“Less Study, More Luck Needed”

Aspirants Vent Anger After UPSC Prelims 2026

Satish Mehra, Dy. Director (Retd) Haryana Raj bhavan

The Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, considered one of the most prestigious and toughest examinations in the country, turned out to be more than just a test for aspirants this year. It became a challenge of mental endurance, luck, and unpredictability that left lakhs of young candidates deeply disappointed. Students who had prepared for years based on established patterns, subject priorities, and question trends felt as though the entire game had changed the moment they entered the examination hall.

More than eight lakh candidates had applied for the examination this year. A total of 83 examination centres were set up across the country. Since morning, examination centres witnessed huge crowds, anxious parents, and aspirants

revising notes till the last minute. However, after the examination ended, most students walking out of the centres did not appear confident. Instead, their faces reflected shock, exhaustion, and deep dissatisfaction. According to aspirants, this year’s paper was completely “tricky” and “unpredictable.” Questions were asked in a direction entirely different from the pattern students had been following for years. The biggest surprise was the extremely low number of questions from Polity and the Constitution. Subjects that usually contributed a dozen or more questions were reduced to merely four or five this time. This came as a major setback for lakhs of candidates who had focused heavily on the Indian Constitution, governance, and democratic institutions.

Similarly, relatively fewer questions were asked from Economics. The nature of questions from History and

Geography was also unconventional. Students claimed that many Current Affairs questions were based on older events that are generally not prioritised during regular preparation. This created difficulties even for aspirants who had thoroughly prepared recent current affairs from the past one or two years. One of the most talked-about aspects of the paper was the apparent inclusion of Ethics-based questions for the first time in the Preliminary Examination. Many students felt this was an experiment outside the traditional framework of the Prelims. Questions related to Science were also described as highly complex and confusing. Some students sarcastically remarked after the exam that it seemed as though the paper setters had thrown an open challenge

saying, “Let us see who can actually clear this exam.” While the first paper itself left students sweating, the second paper conducted in the afternoon proved to be even more unpredictable. Many candidates admitted that the questions were so lengthy and analytical that a major portion of their time was spent merely reading them. Time management, considered one of the most crucial aspects of the UPSC Preliminary Examination, became the biggest weakness for many aspirants this year. Several students were unable to complete the entire paper within the allotted time.

The anxiety outside the examination centres was equally visible among parents. While students struggled with difficult questions inside, parents waited outside worrying about their children’s future. Years of

hard work, expensive coaching fees, family expectations, and the pressure of competition were all clearly visible during the examination process. There was also intense discussion among aspirants regarding

100 questions, the result should simply be decided by fate.” However, a section of experts believes that the Union Public Service Commission is continuously trying to move the examination away from rote learning. The Commission perhaps wants to assess whether aspirants rely only on fixed patterns or actually possess broad understanding and analytical ability. Yet, at the same time, it is equally true that excessive unpredictability weakens students’ confidence and raises questions regarding the balance and transparency of the examination system.

Lakhs of young people dedicate the most important years of their lives to preparing for this examination. Many leave jobs, while several families struggle financially to support coaching and preparation expenses. In such circumstances, if the nature of the examination becomes so uncertain that both hard work and strategy appear ineffective, it naturally becomes a matter of concern. The UPSC examination has always been difficult and will continue to remain so. However, maintaining a balance between difficulty and unpredictability is equally important. Whatever the final result of the 2026 Preliminary Examination may be, it has certainly made lakhs of aspirants realise that merely studying books is no longer enough. Success now demands adaptability to changing patterns, mental resilience, and a much broader understanding than ever before.

the expected cutoff. Students estimated that this year the General category cutoff could remain between 65 and 70 marks, which is considered significantly lower than previous

years. In 2025, the cutoff for the General category was reportedly above 92 percent, while the reserved category cutoff was around 84 percent. Similarly, in 2024, the General category cutoff had reportedly touched nearly 87 percent. In such a situation, students predicting a cutoff of 65-70 marks clearly indicates how difficult and unpredictable the examination was this year.

Many aspirants even remarked that the examination is no longer just a test of knowledge, but increasingly a test of luck. Their frustration reflected a deeper concern — if the examination pattern changes drastically every year, what value remains in years of systematic preparation? Some angry students even commented that “if selection ultimately depends on luck, then instead of asking