The UPSC Prelims 2024 exam was successfully conducted on 16 June 2024, and the results have already been declared. The UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024 PDF is now available to help aspirants practise previous-year questions, verify their marked responses and evaluate their overall performance. By going through the UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024 for GS Paper 1 and the CSAT answer key, candidates can confirm the correct answers, spot question trends and learn from mistakes to refine their strategy for future attempts.
Remember: the official UPSC Prelims answer key will be uploaded on the Commission’s website only after the entire recruitment cycle is over.
UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024 – GS Paper 1
Download the UPSC Answer Key PDF for every set of General Studies Paper 1—meticulously prepared by our expert faculty. These keys are a valuable reference for candidates who appeared in the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 as well as those planning for the next exam cycle. Reviewing the UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 answer key will help you analyse the nature of questions, understand the right approach to solving them and assess your preparation level for the Mains.
UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024 – CSAT (GS Paper 2)
CSAT comprises 80 questions worth 2.5 marks each and is qualifying in nature. As trends show, the difficulty level of the UPSC CSAT paper continues to rise, making the UPSC CSAT answer key 2024 PDF an essential tool for gauging your aptitude score.
Prelims Negative-Marking Scheme
Aspirants can estimate their scores with the UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024 by applying the Commission’s marking rules. The UPSC CSE Prelims carries a total of 400 marks—each correct answer in Paper 1 (GS) awards 2 marks, while in Paper 2 (CSAT), it awards 2.5 marks. However, candidates should note that there is a negative marking of one-third of the marks assigned to a question for every incorrect response. The detailed marking scheme is explained below.
| Paper | General Studies I | CSAT (GS II) |
| Total Questions | 100 | 80 |
| Total Marks | 200 | 200 |
| Marks per Question | 2 marks | 2.5 marks |
| Penalty per Wrong Answer | -0.66 marks | -0.83 marks |
| Unanswered | 0 | 0 |
How to Download UPSC Answer Key 2024?
To download the UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2024, candidates can follow these steps:
- Visit the official website of the UPSC at upsc.gov.in.
- On the homepage, click on “Examination” and then on “Answer Keys”.
- Click on the link for the “Civil Service Preliminary Examination Answer Key 2024”.
- The UPSC Answer Key will open in a new tab. Download the Answer Key in PDF format.
Note: The official answer keys for the Prelims 2024 exam will be out after the recruitment process is over for CSE 2024.
Last 5 Years’ Official UPSC Answer Keys (PDF)
If you’re preparing for the Civil Services Examination, practicing previous years’ question papers and reviewing them with the help of the UPSC Prelims answer key is an essential part of your preparation strategy. It allows you to assess your performance, identify mistakes, and recognize specific topics or areas that need improvement. This targeted approach helps you strengthen weaker sections and refine your study plan effectively.
You can download the official UPSC answer key PDFs for the past 5 years for both CSAT and GS Paper 1 from the links provided below.
| UPSC Prelims Answer key 2024 | ||
| Year | GS-1 | CSAT |
| 2023 | download pdf | download pdf |
| 2022 | download pdf | download pdf |
| 2021 | download pdf | download pdf |
| 2020 | download pdf | download pdf |
| 2019 | download pdf | download pdf |
FAQs
Ans: Based on the question analysis by our experts, the UPSC Prelims Exam 2024 can be categorised as lying somewhere between easy and moderate.
Ans: Yes, the official UPSC Prelims answer key 2024 will be released after the announcement of the final result of the UPSC CSE 2024.
Ans: Candidates can follow the steps mentioned in the section above to check the UPSC Prelims answer key.
Ans: Once released by the UPSC in around April-May 2025, the candidate can download the UPSC official answer key from the official website of the UPSC.
