UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 - Check IAS Solution Key PDFs

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 - Check IAS Solution Key PDFs

Vishnukumar VUpdated on 27 Nov 2025, 03:13 PM IST

Candidates can get the links to download the unofficial UPSC IAS 2026 answer key for GS and CSAT here. Certain coaching institutes release the unofficial UPSC IAS answer key 2026 on their official website. They can check the unofficial UPSC IAS answer key in the table below. Union Public Services Commission will release the UPSC Civil Service 2026 answer key on the official website, upsc.gov.in.

This Story also Contains

  1. UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 (official)
  2. How to Download UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026?
  3. UPSC Civil Services Answer Key - Previous Year’s
  4. UPSC Civil Services Result 2026
UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 - Check IAS Solution Key PDFs
UPSC Civil Services Answer key 2026

The official UPSC CSE answer key 2026 will be available for download after the selection process at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can use the UPSC IAS answer key 2026 to gauge their performance in the UPSC IAS exam. Candidates can download copies of the UPSC 2026 answer key using the links below.

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 (official)

Paper

Answer Key (All Sets A, B, C, D)

General Studies Paper 1

Download here

General Studies Paper 2

Download here

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 Dates

Check below the dates pertaining to the release of the official and unofficial UPSC Civil Services 2026 answer key.

IAS Prelims Answer Key Dates

Events


Dates

Date of Preliminary Exam

May 24, 2026

Release of IAS answer key (unofficial)

To be announced

UPSC Civil Services answer key (official)

To be Announced

How to Download UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026?

Follow the steps given below to download the answer key of UPSC Civil Services.

Steps to Download IAS Answer Key 2026

  1. Go to the question as per your question paper set below and check the correct key or click on the links ‘UPSC Civil Services answer key’ published by the coaching institutes below.

  2. The UPSC IAS answer key has been provided set-wise for General Studies Papers 1 and 2.

  3. Choose the set provided to you during the IAS exam 2026.

  4. On the new page, the UPSC prelims answer key in the PDF file will open.

  5. Download the UPSC Civil Services answer key and save it.

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key - Previous Year’s

UPSC CSE Answer Key 2024 (Prelims)

Paper

Set A

Set B

Set C

Set D

General Studies Paper 1

Click here

Click here

Click here

Click here

General Studies Paper 2

Click here

Click here

Click here

Click here

UPSC CSE Answer Key 2023 (Prelims)

Paper

Answer Key (All Sets A, B, C, D)

General Studies Paper 1

Download here

General Studies Paper 2

Download here

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2022 - Previous Year’s

Paper

Answer Key (All Sets A, B, C, D)

General Studies Paper 1

Download Here

General Studies Paper 2

Download Here

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2021

Paper

Answer Key (All Sets A, B, C, D)

General Studies Paper 1

Download here

General Studies Paper 2

Download here

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2020

Paper

Set A

Set B

Set C

Set D

General Studies Paper 1

Download Here

Download Here

Download Here

Download Here

General Studies Paper 2

Download Here

Download Here

Download Here

Download Here

UPSC Civil Services Question Papers 2019 for Prelims (Set A, B, C, D)

Question Set

Set A

Set B

Set C

Set D

Download Link Paper I

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Download Link Paper II

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

UPSC Civil Services Prelims Answer 2019 by Various Institutes

Download the UPSC 2019 answer key by various institutes through the links given below. The links will be activated once it is released.

Name of Institute

GS Paper 1 UPSC 2019 Answer Key

GS Paper 2 UPSC 2019 Answer Key

Career Launcher

Download Here

Available Soon

Vajiram and Ravi

Download Here

Available Soon

NeoStencil

Download Here

Download Here

Dhyeya IAS

Download Here

Available Soon

Drishti IAS

Download Here

Download Here

Shankar IAS Academy

Download Here

Available Soon

Springboard Academy

Download Here

Available Soon

Rau's IAS

Download Here

Download Here

Insights IAS

Download Here

Download Here

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key - Previous Year's

How to Use UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 to calculate score?

As per the marking scheme, for the correct answer in General Studies Paper 1, candidates will score 2 marks while it is 2.5 marks for GS Paper 2. For incorrect answers in both papers, 1/3 marks will be deducted.

Marking Scheme of UPSC Civil Services 2026

Specifications

Marking Scheme

Correct response

  • GS Paper I = 2

  • GS Paper II = 2.5

Negative marking

- 1/3 of marks allotted for each question

Marks deducted in Paper I

0.66 marks

Marks deducted in Paper I

0.83 marks

Total marks of prelims

400 (Paper I - 200 marks, Paper II - 200 marks)

The score for Paper I

Correct responses out of 100 X 2 marks – 0.66 marks for each incorrect answer

The score for Paper II

Correct responses out of 80 X 2.5 marks – 0.83 marks for each incorrect answer

Aggregate score

(Correct answers in Paper I x 2) + (Correct responses in Paper II x 2.5) – (Number of incorrect response x marks deducted for each incorrect answer)

UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2026 - Benefits

  • Using the UPSC Civil Services prelims answer key, candidates will be able to check the correct answers.

  • Based on the number of answers marked correctly and incorrectly in the IAS exam 2026, candidates can calculate the probable score.

  • Candidates can analyse their performance based on the score

Check Here List of Other Government Exams

UPSC Civil Services 2026 Qualifying Marks

The examination authority decides the qualifying marks for General Studies Studies Paper II which is 33%. There are no qualifying marks for General Studies Paper I. Candidates are required to secure the qualifying marks to pass Paper II. Besides the qualifying marks, UPSC also determines the overall UPSC IAS 2026 cut off marks for the preliminary exam on the basis of General Studies (GS) Paper I only.

Other Related Articles

UPSC CSE Preparation Strategy and Best Books
UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
Download EBook

UPSC Civil Services Result 2026

The UPSC IAS 2026 result will be released by the Commission online at upsc.gov.in. On the basis of the IAS result 2026, candidates are selected for the mains exam. Civil Services Examination is one of the most coveted exams in the country conducted by UPSC to select candidates for various administrative services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service, Indian Revenue Service (IRS), etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When does the official UPSC CSE 2026 answer key be released?
A:

The official UPSC IAS 2026 answer key will be released after the conclusion of all stages of the exam.

Q: Does the UPSC have negative marking?
A:

Yes, the UPSC IAS exam 2026 has a negative marking of ⅓ marks for incorrect answers in the prelims papers.

Q: Can I raise objections in the UPSC IAS answer key?
A:

The facility to raise objections in the IAS answer key will not be provided by UPSC.

Q: How can I get UPSC official answer key?
A:

You can download the official UPSC IAS answer key on the official website. Refer to the article above for detailed steps on how to download the IAS Answer key.

Q: Can I crack UPSC by reading only newspapers?
A:

While reading newspapers is very important for learning about current affairs, newspapers alone cannot cover the entire UPSC CSE syllabus. For other study materials you can use for IAS preparation, refer to our Best books for the UPSC IAS page.

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello Aspirant

As your question is not clear, you are asking how to become an IAS, which course or degree you should pursue, and all the related details regarding the IAS. So, I can suggest you choosing the right stream in Intermediate is important.
The Arts/Humanities stream is most helpful

Hello Aspirant

All colleges are the best, and selection mainly depends on you and your consistency. But I can help you regarding this :

After the 10th, you can join PU (11–12th) colleges that offer strong academics and an early IAS foundation.
Some good options are Delhi’s Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya

Hello

If you want to become an IAS officer, you can choose any group CEC, MPC, or BiPC as IAS does not require a specific subject stream.
However, many students prefer CEC (Commerce, Economics, Civics) or MPC (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) because they help build analytical and general knowledge skills useful

Hello, it’s wonderful to see such clarity at such a young age. Becoming an IAS officer requires consistent preparation, strong general knowledge, and excellent analytical skills. Right now, your main focus should be building a strong base in academics, especially in subjects like History, Geography, and Economics. Start reading NCERT

The choice of your graduation path – integrated BSc BEd (Zoology), BTech CS, or integrated BS-MS at IISER Thiruvananthapuram – to pursue the dream of becoming an IAS officer requires careful consideration.

A Bachelor of Arts degree, particularly in subjects like Political Science, History, or Economics, is often considered the