IES Prelims Answer Key 2026 Out (soon): Check Paper 1 and Paper 2 Solutions

Feb 27, 2026

What's New in IES?

IES Prelims Answer Key 2026 will be released soon after UPSC ESE Prelims Exam is conducted. The exam is scheduled to be held on February 8, 2026. Once published, the answer key will help candidates evaluate their performance, estimate their probable scores, and assess their chances of qualifying for the next stage (Mains) of the selection process. Candidates can check UPSC IES Prelims Answer Key 2025 for each subject to prepare for UPSC ESE 2026.

UPSC IES Prelims 2025 Answer Key with Solution PDF

Question Paper PDF	Answer Key PDF	Detailed Solution
UPSC ESE 2026 General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Question Paper PDF	Download PDF	Attempt Now
UPSC ESE 2026 Civil Engineering Question Paper PDF	Download PDF	Attempt Now
UPSC ESE 2026 Electrical Engineering Question Paper PDF	Download PDF	Attempt Now
UPSC ESE 2026 Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Question Paper PDF	Download PDF	Attempt Now
UPSC ESE 2026 Mechanical Engineering Question Paper PDF	Download PDF	Attempt Now

How to Download UPSC IES Answer Key 2026?

UPSC will release the official answer key for IES 2026 Prelims on its website a few weeks after the examination.

Steps to Download the Official Answer Key:

Visit the official website: upsc.gov.in
Go to the “Examinations” tab in the top navigation bar.
Click on “Answer Keys” from the dropdown list.
Look for “Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 – Answer Key”.
Download the answer key PDF for:
- Paper 1 (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude)
- Paper 2 (Your selected engineering discipline)
Save it for further reference and score calculation.

Tip: Make sure to match the question paper code while checking answers to avoid errors.

How to Calculate UPSC IES Prelims Marks?

Once you have the answer key, calculating your probable score becomes easy. Here's how to do it:

Marking Scheme:

Correct Answer: +2 marks
Incorrect Answer: –0.66 marks (1/3rd negative marking)
Unattempted Question: 0 marks

Steps to Calculate Marks:

Count the number of correct answers and multiply by 2.
Count the number of incorrect answers and multiply by 0.66.
Subtract the total negative marks from the total positive marks.

Total Marks = (Correct × 2) − (Incorrect × 0.66)

Example Calculation:

Let’s say you attempted 80 questions correctly and 10 incorrectly in Paper 1:

(80 × 2) − (10 × 0.66) = 160 − 6.6 = 153.4 marks

Repeat this process for Paper 2 and then sum both scores to get your final Prelims score out of 500.

Relevant Links
IES Exam Pattern 2026	UPSC ESE Mock Test Series	UPSC ESE Previous Year Papers
UPSE ESE 2024 Question Paper	IES Syllabus 2026	UPSC ESE Eligibility Criteria 2026

IES Prelims Answer Key 2026 FAQs

Ques: What is the benefit of using the IES Answer Key 2026?

Ans: It allows candidates to:

Evaluate their performance
Calculate their probable scores
Understand the level of accuracy
Estimate chances of clearing the Prelims

Ques: What is the validity of the IES answer key?

Ans: The answer key is valid for self-assessment purposes only. It does not determine your final selection, which is based on cumulative scores in Mains and Interview.

Ques: Can IES Prelims answer key affect the final result declaration?

Ans: No, IES Prelims answer key does not affect the final result. It is released for candidates’ self-assessment only, while the official result is based solely on UPSC’s internal evaluation of OMR sheets.

Ques: Can candidates challenge UPSC IES Answer Key 2026?

Ans: No, candidates will not be able to challenge UPSC IES Answer Key 2026. They can however estimate their marks by comparing the answers to their response sheet.

Ques: What is the total marks of UPSC ESE Prelims 2026?

Ans: UPSC ESE Prelims consists of 2 papers. Paper 1 is evaluated out of 200 marks and Paper 2 is evaluated out of 300 marks.

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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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