The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is anticipated to release the results for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination (CSE Prelims) 2026 on its official portal, upsc.gov.in, within this week.
UPSC conducted the preliminary exam nationwide on May 24 for 933 vacancies. A total of 819,372 candidates signed up for the assessment.
The exam was conducted offline using OMR sheets. It took place in two sessions. The General Studies Paper I commenced at 9:30 am, followed by the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) Paper II in the afternoon. The UPSC conducted the examination in 83 cities across 2,072 centres throughout the country.
UPSC CSE Prelims 2026: Total vacancies and cutoff marks
This year, a total of 933 positions are open. These comprise 397 positions for the unreserved category, 243 for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 133 for Scheduled Castes (SC), 88 for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), and 72 for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
The scores achieved in General Studies Paper 1 are utilised to determine the prelims cut-off. The CSAT is a qualifying examination, necessitating candidates to secure a minimum of 33% to pass it.
In 2023, the cut-off for the general category decreased to 75.41 following one of the most challenging papers in recent memory. Analysts predict that a similar pattern may arise in 2026 due to the exam's complexity. After the decline in 2023, the General category cut-off rose to 87.98 in 2024 and 92.66 in 2025, indicating relatively easier papers and heightened competition.
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UPSC Prelim 2026 Result: How To Download
Step 1: Head over to the official website at upsc.gov.in or upsconline.nic.in.
Step 2: Click on the "Examinations" section found on the homepage.
Step 3: Enter the "Written Results" category.
Step 4: Hit the link titled "UPSC Prelims Result 2026".
Step 5: Download the PDF file.
Step 6: Use the search function (Ctrl + F) and type in your roll number.
Step 7: If your roll number appears on the list, congratulations, you've successfully passed the UPSC Prelims Examination 2026.
The commission's official website, upsc.gov.in, will release the UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 results in PDF format. Candidates can view their results by opening the PDF and searching for their roll number. Those whose roll numbers are on this list are eligible to appear for the UPSC Mains 2026.
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UPSC CSE Prelims 2026: Provisional answer key in 4 days
For the first time, the commission published the provisional answer key just four days post-examination, on May 28. Previously, UPSC tended to release the answer key only after the final results were announced, which typically happened around a year later. The provisional answer key omitted one question from the General Studies Paper I.
Last year, UPSC conducted the preliminary examination on May 25, revealing the results on June 11. In 2024, the exam was held on June 16, while the results were declared on July 1.
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