More than 5.49 lakh candidates who appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination on May 24, 2026, are now preparing for the expected result in the second week of June 2026. Delhi recorded the highest candidate turnout this year. The UPSC will publish the result at upsc.gov.in in PDF format listing roll numbers of qualified candidates.
Experts described this year’s General Studies paper as unconventional and significantly unpredictable, suggesting the qualifying cutoff may fall lower than previous years. The CSAT paper requires a minimum qualifying score of 33 percent. Candidates who qualify will be eligible to appear for the UPSC Mains examination, which is scheduled for August 21, 2026, over five consecutive days.
Aspirants must not wait for the Prelims result before beginning Mains preparation, as the window between Prelims result and Mains exam is typically very short. The UPSC IFS Prelims 2026 answer key has also been released on the official website for candidates’ reference.
| UPSC Prelims 2026 | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam date | May 24, 2026 |
| Result expected | Second week of June 2026 |
| UPSC Mains | August 21, 2026 |
| Check at | upsc.gov.in |
