UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — UPSC Releases Provisional Answer Key for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026
Q1. While filing a representation against the provisional answer key on the QPRep portal for CSP-2026, a candidate must justify the claimed correct answer with supporting documentary evidence. As stipulated by UPSC, these supporting documents must be drawn from how many authentic sources?
- A. Two authentic sources
- B. Three authentic sources
- C. Four authentic sources
- D. Five authentic sources
Q2. The 'Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)', introduced in 2026 as the formal channel for contesting provisional answer keys, is operationalised by which one of the following bodies?
- A. Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
- B. National Testing Agency (NTA)
- C. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- D. Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Q3. Representations submitted by candidates against the provisional answer key of CSP-2026 are examined and adjudicated by which of the following?
- A. A parliamentary standing committee on examinations
- B. Teams of subject experts possessing domain knowledge
- C. The Central Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring cell
- D. An independent examination ombudsman appointed by the President
Q4. For CSP-2026, the first-ever provisional answer key released by UPSC covered how many question papers?
- A. One paper
- B. Two papers
- C. Three papers
- D. Four papers
Q5. Among the examination cities for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026, which one recorded the highest number of candidates?
- A. Hyderabad
- B. Patna
- C. Delhi
- D. Mumbai
Q6. The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 — for which the first-ever provisional answer key was subsequently released — was conducted on which date?
- A. 24 May 2026
- B. 27 May 2026
- C. 31 May 2026
- D. 26 May 2026
Q7. The representation window against the CSP-2026 provisional answer key closed at 6 PM on 31 May 2026. This window was administered exclusively through which of the following?
- A. E-mail addressed to the UPSC Secretary
- B. The QPRep portal hosted at upsconline.nic.in
- C. Any regional office of the UPSC across all States
- D. The DigiLocker national document platform
Q8. With reference to a valid representation filed against the CSP-2026 provisional answer key through the QPRep portal, consider the following stated requirements:
1. The candidate must indicate the correct answer as per their own understanding.
2. The candidate must attach a brief explanation justifying the claim.
3. The candidate must attach supporting documents drawn from three authentic sources.
4. The candidate must remit a non-refundable representation fee for each question challenged.
Which of the above is/are NOT a stated requirement?
- The candidate must indicate the correct answer as per their own understanding.
- The candidate must attach a brief explanation justifying the claim.
- The candidate must attach supporting documents drawn from three authentic sources.
- The candidate must remit a non-refundable representation fee for each question challenged.
- A. 4 only
- B. 3 and 4
- C. 1 and 2
- D. 2 only
Q9. With reference to the real-time face authentication measure at the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026, consider the following statements:
1. It was introduced for the first time at a Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.
2. Its objective was to prevent impersonation and strengthen the integrity of the examination.
3. The system was indigenously developed through the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under MeitY.
4. The system was deployed only in the metropolitan examination cities.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It was introduced for the first time at a Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.
- Its objective was to prevent impersonation and strengthen the integrity of the examination.
- The system was indigenously developed through the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under MeitY.
- The system was deployed only in the metropolitan examination cities.
- A. 4 only
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 3 only
- D. 2 and 4
Q10. The Civil Services Examination-2026 cycle, for which the provisional answer key was released, was notified against how many vacancies in the Indian Forest Service (IFoS)?
- A. 80 posts
- B. 933 posts
- C. 150 posts
- D. 1,013 posts