UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT Answer Key — Paper 2, Answers & Solutions

CSAT Paper 2 is qualifying in nature. You need to score at least 33% of the total marks, which is 66.67 out of 200, to qualify. Your CSAT score is NOT added to the GS Paper 1 merit list — it is purely a qualifying paper.

CSAT Paper 2 has 80 questions worth 2.5 marks each (total 200 marks). There is a negative marking of 0.833 marks (one-third of 2.5) for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty. Your net score = (Correct x 2.5) - (Wrong x 0.833).

If you fail to score 66.67 marks (33%) in CSAT Paper 2, your GS Paper 1 answer sheet will NOT be evaluated. You will be considered disqualified from Prelims regardless of your GS score. This is why CSAT, though qualifying, must be taken seriously.

UPSC has released the official provisional answer key for CSE Prelims 2026, covering both GS Paper 1 and CSAT Paper 2. Candidates can submit representations via the QPRep portal at https://upsconline.nic.in/login until 6:00 PM on May 31, 2026, indicating the correct option per their understanding with a brief description and supporting documents from three authentic sources. The final answer key will be published before results are declared. Compare the official key with coaching institute keys on our answer key comparison page.

CSAT questions, especially in comprehension and logical reasoning, can sometimes have ambiguous answer options. Different institutes may interpret passage-based questions differently. Our comparison tool helps you see where institutes agree and disagree, giving you a consensus answer.

CSAT Paper 2 covers six areas: Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability, Data Interpretation, Basic Numeracy (numbers, order of magnitude, etc.), Decision Making, and General Mental Ability. Comprehension typically carries the highest weightage at 30-40% of the paper.

No, calculators or any electronic devices are strictly prohibited in the UPSC Prelims examination hall. All calculations in CSAT must be done manually. The questions are designed to be solvable without a calculator using mental math and approximation techniques.

Our CSAT answer key is prepared by subject-matter experts and cross-verified with multiple coaching institute keys. We aggregate answers from leading institutes and highlight disputed questions so you get the most reliable evaluation possible.

Yes. You can download the complete UnlockIAS CSAT Paper 2 answer key — all 80 correct answers, the qualifying rule and the topic-wise breakdown — as a free A4 PDF. No sign-up or email is required; just tap the 'Download Answer Key PDF' button on this page.

Every question's correct option is listed in the question-wise answer-key table on this page (Q1 to Q80). Tap 'Solution' on any row to open that question's dedicated page with the full question text and a step-by-step worked solution.