UPSC CMS 2026 Question Paper with Answer Key, Check Detailed Solution PDF
UPSC CMS 2026 Question Papers with Answer Keys and Detailed Solutions are available here for download in PDF format. Union Public Service Commission conducted the Combined Medical Services Examination on Aug 02, 2026, in two sessions. Paper 1 was held from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, while Paper 2 was conducted from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
UPSC CMS 2026 Question Paper and Answer Key PDF
Download:- UPSC CMS Previous Year Question Paper and Answer Key PDF; Check Detailed Solutions
UPSC CMS 2026 Overview
UPSC CMS is conducted for recruitment to Medical Officer and General Duty Medical Officer posts in Central Government organisations. The written examination consists of two objective papers carrying 250 marks each. Candidates who qualify in the written examination are called for a 100-mark Personality Test.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination | UPSC Combined Medical Services Examination 2026 |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam Date | Aug 02, 2026 |
| Number of Papers | Two |
| Questions in Each Paper | 120 |
| Marks per Paper | 250 |
| Total Written Marks | 500 |
| Duration per Paper | Two Hours |
| Question Type | Objective Multiple-Choice Questions |
| Question Paper Language | English |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd of the marks assigned to the question |
| Personality Test | 100 Marks |
UPSC CMS 2026 Exam Date and Timings
UPSC CMS 2026 was conducted on Aug 02, 2026, in two sessions. Candidates were required to appear for both papers according to the official timetable.
| Paper | Subject | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Medicine and Paediatrics | 9:30 AM–11:30 AM |
| Paper 2 | Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and Preventive and Social Medicine | 2:00 PM–4:00 PM |
Candidates were advised to reach the examination venue before the reporting time mentioned on their admit cards. Entry to the examination centre was closed before the commencement of each paper according to the instructions issued by UPSC.
UPSC CMS 2026 Exam Pattern
The UPSC CMS 2026 written examination carried 500 marks and included two papers of 250 marks each. Both papers contained 120 objective-type questions and candidates were given two hours to complete each paper.
UPSC CMS Paper 1 Pattern
Paper 1 covered General Medicine and Paediatrics. General Medicine carried the larger share of the officially prescribed syllabus.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Medicine | 96 | 200 |
| Paediatrics | 24 | 50 |
| Total | 120 | 250 |
General Medicine includes cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology, haematology, infectious diseases, dermatology, psychiatry, emergency medicine and toxicology. Paediatrics covers neonatology, childhood emergencies, developmental milestones, immunisation, nutrition and common childhood diseases.
UPSC CMS Paper 2 Pattern
Paper 2 covered Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and Preventive and Social Medicine.
| Subject | Questions | Approximate Official Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery | 40 | 33.33% |
| Gynaecology and Obstetrics | 40 | 33.33% |
| Preventive and Social Medicine | 40 | 33.33% |
| Total | 120 | 100% |
The Surgery portion may include General Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Anaesthesiology. Preventive and Social Medicine includes epidemiology, biostatistics, health programmes, nutrition, environmental health and communicable and non-communicable diseases.
| General Medicine & Paediatrics Previous Year Papers | Surgery and Social Medicine Previous Year Papers |
UPSC CMS 2026 Exam Analysis
UPSC CMS 2026 examination was successfully conducted on Aug 2, 2026. Based on the question papers and initial candidate reactions, both Paper 1 and Paper 2 were moderate to difficult overall. General Medicine and Gynaecology & Obstetrics were comparatively challenging, while Surgery was easy to moderate and Paediatrics and Preventive & Social Medicine were moderate. The papers included several clinical scenario-based, integrated-concept and multiple-statement questions.
Paper 1 generally requires strong clinical understanding because many questions present symptoms, investigation findings or treatment situations. Candidates may be required to identify the diagnosis, appropriate investigation, possible complication or suitable line of management instead of simply recalling a definition.
Paper 2 generally covers a wider range of subjects. Surgery and Obstetrics questions frequently involve clinical decision-making, while Preventive and Social Medicine tests epidemiological concepts, health programmes, screening, biostatistics and public-health applications.
Analysis of papers from 2020 to 2025 indicates that multiple-statement questions increased from about 18% in 2020 to more than half of the paper in some later years. Around 48% to 53% of questions in recent papers followed a multiple-statement format, making conceptual accuracy and option elimination increasingly important.
UPSC CMS Difficulty Level
| Paper or Subject | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| General Medicine | Moderate to Difficult |
| Paediatrics | Moderate |
| Surgery | Moderate |
| Gynaecology and Obstetrics | Moderate |
| Preventive and Social Medicine | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | Moderate to Difficult |
Clinical scenario-based questions generally require more time than direct factual questions. Candidates therefore need to balance speed with accuracy, particularly because negative marking applies to incorrect answers.
UPSC CMS Subject-Wise Weightage
The official examination scheme broadly defines the subjects covered in each paper. However, manual classification of previous question papers shows that the effective subject-wise weightage varied across different years, particularly in 2024 and 2025. The actual UPSC CMS 2026 distribution will be updated after a detailed review of both papers.
Paper 1 Previous-Year Weightage
| Year | General Medicine | Paediatrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 96 | 24 |
| 2021 | 91 | 29 |
| 2022 | 94 | 26 |
| 2023 | 93 | 27 |
| 2024 | 82 | 38 |
| 2025 | 84 | 36 |
General Medicine remained the dominant subject in all six years. However, the share of Paediatrics increased considerably in 2024 and 2025, moving from approximately one-fifth of Paper 1 to nearly one-third.
Paper 2 Previous-Year Weightage
| Year | Surgery | Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Preventive and Social Medicine |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 40 | 41 | 39 |
| 2021 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| 2022 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| 2023 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| 2024 | 40 | 30 | 50 |
| 2025 | 34 | 34 | 52 |
Paper 2 maintained an almost equal subject distribution between 2020 and 2023. However, Preventive and Social Medicine received higher effective weightage in 2024 and 2025, accounting for more than 40% of the questions in those papers.
These figures are based on subject-wise classification of previous question papers and should not be treated as the confirmed distribution for UPSC CMS 2026. Integrated questions may cover concepts from more than one medical discipline.
UPSC CMS Important Topics
General Medicine and Paediatrics
Frequently tested General Medicine areas include:
- Cardiology and respiratory medicine
- Gastroenterology and hepatology
- Neurology and nephrology
- Endocrinology and haematology
- Infectious diseases
- Emergency medicine and toxicology
- Psychiatry and dermatology
In Paediatrics, important areas include neonatal care, paediatric emergencies, immunisation, growth and development, nutrition and common childhood infections.
Cardiology, pulmonology and infectious diseases were among the most prominent Paper 1 areas in the 2024 and 2025 papers, while gastroenterology and endocrinology had higher representation during 2021–2023.
Surgery
Important Surgery topics include General Surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, trauma, orthopaedics, pre-operative and post-operative management, anaesthesia, ENT and Ophthalmology. General Surgery and abdominal or gastrointestinal conditions have repeatedly contributed a substantial number of questions.
Gynaecology and Obstetrics
Important areas include antenatal care, high-risk pregnancy, labour management, obstetric emergencies, postpartum complications, menstrual disorders, infertility, contraception and gynaecological malignancies. Obstetrics received greater attention than Gynaecology in several recent papers.
Preventive and Social Medicine
Important PSM areas include:
- Epidemiology and biostatistics
- Screening tests
- National health programmes
- Communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Nutrition and environmental health
- Maternal and child health
- Vaccination and disease-prevention strategies
The higher representation of Preventive and Social Medicine in the 2024 and 2025 papers makes it an important area while reviewing the UPSC CMS examination.
UPSC CMS 2026 Marking Scheme
Each question carried approximately 2.08 marks. One-third of the marks assigned to a question was deducted for an incorrect answer. Selecting more than one option was also treated as incorrect, even when one of the selected options was correct. No penalty was applied to an unanswered question.
Candidates can estimate their marks using the following method:
Estimated Marks = Marks Obtained from Correct Answers – Negative Marks for Incorrect Answers
The score calculated using an unofficial answer key will remain provisional until UPSC publishes the official answer key.
UPSC CMS 2026 Question Paper FAQs
Ques: When was the UPSC CMS 2026 examination conducted?
Ans: UPSC CMS 2026 was conducted on Aug 02, 2026. Paper 1 was held from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, while Paper 2 was conducted from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Ques: Where can candidates download the UPSC CMS 2026 question papers?
Ans: Candidates can download the UPSC CMS 2026 Paper 1 and Paper 2 question paper PDFs from the links provided on this page.
Ques: What was the difficulty level of previous UPSC CMS papers?
Ans: Previous papers were generally moderate to difficult, with a growing emphasis on clinical scenarios and multiple-statement questions. The confirmed 2026 difficulty level will be updated after reviewing both papers.
Ques: Which subject carries the highest weightage in Paper 1?
Ans: General Medicine carries the highest prescribed weightage in Paper 1. However, the number of Paediatrics questions increased in the 2024 and 2025 papers.
Ques: Which subject recently received more weightage in Paper 2?
Ans: Preventive and Social Medicine received the highest effective weightage in the 2024 and 2025 papers, based on previous-paper classification.
Ques: Was there negative marking in UPSC CMS 2026?
Ans: Yes. One-third of the marks assigned to a question was deducted for every incorrect answer. No marks were deducted for questions left unanswered.
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