UPSSSC PET begins today for 35 lakh candidates across 60 districts: dates, shifts and rules

The PET is not a job exam. It is a qualifying test that candidates must clear before they can apply for Group C posts under the Uttar Pradesh government, which is why the registration number keeps rising from one year to the next. A good score does not give anyone a post; it only keeps the door to later recruitments open.

The scale explains the arrangements. Registrations are up by about 10 lakh, or roughly 40 per cent, in a year. Spread evenly over three days and two shifts a day, that is close to 6 lakh candidates in every shift, although not everyone who registers turns up, so the number actually sitting each paper will be lower. Centres in 60 districts have to seat, verify and check that many people twice a day, which is why the Commission has kept the process rigid and the instructions long.

The paper is offline, and answers are marked on an OMR sheet. It carries 100 questions, and a quarter mark is deducted for every wrong answer. Because of that penalty, candidates are being told to attempt the questions they are sure of first and to avoid risky guesses at the end.

Admit cards were released in phases by exam date, and candidates download them from upsssc.gov.in using their registration number and date of birth. Anyone who finds a wrong name, photograph, category or centre on the card should raise a ticket on the Commission's helpdesk with the application number, date of birth and screenshots, and should do it before the exam day if possible.

What to carry and what to leave at home

Candidates must bring a printed admit card and one valid photo ID such as an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, a passport or a driving licence. The name and details on the ID should match the application, and a photocopy or a soft copy on a phone is not accepted. Recent photographs are also advised, so it is safer to carry a couple.

Reporting time is on the admit card, but the general advice is to reach the centre 60 to 90 minutes before the shift, because gates close on time. Expect biometric verification and a frisking check at the entry, and expect the queue to be long on the first day.

Bags, smartwatches and metal items should be left at home. An ordinary analogue wristwatch may be allowed, subject to the invigilator's instructions, and mobile phones stay out of the hall altogether. Anything that looks like a device can hold up the line and cost a candidate the first few minutes of the paper. Candidates who are unsure about an item should leave it in the care of a family member outside the gate and not argue at the check.

On the OMR sheet, fill each bubble fully and avoid stray marks, because the sheet is read by a machine. Whitener and erasers should not be used unless the instructions say they are allowed. A smudge or a half-filled bubble can cost marks that were correctly earned.

Candidates who live far from their centre have a practical problem as well: with 60 districts and two shifts a day, trains and buses on the Sunday and Friday dates are likely to be crowded, so it helps to travel the day before and to confirm the centre address on the admit card rather than on a map search.

After the three days, candidates should watch upsssc.gov.in for the answer key and result notices. The Commission publishes official notices only on its website, and candidates should not rely on messages forwarded in social media groups.