Supreme Court Allows UPSC To Release Answer Keys After Prelims

The Supreme Court has cleared path for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) proposal to release the provisional answer keys immediately after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. The answer keys allow candidates to raise objections before the results. The move marks a significant step by the UPSC as the aspirants were demanding the said change from so long.

A bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar heard the petition challenging the UPSC’s previous practice of delaying answer key release until the final results. The Court noted that the commission’s latest affidavit reflected a ‘conscious and well-considered decision” following extensive internal deliberations. Supreme Court has appointed Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta as amicus curiae.

According to the affidavit submitted by UPSC, the commission is committed to implement a revised process. The provisions includes publishing the provisional answer key after the Preliminary Exam, seeking objections from candidates – each supported by the authentic sources – and followed by an expert review. The final answer key will be used to determine the Prelims results.

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However, the final answer key will be released only after the final result declaration.

The change follows a legal campaign by the aspirants demanding greater transparency in the examination process. They argued that delayed disclosures deprive candidates of the opportunity to evaluate their performance and lear from mistakes.

Until 2024, UPSC maintained that answer keys, cut-off scores, and marks should be released after the complete exam cycle.