Every government recruitment begins with an official notification, sometimes called an advertisement or information bulletin. It is a legal document: if you are found ineligible under its terms at any stage, even after selection, your candidature can be cancelled. Yet most candidates only skim the important dates and the fee. This guide walks through a typical notification section by section and points out the lines that actually decide your eligibility.

1. Advertisement Number and Date

At the top you will find an advertisement number, for example "Advt. No. 03/2026", and the date of publication. Note both down. You will need the number on application forms and in any correspondence, and the date matters because some eligibility conditions are counted from it. Always download the notification from the recruiting body's official website, not from a forwarded PDF, because corrigenda (corrections) are published there.

2. Important Dates

Look for three or four separate dates, not one:

  • Opening date of online applications
  • Closing date for applications, often with a time such as 11 PM
  • Last date for fee payment, which can be a day or two after the closing date
  • Correction window dates, if the body allows edits after submission

Exam dates are usually marked "tentative". Treat them as a planning guide, not a promise.

3. Vacancy Details

The vacancy table lists posts with category-wise numbers, usually in columns such as UR (unreserved), OBC, SC, ST and EWS, plus horizontal categories such as PwBD (persons with disabilities) and ESM (ex-servicemen). Two points are often misunderstood:

  • Vacancies are often "tentative". The final number can rise or fall before results.
  • Horizontal reservation cuts across categories. A PwBD vacancy is not extra; it is counted within the UR, OBC, SC, ST or EWS seats.

Check the pay level printed for each post. Two posts in the same exam can have very different salaries.

4. Age Limit and the "As On" Date

This is the most common reason for rejection. The notification gives a minimum and maximum age as on a specific date, for example "18–27 years as on 01-01-2026". That date is often neither the notification date nor the closing date. Work out your age on that exact date, and check whether the notification states a range of birth dates (for example, "born not earlier than 02-01-1999 and not later than 01-01-2008"), which removes any doubt.

Age relaxation for reserved categories is listed in a separate table. Relaxation only applies if you hold a valid certificate in the format the notification prescribes.

5. Educational Qualification

Read three things carefully:

  • The cut-off date for qualification. Usually you must hold the qualification by the closing date. Final-year students may or may not be allowed; the notification says so explicitly.
  • Essential versus desirable qualifications. Essential ones are mandatory. Desirable ones may only help in shortlisting.
  • Subject conditions. Some posts within the same exam need a specific subject, such as Statistics at graduation level.

"Equivalent" qualifications are accepted only if the notification or a government order says so. If you have an unusual degree, check before applying, not after selection.

6. Application Fee

The fee table lists who pays and who is exempt. Women, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates are commonly exempt, but this varies by recruiting body. Keep the payment receipt or transaction ID: if the payment fails but money is debited, you will need it to raise a complaint.

7. Selection Process and Exam Pattern

This section lists every stage, such as a computer-based test, typing or skill test, physical test, interview and document verification, and tells you which stages are qualifying only and which count towards the final merit. It also states whether there is negative marking and how marks are normalised across shifts. Your preparation plan should start from this section.

8. Reservation Certificates

If you are applying under OBC, EWS, SC, ST or PwBD, the notification specifies the certificate format and, often, the date by which it must have been issued. OBC candidates applying for central government posts need an OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate in the central government format; a state OBC certificate may not be accepted. EWS certificates usually have to be for the correct financial year. Many selected candidates lose their seat at document verification because of an outdated or wrongly formatted certificate.

9. How to Apply

This section explains registration, photo and signature sizes, and any upload requirements. Prepare scanned documents in the exact sizes and formats requested before you start the form. Read the declaration before you submit; it is legally binding.

10. General Instructions and Corrigenda

The final pages cover rules on multiple applications, use of unfair means, and the authority's right to cancel the recruitment. After you apply, check the official website every week or so for corrigenda. They can change vacancies, dates or even eligibility, and they apply to you whether or not you have seen them.

A Quick Checklist Before You Apply

  • Downloaded from the official website, and checked for corrigenda
  • Age calculated on the exact "as on" date
  • Qualification held by the required date, with any subject conditions met
  • Category certificate in the right format and validity period
  • Pay level and posting conditions of the post understood
  • Fee, closing date and closing time noted

Ten minutes spent reading the notification properly can save months of preparation for an exam you were never eligible for. When in doubt, the notification itself and the recruiting body's helpline are the final authority, not coaching material or social media summaries.