UPSC to release provisional answer key after CSE Prelims; new objection portal introduced

In a move aimed at increasing transparency, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will now release the provisional answer key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination immediately after the test.

The change will come into effect from this year, starting with the UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 scheduled for May 24. It follows a Supreme Court directive and is expected to address long-standing concerns among aspirants over delayed disclosures and limited grievance redressal mechanisms, said a press release by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Answer key release: What changes from 2026

As per the government’s response in Rajya Sabha, UPSC has framed guidelines to publish the provisional answer key on its official website right after the preliminary exam. This will apply not only to the Civil Services Examination (CSE) but to all structured examinations conducted by the Commission.

However, the marks obtained in the prelims will continue to be disclosed only after the final results of the entire examination cycle are declared.

This means that while candidates can verify correct answers early, they will still have to wait until the completion of the interview stage to know their scores.

Background: Long-standing demand for transparency

For years, UPSC aspirants have raised concerns over the delayed release of answer keys, often published only after the final results, nearly a year later. This made it difficult for candidates to assess their performance realistically or challenge questionable questions or answers.

The lack of a formal objection mechanism also meant candidates had limited recourse in case of discrepancies.

The new system is expected to bring UPSC closer to other national-level exams like JEE and NEET, where provisional answer keys and objection windows are standard practice.

New grievance redressal mechanism: QPRep portal

To further strengthen transparency, UPSC will introduce a dedicated Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) from 2026, accessible on its website, upsconline.nic.in.

Through this portal, candidates will be able to raise objections to questions, flag discrepancies in provisional answer keys, and submit representations in a structured format.

In addition, aspirants can continue to file complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) or via email.

Ensuring fairness across subjects

Addressing concerns about evaluation fairness, Minister of State for Personnel Dr Jitendra Singh stated that UPSC follows inter-subject moderation.

This process ensures that candidates opting for different optional subjects in the Mains examination are not disadvantaged due to variations in marking patterns or difficulty levels.

Detailed information on moderation and evaluation methods is already available on the UPSC website.

‘CSAT is only qualifying in nature’

The government also reiterated that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) or Prelims exam remains a qualifying paper. It is designed to test basic analytical ability.

The level of questions corresponds to matriculation standards, the government added. Marks obtained in CSAT do not count towards merit ranking

The UPSC Civil Services Examination, conducted in three stages (Prelims, Mains, and Interview), is the gateway to prestigious services such as the IAS, IPS, and IFS, and remains one of the most challenging and competitive exams in India.

From 2026 onwards, UPSC aspirants will no longer have to wait until the end of the entire selection process to access answer keys. While marks disclosure remains unchanged, the ability to verify answers and raise objections early could reshape preparation strategies and improve confidence in the system.