The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced that it will release the provisional answer key for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 shortly after the completion of the examination process. In a significant move aimed at improving transparency and candidate participation, the Commission will invite objections and representations from candidates regarding the preliminary answer key.
According to the official statement, candidates will be allowed to submit objections against the provisional answer key till 6 PM on May 31, 2026, along with supporting documents or evidence for their claims. UPSC stated that all objections received during the stipulated period would be examined carefully before a final view is taken regarding the correctness of disputed questions and answers.
The Commission also clarified that while the provisional answer key would be released immediately after the examination, the final answer key would continue to be published only after the declaration of the final result of the Civil Services Examination 2026, in line with existing practice.
The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, including the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, was conducted on Sunday across the country. According to provisional attendance data released by UPSC, nearly 5.49 lakh candidates appeared for the examination out of a total of 8,19,732 registered applicants, resulting in an attendance rate of around 67 per cent.
The examination was conducted at 2,072 venues spread across 83 examination cities nationwide. This year, UPSC introduced several new measures aimed at strengthening examination security, accessibility, and operational efficiency.
For the first time, the Commission implemented a real-time face authentication system at examination venues to prevent impersonation and enhance the integrity of the recruitment process. UPSC stated that the indigenously developed technology, implemented through the National e-Governance Division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, functioned successfully across all examination centres.
According to UPSC, this was possibly the largest real-time face authentication exercise conducted by the Commission, with officials describing its successful execution as a major advancement in examination security protocols.
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar praised the efforts of the teams from UPSC, the National e-Governance Division, and the National Informatics Centre for ensuring the smooth implementation of the system. He described the face-authentication process as one of the most complex operational exercises undertaken by the Commission.
The examination was conducted in two mandatory sessions. The General Studies Paper-I was held from 9.30 AM to 11.30 AM, while the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) or Paper-II took place from 2.30 PM to 4.30 PM under strict examination guidelines and security protocols.
To further strengthen fairness and prevent malpractice, UPSC deployed mobile signal jammers at all examination venues across the country. The Commission stated that these measures were implemented to ensure a secure and transparent examination environment for candidates.
Among the major examination centres, Delhi recorded the highest number of applicants with 70,885 candidates appearing across 144 venues. Hyderabad followed with 44,209 candidates at 100 venues, while Patna recorded 39,147 candidates across 79 venues.
At the other end of the spectrum, Kargil recorded the lowest number of candidates with only 98 applicants at one examination venue. Port Blair had 270 candidates at one venue, while Leh in Ladakh recorded 308 candidates across two venues.
As part of efforts to reduce overcrowding at major examination centres, UPSC introduced three new centres this year at Bhubaneswar, Kanpur, and Meerut. The Commission also launched a new option in the application process allowing candidates to indicate nearby preferred cities, which officials said would help identify feasible locations for additional examination centres in future years.
The Civil Services Examination is conducted annually in three stages — preliminary examination, mains examination, and personality test — for recruitment to prestigious services including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and several other central services.