UPSC Prelims Past 10 years question papers
It is one of the most recommended tips to solve past years’ question papers in UPSC examinations. your preparation for the UPSC examination is incomplete without solving the previous year’s question papers. the topic even gives relevance to past year’s question papers to analyze the pattern of examination, the difficulty of the paper, and learn answer writing techniques.
UPSC Prelims examination consists of objective-type questions. there are requirements of optimum knowledge and time management to write the UPSC Prelims examination there are two subjects in UPSC Prelims examination as mentioned below:
- general studies 1
- general studies 2
both the examinations are conducted on the same day and the total duration of writing each paper is 2 hours. the candidate is required to be well versed with the topics two arms are most of the questions within the time limit. it has negative marking so you need to be very accurate with your answers to avoid losing your marks in the prelims examination.
UPSC Prelims examination is qualifying in nature. the marks obtained in the prelims examination are not calculated for selection. it is only valid to ascertain the cutoff for eligibility to apply UPSC Mains examination.
in this article, we will provide you with a descriptive note of the past 10 years of question papers for the UPSC Prelims examination. it will help you to know the concepts and understand the relative importance of different topics to secure higher marks with effective learning. the strategy of solving the past 10 years question paper of the UPSC Prelims examination will mostly cover your syllabus and allow you to excel in your career ahead on qualifying respective examinations.
The following are the respective links of 10 years question papers for the UPSC Prelims examination from 2011 to 2020.
| Year | Question paper links |
| 2011 | General studies Prelims Paper 2011 |
| 2012 | General studies Prelims Paper 2012 |
| 2013 | General studies Prelims Paper 2013 |
| 2014 | General studies Prelims Paper 2014 |
| 2016 | General studies Prelims Paper 2016 |
| 2017 | General studies Prelims Paper 2017 |
| 2018 | General studies Prelims Paper 2018 |
| 2019 | General studies Prelims Paper 2019 |
| 2020 | General studies Prelims Paper 2020 |
| 2021 | General studies Prelims Paper 2021 |
2022 : General studies Prelims Paper 2022
- The UPSC Prelims examination is for screening and both the papers have an aggregate of 200 marks.
- paper 1 of the UPSC Prelims examination focuses on current affairs as well as paper 2- CSAT is an aptitude test.
- The candidates are required to score a minimum of 33% of marks in paper 2 for qualifying for the UPSC Mains examination
Why solving previous years’ question papers is important?
the following are the reasons why it is advisable to solve previous years’ question papers before appearing for UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains examination.
- it will help you understand the pattern of questions asked in the relevant examinations of civil services.
- the previous year’s question papers will provide an insight into the standard of difficulty in the questions asked for the civil service examination. it would help you to prepare along in the appropriate direction.
- the previous 10 years question papers of UPSC which solution would help you to understand the mindset of the examiner as well as develop an analytical skill to eliminate the choices in UPSC Prelims examination.
- the solutions of the previous 10 years’ question papers would help you to understand the answers written by the toppers in respective years as well as suggested answers prescribed to be written.
- it would provide answer writing practice to the candidates preparing for the UPSC examination.
Topic wise weightage in last 10 years question papers of UPSC Prelims examination
the following is the topic wise weightage analyzed from the last 10 years question papers of UPSC Prelims examination:
| Years | Current affairs | history | geography | polity | economics | Science and Technology | environment |
| 2012 | 1 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 17 |
| 2013 | 0 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 14 | 17 |
| 2014 | 8 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 18 |
| 2015 | 26 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 11 |
| 2016 | 27 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 8 | 18 |
| 2017 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 22 | 16 | 9 | 15 |
| 2018 | 14 | 22 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 10 | 13 |
| 2019 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 11 |
| 2020 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 10 |
| 2021 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 |
The following are the number of questions asked in last 10 years of UPSC Prelims examination. it would help you to analyze the importance of relevant topics and allocate the appropriate amount of time and effort to conclude with higher marks and qualify for the UPSC Mains examination.
If you need further assistance with UPSC preparation, you can visit our website and gather all the information related to UPSC Prelims as well as the Mains examination. our motive is to fulfill your requirement for knowledge and provide you with updated information from authentic resources. it will lead your preparation in the correct direction and provide you with appropriate strategies to improve your chances of qualifying for IAS examinations in upcoming years.
