UPSC CSE Prelims Answer Key 2026 GS (General Studies)

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has successfully conducted the Civil Services Examination (CSE) Preliminary phase on May 24, 2026. In a landmark reform aimed at eliminating candidate anxiety and enforcing absolute transparency, the UPSC is releasing the provisional Answer Key immediately after the exam concludes. Aspirants can now assess their performance in General Studies (GS) Paper 1 and CSAT Paper 2 without having to wait until the end of the recruitment cycle. This article provides comprehensive details about the UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 Answer Key, the newly introduced objection portal, expected cutoffs, and the subsequent steps for aspirants.

UPSC CSE Prelims Answer Key 2026 Overview

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 Exam Details

The UPSC Preliminary Examination acts as the initial screening test and comprises two objective-type (MCQ) papers:

• General Studies (GS Paper 1): This is the merit-deciding paper consisting of 100 questions for a total of 200 marks. Each correct answer fetches 2 marks, while 0.66 marks (1/3rd) are deducted for every incorrect response.

• CSAT (Paper 2): This paper assesses aptitude with 80 questions totaling 200 marks. It is purely qualifying in nature. Candidates receive 2.5 marks per correct answer and lose 0.83 marks for each wrong one. A strict minimum score of 33% (66.67 marks) must be achieved here for GS Paper 1 to be evaluated.

How to Check UPSC CSE Prelims Answer Key 2026

Candidates can easily verify their responses by downloading the provisional key. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.

2. On the homepage, navigate to the “Examination” tab and click on “Answer Keys.”

3. Click the link for “Civil Service Preliminary Examination Provisional Answer Key 2026.”

4. A PDF containing the answers for all booklet sets (A, B, C, and D) will open.

5. Download the file and calculate your estimated score using the standard marking scheme.