UPSC Mains Question Paper 2026: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has commenced the Civil Services (Main) examination from 21 August onwards and will be conducted on 22, 23, 29, and 30 August in two shifts each day. The Essay paper was conducted on 21 August in the forenoon shift from 09:00 am to 12:00 pm and there is no exam in the afternoon shift. The UPSC CSE Main examination is being conducted for a total of nine papers. The aspirants preparing for the future cycle of the UPSC CSE examination can download the essay paper to prepare well for the future examination.
UPSC Mains Question Paper 2026 Highlights
The UPSC Mains is the second stage of the recruitment process which is conducted after the preliminary examination is over and the candidates have been shortlisted for Main. This year 13,343 candidates have been selected in the Prelims and are going to appear for the Main examination. Check the highlights in the table below:
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Particulars
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Details
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Conducting Body
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Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
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Exam Name
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Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026
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No. of Papers
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09
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Name of Papers
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Main Exam Date
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21, 22, 23, 29, and 30 August 2026
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Official Website
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upsc.gov.in
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UPSC Mains Essay Question Paper 2026
The Essay paper was the first paper in the list for which the exam was conducted on 21 August. The paper contains two sections and the candidates have to write an essay on one topic from each section. Download the question paper here.
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UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2026
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Topics Asked in UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2026
The UPSC Mains essay paper has two sections and each section consists of at least 04 topics. The candidates have to select one topic from each section to write an essay. The maximum marks are 250, where each question is for 125 marks. The candidates will be provided 3 hours duration to complete their exam. The topics asked in this year’s paper are:
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Section A
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Section B
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Oxymorons reflect the ironies of life.
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Nature is the symbol of the spirit.
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A grateful mind is very beautiful.
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A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.
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A thorn is a changed bud.
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Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course.
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When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.
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A good leader is one who follows the followers.
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