LDCE IP Exam 2026 – Question Papers for Paper-I, Paper-II & Paper-III
LDCE Inspector Posts Exam 2026 – Question Papers for Paper-I, Paper-II & Paper-III
The Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for promotion to the cadre of Inspector Posts (IP) – 2026 was conducted by the Department of Posts on 26th and 27th September 2026.
The 2026 examination was conducted under the revised three-paper pattern introduced by the Department of Posts in August 2025. The examination consists of Paper-I, Paper-II and Paper-III, carrying a total of 600 marks. (India Post)
LDCE IP Exam 2026 – Examination Schedule
| Date | Paper | Timing | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2026 | Paper-I | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM | 250 |
| 26 September 2026 | Paper-II | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | 50 |
| 27 September 2026 | Paper-III | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 300 |
The schedule is also specified in the Department of Posts' 2026 examination notification.
Three-Paper Pattern
The 2026 examination follows the revised pattern of three papers instead of the earlier four-paper structure.
Paper-I – 250 Marks
125 Multiple Choice Questions
2 marks for each question
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 250 marks
Paper-II – 50 Marks
Paper-II is the descriptive/written paper and consists of:
Noting – 15 marks
Drafting – 15 marks
Draft Major Penalty Charge Sheet – 20 marks
Duration: 1 hour
Paper-III – 300 Marks
150 Multiple Choice Questions
2 marks for each question
Duration: 3 hours
Total: 300 marks
Thus, the three papers together carry 600 marks. (India Post)
Download LDCE IP 2026 Question Papers
The question papers conducted on 26th and 27th September 2026 can be made available here for candidates preparing for the Inspector Posts examination.
📄 Paper-I – Question Paper
👉 Download Paper-I Question Paper
📄 Paper-II – Question Paper
👉 Download Paper-II Question Paper
📄 Paper-III – Question Paper
👉 Download Paper-III Question Paper
Note: I could verify the official three-paper pattern and examination schedule, but I could not locate publicly indexed copies of the actual 26–27 September 2026 question-paper PDFs in the web search results. Therefore, the download links above should only be replaced with the actual PDF files once they are available; I would not recommend using invented or unverified URLs.
Provisional Answer Keys Released
The Department of Posts subsequently released the Provisional Answer Keys for Paper-I and Paper-III on 29 September 2026 and invited candidates to submit feedback/comments on the keys. Candidates were given time up to 5:30 PM on 6 October 2026 to submit their feedback to their respective Postal Circles.
The provisional answer-key document contains the complete keys for:
Paper-I – 125 questions
Paper-III – 150 questions
The document includes the answer keys for all four question-booklet series A, B, C and D.
Paper-II
Paper-II is a descriptive examination consisting of Noting, Drafting and Draft Major Penalty Charge Sheet, rather than an MCQ answer key. The revised examination pattern specifies these three components for the 50-mark paper. (India Post)
Feedback on Provisional Answer Keys
Candidates who believe that an answer in the provisional key is incorrect can submit their comments in the prescribed format.
The Department's format requires candidates to mention the Paper Number, Question Booklet Series, Question Number, all four options and the reason for considering the provisional answer incorrect. Candidates are specifically instructed to cite the relevant Rule Number/Instruction and prescribed source supporting their objection.
The Department has also directed Postal Circles to compile the feedback received from candidates separately for Paper-I and Paper-III and submit the compiled information to the DE Section by 8 October 2026.
LDCE IP 2026 – Important Links
| Resource | Status |
|---|---|
| Paper-I Question Paper | PDF to be linked |
| Paper-II Question Paper | PDF to be linked |
| Paper-III Question Paper | PDF to be linked |
| Paper-I Provisional Answer Key | Released |
| Paper-III Provisional Answer Key | Released |
| Feedback/Objection Format | Released |
| Circle-wise Feedback Email IDs | Released |
The revised three-paper pattern was prescribed by the Department of Posts through its pattern and syllabus notification, which states that the examination consists of Paper-I, Paper-II and Paper-III, carrying 250, 50 and 300 marks respectively. (India Post)
Official Department of Posts: India Post – Official Website
If you upload the actual Paper-I, Paper-II and Paper-III PDFs here, I can also create three direct downloadable links and format this article specifically for your PostalStudy.in Blogger post.
