APSC Prelims Question Paper and Answer Key 2026 Out, 5 July Paper 1 PDF

APSC Combined Competitive Preliminary Examination 2026 is scheduled for 5th July 2026 in 2 shifts. Paper 1 is from 10 am to 12 noon, and Paper 2 is from 2 pm to 4 pm. As the 1st shift exam is over, we have provided the PDF of the question paper. APPSC Question Paper is an important resource for both current and future aspirants, as it provides valuable insights into topic-wise weightage, question trends, and the overall exam structure. Additionally, the unofficial APSC Prelims Answer Key is also included in the article.

APSC Prelims Question Paper and Answer Key 2026 Out

The Question Paper PDF helps candidates to analyze the type of questions asked and the important areas to focus on for further preparation. UPSC GS Question Paper includes 2 papers of GS I and GS 2. A total of 100 questions will be asked in General Studies I, and 100 questions will be asked in General Studies II, with each question carrying 1 mark. There is a negative marking of one-fourth of the marks assigned to each question.

APSC Prelims Question Paper 2026- Highlights
Exam Name	APSC Combined Competitive Exam (CCE) 2026
Mode of Exam	Offline
Total Questions	Paper 1 – 100 Paper 2 – 80
Total Marks	Paper 1 – 100 Paper 2 – 100
Time Duration	2 hours per paper
Negative Marking	¼ mark

APSC CCE Question Paper 2026 PDF

If candidates are looking for the APSC question papers to evaluate their performance, analyze the question trends, or understand the exam pattern, you are at the right place. Here, we have provided the unofficial question paper PDF for the APSC Prelims exam, based on the question papers submitted by students who have appeared for the exam.

APSC CCE Prelims Answer Key 2026

Also check APSC CCE Prelims General Studies 1 Answer Key prepared by our faculty with correct answers to calculate your correct answers and know how many marks could be expected.

APSC Prelims Exam Structure 2026

APSC Prelims exam is an objective-type exam consisting of two papers: General Studies-I and General Studies-II.

Total Papers – Paper 1 and Paper 2
Type of Questions – Objective-type multiple-choice questions
There were a total of 100 questions asked in the GS Paper 1 and 80 MCQ-based questions in Paper 2 (GS 2 exam)
The duration of the exam is 2 hours for each paper
There is negative marking of ¼ of the marks

Sections in the APSC CCE Question Paper 2026

In Paper 1

Current events of national and international importance
History of India and Indian National Movement
Indian and World Geography: Physical, Social, and
Economic Geography of India and the World
Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political Science
Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty
Inclusion, Demographics
Social Sector Initiatives, etc
General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity, and
Climate change that do not require subject specialization
General Science

Paper 2

Comprehension.
Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.
(Class X level), Data Interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.) (Class X level)

Benefits of Solving the APSC Prelims Question Paper 2026

Aspirants should solve the question paper to know the paper’s difficulty level.
With the help of a question paper, candidates can check the pattern of questions asked in each section
Attempting questions from the Question Paper is helpful to improve time management during the exam for answering questions
Candidates can identify their strong and weak areas, which will eventually help in planning their study
By attempting the question papers, candidates gain familiarity with the number of sections, the various question types, and the time constraints imposed during the exam.

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