The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has, for the first time, released the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026. In a statement, the Commission said that the candidates who appeared for the examination can submit representations through the Online Question Paper Representation Portal available at upsconline.nic.in <http://upsconline.nic.in/> till 6 PM on 31st May. The candidates have to submit representations along with brief explanations and supporting documents from three authentic sources. It added that all representations received will be examined by teams of subject experts for comprehensive review before finalising the answer key. The Commission said the final answer key will be released only after declaration of the final result, in line with the existing practice. It added that question papers for the Civil Services Examination are prepared by subject experts from across the country to ensure a fair and level playing field for candidates from diverse academic and regional backgrounds.
UPSC said nearly 5.49 lakh candidates appeared for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination held on 24th of this month for 933 Civil Services vacancies and 80 posts in the Indian Forest Service. The Commission said the release of the provisional answer key reflects its commitment towards greater transparency, fairness and integrity in the examination process.
