UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 successfully conducted for 5.49 lakh candidates, answer key soon

In the next step, UPSC will release a provisional answer key shortly after the preliminary examination, a first for the Commission.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) successfully conducted the Civil Services Examination Preliminary Examination 2026 on Sunday, May 24, across centres nationwide.

The preliminary examination, considered the first stage of recruitment for services including IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS. The exam was held in two shifts 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.

According to UPSC, around 5.49 lakh candidates appeared for the examination this year across 2,072 exam centres located in 83 cities.

The Commission stated that approximately 8.19 lakh candidates had registered for the examination, out of which nearly 67 per cent appeared for the test. The number of applicants and candidates appearing this year was lower compared to last year, when around 9.5 lakh candidates had registered and nearly 5.8 lakh appeared for the examination.

What happens next?

Candidates who clear the Civil Services Preliminary Examination will become eligible to appear for the Civil Services Main Examination 2026.

As per the UPSC annual calendar, the Civil Services Main Examination 2026 is scheduled to begin on August 21, 2026, and will continue for five days.

The mains examination will be followed by the personality test/interview stage for shortlisted candidates.

UPSC to release provisional answer key for first time

This year, UPSC has announced that it will release a provisional answer key shortly after the preliminary examination, a first for the Commission.

According to UPSC, “The Commission will initially publish a provisional answer key and invite representations, if any, from candidates until 6:00 PM on the seventh day from the date of the examination, i.e till May 31st 2026.”

The Commission further clarified that the final answer key will be released only after the declaration of the final result of the Civil Services Examination 2026, in line with existing practice.

With the introduction of a provisional answer key, candidates will now also be allowed to raise objections and representations shortly after the exam instead of waiting until the entire recruitment cycle concludes.

Face authentication introduced for first time

In another significant change this year, UPSC introduced real-time face authentication at examination venues this year for the first time.

According to an official statement issued by the Commission, “This year, the Commission introduced real-time face authentication of candidates at examination venues, for the first time, to prevent impersonation and strengthen the integrity of the examination process.”

Candidates react to paper difficulty

Soon after the examination concluded, aspirants and coaching institutes described this year’s paper as “lengthy and unpredictable.”

Several candidates also stated that the General Studies paper included unconventional and analytical questions, while the CSAT paper was considered time-consuming by many aspirants.

UPSC is expected to release the provisional answer key and other updates regarding the examination, over the coming weeks on its official website, upsc.gov.in.