UP Headmaster 2026 recruitment by UPESSC (advertisement 09/2026) is for 1,172 Headmaster posts in government aided high schools: 1,037 in boys schools and 135 in girls schools. Apply online from 23.10.2026 to 22.11.2026. The written exam is on 07.01.2027.
The posts sit in high schools named in Table-2 of the advertisement. Counting that list, Kanpur Nagar division leads with 141 vacancies, Jaunpur is the biggest district (42) and Kanpur Dehat follows with 40, while 74 of the state’s 75 districts have at least one opening. B.P.Ed holders are also eligible here, which is not the case for the Principal post.
Short information
| Name of post | Headmaster, High school (government aided) |
| Post date | 31.10.2026 |
| Recruiting body | UP Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), Prayagraj |
| Advertisement | 09/2026, published 23.10.2026 |
| Total posts | 1,172 |
| Current status | Online form open till 22.11.2026 (checked 31.10.2026) |
Important links
| Apply online (UPESSC portal) | Click hereOpen till 22.11.2026, checked 31.10.2026 |
| Advertisement 09/2026 PDF | Click hereLive, checked 31.10.2026 |
| UPESSC official website | Click hereLive, checked 31.10.2026 |
Important dates
| Advertisement and OTR start | 23.10.2026 |
| Fee and form last date | 22.11.2026 |
| Form correction last date | 25.11.2026 |
| Written exam | 07.01.2027 |
Vacancy details
| Boys schools | 1,037 |
| Girls schools | 135 |
| Total | 1,172 |
| Reservation | None, all posts are unreserved |
All 1,172 posts are unreserved, and the fee is 1,500 for every category. The 135 girls school posts are open only to women, while women may instead choose the 1,037 boys school posts. One headmaster form can carry only one of the two.
Division wise vacancies
| Kanpur Nagar | 141 |
| Varanasi | 114 |
| Lucknow | 105 |
| Meerut | 101 |
| Prayagraj | 86 |
| Gorakhpur | 84 |
| Agra | 80 |
| Ayodhya | 69 |
| Aligarh | 59 |
| Azamgarh | 59 |
| Basti | 55 |
| Bareilly | 45 |
| Moradabad | 44 |
| Jhansi | 39 |
| Saharanpur | 31 |
| Chitrakoot | 23 |
| Devipatan Gonda | 22 |
| Mirzapur | 15 |
Districts with the most vacancies
| Jaunpur | 42 |
| Kanpur Dehat | 40 |
| Bulandshahar | 37 |
| Prayagraj | 35 |
| Ghazipur | 35 |
| Hardoi | 33 |
| Gorakhpur | 31 |
| Kanpur Nagar | 31 |
| Deoria | 27 |
| Mathura | 26 |
Posts are spread over 74 districts. The full school list, with each college name, is in Table-2 of the advertisement PDF.
Posts by requisition year
| Fresh requisition, 2026 | 586 |
| Backlog from 2019-20 | 492 |
| Backlog from 2021-22 | 94 |
The backlog posts were added under a High Court order (Special Appeal 376/2026): 434 (2019-20) and 84 (2021-22) in boys schools, 58 and 10 in girls schools.
Application fee
| General, OBC, EWS | 1,500 |
| SC and ST | 1,500 |
| Divyang (PwD) | 1,500 |
Age limit
| Minimum age on 01.07.2026 | 30 years |
| Maximum age | No upper limit is given |
| Retirement age | 62 years |
Eligibility
| Degree | Post graduation with at least 50% marks |
| Training | B.Ed or B.P.Ed from an NCTE recognised course |
| Experience | 4 years teaching Classes 9 to 12 as a lecturer or assistant teacher, or 4 years as Headmaster of a junior high school |
| Experience certificate | Issued by the district officer and countersigned at divisional level |
Exam pattern
| Total marks | 400 |
| Written exam | 360 marks, 120 objective questions, 2 hours |
| Interview | 40 marks |
| Marking | +3 for a right answer, minus 1 for a wrong or double answer |
| Language | Hindi and English |
| Tie on marks | Written marks, then interview marks, then post graduation %, then B.Ed %, then the older candidate |
Salary
| Pay level | Level 10 |
| Pay range | 56,100 to 1,77,500 |
How to apply
- Keep your high school experience certificate ready before you start the Headmaster form.
- Register once (OTR) on the UPESSC portal and open advertisement 09/2026.
- Select boys or girls high schools and enter your post graduation and training details.
- Pay 1,500 and submit before 22.11.2026.
- Fix any error by 25.11.2026 and save the final printout.
FAQ
How many posts are there in UP Headmaster 2026?
1,172: 1,037 in boys schools and 135 in girls schools.
Are Headmaster posts reserved by category?
No. Advertisement 09/2026 lists every headmaster post as unreserved.
Is the fee lower for SC, ST or PwD?
No. Everyone pays 1,500 for this post.
How are Headmasters selected?
Through a 360 mark written test and a 40 mark interview, so the headmaster merit list is out of 400.