New Delhi, May 19, 2026:
In a major step towards greater transparency in the examination process, the Union Public Service Commission has announced that it will release the provisional answer key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 shortly after the conduct of the examination.
UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar described the move as a “new beginning” aimed at making the examination process more transparent, participative, and candidate-friendly while maintaining its integrity and merit-based framework.
According to the Commission, candidates will be allowed to submit objections or representations against the provisional answer key through the Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep). The deadline for submitting objections has been fixed as May 31, 2026, till 6 PM.
The representations submitted by candidates will be reviewed by subject experts before the final answer key is prepared. UPSC said the initiative has been introduced in response to a long-standing demand from aspirants and is expected to strengthen confidence in the examination system.
