Overview
- The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya on July 16, 2026, with MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and senior state officials present.
- MPSC examinations will continue in the traditional offline, pen-and-paper (OMR) format until the new computer-based system is introduced from August 2027.
- Student organisations had protested the sudden shift to online tests, citing lack of standardised digital centres in rural areas, possible server or technical glitches, and confusion over the proposed score normalisation method.
- The government said the 13-month pause should let the MPSC strengthen digital infrastructure across districts, pilot and phase the rollout, and give candidates time to practise the online format.
- The commission issued a corrigendum that moves the Group C preliminary schedule and extends application and fee deadlines for 2026 exams, and score normalisation is the process proposed to adjust results across multiple test sessions so papers of different difficulty can be compared fairly.