UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 Live Updates: UPSC prelims tomorrow; check exam centre guidelines, tips - details

IAS officer Divya Mittal shared last-minute tips for UPSC aspirants. Here are the last-minute tips for UPSC aspirants who will appear for CSE Prelims scheduled to be held on May 24 - 

Last minute panic

Take a deep breath. Feeling like your mind has gone completely blank right now is perfectly normal. Your brain isn't failing you. It’s just feeling the pressure. I promise, the moment you sit down and see the choices on the paper, the answers will come rushing back to you. Recognizing the right answer is much easier than trying to pull it out of thin air right now. Trust the hard work you've put in. You are entirely ready for this.

The 10-second reset

If you open the booklet and your heart starts racing, drop your pen. Close your eyes. Take three deep  breaths. Reset. This is not time wasted. This is the preparation to tackle the exam without panic. Ten seconds spent breathing will give you many minutes of clarity 

Stay in the current question 

When you’re in the thick of the exam, you have to treat every single question as an entirely separate event. If Question 14 is from a topic you thought you should have known, but it still absolutely stumps you and leaves you feeling defeated, draw a hard stop then and there. Do not let that irritation or doubt reach Question 15. Each question is an opportunity to score. Forget the previous question. 

In view of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination on Sunday, May 24, the Delhi Metro train services will commence from 6 am across the network. To facilitate the candidates appearing for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 conducted by UPSC this Sunday, the DMRC will commence train services from all the terminal stations on its Line 7 (Pink Line i.e, from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar), Line 8 (Magenta Line i.e, from  Krishna Park Extn to Botanical Garden and Deepali Chowk to Majlis Park) and Line 9 (Grey Line i.e, from Dhansa Bus Stand to Dwarka) from 6:00 AM, in sync with other Lines, DMRC in a post on X mentioned. 

Nearly 10 lakh candidates will appear for UPSC prelims. UPSC Prelims will be held on May 24, the CSE Prelims is scheduled to be held in two shifts; morning shift from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, afternoon from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. 

Do not bring any restricted items to the exam center. All sorts of electronic devices- smart phone, Bluetooth devices, earphones, pagers are not allowed at the exam centre. The exam center will not provide any storage for banned items, and if any such item is brought, it will have to be stored outside the venue at the candidate’s own risk. 

The candidates should carry admit card at the exam centre, without it, they will not be allowed to appear for the exam. Along with the UPSC Prelims admit card, the candidates are advised to bring a government-issued photo ID- PAN, Voter ID card as proof of identity. 

• Candidates need to wear casual trousers, pants, jeans
• Candidates are advised to wear slippers and not shoes
• The candidates should not wear any kind of caps, mufflers, head covering.  

The candidates need to report half an hour to an hour before the exam. For the UPSC Prelims morning shift, the exam centre gate will be closed by 9 am, while for afternoon shift, the exam centre gate will be closed by 2 pm.  

UPSC CSE Prelims is scheduled to be held in two shifts; morning shift from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, afternoon from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. 

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 will be held on Sunday, May 24. The UPSC CSE Prelims is scheduled to be held in two shifts; morning shift from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, afternoon from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.