UPSC Prelims 2026 set for 24 May as competition tightens across categories
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the date for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026. The test will take place on 24 May 2026 in two shifts across the country. Recent trends show a shrinking gap between cut-off marks for General, OBC, and EWS categories, reflecting tighter competition. The UPSC Prelims consists of two papers. Paper-I includes 100 questions, each worth 2 marks, while Paper-II has 80 questions, each carrying 2.5 marks. Both papers penalise incorrect answers, deducting one-third of the marks for every wrong response.
Paper-II serves as a qualifying round, requiring candidates to score at least 33% to proceed. The final merit list is based solely on Paper-I marks, provided the candidate clears Paper-II. In 2023, the General category cut-off dropped to 75.41 due to unusually tough question papers. The difference between cut-offs for General and OBC categories has decreased over time. In 2025, the gap was just 0.66 marks, highlighting how closely candidates now compete across reserved and unreserved groups.
The 2026 exam will follow the same two-shift format as previous years. With cut-offs tightening and competition rising, candidates must prepare for both high difficulty levels and negative marking. The results will determine who advances to the next stage of the Civil Services selection process.
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