UP Headmaster Recruitment 2026: 1,172 Posts, Apply Online

The Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) has opened applications for 1,172 Headmaster (Pradhanadhyapak) posts in government-aided high schools of the state. The notice, Advertisement No. 09/2026, was published on 23 October 2026. Candidates must register through One Time Registration (OTR) and pay the fee by 22 November 2026. The written exam is scheduled for 7 January 2027.

This is a direct recruitment for the head of a high school, so the bar is higher than for teacher posts. Applicants need a postgraduate degree, a B.Ed or B.P.Ed, and at least four years of relevant experience. The minimum age is 30 years. Below is a plain summary of the advertisement, checked against the official PDF on the UPESSC website.

UP Headmaster Recruitment 2026: Overview

UP Headmaster 2026 Important Dates

Fill the form well before the last week. Payment is confirmed only after the bank confirms it, and an application is valid only if both OTR and fee payment are complete by the deadline.

UPESSC Headmaster Vacancy 2026

The vacancies were sent by the Directorate of Secondary Education, Prayagraj. The split is by type of school, not by gender of the applicant:

The advertisement states that all vacancies are unreserved. It also says the number of posts may go up or down. Two points matter when you choose your category in the form: a male candidate is not eligible for the post of head in a girls’ institution, while women are eligible for both, but must pick either the boys’ or the girls’ category at the time of applying.

Eligibility for UP Headmaster Recruitment 2026

Educational qualification and experience

• A postgraduate degree with at least 50% marks from a recognised university or institution.
• A B.Ed or B.P.Ed degree from a course recognised by the NCTE.
• At least 4 years of teaching experience as a lecturer or assistant teacher in classes 9 to 12 of an institution recognised by the central or state government, or at least 4 years of experience as Headmaster of a junior high school, certified by the competent authority.

You must hold all the required qualifications by the last date of application. The experience certificate has to be in the format given in the advertisement.

Age limit

The minimum age is 30 years as on 1 July 2026. Applications from candidates older than 62 years on 1 July 2026 will not be accepted, since 62 is the age of superannuation for the post. Your date of birth is taken only from the high school or equivalent certificate.

Application Fee

The fee can be paid online by credit card, debit card or net banking. It is not refunded, even if the form is rejected for an error.

UP Headmaster Exam Pattern 2026

Selection is through a 400-mark process: a 360-mark written test and a 40-mark interview. The merit list is prepared from the combined score.

• Each correct answer carries 3 marks.
• 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer or for marking more than one option.
• Use only a black ballpoint pen on the OMR sheet.
• The syllabus is available on the UPESSC website.
• Cut-off and candidates’ marks will be published after the selection process is over.

Exam centres will be set up at district headquarters as needed. The district will be shown 10 days before the exam and the centre 3 days before, through the admit card link on the website.

How to Apply for UPESSC Headmaster 2026

1. Go to upessc.up.gov.in and open the link for Advertisement No. 09/2026 (Headmaster).
2. Complete One Time Registration (OTR) on the application portal if you have not done it already.
3. Log in and fill the Headmaster form in English. Check your category, sub-category, date of birth and gender carefully, as these cannot be changed after final submission.
4. Upload a photo and signature in JPG or JPEG (10 KB to 100 KB each) and certificates in PDF (20 KB to 200 KB).
5. Pay the Rs 1,500 fee online and keep the payment receipt.
6. Submit the form and take three printouts. Two sets will be needed at the time of interview.

If more than one form is submitted, only the last one is accepted.

Documents to Keep Ready

• Passport size photo and signature on a white background
• High school certificate (for date of birth)
• Postgraduate degree and mark sheets
• B.Ed or B.P.Ed degree
• Experience certificate in the prescribed format
• Disability certificate in the prescribed format, if applicable
• A working mobile number and email ID

Salary of UP Headmaster

The post is in pay Level 10, with a pay scale of Rs 56,100 to Rs 1,77,500, plus allowances as per state rules. The in-hand amount depends on allowances and deductions, so treat any fixed figure you see online as a rough estimate.

UPESSC has also opened UP TGT Recruitment 2026 for assistant teacher posts. Candidates who applied for the special eligibility test can follow the UP Special TET admit card update.

Official Links: UP Headmaster Recruitment 2026

About the author

Aditi Sood

Aditi Sood is a Senior Editor at MVM Times and has been writing since 2014. She edits our coverage of exams, government jobs, schemes, breaking news and international stories, including finance and markets. Read full profile →

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