UPSC Releases NDA & CDS 2026 Provisional Answer Keys; Objection Window Open Till April 22

The Countdown Begins: UPSC Opens NDA & CDS Objection Portal

If you sat for the UPSC NDA or CDS 1 2026 exam on April 12, it's time to stop guessing and start calculating. The Commission just dropped the provisional answer keys, and they aren't just for looking. For the first time in a new "transparency-first" cycle, you have a formal, high-speed window to point out errors before the final results are locked in.

The Union Public Service Commission released these keys on April 16, but the real action starts today, April 18. Starting at 6:00 PM, the Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) is live. You have exactly five days to state your case—and not a second more.

Important Timeline for NDA & CDS 1 2026

How to Raise an Objection (The Right Way)

Don't bother sending emails or letters—UPSC is strictly digital for this. Follow these steps to ensure your representation actually gets looked at:

• Step 1: Head over to upsconline.nic.in and look for the "Representations on Question Paper" link.
• Step 2: Log in with your registered credentials and select your specific exam (NDA 1 or CDS 1 2026).
• Step 3: Enter the subject, series, and question number you’re disputing.
• Step 4: Write your reasoning clearly (up to 1500 characters) and upload a supporting PDF (max 2 MB).

The best part? There is no fee to raise an objection. UPSC wants to get it right, so if you have a valid textbook reference that contradicts their key, now is the time to use it.

Quick Stats & Marking Scheme

While you're checking your answers, keep the negative marking in mind. For NDA, a correct Math answer gets you +2.5 marks, but a wrong one docks 0.83. For the GAT, it's +4 and -1.33. CDS candidates are looking at 1 mark for correct answers in Math and a 1/3 deduction for errors.

Conclusion

This fixed 5-day window is a major shift from previous years when answer keys were often a "post-mortem" affair. By letting you challenge the keys now, UPSC is speeding up the path to the SSB interviews. Download your set-wise PDFs from upsc.gov.in today, match them with your response sheet, and if you find a mistake, make sure you file that objection before the April 22 deadline.