Understanding the UPSC Prelims Marking Scheme for the 2026 Exam
The Union Public Service Commission uses the upsc prelims marking scheme to score people who take the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. This system says how marks you get for each correct answer. It also says how marks you lose for each incorrect answer. The upsc prelims marking scheme is important for both the General Studies Paper-I and the CSAT. It helps decide who qualifies for the round. The upsc prelims marking scheme is, like a rule book that tells you how the Union Public Service Commission will score your exam.
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Detailed Breakdown: UPSC Prelims Marking Scheme and Exam Pattern
To get ready for the upsc prelims in 2026 you need to understand how the upsc prelims marking scheme works.
The first thing you have to do is the stage, which is, like a test to see who can move on.
It has two papers that you have to take. They are both multiple choice questions.
You really need to know how the upsc prelims marking scheme works because even though you can get a lot of points you will also lose a lot of points if you get something
The upsc prelims marking scheme is important to learn about so you can make a plan to study for the upsc prelims.
General Studies Paper I: The Merit Paper
When we look at the upsc cse prelims marking scheme we can see that the GS Paper I is really important. This paper is the thing that decides the cut-off, for the upsc cse prelims. The upsc cse prelims marking scheme is based on the GS Paper I. So the GS Paper I plays a role in deciding who will make it to the next round of the upsc cse prelims.
Number of Questions: 100
Total Marks: 200
Marks per Correct Answer: 2 marks
Negative Marking: 1/3rd of the marks assigned to the question (0.66 marks)
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General Studies Paper II: CSAT (Qualifying)
The marking scheme for upsc prelims Paper-II, which is also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test or the Civil Services Aptitude Test is different when it comes to the value of each question, in the upsc prelims Paper-II or the Civil Services Aptitude Test.
Number of Questions: 80
Total Marks: 200
Marks per Correct Answer: 2.5 marks
Negative Marking: 1/3rd of the marks assigned to the question (0.83 marks)
To qualify the candidates need to get least 33 percent of the total marks, which is 66 marks. The qualifying threshold is pretty clear: candidates have to score a minimum of 33 percent or 66 marks to be considered.
The marking scheme in upsc prelims dictates that even if a candidate scores exceptionally high in Paper I, they will not be considered for the Mains if they fail to meet the 33% qualifying mark in the CSAT.
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Critical Rules of the Marking Scheme for UPSC Prelims
The upsc prelims marking scheme follows strict protocols regarding how answers are recorded and penalized.
Negative Marking Protocol
The penalty system is designed to discourage blind guessing. For every question where a wrong answer is given by the candidate, one-third (1/3) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty.
Multiple Circle Penalties
The way the UPSC preliminary marking scheme handles multiple responses is one of its distinctive features. Even if one of the candidate's responses is accurate, if they give more than one response for a single question, it will be considered incorrect. In this case, the usual penalty of one-third will still be applicable.
Unanswered Questions
If a question is left blank (no answer is given by the candidate), there will be no penalty or negative marking for that question. This makes "intelligent skipping" a vital skill for the 2026 attempt.
Calculating Your Score
To estimate your performance based on the upsc cse prelims marking scheme, use the following steps:
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Multiply the number of correct answers by 2 (for GS I) or 2.5 (for CSAT).
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Multiply the number of incorrect answers by 0.66 (for GS I) or 0.83 (for CSAT).
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Subtract the total negative marks from the total positive marks to get your final score.
Read More: UPSC Previous Year Question Papers PDF
UPSC Prelims Marking Scheme 2026 FAQs
1. What is the negative marking in UPSC Prelims?
In upsc prelims marking scheme, the negative marking is 1/3rd of the marks assigned to the question. For GS Paper I, this is 0.66 marks, and for GS Paper II (CSAT), it is 0.83 marks.
2. Is CSAT marks counted for the final merit list?
No. The CSAT (General Studies Paper-II) is qualifying in nature. You only need to score 33% (66 marks out of 200). However, you must pass this paper for your GS Paper-I marks to be evaluated for the merit list.
3. What happens if I mark two options on the OMR sheet?
According to the marking scheme of upsc prelims, marking multiple options for a single question is treated as a wrong answer, and a penalty of 1/3rd marks will be deducted.
4. Are the marks from UPSC Prelims added to the final Mains score?
No. The Preliminary examination is a screening test only. The marks obtained in the upsc cse prelims marking scheme are not counted for the final ranking or merit list.
5. Is there a penalty for leaving a question blank?
No. There is no negative marking for questions that are left unanswered.
