Exam logo

UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026: Download Paper 1 & Paper 2 Answer Key, Marking Scheme

• Updated on 23 Sept, 2026 by Paulami Chandra

The UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 was released by the Union Public Service Commission on August 6, 2026. The answer key was issued four days after the Combined Medical Services Examination 2026 was conducted on August 2, 2026, for 1,358 vacancies. The written exam consisted of two objective-type papers, Paper 1 (General Medicine & Paediatrics) and Paper 2 (Surgery, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, and Preventive & Social Medicine).

  • As per UPSC’s new answer key policy, the provisional UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 was issued 4 days after the offline written exam.
  • The Commission has released a separate answer key for both Paper 1 and Paper 2, with which candidates can compare their responses and estimate their tentative scores.
  • UPSC has allowed candidates to submit representations against the question paper and provisional answer key through the online representation portal.
  • The objection window remained open for four days, from August 6 to 9, 2026, until 6 PM, which allowed candidates to submit their representations against the provisional answer key.
  • The Commission has not mentioned any objection fee in the notification.
  • After considering the representations submitted by candidates, UPSC proceeded with the subsequent stages of the CMS 2026 recruitment process, which is the CMS result 2026.
  • The UPSC CMS Written Result 2026 was released on September 1, 2026, for the exam conducted on August 2, 2026. Candidates who qualified in the written exam were shortlisted for the 100-mark Interview, which forms the next stage of the selection process.

 

Table of Contents

  1. UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Highlights
  2. UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Release Date
  3. How to Download UPSC Combined Medical Services Answer Key 2026?
  4. UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Download Link
  5. UPSC CMS Marking Scheme 2026
  6. UPSC Combined Medical Service Exam Objection Process 2026
  7. UPSC CMS Result 2026
  8. UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 FAQs

 

UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Highlights

The Union Public Service Commission has released the Combined Medical Service Recruitment Examination 2026 Notification on March 11, 2026, under the Advt. No. 09/2026-CMS to recruit 1,358 Medical Officers across the Central Health Service, Indian Railways, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Following the 500-mark written exam held on August 2, 2026, UPSC released the CMS Answer Key 2026 on August 6, 2026. The answer key helped candidates to match their responses with the official answers, calculate their probable scores, and evaluate their performance in the written examination. The important details related to the UPSC CMS 2026 answer key are provided below:

 

UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Release Date

As per the UPSC CMS notification 2026, candidates were permitted to submit representations within the given period, beginning on the third day after the exam and closing at 6 PM on the seventh day. Accordingly, the UPSC CMS Provisional Answer Key 2026 was available from August 6 to August 9, 2026, giving candidates an opportunity to review the answers and submit representations within the specified deadline.

 

Based on this, candidates can access the UPSC CMS Provisional Answer Key 2026 from August 6 to August 9, 2026. This will allow candidates sufficient time to review responses and submit objections.

 

How to Download UPSC Combined Medical Services Answer Key 2026?

As the UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 has been released, candidates should download it from the official website and not from third-party links. The Commission has uploaded separate provisional answer keys for Paper 1 (General Medicine & Paediatrics) and Paper 2 (Surgery, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, and Preventive & Social Medicine) in a PDF format. Candidates must follow the steps given below to access their UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026:

 

Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC at https://www.upsc.gov.in.

 

Step 2: Select the “Examination” option, located at the top of the homepage.

 

Step 3: Then click on “Answer Key” from the drop-down menu.

 

Step 4: Look for the link stated “Provisional Answer Key for Combined Medical Services Recruitment Examination-2026”.

 

Step 5: Next, select the required paper (Paper 1 or Paper 2) to open the answer key PDF.

 

Step 6: Download the answer key PDF and cross-check your responses with the official answers.

 

UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Download Link

The UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 download facility was made available on the official UPSC website for candidates who appeared in the Combined Medical Services Examination 2026 conducted on August 2, 2026. The UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 allowed candidates to match their recorded answers with the official solutions for Paper 1 and Paper 2, which helped them determine their estimated marks and evaluate their performance in the written exam. The question papers for the exam were also uploaded by UPSC on August 3, 2026. Candidates could use the official UPSC website to access the CMS Answer Key 2026 and compare their marked responses with the given answers.

 

UPSC CMS Marking Scheme 2026

In the Combined Medical Services written exam 2026, there are two objective-type papers, each carrying 250 marks. This makes the maximum marks of the OMR-based exam 500. In each paper, there will be 120 multiple-choice questions that candidates need to complete in 2 hours. Since both papers have the same number of questions and maximum marks, the marking scheme remains identical for Paper 1 and Paper 2. UPSC follows a one-third negative marking rule for incorrect answers in the written exam, while no marks are deducted for questions left unanswered by the candidate.

 

How to Calculate UPSC CMS Marks 2026?

Candidates who appeared for the UPSC Combined Medical Exam 2026 on August 2, 2026, must calculate their scores by following the official marking scheme. Each correct answer carries +2.083 marks, while 0.694 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer. Candidates must also note the number of questions where more than one option has been marked, as they will be subject to negative marking. To calculate the tentative UPSC CMS marks 2026, candidates must follow the steps below:

Candidates can even use the formula:

 

“Score=(Number of Correct Answers*2.083 marks)-(Number of Incorrect Answer*0.694 marks)”.

 

UPSC Combined Medical Service Exam Objection Process 2026

The Union Public Service Commission provided candidates who appeared for the Combined Medical Services Examination 2026 with an online facility to submit representations against questions and the provisional answer key through the QPRep. Candidates were allowed to submit their representations from August 6 to August 9, 2026. No fee was charged for submitting an objection. UPSC accepted representations only through the designated QPRep portal. Objections sent by email, post, hand delivery, or any other mode were not considered. Representations submitted after the stipulated deadline were also not accepted. Candidates could use the designated UPSC QPRep Portal to submit their representations against the question paper and provisional answer key.

 

Direct Link for UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 Representation Portal (Link Closed)

 

Steps to Raise Objections Against UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026

If candidates find any error(s) in the UPSC CMS 2026 question paper or provisional answer key, they must raise challenge(s). To raise objections against the provisional answer key of the UPSC CMS exam 2026, candidates can follow the steps given below:

 

Step 1: Go to the official website of UPSC at https://www.upsconline.nic.in

 

Step 2: Click on the “Login” option available on the homepage.

 

Step 3: Enter your registered login credentials, which include URN and Password, or any login method made available by UPSC.

 

Step 4: Then navigate to the “Examination” tab on the homepage.

 

Step 5: Select “Representations on Question Paper & Provisional Answer Keys” from the given options.

 

Step 6: Choose “Combined Medical Services Examination 2026”.

 

Step 7: Select the question ID for which you wish to submit a representation.

 

Step 8: Now, provide reasons for your objection and upload supporting documents.

 

Step 9: Carefully review your representation and then submit it.

 

UPSC CMS Result 2026

The Union Public Service Commission declared the UPSC CMS result 2026 for the written exam on September 1, 2026. The written exam was conducted on August 2, 2026, and candidates who qualified in the exam were shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process, the 100-mark Interview. The written result was therefore announced 30 days after the exam. Candidates who qualified in the written exam will now proceed to the CMS Interview 2026.

 

Check: UPSC CMS Cut Off 2026

 

UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 FAQs

When will the UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 be released?

The UPSC CMS Provisional Answer Key 2026 has been issued on August 6, 2026, for the written exam held on August 2, 2026.

What are the objection dates for the UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026?

The UPSC CMS Answer Key 2026 objection window was open from August 6 to August 9, 2026, up to 6 PM.

Is there negative marking for the UPSC CMS Written Exam 2026?

Yes. UPSC follows a one-third negative marking rule in the CMS written exam. For every incorrect answer, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. For unanswered questions, there will be no penalty.

Will UPSC notify candidates if their objection is accepted?

No, UPSC does not inform candidates about the acceptance or rejection of their representation. If the objection is valid, then it will be reflected in the final answer key.

Will UPSC normalise marks in the CMS written exam 2026?

No. As the UPSC CMS written exam is a single-shift exam, marks obtained by candidates will not be normalised.

Exam Calendar

Explore exam calendars tailored to your interest