UPSSSC Forest Guard Recruitment 2026: 708 Posts, PET 2025 Score Needed, Apply by 20 July

Most candidates read “708 Forest Guard posts” and start prepping general knowledge. They miss the two things that actually decide this recruitment: you cannot even apply without a valid UPSSSC PET 2025 score, and the final gate is a 25 kilometre walk carrying a 10 kg load. UPSSSC Forest Guard and Wildlife Guard Recruitment 2026 (Advt 12-Pariksha/2026) is open from 30 June to 20 July 2026, and this page walks you through both the paperwork and the parts people underestimate.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 at a Glance

The split matters for reserved candidates: of the 647 Forest Guard posts, 318 fall under regular selection and 329 under special selection reserved for SC and OBC candidates. The 61 Wildlife Guard posts break down similarly, with 51 under special selection. So a large share of these seats are earmarked, which changes the real competition depending on your category.

The PET 2025 Score Is Your Entry Ticket

This is the filter that quietly removes most hopefuls. To apply for Forest Guard, you must already hold a valid score from the UPSSSC Preliminary Eligibility Test 2025. No PET 2025 score card, no application, regardless of how well you would do on the main paper. UPSSSC uses your normalised PET score to shortlist candidates for the next stage, so the people you are competing with have all cleared that same hurdle. If you sat PET 2025, keep your score card and registration details ready before the form opens. If you did not, this particular recruitment is closed to you, and the lesson is to never skip a PET cycle.

Yes, There Is a Written Exam, and Here Is Its Shape

A common myth about Forest Guard is that it is decided purely on the physical test. It is not. After PET-based shortlisting, there is a main written examination, and its pattern is fixed:

• One paper, 100 questions, 100 marks, 120 minutes, objective type.
• Negative marking of one-fourth (0.25) of a question’s marks for every wrong answer.
• Section split: Forest and Environment knowledge (50 questions), Elementary Mathematics and Biology (15), Computer and IT awareness (15), and General knowledge about Uttar Pradesh (20).

Half the paper sits on forest and environment topics, which is a gift for anyone who prepares that section seriously, because it is not standard exam GK that everyone already knows. The Uttar Pradesh section of 20 marks is also very scorable with focused revision. Ignore the sites claiming a 200-question paper; the official exam scheme is 100 questions for 100 marks.

The 25 Kilometre Walk That Decides Forest Postings

Forest jobs test endurance differently from police recruitment. Instead of a short sprint, the physical efficiency test here is a long-distance march, and it is qualifying, not scored:

• Men: 25 kilometres carrying a 10 kg load, to be completed within 4 hours.
• Women: 14 kilometres with no load, within 4 hours.

Four hours for 25 km with weight means holding a brisk, unbroken pace of roughly 6.25 km per hour while loaded, over uneven ground. This is not something you clear on exam day without training. If you are serious, start weighted walks now and build distance weekly; you have months between the form and the physical stage, which is exactly enough time to prepare the body for it.

Height, Chest and the Standards You Must Meet

The physical standards test checks height, chest (for men) and weight (for women), and it is a straight pass or fail:

One honesty note on the chest measurement: the required 5 cm minimum expansion for men is consistent across sources, but the baseline chest figure is printed differently on various job portals. Take the exact number from the physical-standards clause of the official notification PDF rather than any summary, including this one. Height and the expansion rule are the safe figures to plan around.

Pay Level 2: What ₹19,900 Actually Becomes

Forest Guard sits in Pay Level 2 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix, a scale of ₹19,900 to ₹63,200 with a starting basic of ₹19,900. The notification does not print a take-home figure. Once Uttar Pradesh dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other components are added to the basic, an entry-stage monthly in-hand generally lands in the high twenties to around ₹30,000, but treat that as our estimate rather than a UPSSSC number. The job’s real draw is what it is: a permanent state government field posting for a 12th-pass candidate, with the security and progression that come with a regular government cadre.

Filling the Form for ₹25

1. Log in to your UPSSSC One Time Registration (OTR) account at upsssc.gov.in. If you do not have an OTR number yet, create it first.
2. Open the Advt 12-Pariksha/2026 application and confirm your PET 2025 details are correctly linked.
3. Fill your category, personal and educational details, then upload photo and signature as specified.
4. Pay the ₹25 process fee online. The same ₹25 applies to every category, so there is no reserved-category discount to look for here.
5. Submit and save a printout. If you spot an error, the correction window stays open until 27 July 2026.

This adds to our Uttar Pradesh coverage alongside every UP job and the wider daily jobs feed we maintain.

Two Dates to Lock In

Everything about this recruitment reduces to two things: a PET 2025 score you either have or do not, and two dates once you do. The form closes on 20 July 2026, and the physical stage will demand a body trained for a loaded 25 km walk, so preparation is not something to leave for later. For candidates who cleared PET 2025 and can meet the height standard, 708 permanent forest posts at a ₹25 fee is about as low-cost an opportunity as a state recruitment offers.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 Questions People Keep Asking

Can I apply for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 without a PET score?

No. A valid UPSSSC PET 2025 score card is mandatory to apply. Candidates without it cannot fill this form, and the PET score is also used to shortlist for the next stage.

What is the last date for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026?

20 July 2026 for the online application, with a correction window open until 27 July 2026. The process fee is ₹25 for all categories.

How many posts are in UPSSSC Forest Guard and Wildlife Guard 2026?

708 in total, made up of 647 Forest Guard (Van Rakshak) posts and 61 Wildlife Guard posts under the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

Is there a written exam or only a physical test?

Both. There is a main written exam of 100 questions for 100 marks with one-fourth negative marking, followed by qualifying physical standard and physical efficiency tests, document verification and a medical.

What is the physical test for Forest Guard?

A long-distance walk that is qualifying only: 25 km with a 10 kg load in 4 hours for men, and 14 km with no load in 4 hours for women, plus a height and chest or weight check.

What is the Forest Guard salary?

The post is in Pay Level 2, a scale of ₹19,900 to ₹63,200. The notification does not state an in-hand figure; the actual take-home depends on state allowances added to the basic pay.

✍️ Written & reviewed byLokesh Rathore

Lokesh Rathore is a content writer with over 4 years of experience covering Government Jobs, Sarkari Result, Admit Card and Sarkari Yojana. He turns complex official notifications into clear, accurate and easy-to-follow updates for job seekers across India - with every post cross-checked against official government sources.

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