Online registration for the Jamia Millia Islamia Residential Coaching Academy’s free Civil Services Coaching Programme for 2026-27 opens April 1. The entrance exam to choose students for the program’s residential training (which is for the 2027 Civil Services Exam) will be on June 6, 2026. If you’re interested, apply at admission.jmi.ac.in.
Overview of the free UPSC coaching initiative
The program is free and includes housing for those who qualify. It’s designed to give people from minority communities, the SC, ST, and women groups a better chance at preparing for the Civil Services Exams, and the course covers both the first (Preliminary) and main parts of the exam.
RCA plans to offer organized classroom instruction, practice with writing answers, and training for interviews. Living at the academy is meant to give you a place to really focus on your studies, with all the books and materials you need and help from your fellow students. They also point out their air-conditioned library is open 24/7 for all-night studying.
Key dates and how to apply
Applications open online on April 1, 2026, and the deadline to submit them is May 26, 2026. If you need to make changes to your application, you can do so on May 29 and 30. All applications must be submitted through the official website, admission.jmi.ac.in.
After the June 6 entrance exam, they expect to have the written results out by July 10 and conduct interviews from July 16 to July 31. The final list of who got in will be available around August 7, with the paperwork for admission done by August 18 and a new student orientation around September 1.
Exam pattern and selection process
The written exam will be similar to the UPSC exam and have two parts: a multiple-choice General Studies section and a descriptive Essay section. Part 1 has 60 multiple-choice questions worth one point each, and they’ll be in the style of the CSAT. For every wrong answer, you’ll lose one-third of a point.
Part 2 requires you to write two essays that add up to 60 marks. Both Part 1 and Part 2 have to be finished in three hours. You can write your answers in English, Hindi, or Urdu. However, only the essay papers of the 900 people who do best on Part 1 will be read.
Personality test and final selection
Those who do well enough on the written exam will be invited for an in-person “personality test” that is worth 30 marks. Your score on the written exam and the interview will be combined to create the final list of successful applicants. RCA will be filling 100 places in the program through this entrance exam.
You must live in the hostel if you are chosen, and a room will be given to you if one is available. They will have a waiting list process going on through late August to fill any empty spaces and to make sure everyone is admitted fairly.
Course structure, test series, and facilities
The RCA program gives a full course in General Studies, CSAT, and some specific optional subjects. It also includes practice test series, opportunities to practice writing answers, workshops on writing essays, and practice interviews to get you ready for the main part of the Civil Services exam. All this is to build up both what you know and how well you can show what you know on the exam.
The test series for the Preliminary level are scheduled between January and May of 2027 to help you get completely prepared for the Prelims. Tests and answer-writing practice geared toward the Mains will likely run from June to August in 2027. The academy will consistently support your learning with classes led by professors and the library.
Test centers and accessibility across cities
The entrance test will be in 13 cities across the country to make it easier for people to take it. These cities are Delhi, Jaipur, Srinagar, Jammu, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Mumbai, Patna, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Calicut, and Ranchi. Having test centers in more places lowers travel costs and allows more people to apply.
Before you apply, be sure to read the requirements for eligibility and what documents you’ll need. Also, keep checking the official admission website for any updates or explanations to make sure you apply completely and on time.
