UPSC releases Civil Services prelims 2026 provisional answer key for first time

In a first, the UPSC has released the provisional answer key for Civil Services Preliminary Examination Papers I and II shortly after the exam. Candidates can submit objections online with supporting documents until May 31, after which experts will finalise the answer key.

Hyderabad: For the first time, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday released the provisional answer key for papers I and II of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, which was conducted on May 24.

Candidates can verify their answers with the key provided by the Commission. Objections, if any, on the provisional key have to be submitted through the website https://upsconline.nic.in by May 31 (6 pm).

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Candidates will be able to submit their objections by indicating the correct key as per their understanding, along with a brief description and supporting documents from three authentic sources.

The UPSC has notified that all representations received from candidates will be placed before a committee of subject expert(s) for review. They will examine each representation, assess the supporting documents, and record their considered views regarding the correctness of the answer key for the concerned questions. The answer Key will thereafter be finalised only after due consideration of all representations received.

“This is the first occasion in the history of the Civil Services examination that a key is being released soon after the examination and objections are being received. Candidates should make use of this opportunity. However, it is to be remembered that UPSC is considering only objections supported by authoritative sources,” said V Gopala Krishna, Director, Brain Tree.