UPSC releases Civil Services 2026 Prelims answer key for first time

For the first time, the UPSC released the provisional answer key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026. Candidates can submit representations with evidence against the key on the QPRep online portal until May 31.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), for the first time, has released the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026.

How to Submit Representations

According to a press release, the candidates who appeared for these Examinations can submit their representations, if any, until 6 PM on May 31, through the dedicated online portal, "Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)", available at upsconline.nic.in. Representations are required to be submitted by indicating the correct answer key as per the candidate's understanding, along with a brief explanation and supporting documents from three authentic sources.

Expert Review and Final Answer Key

All representations received from candidates will be placed before teams of subject experts for a comprehensive and meticulous review. These experts, possessing domain knowledge and subject expertise, will carefully examine each representation, assess the supporting documents, and record their considered views regarding the correctness of the answer key for the concerned questions. The final answer key, however, will be released only after the declaration of the final result, in accordance with the Commission's existing practice.

Question Paper Integrity and Sources

The press release noted that the question papers for the examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are prepared by the subject matter experts drawn from across the country. These experts design papers in accordance with the objectives and requirements of the examination process, ensuring a fair and level playing field for candidates from diverse academic, social, and regional backgrounds. For the recently conducted Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, the questions are based on authentic and credible sources, their references and answers may be traced to Standard textbooks, Journals, Government websites, Government Press Releases and Reputed Newspapers, etc.

Examination Statistics and Details

This year, nearly 5.49 lakh candidates appeared in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination for the vacancies of 933 posts in Civil Services and 80 posts in the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). The examination was held on May 24, in two mandatory sessions, commencing with General Studies (Paper-I) from 09:30 AM to 11:30 AM in the forenoon session, followed by the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) [Paper-II] from 02:30 PM to 04:30 PM in the afternoon session, in strict compliance with the prescribed institutional guidelines and examination protocols.

A Step Towards Greater Transparency

The release of the Provisional Answer Key reflects UPSC's commitment to greater transparency, fairness, and integrity in the examination process while providing candidates an opportunity for informed and constructive participation, the press release said. (ANI)

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