Union Public Service Commission is conducting the UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam 2026 on May 24, 2026. After the exam, candidates can check the UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Answer Key PDF to verify their responses, calculate expected marks, and analyse their chances of qualifying for the Mains examination.
| Question Paper PDF | Answer Key PDF | Detailed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Question Paper and Answer Key PDF (SET A) |
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| UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Question Paper and Answer Key PDF (SET B) |
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| UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Question Paper and Answer Key PDF (SET C) |
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| UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Question Paper and Answer Key PDF (SET D) |
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The General Studies Paper 1 is one of the two papers conducted in the UPSC Prelims exam. It includes objective-type questions from History, Geography, Indian Polity, Economy, Environment and Ecology, Science and Technology, and Current Affairs. The GS paper is considered for merit calculation in the Preliminary stage, while CSAT is qualifying in nature.
Also Check: UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT Answer Key PDF, Check Detailed Solution
UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 carries 200 marks. There are 100 questions, and each question carries 2 marks. For every incorrect answer, one-third of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. This means around 0.67 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. No marks are deducted for unattempted questions.
Candidates can use the following formula to calculate their expected score:
Expected Score = Marks for Correct Answers – Negative Marks for Incorrect Answers
Based on the recent UPSC trend, the GS paper is expected to include a mix of static and current affairs-based questions. Subjects such as Polity, Environment, Economy, History, Geography, Science and Technology, and Current Affairs are likely to play an important role in the paper.
The final difficulty level of the UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Question Paper will be clear only after the exam is conducted on May 24, 2026 and candidate feedback becomes available.
Ques: How can candidates use the UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Answer Key?
Ans: Candidates can use the answer key to compare their marked responses with the correct answers and calculate their expected score before the result.
Ques: What is the marking scheme for UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1?
Ans: The GS Paper 1 includes 100 questions for 200 marks. Each correct answer carries 2 marks, while around 0.67 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.
Ques: Will the UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Answer Key help in predicting qualification?
Ans: Yes, the answer key can help candidates estimate their probable score and compare it with the expected cutoff. However, final selection for the Mains stage will depend only on the official UPSC result.
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