UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 answer key ‘controversial’, ‘disputed’, say candidates; ask for sources

NEW DELHI: Candidates of the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) have alleged several discrepancies in the UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 answer key. Aspirants took to social media and asked for sources of the answers. The commission today issued the answer key for the last year’s exam. UPSC CSE 2023 final result was declared recently.

According to experts and aspirants, the UPSC CSE Prelims answer keys differ completely from the unofficial keys released by several coaching institutes. A candidate demanded reforms in the UPSC answer key including releasing of the keys right after the result declaration.

Parveen Kaswan, an IFS official, claimed that UPSC gave the wrong answer for a question. He said, “So I was going through answer key of #Civil Service Pre Exam 2023. Question 14 of Set A - As per #UPSC released answer key the right answer is (a). I think this is wrong. Lion Tailed Macaque are diurnal. Or am I missing something.”

A competitive exam analyst analysed the answer key and said, “Analysed UPSC GS1 answer key from 4 different coaching institutes. On average each coaching key has 12-13 wrong answers which means variation of 32 to 35 marks while calculating your score just after prelims. That is why people look surprised when they clear prelims.”

A UPSC exam mentor demanded justification from UPSC and wrote, "It’s high time that UPSC needs to be self accountable. They need to justify their solutions in final answer key of UPSC Prelims Exam. Also, authentic sources need to be given to support the answers. Lakhs of students write this exam every year, they have right to know."

UPSC Prelims answer key 'different' from coaching institutes' solutions

An X user posted, “In official answer key of #UPSC 5-6 answers are disputed answer keys of most coaching institutes are wrong. At least UPSC should clarify which source they relied upon. Moreover, the pattern experimented by UPSC is confusing. Is UPSC trying to test luck or knowledge??”

“Horrendous way of declaring the answer key of CSE prelims by #UPSC. You have to release the explanation/source if you have only 1,only 2...type questions or even otherwise I guess,” another X user said.

“The difference between coaching answers and UPSC Official answers key is 15 questions. This is unreal even after so much resources there is so much difference UPSC need to disclose their sources for answers,” a candidate wrote.

“There should be an amendment to the method in which UPSC asks questions (prelims) to overcome the coaching institute's interpretation of the question paper,” said another.

“Sir with the discrepancies in the UPSC answer key, what should we do next ? Just assume that commission is always right and let them ride over our lives and keep trying or just give up since they are not really accountable for anything ?,” asked an aspirant.