UPSC to release provisional answer key for Civil Services (Prelims) from 2026

Key points

• Lakhs of UPSC aspirants appearing for the Civil Services Examination will now be able to check official answer keys shortly after the Preliminary exam, as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced a major reform aimed at increasing transparency and reducing uncertainty for candidates.
• For the first time, the UPSC will release a Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 soon after the exam is conducted.
• Read Full Story Candidates will also be allowed to raise objections and submit supporting documents if they believe an answer has been marked incorrectly.
• The move is expected to bring relief to candidates who previously had to wait months, and in some cases nearly a year, for the release of official answer keys.
• During this period, many relied on coaching institutes’ unofficial answer keys to estimate their scores.