The UPTET 2026 exam is held in two shifts, with shift 1 from 10 am to 12:30 pm, and shift 2 from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)A total of 807,709 candidates were registered for the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET) 2026 on Friday, with 751,321 of them appearing across two shifts, marking 93.01 per cent attendance. Attendance among women stood at 92.70 per cent, while men recorded 93.36 per cent, according to officials.Despite the high turnout, eleven impersonators and one candidate using unfair means were caught during the day’s examination. Nine impersonators were detected in the first shift, along with one candidate who had concealed a mobile phone inside his shoe. In the second shift, two more impersonators were apprehended. All were handed over to local police for legal action.The examination was conducted peacefully in two shifts at 955 centres across 60 districts. The first shift was for the upper primary level, while the second was for the primary level.UPTET 2026 is being held over three days, from July 2 to 4, in five shifts across the state. Prashant Kumar, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission, said all centres were monitored through an AI-integrated control and command centre equipped with AI-enabled cameras to ensure transparency and curb malpractice.UPTET is the mandatory eligibility examination for recruitment of teachers in primary (Classes 1 to 5) and upper primary (Classes 6 to 8) schools in the state. Meanwhile, nearly 20 lakh candidates are scheduled to appear for UPTET 2026 across Uttar Pradesh. According to the UPESSC, a total of 19,94,661 candidates have registered for the examination.To strengthen monitoring, one retired IAS officer and one retired IPS officer have been appointed as observers in every district. They have already reviewed preparations on the ground. The commission has also said prohibitory orders will remain in force around examination centres. District magistrates, senior police officers and monitoring teams will conduct regular inspections, while adequate police deployment has been made to prevent any disruption.