (URN). It is made once and used for every UPSC exam.
3. Fill in the Common Application Form, with an uploaded photograph and a live photograph. UPSC advises Aadhaar as the ID document.
4. Between 3 and 23 March 2027, fill in the CMS form, choose a centre and pay the fee unless exempt.

Keep ready: photo ID, scanned photograph and signature, Class 10 certificate for date of birth, your MBBS marksheets or final-year details, internship details, and any category or disability certificate.

Eligibility (2026 notice; check the 2027 notice for exact dates):

• Education: passed the written and practical parts of the final MBBS. Candidates who have yet to pass, or yet to finish the compulsory rotating internship, may apply; appointment follows only after the internship is complete.
• Age: below 32 on 1 August of the exam year; up to 35 for the General Duty Medical Officers sub-cadre of the Central Health Service; relaxations for SC, ST, OBC, ex-servicemen and persons with benchmark disabilities.

The 2026 notice listed tentative vacancies of 864 in the Central Health Service, 450 in the Railways, 14 in NDMC and 30 in MCD; the numbers change every year.

UPSC CMS exam pattern

• Each question is worth about 2.08 marks. A wrong answer loses one-third of that (about 0.69). A blank costs nothing.
• The two papers are separate sittings, not one clock. No calculators.
• The written total is 500; with the interview, 600. UPSC may set qualifying marks in either paper and does not print them in advance.
• Ties go to the higher written total, then the older candidate, then the earlier internship completion.

UPSC CMS syllabus

• General Medicine: cardiology, respiratory, GI, renal, neurology, haematology, endocrinology, infections and tropical medicine, nutrition, dermatology, musculoskeletal, psychiatry, emergency medicine, poisoning and snake bite, critical care.
• Paediatrics: newborn care, milestones, immunisation and national child-health programmes.
• Surgery: general surgery and the acute abdomen, urology, neurosurgery, ENT, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, anaesthesia and trauma.
• Gynaecology and Obstetrics, including family planning.
• Preventive and Social Medicine: epidemiology, biostatistics, communicable disease, nutrition, environmental and occupational health, and national health programmes.

The full list is on our CMS syllabus page.

A plan for the 38 weeks to July 2027

Most CMS candidates are interns or working doctors, so this plan is built on 2 to 3 hours a day.

• November to February: Paper I first, since General Medicine alone is 96 of 240 questions. One system a week, with 50 MCQs at the end of it. Fit Paediatrics in at weekends.
• March: apply in the first week of the window. Take a full CMS mock test to see the gap between Paper I and Paper II.
• April to June: Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and PSM, about four weeks each. PSM rewards memorising numbers and programme facts, so keep a running sheet. Take one full mock every two weeks.
• July: two full mocks at the real timings, a break between papers, and revision of your mistake notes.

With 120 questions in 120 minutes, the pace is a minute a question. The penalty is a third of a right answer, so a guess between two options is worth it; see when to guess and how to analyse a mock test.

Useful links

• Apply online: UPSC portal (upsconline.nic.in)
• CMS 2026 notice with the scheme and syllabus (PDF)
• UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF)
• Free UPSC CMS mock tests
• UPSC CMS syllabus
• UPSC CMS exam dates
• How to use mock tests

Frequently asked questions

When is the UPSC CMS 2027 exam date?

UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the exam on Sunday 18 July 2027, with applications from 3 to 23 March 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). The calendar says dates can change.

Can MBBS interns apply for UPSC CMS?

Yes. Candidates who have yet to finish the compulsory rotating internship may apply, but they are appointed only after completing it.

Is there negative marking in UPSC CMS?

Yes. A wrong answer loses one-third of the marks of that question, about 0.69. An unanswered question costs nothing.

What is the age limit for UPSC CMS?

Under the 2026 notice, below 32 on 1 August of the exam year, and up to 35 for the GDMO sub-cadre of the Central Health Service, with relaxations by category.

Is the CMS exam in Hindi?

No. Both papers are set in English only.

Is UPSC CMS computer-based?

In 2026 it was a pen-and-paper exam with an OMR sheet. UPSC's site also has demo files for a computer-based CMS, so check the mode in the 2027 notice.