Deadlines in the first week
Miss one of these and you wait a full cycle. Finish the form and the fee payment a few days early, because the official sites slow down on the last day.
- GATE 2027 late registration (with late fee): open till 5 October 2026 on the IIT Madras portal.
- SSC CHSL 2026 online application: closes at 11 pm on 7 October 2026. The fee can be paid till 11 pm on 8 October.
- SSC CPO 2026 application correction window: 8 to 10 October 2026, for those who applied by 30 September.
Exams in October, in date order
- SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1: running from 30 September to 30 October 2026. Your date and shift are on your admission certificate.
- IBPS PO (CRP PO/MT-XVI) Mains: 4 October 2026.
- RRB Technician (CEN 02/2026, Grade I Signal and Grade III) CBT: 6 to 9 October 2026.
- IBPS Clerk (CRP CSA-XVI) Prelims: 10 and 11 October 2026. IBPS releases the call letter on ibps.in shortly before the exam.
- RRB JE, DMS and CMA (CEN 04/2026) CBT 1: 27, 28 and 30 October 2026.
Notifications to watch for
NTA has fixed UGC NET December 2026 for 14 to 19 December, with 20 and 21 December as buffer days. The detailed notification and application window are expected in October. MCC's NEET UG counselling rounds also continue through October.
If two of your exams clash
Most overlaps this month are between SSC CGL and a banking or railway exam. The syllabi share a lot: quant, reasoning and English for all of them, and general awareness for SSC and railways. Keep your daily practice on that common core. In the three or four days before each exam, switch to that exam's own pattern. For example, banking prelims have no general awareness section but do have puzzles, and the RRB papers weigh general science heavily.
If two exams fall on the same day, each body's admit card is final. Neither SSC nor RRB nor IBPS moves a candidate's date because of another exam. Pick the one that matters more to you and plan around it.
Key takeaways
- GATE late registration closes 5 October and SSC CHSL applications close 7 October 2026.
- IBPS PO Mains (4 Oct), RRB Technician (6–9 Oct), IBPS Clerk Prelims (10–11 Oct) and RRB JE CBT 1 (27, 28 & 30 Oct) all fall in October, while SSC CGL Tier 1 runs all month.
- UGC NET December 2026 is set for 14–19 December; the notification is expected in October.
Sources
Dates and patterns change — always confirm on the official website before applying.
