EXAMINATION BRANCH

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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PREPARATION OF ANNUAL CALENDAR AND ISSUE OF EXAMINATION NOTICE:

Q.1 What is the UPSC’s Annual Programme (Calendar) of Examinations/RTs

(Recruitment Tests)?
The UPSC publishes an Annual Programme (Calendar) of all the Structured
Examinations/RTs conducted by it at least 6 months in advance for the
Examinations/RTs to be conducted during the next calendar year.
The Programme is uploaded on the UPSC’s website as also published in the
leading newspapers of the country. The date of issue of Examination Notice for
each Examination is also mentioned in this Annual Programme.

Q. 2 When is the Examination Notice issued?

UPSC Examination Notices encapsulate the Rules of Examinations notified by
the Government. Examination Notices of all the Structured Examinations are
uploaded on the Commission’s website around 3 months before the date of
Examination. Examination Notices (indicative) are also published in the
Employment News/Rozgar Samachar.

Q 3. How to apply for Examinations conducted by the UPSC?

UPSC invites online application only for all its examinations on
https://upsconline.nic.in . Detailed instruction for filling up of applications is
available on the webpage and in sections of the application which applicants
are requested to go through carefully before filling up the form.

Q.4 How much time is given to the candidates for applying online?
Time for applying online is clearly mentioned in the Examination Notice.

REGISTRATION PROCESS

Q.5 How do I register on the portal?

Follow these steps to register:
 Visit the official UPSC Online Application Portal
(https://upsconline.nic.in)
 Go on the Home page and scroll down to “Account Creation” for new
Candidates and Register and Verify your e-mail ID and Mobile number.
 Fill in the required personal details such as email ID, and mobile number.
  Create a password and submit.
Candidates are required to read the Instructions on home page carefully
before filling up the form.

Q.6 How can I log in after completing the account creation process?
After completing the account creation process, you can log in using your
registered email ID, password, and the Captcha code displayed on the login
page. You can also log in using the registered mobile number and OTP and the
Captcha code displayed on the login page. After Universal Registration, you can
also log in using your Universal Registration Number (URN) and password and
the Captcha code displayed on the login page.

Q.7 What should I do if I forget my password?

To reset your password, follow these steps:
 Go to the login page and select the "Forgot Password" option.
 Provide your registered email address or mobile number, and complete
the Captcha verification.
 An OTP (One-Time Password) will be sent to your registered mobile
number.
 Enter the OTP to validate your request.
 Once the OTP is successfully validated, you will be prompted to create a
new password.

COMMON APPLICATION FORM

Q.8 What steps should I follow after logging in to apply for the
examination/recruitment?
After logging in, you must complete the Universal Registration and Common
Application Form. Only after filling out the form in its entirety will you be able
to proceed to the Apply for Examination/Recruitment section.

Q.9 How should I fill out the Common Application Form?

Navigate through each module of the Common Application Form one by one
and complete them as per the provided “Instructions”. Ensure all fields are
filled accurately before proceeding to the next module.

Q.10 What information is required during profile creation?

You may need to provide the following details:
 Personal Information: Name, date of birth, gender, and Nationality.
  Contact Information: Email address, mobile number, and residential
address.
 Educational Qualifications: Details about your academic achievements
and certifications.
 Work Experience: Employment history, if applicable.
 Other Documents: Scanned copies of documents like ID proof,
photographs, etc.

Q.11. What types of documents may be required for uploading?

Please read the Instructions for uploading documents on home page.

Q.12. Can I edit my Aadhaar profile, 10th Board profile, or candidate identity
profile after final submission?
No, once you have made the final submission, the Aadhaar profile, 10th Board
profile, and Candidate Identity profile cannot be unlocked or edited. Please
review all details carefully before submitting.

Q.13. After completing the “Common Application Form”, how do I apply for
the desired examination?
Once the Common Application Form is fully completed, you can proceed to the
"Apply for Examination" section to submit your application for the desired
examination.

Q.14. Can I register multiple accounts using the same email or mobile
number?
No, each email and mobile number can be linked only to one user account. The
candidate must be in possession of their account particulars always.

Q.15. What browsers are compatible with this portal?

The portal is best viewed and used on the latest versions of popular browsers
such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. Ensure your
browser is updated for a seamless experience.

Q.16. Are there any detailed instructions to guide an applicant for submitting
an online application?
Yes, an applicant must refer to the detailed instructions which are available on
the home page https://upsconline.nic.in for filling up the online application.

Q.17. I have a problem in filling up Name and Address fields. What should I
do?
Due to security reasons, some reserved words and special characters like
(!,@,#,$,%,^,&,*,(,),<,>,?,/,~,`, etc) are not acceptable in the Name and Address
fields of the Online System. Please retry after deleting special characters.

Q.18. What should I do if I have changed my Name after Matriculation / 10th

Class?
In the "Identity Profile" option during generation of URN, please select “No”
against the question "Is the above name same as the name printed on the 10th
class/Matriculation/ Equivalent Board Examination Certificate issued by the
Examination board?”
Thereafter, enter your name as printed on the 10th class/Matriculation/
Equivalent Board Examination Certificate issued by the Examination board and
upload the gazette notification for change of name.

Q.19. What should I do if I am not able to proceed further after filling my

details in Common Application Form?

If you are unable to proceed after entering your details in the Common
Application Form, please follow these steps:

i. Clear your browser cache – Go to your browser settings and clear the
cache and cookies for all time. This ensures that any outdated or
conflicting data stored by the browser is removed.
ii. Close and reopen your browser – After clearing the cache, close all
browser windows completely and then reopen the browser.
iii. Try again – Return to the Common Application Form and attempt to
complete your application submission.

If the problem still persists, try using a different browser or device, or contact
UPSC Helpdesk for assistance.

Q.20. What details should I provide to make correspondence with the

Commission?
In case of correspondence with the commission an applicant must mention
these details: Name of Examination, Applicant's name, Father's name, Date of
Birth and the URN on the email id: [email protected].

Q.21. I am unable to upload Photograph / Signature / Photograph ID in my

application. What should I do?
Please check if the signature/ photograph etc. are in accordance with the
“Instructions to Upload Documents” given at the home page. Any deviation
from the instructions will not allow the document to be uploaded.

Q.22. What details should I retain after completion of successful submission

of my form?
The Account Creation details and CAF details including mobile number, email
ID, password, URN number are permanent record and will be required every
time the candidates fill any application. These may be retained and carefully
preserved.

Q.23 What is URN?

URN is the Universal Registration Number which is generated after filling the
Personal Details which once created forms the permanent record of the
applicant using which he/she can fill all future applications of the Commission.

Q.24 What are the precautions to be taken while uploading candidates’

photographs and signatures?
The candidates are advised to go through “Instructions for uploading
documents“ on the main application page for file name format and size.
Additional instructions for photo upload are available at “Instructions for filling
the form” > ”Photo & Signature” on the main application page under the
heading “Instructions and FAQs.” Candidates are informed that any deviation
from the given instructions will lead to non-upload of the document photo etc.

FEE AND RELATED ISSUES

Q.25 What is mode of payment of fee by the candidates applying for any of
the examination to be conducted by the Commission?
All the candidates (Except Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability
Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay the
prescribed fee by any of the following online modes only:
Net Banking facility of any bank or Credit/Debit Card or UPI Payment.

Q.26 What is TID or Reference ID against the payment?

TID is Transaction ID (Payment Reference ID), which is given, by the State Bank
of India when the applicant deposits his/her fee. It is automatically generated
when Internet Banking or credit/debit card mode is used for making the fee
payment.
Q.27 What if the payment fails?

 In case your payment failed, please visit the Payment Page to verify the
payment status (Double Verification). “If you have already paid fee through
Online (In case of Failure) you can update the status by clicking here”.
 If the payment status remains unsuccessful even after this, please retry the
payment or contact your bank / UPSC Helpdesk for assistance. Make sure to
complete the payment before the deadline to avoid any inconvenience.

Q. 28 Which category(ies) of candidates are exempted from payment

ofexamination fee?
Women candidates, Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates
and candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe categories are
exempted from payment of examination Fee for any of the examinations
conducted by the Commission.

Additionally for NDA wards of NCO/JCO and Sainik School Candidates are
exempted from payment of fee.

RESERVATION/ RELAXATION BENEFITS AVAILABLE FOR SCHEDULED CASTE/

SCHEDULED TRIBES/ OTHER BACKWARD CLASSES/ECONOMICALLY WEAKER
SECTIONS/PERSONS WITH BENCHMARK DISABILITIES/ EX-SERVICEMEN

Q. 29 What precautions must be taken by candidates for claiming community

reservation or reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)?
Candidates seeking reservation/ relaxation benefits available for Scheduled
Caste/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes/Economically Weaker
Sections/Persons with Benchmark Disabilities/Ex-servicemen must ensure that
they are entitled to such reservation/ relaxation in accordance with the
eligibility prescribed in the Examination Rules/Notice. They should also be in
possession of all the requisite certificates in the prescribed format in support of
their claims for availing reservation before applying for the examination, and in
any case, not later than the closing date for receipt of applications for the
examination.

Q. 30 Can a candidate request to change his/her category from non-PwBD to

PwBD?
In case of a candidate unfortunately becoming physically disabled during the
course of the examination process, the candidate should produce valid
document showing him/her acquiring a disability to the extent of 40% or more
as mentioned in the relevant rules to enable him/her to get the benefits of
PwBD reservation.

Q.31 What action is taken by the Commission in case of submission of false

information by the candidates or if a candidate is found involved in various
unfair means?
A candidate found to be furnishing false information to the Commission or
suppressing information, adopting various unfair means in the Examination like
impersonation, cheating, etc., is liable to be disqualified and/or debarred from
the examinations/selections of the UPSC, for a specified period. In this regard
Rules of Examination/ Examination Notices may also be referred to.

ALLOTMENT OF ROLL NUMBERS, VENUE AND RELEASE OF E-ADMIT CARD

Q.32. Are the exam centres the same for Prelims and Mains?
No, separate columns are to be filled for opting centres for Prelims and Mains
exam.

Q. 33 What is the procedure adopted for allotment of Roll Numbers, Centre

and Venues to the candidates?
Allotment of Roll Numbers and Venues to the eligible candidates is carried out
through computer in a random manner without manual intervention. The
Commission makes all efforts to allot the candidate the Centre of his/her
choice, which is done on the “first-apply-first allot” basis. Once the capacity of
a particular Centre is exhausted, the same shall not be available to the
applicants as an option and will be highlighted in red colour. The applicants
shall, therefore, be required to choose one of the available Centres. It is, thus,
advised to apply early for getting the choice Centre. However, it may be noted
that the Commission may change the Centres of the candidates as per its
discretion to address the special situations arising at that point of time.

Q. 34 When are the e-Admit Cards issued?

The eligible candidates are issued e-Admit Cards on the last working day of the
previous week before the date of the examination. The eAdmit Cards are made
available on the UPSC website [https://upsconline.nic.in] for downloading by
the candidates. The Admit Card is not sent by post. Candidates should check
the e-Admit Card carefully and discrepancies/errors, if any, should be brought
to the notice of the UPSC immediately.
If a candidate is not able to download his/her e-Admit Card or does not receive
any other communication regarding his/her candidature for the examination
around three (03) days before the commencement of the examination, he/she
should immediately contact the Commission’s helpline at 011-24041001.

Q. 35 Are requests for change of Centre/ Venue accepted?

No request for change of Centre /Venue is accepted from any candidate by the
Commission.

Q.36 Can a candidate appear at a Centre/Venue other than the Venue

mentioned in his/her e-Admit Card?
No candidate is allowed to appear at a Centre/Venue other than the
Centre/Venue mentioned by the Commission in his/her e-Admit Card. If a
candidate appears at such a Centre/Venue (except by a Court/CAT order), the
papers of that candidate shall not be evaluated and his/her candidature will be
liable for cancellation.

Q. 37 I am having copy of e-Admit Card in my mobile phone, is it valid for

getting entry into Examination Venue?
As mobile phones are not allowed inside the Venue, the candidates are
required to carry print-out of the e-Admit Cards with a submitted photo ID,
without which no candidate will be allowed to enter inside the Examination
Venue.

Q. 38 Is it essential to carry Photo ID Card for appearing at an

Examination/Interview?
The applicant is required to fill in the number of the Photo ID Card (viz.
Aadhaar Card/Voter Card/PAN Card/Passport/Driving Licence/Any other Photo
ID Card issued by the Central/State/UT Government) and to upload the same
while filling up the online application form of an Examination of the
Commission. The above number of the Photo ID Card is printed on the e-Admit
Card of the Examination issued to the candidate. The candidate is then
required to carry the same Photo ID Card along with the e-Admit Card/e-
Summon Letter for appearing at the Examination/Interview. This Photo ID Card
will be used for all future referencing. In case he/she is unable to produce the
same during Examination/Interview, he/she will have to submit an Undertaking
along with any other Photo ID Card issued by the Central/State/UT
Government.
Q. 39 What are the timing for reporting at the Examination Venue and time of
closure of entry into the Examination Venue?
The candidates are advised to reach the Venue well in time so that their entry
inside the Examination Venue could be ensured smoothly after observing
necessary protocol. The candidate may note that as per present Policy of the
Commission, the entry into the Examination Venue is closed 30 minutes before
commencement of the Examination Session e.g. if the Forenoon Session starts
at 09:30 A.M., the entry inside the Examination Venue shall be closed sharp at
09:00 A.M., and similarly, if the Afternoon Session starts at 02:30 P.M., the
entry closes at 02:00 P.M.

Q. 40 What happens if a candidate reports at the Examination Venue after

closure of the entry viz. less than thirty (30) minutes before commencement
of the Examination?
Such candidate is not allowed to enter the Examination Venue. The candidates
are, therefore, advised to check the details of their Venue mentioned in their e-
Admit Card well in advance to avoid last minute problems. They are also
advised to reach the Venue well in time so that their entry inside the
Examination Venue could be ensured smoothly after observing necessary
protocol.

Q.41 Which items are banned at the Examination Venues during

Examinations?
Candidate should not be in possession of or using any mobile phone (even in
switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable
device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches, etc., or camera or
Bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories either in
working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication
device during the examination. Any infringement of these instructions shall
entail disciplinary action including ban from future Examinations.
Use of normal or simple wrist watches by candidates is allowed inside the
Examination Rooms/ Halls. However, use of watches fitted with any special
accessory that might be used as communication device or smart watches is
strictly prohibited and candidates are not allowed to take such watches into
the Examination Rooms/ Halls.
Candidates are not allowed to enter the examination premises with any
bag, baggage, luggage, valuables/costly items, mobile phones, smart/digital
watches, other IT gadgets, books, etc. Candidates are advised not to bring
banned items as Venue Supervisor will not make any arrangement for
keeping these items at the Venue. In case, a candidate brings any such
banned items, he/she will make his/her own arrangement for keeping the
same outside the Venue and the Commission will not be responsible for
any loss in this regard.
Candidates will be allowed to take with them only the print of e-Admit
Card, pen, pencil, identity proof, copies of self-photographs (whichever
applicable) and any other items as specified in the Instructions of e-Admit
Card to the Venue. No other items shall be allowed to be taken inside the
Venue.

CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

Q. 42 What is the structure of the Civil Services Examination?

The Civil Services Examination (CSE) comprises of two successive stages: the
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (CSP) and the Civil Services (Main)
Examination (Written and Interview).

CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMINARY) EXAMINATION:

Q. 43 What is the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination?

UPSC conducts Preliminary Examination of the Civil Services Examination for
recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service
(IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other Central Services and posts in
accordance with the Rules published by the Government (Department of
Personnel & Training) in the Gazette of India Extraordinary. This Examination is
meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Preliminary
Examination by the candidates, who are declared qualified for admission to the
Main Examination, are not counted for determining their final order of merit.
Only those candidates, who are declared by the Commission to have qualified
in the Preliminary Examination in the year, will be eligible to appear at the
Main Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for
admission to the Main Examination.

Q. 44 What are the number of attempts available (category-wise) to the

Candidates of the Civil Services Examination?

Number of General / SC / ST OBC PwBD

attempts EWS
06 Unlimited 09 09 for General /
EWS/ OBC
Unlimited for SC/ST
Q. 45 How an ‘attempt’ is counted in the Civil Services Examination?
An attempt at the Preliminary Examination is considered an attempt at the Civil
Services Examination:
(I) If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the Preliminary
Examination.

(II) Notwithstanding the disqualification/ cancellation of candidature, the fact

of appearance of the candidate at the Preliminary Examination is counted as an
attempt.

Q. 46 How would an aspirant know the number of attempts already availed

by him/her in the Civil Services Examination?
It is the primary responsibility of the candidate to keep a record/track of
number of attempts availed by him/her.

Q. 47 What is the procedure followed by the Commission in verifying that the

candidate has not exceeded the attempts allowed in respective category in
the Civil Services Examination?
The number of attempts availed by a candidate in the Civil Services
Examination is checked/verified from the available data/records with the
Commission at appropriate stage of the Civil Services Examination.

Q. 48 What action the Commission takes against a candidate who has

exceeded the permissible number of attempts by concealing or furnishing
incorrect information in the application form?
In the relevant provisions under Disqualification, Debarment, Disciplinary
Action, Criminal Prosecution of the extant Civil Services Examination Rules, it
has been provided that “A candidate who is or has been declared by the
Commission to be guilty of – (f) making statements which are incorrect or false
or suppressing material information; in addition to being liable to criminal
prosecution, shall be disqualified by the Commission from the Examination
held under these Rules; and/or shall be liable to be debarred either
permanently or for a specified period by the Commission, from any
Examination or Selection.” Therefore, in accordance with this Rule, in all such
cases of misleading information on the number of attempts availed by the
candidates, the Commission cancels the candidature of the erring candidates
for that particular Civil Services Examination and may also decide to debar
them for specified number of years in respect of all future
Examinations/Selections of the Commission.

Q. 49 If a candidate has applied for the Civil Services (Preliminary)

Examination but has not appeared at any paper in the Civil Services
(Preliminary) Examination will it be counted as an attempt?
No, an attempt is counted only if a candidate has appeared in at least one
paper of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.

Q. 50 What is the scheme of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination?

The Examination is comprised of two compulsory papers of 200 marks each.
(i) Both the question papers are of objective type (multiple choice questions).
(ii) The question papers are set in Hindi and English. (iii) Details of the syllabi
are provided in the Examination Notice and Rules notified by the Government.
(iv) Each paper is of two hours duration.

Q. 51 Is the General Studies Paper-II of qualifying nature? What are the

minimum qualifying marks for this Paper?
Yes, the General Studies Paper-II is of qualifying nature. The minimum
qualifying standards in this Paper is indicated in the Examination Rules and at
present, it is 33%.

Q. 52 Is there any negative marking at the Civil Services (Preliminary)

Examination?
Candidates should note that there is penalty (negative marking) for wrong
answers marked by a candidate in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.
There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. (i) For each
question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third
(1/3rd) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted as penalty. (ii) If a
candidate gives more than one answer, it is treated as a wrong answer even if
one of the given answers happens to be correct and there will be same penalty
as above for that question. (iii) If answer bubble of a question is left blank, i.e.
no answer is marked by the candidate; there will be no penalty for that
question.

Q. 53 What is the prescribed minimum educational qualification?

The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act
of the Central or State Legislature in India or any other educational institution
established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University
under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an
equivalent qualification.

Q. 54 What are the eligibility criteria in terms of physical

requirements/functional classification required for a Service/ Post?
The Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates shall also be
required to meet eligibility criteria in terms of physical requirements/functional
classifications (abilities/disabilities) consistent with the requirements of the
identified Service/Post as may be prescribed inthe Rules/Notice of the
Examination.

Q. 55 What information should be given by persons already in Government

Service to their Head of Office?
Persons already in Government Service, whether in a permanent or temporary
capacity or as work charged employees other than casual or daily rated
employees or those serving under the Public Sector Enterprises,are required to
submit an undertaking that they have informed their Head of
Office/Department, in writing, that they have applied for the Examination.
Candidates should note that in case the UPSC receives a communication from
their employer withholding permission to the candidates applying
for/appearing at the examination, their applications will be liable to be
rejected/candidature will be liable to be cancelled.

Q. 56 What are the provisions for reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwBD
candidates?
Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections and
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities candidates in respect of vacancies as may
be fixed by the Government.

Q. 57 Who is the competent authority to issue SC/ST/OBC/I&A Certificate?

An authority in the State/UT, who has been authorized by the State/UT
Government concerned, provided the details of the said authority (ies) have
been placed on the State/UT website.

CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION:

Q. 58 Can a candidate choose an optional subject, which he has not studied

at graduate/post graduate level?
Yes.
Q. 59 Which is the language / medium of question papers?
The question papers (other than the literature of language papers) are set in
Hindi and English.

Q. 60 Can a candidate write different papers of Civil Services (Main)

Examination in different languages?
No, the Candidates have the option to write their answers either in English or
in any one of the Eighth Schedule languages except the Qualifying Language
papers Paper-A and Paper-B, which they have indicated at the time of filling up
of their online application form for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.

Q. 61 How are the Question Papers for the Civil Services (Main) Examination
structured? What is the duration of each paper?
The question papers for the examination are of conventional (essay) type. Each
paper is of three hours duration.

Q. 62 Can a candidate write the Civil Services (Main) Examination in English

and take the interview in Hindi or any other Indian language?
The candidates, opting for Indian Language medium for the written part of the
Civil Services (Main) Examination may choose either the same Indian Language
or English or Hindi as the medium for the interview. The candidates, opting to
write the Civil Services (Main) Examination in English, may choose either
English or Hindi or any other Indian Language opted by them for the
compulsory Indian Language Paper in the written part of the Civil Services
(Main) Examination, as the medium for interview. The candidate has to indicate
the language medium of interview at the time of filling up of the Detailed
Application Form (DAF) However, the candidates, who are exempted from the
compulsory Indian Language Paper, will have to choose either English or Hindi
as medium of Interview or Personality Test.

Q. 63 What are the minimum qualifying marks for the compulsory language
Papers?
The minimum qualifying standards in each of the two Qualifying Papers i.e.
English and Indian Languages is indicated in the Examination Rules, is at
present 25%.

Q. 64 Is the Indian language Paper compulsory for candidates hailing from the
States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and
Sikkim?
The Paper A on Indian Language is not compulsory for candidates hailing from
the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and
Sikkim. In the Online Application, if a candidate hails from these North-Eastern
States, the option for Indian Language will automatically be disabled in the
Online Application.

Q. 65 Is the Indian language Paper compulsory for Persons with Benchmark

Disabilities categories?
Yes, Paper A on Indian Language is compulsory for candidates belonging to
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category except for the candidates
suffering from Hearing Impairment provided they have been granted such
exemption from 2nd or 3rd language courses by the concerned Education
Board/University. The candidate needs to provide an undertaking/self
declaration in this regard in order to claim such an exemption to the
Commission.

Q. 66 What marks are reckoned for merit ranking in the written part ofthe
Civil Services (Main) Examination?
Marks obtained by the candidates in Papers I-VII only will be counted for merit
ranking (of those candidates who obtain the specifiedminimum marks in the
qualifying papers). However, the Commission has the discretion to fix qualifying
marks in any or all of these papers.

OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES:

Q. 67 What is the Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) of the

Commission on the questions asked in an examination?
(a) For each examination, a time frame of 7 days (a week) i.e. from the next
day of the Examination Date to 6:00 p.m. of the 7th day is fixed for the
candidates to make representations to the Commission on the questions asked
in the Papers of that Examination. No representation shall be accepted under
any circumstances after this window of 7 days is over.

(b) In case of Single Day Examinations, for example, if the Examination is held
on 1st March, then the representations can be submitted from 2ndMarch to 8th
March (till 6:00 p.m.).

(c) For Multi-Days Examinations, next day of the date on which the last Paper of
that Examination is held, will be the crucial reckoning date for making
representations on the questions asked in all the Papers of that Examination.
For example: if last Paper of a Multi-Days Examination is conducted on 1stJuly
whereas the first Paper of that Examination is held on 29th June, then the
candidates can submit representations from 2nd July to 8th July (till 6:00p.m.)
for all the Papers of that Examination.

(d) Such representation must be submitted through the “Online Question

Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)” only by accessing the
URL:http://upsconline.nic.in/miscellaneous/QPRep/. No representation by
email/post/hand or by any other mode shall be accepted.

Q. 68 What is the Disclosure Scheme?

This Scheme for disclosing the scores and other details of the non
recommended candidates was implemented with the Combined Medical
Services Examination-2017. The Scheme covers non-recommended willing
candidates, who appeared at the Interview/SSB Stage of a Commission’s
Examination. Details of such candidates which are disclosed at the
Commission’s Website on a secure portal which can be accessed by companies,
PSUs and autonomous organisations registered on the portal. The objective of
the Scheme is to provide a useful database to other employers to enable them
to identify good employable candidates. This information of an examination
remains available for one year from the date of disclosure. Details of only those
candidates are displayed who give their consent for the same in the online
application form.

EVALUATION OF CONVENTIONAL PAPERS:

Q. 69 After the written examination, on what criterion is the answer books

sent for evaluation? Is it on Roll Number basis or based on Examination
Centre? That is, will a particular examiner/ set of examiners get to evaluate
answer books only of a particular centre or a particular group of Roll
Numbers?
Mixing of the answer books received from different Venues of all the Centres is
done before sending them for evaluation. Computer-based randomized
fictitious code number is given to each answer book before evaluation.

Q. 70 Are answer books segregated/ sorted based on community of the

candidate?
This is not done at any stage of the evaluation process.
Q. 71 Is it likely that my evaluated performance suffers because my answer
books were evaluated by a ‘strict’ examiner, while another candidate benefits
as his answer books were evaluated by a ‘liberal’ examiner?
To achieve uniformity in evaluation, where more than one Examiner is involved,
the Commission arranges a meeting of the Head Examiner with the Additional
Examiners after the Examination is over. At this stage, they discuss thoroughly
the question paper and decide the standard of evaluation. However, no model
answer is made available to the Examiners in this regard. To further bring about
uniformity of assessment inter se the Examiners, the following procedure is
undertaken: The Head Examiner conducts a sample survey of answer books of
each Additional Examiner to verify whether the uniform standards of
evaluation evolved in the meeting of Examiners have actually been followed.
Depending on the standard adopted by the Additional Examiner, the Head
Examiner may confirm the awards without any change if the Examiner has
correctly followed the standard decided upon, or may carry out upward/
downward moderation as considered necessary to ensure maximum possible
degree of uniformity in the evaluation process. Therefore, the aspect of inter-
examiner variation in standards of evaluation in a Paper affecting candidates’
performance is taken care of adequately.

Q. 72 Can I know the ‘question-wise’ marks awarded to me for a paper?

The evaluation process does not end after initial evaluation by an Examiner.
Moderation, wherever applied, is on the total award initially given (the so-
called ‘raw marks’) and not on question-wise basis. Therefore, once the
evaluation process is complete, neither ‘raw marks’ nor ‘question-wise marks’
subsist. What subsists is the candidate’s total score in a paper awarded at the
end of the evaluation process and this award is normally made available to the
candidate in due course on the Commission’s website through a query-based
application software. Further, in a competitive examination, what is relevant is
not the absolute performance of a candidate, but his/ her relative performance
that in fact determines whether the candidate qualifies and, if so, his/ her
position in the merit list.

Q. 73 If the overall marks of two or more candidates are equal, how is

relative merit between such candidates decided?
All tie cases shall be resolved in accordance with the tie breaking principles
approved by the Commission from time to time.
Q. 74 Wherever evaluation standards are set or moderation is applied, are
these different for different mediums (languages) in which a particular
subject/ paper Examination is written?
No. The evaluation standards/ moderation for a Subject/ Paper are not
medium specific. In other words, if the Rules of the Examination provide that a
Paper can be written in any of, say, English/ Hindi/ a recognized Indian
language, then the medium in which a candidate writes the Paper will not be a
factor in determining evaluation standards or the moderation to be applied.

Q. 75 Is it possible that evaluation/ assessment could be affected by the

knowledge of a candidates’ identity?
No. Before evaluation, the Roll No. written on every answer book is detached
and computer-based randomized fictitious code number is given. At no stage of
the evaluation process (including the moderation stage) is the actual Roll
Number/identity of the candidate made known to any of the
Examiners/officials associated in the process.
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