UPSC Prelims Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Commission dropped two questions this year in Prelims answer key

UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2026 Date, Time, Pdf Download Link at upsc.gov.in, upsconline.nic.in Live Updates: The exam was conducted on May 24, 2026, throughout the country. Around 8,19,372 students had registered for the exam for approximately 933 vacancies.

UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2026 LIVE Updates: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to announce the Civil Services Preliminary Examination (CSE Prelims) result 2026 by June 15 on the official website at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can check their results using their application number and other login credentials.

The exam was conducted on May 24, 2026, across the country. Around 8,19,372 students had registered for the exam for approximately 933 vacancies. The exam was conducted offline in two shifts in an OMR-based format. The General Studies Paper I took place in the morning from 9:30 am the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) Paper II was held in the afternoon. It was held across 2,072 exam centres in 83 cities.

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For the first time, the provisional answer key for the exam was released on May 28, only four days after the exam. Until now, UPSC has been releasing the answer key after the announcement of final results, almost a year after Prelims. Out of the 100 questions, one had been dropped in the provisional key.

Around 5.49 lakh students had taken the exam, 67 per cent of the total 8.19 lakh who had registered. However, the number of registrations and appeared students was lower than that of last year. Last year, 9.5 lakh students had applied for the exam, and 5.8 lakh of them had appeared.

Live Updates
Jun 11, 2026 04:01 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC CSE 2025 Prelims cutoff for General was 92.66 out of 200, OBC at 88.66, SC at 80.17, ST at 77.17

The General Studies Paper 1 cutoff scores for the UPSC CSE 2025 Prelims were: 92.66 marks for the General category, 88.66 for OBC, 80.17 for SC, 77.17 for ST, and 83.89 for EWS. These are the minimum GS Paper 1 scores required to qualify for the Mains in the 2025 cycle. For the 2026 cycle, the cutoffs will reflect the difficulty distribution of the May 24 paper and the score distribution across the approximately 5.49 lakh who appeared. Category-wise cutoffs for 2026 will be announced alongside the result by June 15, 2026.

Jun 11, 2026 03:21 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: 14,627 qualified for Mains in 2024 cycle, down to 14,161 in 2025 cycle

The number of candidates qualified for the Mains from the Prelims has shown marginal variation across years. In the 2024 cycle, 14,627 candidates qualified for Mains from the Prelims. In 2025, this fell slightly to 14,161. For the 2026 cycle, with 933 vacancies, lower than the 1,087 in 2025, the number qualifying for Mains is expected to be somewhat lower as well, since UPSC qualifies proportionally to the number of vacancies. The exact cutoff and number of qualifiers will be published alongside the Prelims result expected by June 15.

Jun 11, 2026 02:41 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: Shakti Dubey cleared UPSC on her sixth attempt, marks difference at the top was marginal

Shakti Dubey's 1,043 marks placed her at AIR 1 in the UPSC CSE 2024 final result. Harshita Goyal and Dongre Archit Parag each finished with 1,038 marks, a gap of just five marks separating rank 1 from ranks 2 and 3. Shah Margi Chirag's 1,035 marks, Aakash Garg's 1,032, and Komal Punia's 1,032 illustrate how densely packed the top 10 were. Shakti Dubey's journey to AIR 1 on her sixth attempt has been widely noted, given that she had been unsuccessful in five previous attempts before the 2024 cycle.

Jun 11, 2026 02:08 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC CSE 2024 top 10 marks, Komal Punia had highest written score at 856, Shah Margi Chirag highest interview at 210

The UPSC CSE 2024 marksheet, released after the April 22, 2025 result, reveals that Komal Punia, who secured AIR 6, had the highest Mains written score among the top 10 at 856 marks, followed by Aditya Vikram Agarwal (AIR 9) at 854. Harshita Goyal (AIR 2) and Dongre Archit Parag (AIR 3) were joint second in the written stage with 851 and 848 respectively. The highest Personality Test scores among the top 10 were recorded by Shah Margi Chirag (AIR 4) and Aayushi Bansal (AIR 7), each scoring 210 in the interview, the maximum awarded to any candidate in the top 10.

Jun 11, 2026 01:57 PM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: UPSC CSE 2024 toppers, Shakti Dubey AIR 1 with 1,043 marks out of 2,025

The UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 final result was declared on April 22, 2025, with Shakti Dubey securing All India Rank 1 with a total of 1,043 marks, 843 from written examination and 200 from the Personality Test. A Biochemistry graduate from the University of Allahabad, she cleared the examination with Political Science and International Relations as her optional subject on her sixth attempt. A total of 1,009 candidates were recommended against 1,132 vacancies in the 2024 cycle.

Jun 11, 2026 01:48 PM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: Full funnel in 2025, 5.76 lakh appeared for Prelims, 14,161 qualified, 2,736 reached Interview, 958 recommended

The complete selection funnel for the UPSC CSE 2025 cycle illustrates the compression at each stage. Of 9,37,876 registered candidates, 5,76,793 appeared for the Prelims on May 25, 2025. Of those, 14,161 qualified for the Mains examination. The Mains, held in August 2025, yielded 2,736 candidates who cleared to the Personality Test stage. After interviews conducted between January and April 2026, UPSC recommended 958 candidates for appointment. The selection rate from those who appeared for the Prelims to those finally recommended is approximately 1 in 600.

Jun 11, 2026 01:36 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: 958 recommended in UPSC 2025, 659 men and 299 women, including 42 PwBD

Of the 958 candidates recommended in the UPSC CSE 2025 final result declared on March 6, 2026, 659 are men and 299 are women. The recommended list also includes 42 Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, 10 orthopedically handicapped, 14 visually challenged, 9 hearing-impaired, and 9 with multiple disabilities. In the funnel from Prelims to final result, 5,76,793 appeared for the 2025 Prelims, 14,161 qualified for Mains, 2,736 cleared Mains for the Interview stage, and 958 were ultimately recommended.

Jun 11, 2026 01:27 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: Rajeshwari Suve M at AIR 2 in UPSC 2025, just 4 marks separated her from the topper

Rajeshwari Suve M secured the second All India Rank in the UPSC CSE 2025 final result with 1,067 marks, only four marks behind AIR 1 holder Anuj Agnihotri who scored 1,071. She is also the female topper of UPSC CSE 2025. Rajeshwari had previously served as a Deputy Collector in Tamil Nadu and had topped the TNPSC Group I examination. Her written Mains score was 865, one mark higher than Agnihotri's 867, with the difference in final rank attributable to interview performance.

Jun 11, 2026 01:17 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC CSE 2025 top 5, diverse academic backgrounds from medicine, engineering, commerce, economics, and law

The top five ranked candidates in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 came from distinctly different academic backgrounds. Anuj Agnihotri (AIR 1) is an MBBS graduate from AIIMS Jodhpur with Medical Science as optional. Rajeshwari Suve M (AIR 2) completed BE in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Anna University and chose Sociology. Akansh Dhull (AIR 3) is a B.Com graduate from Delhi University with Commerce and Accountancy. Raghav Jhunjhunwala (AIR 4) studied Economics at Delhi University. Ishan Bhatnagar (AIR 5) graduated in BA LLB from National Law University Delhi with Sociology as optional.

Jun 11, 2026 01:07 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC CSE 2025 final result, Anuj Agnihotri topped with 1,071 marks, 958 recommended

The UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 final result was declared on March 6, 2026, with Anuj Agnihotri securing All India Rank 1 with a total of 1,071 marks, 867 from the Mains written examination and 204 from the Personality Test. A total of 958 candidates were recommended for appointment against 1,087 vacancies across IAS, IPS, IFS, and Central Services Group A and B. Anuj Agnihotri, who holds an MBBS degree from AIIMS Jodhpur, cleared the examination with Medical Science as his optional subject and is currently serving in the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service.

Jun 11, 2026 01:03 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC released provisional answer key on May 28, four days after the exam, a first in UPSC's history

For the first time, UPSC released a provisional answer key for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination on May 28, 2026, just four days after the examination. Until 2026, UPSC had followed the practice of releasing the answer key only after the final results of Prelims, approximately a year after the exam was held. The earlier release of the provisional key allows candidates to assess their performance before the result is officially declared. In the provisional key, one out of 100 questions in GS Paper 1 has been dropped.

Jun 11, 2026 12:50 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: What happens immediately after the Prelims result, DAF-1 submission window opens

Within days of the Prelims result being declared, UPSC opens the Detailed Application Form 1 (DAF-1) window on upsconline.nic.in. DAF-1 is a mandatory registration form for candidates who qualify the Prelims and wish to appear for the Mains. It captures the candidate's personal and educational details, optional subject selection from the 48 available choices, preference for the language paper (Paper A), and communication address. DAF-1 is typically kept open for five to seven days, and candidates who miss the window are not permitted to appear for the Mains examination.

Jun 11, 2026 12:40 PM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: DAF-2 comes after the Mains result, a much more detailed document required for the Interview stage

While DAF-1 is submitted after the Prelims result, a second and more comprehensive form, DAF-2, is submitted after the Mains result is declared. DAF-2 is used by the UPSC Interview Board to familiarise itself with the candidate's background before the Personality Test. It includes detailed information on educational history, employment, extracurricular achievements, travel, publications, hobbies, and the candidate's detailed service preferences. The Interview Board draws extensively from the DAF-2 while framing questions, making it a document of considerable strategic importance for candidates at that stage.

Jun 11, 2026 12:30 PM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: DAF-1 is the first official record of a candidate's optional subject choice, cannot be changed after submission

The DAF-1 form submitted after the Prelims result is the first formal, binding declaration of a candidate's optional subject for the UPSC CSE Mains. Once submitted, the optional subject choice entered in DAF-1 cannot be changed under any circumstances. The 48 optional subjects available include History, Geography, Public Administration, Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, Philosophy, Anthropology, Economics, Law, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and several others including literature papers in scheduled Indian languages. This choice has a significant bearing on a candidate's Mains preparation strategy for the next two months.

Jun 11, 2026 12:20 PM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC CSE Mains 2026 is scheduled to begin from August 21, qualifying Prelims is the gateway

The UPSC Civil Services Mains 2026 examination is scheduled to begin from August 21, 2026. The Mains is a nine-paper descriptive examination conducted over several days in Delhi. With the Prelims result expected by June 15, candidates who qualify will have approximately two months to prepare for the Mains after the result. In the previous cycle, the 2025 Mains was also conducted in August. The Mains tests candidates across Essay, four General Studies papers, two Optional Subject papers, and two qualifying language papers.

Jun 11, 2026 12:10 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: How many qualify for Mains, typically 10 to 15 times the number of vacancies

UPSC qualifies approximately 10 to 15 times the number of advertised vacancies for the Civil Services Mains examination from the Prelims result. With 933 vacancies notified for the 2026 cycle, an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 candidates are expected to qualify for the Mains from the May 24 Prelims. In 2025, with 1,087 vacancies, 14,161 candidates qualified for Mains. In 2024, with 1,132 vacancies, 14,627 candidates qualified. The exact number is determined after applying category-wise cutoffs and reservation norms.

Jun 11, 2026 12:01 PM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: How the Prelims result is published, roll numbers only, no scores or ranks in the PDF

The UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 result, when declared, will be published as a PDF document on upsc.gov.in listing the roll numbers of candidates who have qualified for the Civil Services Mains examination. UPSC does not disclose individual GS Paper 1 scores or CSAT scores at the Prelims result stage. Category-wise cutoff marks are released alongside the result PDF. Candidates who do not find their roll number in the qualifying list are not given access to their marks until approximately 15 days after the final result of the full CSE cycle, typically declared a year later.

Jun 11, 2026 11:55 AM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: GS Paper 1 score alone determines Prelims cutoff, CSAT is qualifying at 33%

The UPSC CSE 2026 Prelims cutoff is determined solely by scores in General Studies Paper 1. CSAT Paper 2 is qualifying in nature, requiring a minimum of 33%, 66 marks out of 200. A candidate can score very well in CSAT but still fail to qualify if their GS Paper 1 score does not meet the cutoff. Conversely, a candidate cannot qualify by passing only CSAT without clearing the GS Paper 1 threshold. The GS Paper 1 cutoff for the General category in 2025 was 92.66 out of 200, and the 2026 cutoff will be announced alongside the result by June 15.

Jun 11, 2026 11:45 AM IST
UPSC Prelims Results 2026 Live Updates: One question dropped in the provisional answer key, full marks to all candidates for that question

The UPSC CSE 2026 Prelims provisional answer key released on May 28 has dropped one question from the 100-question General Studies Paper 1. When UPSC drops a question, full marks are awarded to all candidates who appeared for that paper, irrespective of whether they attempted the question or left it blank. The dropping of a question typically occurs when the question is found to be ambiguous, incorrectly framed, or when more than one option is defensibly correct. The question's absence effectively increases the maximum obtainable score slightly above the nominal 200 for that paper.

Jun 11, 2026 11:41 AM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: Exam held on May 24 across 2,072 centres in 83 cities, two shifts, OMR-based format

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 was conducted on May 24, 2026, across 2,072 examination centres spread across 83 cities in India. The exam was held in offline, OMR-based format in two shifts. General Studies Paper 1 was conducted in the morning from 9:30 AM, and CSAT Paper 2 was held in the afternoon.

The exam was conducted in all states and union territories. All 5.49 lakh who appeared sat for both papers on the same day, consistent with the standard UPSC Prelims format.

Jun 11, 2026 11:35 AM IST
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: UPSC released provisional answer key on May 28, four days after the exam, a first in UPSC's history

For the first time, UPSC released a provisional answer key for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination on May 28, 2026, just four days after the examination. Until 2026, UPSC had followed the practice of releasing the answer key only after the final results of Prelims, approximately a year after the exam was held. The earlier release of the provisional key allows candidates to assess their performance before the result is officially declared. In the provisional key, one out of 100 questions in GS Paper 1 has been dropped.

Jun 11, 2026 11:32 AM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: Registration and turnout down from last year, 9.5 lakh had applied in 2025

The 2026 cycle saw lower registration and attendance compared to the previous year. In 2025, a total of 9,37,876 candidates applied for the UPSC CSE Prelims and 5,76,793 appeared for the exam. This year, 8,19,372 registered and approximately 5.49 lakh appeared. The drop in both registration and turnout is notable, given that the number of notified vacancies for 2026 at 933 is also lower than the 1,087 vacancies announced for the 2025 cycle. Both registration and appearance figures for 2026 are the lowest in the past two years.

Jun 11, 2026 11:30 AM IST
UPSC CSE Prelims Results 2026 LIVE: Result expected by June 15 on upsc.gov.in, 8.19 lakh had registered for 933 vacancies

The Union Public Service Commission is expected to announce the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 result by June 15, 2026, on the official website upsc.gov.in. A total of 8,19,372 candidates had registered for the examination against approximately 933 vacancies across 21 civil services. However, only around 5.49 lakh candidates, representing 67% of the registered pool, actually appeared for the exam held on May 24. The result will be published as a PDF list of qualifying roll numbers, without individual scores.

With 70,885 students taking the exam across 144 exam locations, Delhi emerged as the biggest UPSC Prelims 2026 examination hub. According to UPSC data, Patna recorded 39,147 candidates across 79 locations, while Hyderabad recorded 44,209 candidates at 100 centers. Kargil had the least number of aspirants; 98 candidates appeared at the only examination centre in the district.

Teachers and students reported that the GS paper was more difficult and lengthy than the CSE Prelims 2025 exam. Economy (19 questions), Environment (11), Geography (13), History & Art & Culture (20), Polity & Governance (8), Science & Technology (18), and Miscellaneous (11) were all included in this year's first paper. However, educators say that the CSAT was unusual but not challenging. Many applicants may have been taken aback by the paper's introduction of a few unusual and unique pattern questions, but overall, it was still relatively manageable for candidates who were well-prepared.

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