UPSC to release provisional civil services answer keys soon after prelims; change follows SC directive

Soon after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, candidates can now expect the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to release provisional answer keys — a change from its earlier year-long wait policy. The move follows months of hearings in the Supreme Court over the Commission’s earlier lack of transparency.

During the proceedings, a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar recorded appreciation for the UPSC’s revised approach and the role played by senior advocate Jaideep Gupta and advocate Pranjal Kishore in shaping the reform. According to The Hindu , the court said such cooperation reflected “participatory adversarialism” in action.

The Bench said any remaining issues raised by aspirants could be taken to the respective High Courts for a quick decision. Petitioner Himanshu Kumar and others had questioned the logic behind releasing marks, cut-off scores, and answer keys only after the entire exam cycle. As noted by The Hindu , they argued that early publication would allow genuine correction of errors.

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UPSC changes stance on early key release

In its first affidavit filed on May 13, the UPSC opposed the idea, warning it might lead to confusion and delays. But in another affidavit submitted on September 20, the Commission informed the court that it had taken a “conscious and well-considered decision” to release provisional keys soon after the exam, The Hindu reported.

Under the new system, candidates can submit objections backed by at least three reliable sources. Those without sufficient proof will be rejected outright. The UPSC will place all valid objections before subject experts before finalising the key. The prelims results will be based on the approved version, while the final key will continue to be published after the completion of the entire examination process.