The wait is over. India Post has released the official notification for the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for promotion to the cadre of Inspector Posts for the vacancy year 2026.
The notification was issued by the Department of Posts (DE Section), Dak Bhawan, New Delhi vide F. No. DE-12/5/2026-DE-DOP dated 14.08.2026.
The online application window opens on 21st August 2026 at 9:00 AM. The last date is 5th September 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Read this post fully. Every date, every rule and the complete online application process is explained here in simple points.
Quick Summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam name | LDCE for promotion to Inspector Posts (66.66% Departmental quota) |
| Vacancy year | 2026 (01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026) |
| Exam dates | 26th & 27th September 2026 |
| Application starts | 21.08.2026 from 9:00 AM |
| Last date to apply | 05.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Admit card | From 22.09.2026, 5:30 PM onwards |
| Apply online at | app.indiapost.gov.in/employeeportal |
| Tentative vacancies | 27 (including backlog) |
| Exam centre | Circle Headquarters only |
Exam Date and Timing
The examination will be held over two days.
| Date | Paper | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 26.09.2026 (Saturday) | Paper-I | 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM |
| 26.09.2026 (Saturday) | Paper-II | 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM |
| 27.09.2026 (Sunday) | Paper-III | 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
Paper-I and Paper-II are on the same day. Plan your rest and travel accordingly.
Complete Schedule of Activities
Note down every one of these dates. Missing any one can cost you the exam.
| Activity | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Online application process starts | 21.08.2026 from 9:00 AM |
| Last date to submit online application | 05.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Verification by Controlling Authority (Verify / Revert) | To be completed by 09.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Correction and resubmission by candidate | To be completed by 11.09.2026 till 5:30 PM |
| Verification of resubmitted application | To be completed by 15.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Approval and centre allotment by Nodal Officer | To be completed by 17.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Last date for allotment of centre by Nodal Officer | 19.09.2026 up to 5:30 PM |
| Admit card download | From 22.09.2026, 5:30 PM onwards |
| Examination | 26th & 27th September 2026 |
Simple advice: apply in the first week itself. If your Controlling Authority reverts your form, you get only till 11.09.2026 to correct it. Applying on the last day leaves you with almost no safety margin.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is as per the Department of Posts (Inspector Posts) Recruitment Rules notified in GSR 89(E) dated 05.02.2019.
Service requirement
Officials of the grades listed below with eight years of regular qualifying service as on the crucial date are eligible:
- Higher Selection Grade-II (Level-6) in all offices, including regular service put in as Lower Selection Grade and Postal Assistant or Sorting Assistant
- Postmaster Grade-II (Level-6) in all offices, including regular service put in as Postmaster Grade-I and Postal Assistant
- Stenographer Grade-I (Level-6) in all offices, including regular service put in as Stenographer Grade-II
- Lower Selection Grade (Level-5) in all offices, including regular service put in as Postal Assistant or Sorting Assistant
- Postmaster Grade-I (Level-5) in all offices, including regular service put in as Postal Assistant
- Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistant (Level-4) in all offices
- Stenographer Grade-II (Level-4) in all offices
Age limit
- Age must not exceed 45 years as on the crucial date of eligibility.
- As per the saving clause of the RRs dated 05.02.2019, standard age relaxation of 5 years applies to SC/ST officials.
Crucial date
| Vacancy year | Crucial date of eligibility |
|---|---|
| 2026 (01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026) | 01.01.2026 |
Your age and service both are counted as on 01.01.2026.
Senior / Junior clause
The applicability of the Senior/Junior clause is governed by Letter No. X-07/5/2025-SP-II-DOP dated 17.10.2025, circulated vide Letter No. DE-12/3/2025-DE-DOP-Part (1) dated 21.10.2025, and Letter No. X-07/5/2025-SPN-II-DOP dated 28.10.2025.
Tentative Vacancies for 2026
| Category | Vacancies 2026 | Backlog PwBD (LDCE-2025) | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 26 | 1 | 27 |
| UR | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| SC | 4 | — | 4 |
| ST | 2 | — | 2 |
| VH (Horizontal) | 1 | — | 1 |
| Others (Horizontal) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
This vacancy position is tentative and subject to finalisation.
Only 27 posts at all-India level. The competition is serious. Prepare accordingly.
About the Post — What You Are Aiming For
- Post: Inspector Posts
- Classification: General Central Service, Group ‘B’, Non-Gazetted, Ministerial
- Pay Level: Level-7 (Rs. 44,900 – Rs. 1,42,400)
- Probation: Two years, with mandatory induction training
- Filling method: 33.34% by direct recruitment through SSC, 66.66% by promotion through LDCE
That 66.66% quota is what this notification is about. Two out of every three Inspector Posts vacancies are reserved for departmental candidates like you.
Selection Procedure — All India Merit List
The selection follows the Directorate’s letter No. X-7/15/2021-SPN-II (Pt.) dated 17.05.2022.
Key points:
- Vacancies are at all-India level, not circle level.
- All eligible feeder grade officials of all circles can appear, even if their own circle has no vacancy.
- A common merit list is drawn against the all-India vacancy position.
- Applicants must give order of preference for all 23 Postal Circles.
- Preference once exercised is final. No change is entertained at any subsequent stage.
Please read that last line twice before you fill the form.
Exam Pattern and Syllabus
The pattern and syllabus applicable is the one circulated vide Letter No. 7-14/2011-SPN-II dated 22.08.2025, read with the Corrigendum dated 24.09.2025.
| Paper | Marks | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | 250 | 125 MCQs (2 marks each) | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper-II | 50 | Noting, Drafting, Charge Sheet | 1 hour |
| Paper-III | 300 | 150 MCQs (2 marks each) | 3 hours |
Qualifying marks: 40% in each paper with 45% overall average for General category; 33% in each paper with 38% overall average for SC/ST/PwBD.
Mode of exam: Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) based, and descriptive wherever applicable.
Language warning: The medium of writing Paper-II (descriptive) will be Hindi or English only. A paper attempted in any other language will not be evaluated and will be summarily rejected. Please do not take a risk here.
Exam Venue
- The examination will be conducted at Circle Headquarters only.
- Candidates must appear from the centre of their own circle only.
- Under no circumstances will anyone be permitted to appear from another circle’s centre.
- Applicants serving on deputation in APS will appear from the exam centre of their parent Civil Circle.
How to Apply Online — Step by Step
There is no separate URL for the LDCE IP module. Everyone uses the common employee portal.
Portal: app.indiapost.gov.in/employeeportal Login ID: Your 8-digit Employee ID Password: The same password you use for the APT employee portal
Navigation path
- Log in to the employee portal.
- Click the “Self Service” icon at the bottom right corner of the home screen.
- Click the “Recruitment and Promotions” card.
- Click “Application Management (Candidate)”.
- Three sub-cards appear — Apply Online, My Applications, and View Orders and Rulings.
- Click Apply Online.
- Select your Parent Circle and Lien / Original Cadre, then click Submit.
- Choose the correct notification from the dropdown. The application form will load.
Filling the form
1. Basic Details Name, gender, category, date of birth and disability status are auto-fetched from the PIS module. You cannot type these.
2. Mobile and Email Enter both and validate each using the Send OTP button. All future communication and updates go only to this mobile number and email. Give a number you actually use.
3. Service History Present cadre details are auto-fetched from PIS. Feeder cadre and feeder cadre joining date must be entered by you. Your service eligibility is calculated from the feeder cadre joining date, so enter it correctly.
4. Office Details Enter your parent office pincode and click Fetch. Parent office name, Controlling Authority (verifying authority) and Nodal Authority (circle) fill in automatically.
5. Deputation If you are working on deputation (Directorate, CEPT, APS, other offices), select Yes and enter the deputation office details.
6. Additional Details Answer three Yes/No questions:
- Are you claiming qualifying/eligibility service with respect to your junior as per the notification?
- Is any criminal prosecution pending against you?
- Are you currently under suspension, or is any disciplinary case or punishment ongoing?
7. Save Check everything, then click Save Above Details. A green message says “Details saved successfully”. After saving, the data becomes read-only — click Edit to reopen the fields.
8. Posting Preferences Select preference for all 23 circles. All circles must be selected.
9. Upload Photo and Signature
| File | Format | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | JPG only | 30 KB – 100 KB | 4:5 portrait (±10%) |
| Signature | JPG only | 20 KB – 100 KB | 5:2 landscape (±10%) |
10. Preview and Submit Click Preview and Submit to see all details. Then click Confirm and Submit, tick all declaration check boxes, and click Submit Application.
A green message “Application Submitted Successfully” confirms it. After this, no editing is allowed.
After Submission — What Happens Next
- Your application immediately goes to the Controlling Authority (verification authority).
- If any field is marked incorrect, the application is reverted to you. In “My Applications” the status shows “Verification Reverted”.
- Click the “Resubmit Application” link under the Action column. The incorrect fields will be highlighted in red and enabled for editing. You may also modify your post preferences at this stage if needed.
- If you disagree with the correction asked for, meet your Controlling Authority in person and sort it out before resubmitting.
- If the application is not resubmitted correctly within the deadline, discrepancies may lead to rejection.
- If you resubmit without correcting a flagged field, an alert appears — but you will still be allowed to submit.
Check the “My Applications” page regularly until the exam date. That responsibility is yours.
Admit Card / Hall Ticket
- Available in My Applications, under the “Admit card” column.
- Click View to download.
- The View button is enabled only after your Circle completes the hall ticket generation process.
- Downloads open from 22.09.2026, 5:30 PM.
Technical Problems? Do This
- First check Self Service → Employee Profile View & Raise request → View employee profile. Application inputs are pulled from PIS and MDM, so wrong data there means wrong data in your form.
- If the issue is with employee details or office and your authority cannot fix it, raise a ticket at the Support Desk (in APT 2.02).
- Circles, Regions, Divisions and Units must keep Office Masters updated and Authority Mapping properly maintained.
- Report technical issues with a screenshot and a detailed description under Recruitment – CE and LDCE Module.
- If the problem still persists — submission, resubmission, verification or admit card download — write to CEPT at recruitment.cept@indiapost.gov.in during office hours.
- Administrative issues should go to your higher authority, not the Support Desk.
Important Points You Must Not Miss
- The Competent Authority reserves the right to cancel this notification or change the schedule at any time. Keep checking the India Post website.
- Reservation guidelines for PwBD issued by DoPT vide O.M. No. 36012/1/2020-Estt. (Res.-II) dated 28.12.2023, circulated by DoP vide Letter No. SC-12/9/2022-SCT-DOP dated 09.01.2024, shall be followed in letter and spirit.
- Guidelines issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) vide letters dated 29.08.2018 and 10.08.2022 shall also be followed.
- The SOP issued vide Letter No. A-34012/02/2022-DE dated 11.08.2022, its amendment dated 21.09.2023, and Letter No. A-34013/02/2024-DE dated 13.01.2025 will be followed at every stage.
- Circles have been asked to give wide publicity to this notification. Share it with your colleagues.
Your Preparation Plan — Only About Five Weeks Left
The exam is on 26–27 September. That gives you roughly five weeks. Use them well.
Week 1–2: Finish Paper-I core reading — Post Office Act 2023, Savings Schemes, Postal Manuals, POSB Manual.
Week 3: Paper-III law and financial rules — Constitution portions, BNSS sections, CCS Pension Rules 2021, GPF (CS) Rules 1960, FR & SR, GFR Chapters 2 and 6.
Week 4: Paper-II daily practice. Write one noting, one drafting and one Major Penalty Charge Sheet every single day. This paper is only 50 marks but it is a qualifying paper — 40% here is compulsory.
Week 5: Full-length mock tests with an OMR sheet and a timer. Revise your weak topics only. Do not start anything new.
Throughout: revise Reasoning, English, Quantitative Aptitude and Current Affairs for 30 minutes daily. These are pure scoring marks in Paper-III.
Every Departmental Exam Starts Somewhere
If you are still a GDS, MTS or Postman, this notification is a preview of your future. The road looks like this:
- GDS to MTS Departmental Exam
- GDS to Postman / Mail Guard
- MTS to PA / SA Departmental Exam
- Postman to PA / SA Departmental Exam
- PA / SA to Inspector Posts through LDCE
The subjects overlap heavily at every stage — Post Office Guide, Postal Manuals, CCS Rules, Savings Bank schemes, English, Reasoning and Aptitude. Build the base once and it serves you for your entire career.
Postoffice Coaching runs complete batches for all India Post departmental exams — live classes, recorded classes, updated study material, previous year question papers, question banks, practice sets and full-length mock tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When is the Inspector Posts LDCE 2026 exam? 26th and 27th September 2026. Paper-I and Paper-II on 26th, Paper-III on 27th.
Q. What is the last date to apply? 5th September 2026 up to 5:30 PM.
Q. Where do I apply? Online at app.indiapost.gov.in/employeeportal using your 8-digit Employee ID and your APT portal password.
Q. How many vacancies are there? 27 in total (tentative), including one backlog PwBD vacancy from LDCE-2025.
Q. What is the age limit? Not exceeding 45 years as on 01.01.2026, with 5 years relaxation for SC/ST officials.
Q. How much service do I need? Eight years of regular qualifying service as on the crucial date, in the eligible feeder grades.
Q. Can I write Paper-II in a regional language? No. Only Hindi or English. Any other language will not be evaluated and will be summarily rejected.
Q. Can I appear from a different circle’s centre? No. Only from your own Circle Headquarters. There are no exceptions.
Q. Can I edit my application after submitting? No — unless the Controlling Authority reverts it. Then you can correct only the flagged fields, and preferences if needed.
Q. When can I download the admit card? From 22.09.2026, 5:30 PM, in My Applications under the Admit card column, once your Circle completes hall ticket generation.
Final Word
Only 27 posts. Five weeks. One application window that closes on 5th September.
Apply early, fill your 23-circle preference with a clear head, and start Paper-II practice today.
Bookmark this page. We update it the moment India Post issues any change, corrigendum or extension.