Exam schedule — 24 May 2026
- Paper: Paper I — General Studies
- Timing: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (entry closes at 9:00 AM)
- Status: Awaited — the key will be updated here after the paper is analysed.
Paper pattern & marking scheme
- 100 objective (MCQ) questions · 200 marks · 2 hours.
- Correct answer: +2 marks.
- Wrong answer: −0.66 mark (one-third negative marking).
- Un-attempted: 0 marks.
- This is the merit-deciding paper for qualifying to the Mains stage.
Provisional answer grid (to be updated)
The set-wise answers will be filled in here once our team analyses the paper. Populate every row (Q.1–Q.100) for each set before publishing.
| Q. No. | Set A | Set B | Set C | Set D |
| 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | — | — | — | — |
| … | … | … | … | … |
| 100 | — | — | — | — |
How to use this answer key
- Identify your question paper set (A / B / C / D) printed on the cover of your booklet — option order differs across sets.
- Match each response against the set-wise key below once it is published.
- Apply the marking scheme to estimate your score, then compare against the expected cut-off band.
Raising objections
If you believe an official answer is incorrect, UPSC opens a time-bound objection / representation window after releasing the provisional key. Submit objections only through the official portal within the stated deadline, with a credible authoritative source for each challenge.
Official source
Always treat the commission's notification as final. Read the official exam-day guidelines and the answer-key notification here: UPSC — Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026.
Disclaimer: Until the official UPSC key is published, all answers shown are provisional expert solutions and may be revised. Use them only as an indicative guide.