NEW DELHI — The morning session of the Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 concluded Sunday, with candidates having completed the General Studies Paper 1 across examination centres nationwide. The afternoon shift, featuring the Civil Services Aptitude Test, is scheduled to proceed as planned, according to reports.
The preliminary examination is being conducted through an offline, pen-and-paper format across two distinct sessions. Candidates were required to present printed electronic admit cards alongside valid photographic identification documents for entry into examination halls. The bifurcated structure reflects the commission's established pattern, with the morning paper testing comprehensive knowledge across history, geography, polity, economics, and current affairs, while the afternoon session evaluates reasoning and comprehension abilities.
The preliminary stage serves as the initial screening mechanism for India's most competitive recruitment process, which ultimately fills positions across the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and other Group A and Group B central services. Typically, only the top-performing candidates—generally less than two percent of total applicants—advance to the main examination scheduled later in the year.
Commission officials are expected to release detailed performance analysis and candidate feedback assessments in coming days, which will provide insights into question difficulty levels and sectoral emphasis patterns that emerged in this year's paper.