Download UPSC Answer Keys for Preliminary Exams

Candidates preparing for UPSC need to refer to previous year question papers to get an idea about UPSC prelims. The answer keys to all such question papers are available here. Candidates can scroll below to obtain the answer keys.

UPSC Answer Key

UPSC answer keys are very important not only to students preparing for the first time but also to those who have written UPSC prelims and are waiting to prepare for UPSC mains. UPSC answer keys give an idea about the candidates’ score so that they can prepare for mains well in advance before the actual results are announced.

UPSC answer keys, both GS Paper 1 and CSAT, are published by reputed coaching centres within 1-2 days of UPSC prelims. UPSC publishes the official answer key after completion of exam cycle. However, 2023 was an exception when UPSC published answer keys after prelims examination.

UPSC answer keys will contain the answer indicated against the question number. Candidates will have to compare these answers with theirs and then calculate their score.

The waiting period between the Prelims and the declaration of official results can range from a few weeks to a couple of months. During this waiting period, candidates should engage in preparations for the UPSC Main Examination, assuming they clear the Prelims. They may utilize this time to revise their syllabus, focus on weak areas, and practice answer writing to enhance their chances of success in the mains examination. 

UPSC Answer Key for Prelims 2023

UPSC Prelims 2023 was conducted on 28th May 2023. The results for the same were announced on 12th June 2023. UPSC released the official answer keys for the first time before completion of the exam cycle. The answer keys can be downloaded from the following table.

UPSC Answer key 2023: GS 1

UPSC Answer key 2023: CSAT

UPSC Answer key 2022 Prelims

UPSC Prelims 2022 was conducted on 5th June 2023. The results for the same were announced on 22nd June 2023. The answer keys of the prelims exams were released after the final result was announced in May 2023. The answer keys can be downloaded from below:

UPSC Answer key 2022: GS 1

UPSC Answer key 2022: CSAT

UPSC Answer key 2021 Prelims

UPSC Prelims 2021 was held on 10th October 2021. The results for the same were announced on 29th October 2021. The answer keys of the prelims exams were released after the final result was announced on 30th May 2022.

UPSC Answer key 2021: GS 1

UPSC Answer key 2021: CSAT

UPSC Answer key 2020 Prelims

UPSC Prelims 2020 was held on 4th October 2020. The results for the same were announced on 23rd October 2020. The answer keys of the prelims exams were released after the final result was announced.

UPSC Answer key 2020: GS 1

UPSC Answer key 2020: CSAT

How to Download Answer Key for UPSC 2023?

UPSC 2023 answer key can be downloaded easily from the official website of UPSC. For detailed procedure to download answer key, follow the procedure below:

• Step 1: Visit the official UPSC website using the address https://upsc.gov.in/
• Step 2: From the drop-down menu, select the ‘examination’ tab and click on it.
• Step 3: From the ‘examination’ drop-down menu, select the tab labelled ‘answer key’.
• Step 4: Click on the ‘answer key’ link to visit the page.
• Step 5: A new tab containing the solution key for different examinations will open. Look for the UPSC CSE preliminary exam in 2023.
• Step 6: Based on your preference, select Sets A, B, C, and D for downloading the answer key.
• Step 7: Use the answer keys to evaluate your marks.

How to Calculate UPSC Prelims Marks using the Answer Key?

After downloading the answer key from the above-mentioned sources, candidates can compare the answers with their response to calculate their marks. The marks for GS 1 and CSAT have to be calculated in the following ways:

General Studies 1

Step 1: Calculate the number of questions answered correctly.

Step 2: For every correct answer, multiply by +2. Calculate the score of correct answers.

Step 3: For every incorrect answer, multiply by -0.66. 

Step 4: Skipped questions will not attract any penalty.

Step 5: The total marks obtained is the sum of correct score and incorrect score i.e (correct answers X 2) – (incorrect answer X 0.66).

CSAT Paper

Step 1: Calculate the number of questions answered correctly.

Step 2: For every correct answer, multiply by +2.5. Calculate score of correct answers.

Step 3: For every incorrect answer, multiply by -0.825.

Step 4: Skipped questions do not attract any penalty.

Step 5: The total marks obtained is the sum of correct score and incorrect score i.e (correct answers X 2.5) – (incorrect answer X 0.825).

Step 6: If you have scored 66.66 marks, you have qualified the CSAT paper.

Conclusion

UPSC answer keys will help all candidates prepare well for the exam. Official answer key also helps in understanding the expectations of UPSC. Candidates need to solve all previous questions before they appear for the exam. Only answers from official sources have to be relied on. Prelims results notifications are usually released on the 

UPSC’s official website, and candidates are advised to regularly check for updates during the waiting period. However, if they wish to know their prelims score  before the results of prelims is declared, they will have to refer to answer keys of reputed coaching institutes to ensure that they have cleared the expected cut-off for the examination.

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