Union Public Service Commission has released the admit cards and examination hall guidelines for the UPSC Prelims 2026 examination on its official website. According to the Commission, the examination will be conducted on May 24. Candidates have been instructed to strictly follow the prescribed rules at the examination centre and carry only permitted items.
As per the instructions issued by UPSC, candidates will be allowed to carry only limited essential items inside the examination hall. These include a plain clipboard or hardboard without any writing and a black ball pen.
The Commission stated that only a black ball pen will be accepted for filling the answer sheet. Sheets required for rough work will be provided at the examination centre itself. Candidates have been advised not to carry additional papers or notes.
UPSC has imposed a complete ban on mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, calculators, pagers and all kinds of electronic gadgets inside the examination hall.
Books, written notes, loose papers, maps, drawing instruments and log tables will also not be permitted inside the examination centre. The Commission stated that strict action may be taken against candidates found violating the rules.
Negative marking will remain applicable in the UPSC Prelims examination. In the General Studies paper, each question will carry two marks and one-third of the marks assigned to the question will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
The Commission also stated that if more than one answer is marked for a question, it will be treated as an incorrect response. Candidates have been advised to mark responses carefully and fill the OMR sheet cautiously.
According to examination experts, appearing for the examination with a calm approach and an appropriate strategy will be important.
