UP Principal 2026 recruitment by UPESSC (advertisement 08/2026) is for 1,475 Principal posts in government aided intermediate colleges: 1,318 in boys schools and 157 in girls schools. Apply online from 23.10.2026 to 22.11.2026. The written exam is on 07.01.2027.
Every post is tied to a named intermediate college listed in Table-2 of the advertisement. We counted that list: Meerut division has the most vacancies (155), Prayagraj is the single biggest district (54), and Sonbhadra has just one. Since you choose boys or girls schools, not a district, this tells you how widely you may be posted.
Short information
| Name of post | Principal, Intermediate college (government aided) |
| Post date | 31.10.2026 |
| Recruiting body | UP Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), Prayagraj |
| Advertisement | 08/2026, published 23.10.2026 |
| Total posts | 1,475 |
| 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 08/2026 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 | 1,318 |
| Girls schools | 157 |
| Total | 1,475 |
| Reservation | None, all posts are unreserved |
All 1,475 posts are unreserved, and the fee is 2,000 for every category. The 157 girls school posts are open only to women, while women may instead choose the 1,318 boys school posts. One principal form can carry only one of the two.
Division wise vacancies
| Meerut | 155 |
| Varanasi | 145 |
| Kanpur Nagar | 137 |
| Prayagraj | 122 |
| Lucknow | 107 |
| Azamgarh | 105 |
| Gorakhpur | 102 |
| Agra | 99 |
| Ayodhya | 71 |
| Moradabad | 65 |
| Saharanpur | 65 |
| Aligarh | 55 |
| Bareilly | 54 |
| Basti | 52 |
| Jhansi | 52 |
| Devipatan Gonda | 31 |
| Chitrakoot | 30 |
| Mirzapur | 28 |
Districts with the most vacancies
| Prayagraj | 54 |
| Bulandshahar | 53 |
| Jaunpur | 53 |
| Ghazipur | 49 |
| Ballia | 44 |
| Azamgarh | 41 |
| Agra | 36 |
| Meerut | 32 |
| Muzaffarnagar | 32 |
| Deoria | 31 |
Posts are spread over 75 districts. The full school list, with each college name, is in Table-2 of the advertisement PDF.
Posts by requisition year
| Fresh requisition, 2026 | 754 |
| Backlog from 2019-20 | 599 |
| Backlog from 2021-22 | 122 |
The backlog posts were added under a High Court order (Special Appeal 376/2026): 530 (2019-20) and 114 (2021-22) in boys schools, 69 and 8 in girls schools.
Application fee
| General, OBC, EWS | 2,000 |
| SC and ST | 2,000 |
| Divyang (PwD) | 2,000 |
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 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 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 12 |
| Pay range | 78,800 to 2,09,200 |
How to apply
- Keep your intermediate college experience certificate ready before you start the Principal form.
- Register once (OTR) on the UPESSC portal and open advertisement 08/2026.
- Select boys or girls intermediate colleges and enter your post graduation and training details.
- Pay 2,000 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 Principal 2026?
1,475: 1,318 in boys schools and 157 in girls schools.
Are Principal posts reserved by category?
No. Advertisement 08/2026 lists every principal post as unreserved.
Is the fee lower for SC, ST or PwD?
No. Everyone pays 2,000 for this post.
How are Principals selected?
Through a 360 mark written test and a 40 mark interview, so the principal merit list is out of 400.