GS 2011–2025CSAT sectionsSubject chartsMains paper maps

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQ) — Prelims, CSAT & Mains

Year-wise Prelims GS and CSAT PYQs with subject charts, plus Mains paper maps — practise inside UPSC Shelf with AI-backed revision.

1. Overview2. PYQ explorer3. GS years4. CSAT years5. Mains years6. Mains trends7. In Shelf8. FAQs
PYQs inside Shelf

Year charts for Prelims GS, CSAT, and Mains. Open official UPSC PDFs, file them in your library, then practise and check in Quiz — Shelf is not a mirrored third-party question bank.

Pattern chartsOfficial PDFsQuiz + library
Choose a year

Prelims GS papers

Pick a year to load Shelf charts for that paper, then jump into Quiz from your library copy.

Recent
2017 – 2021
2012 – 2016
2011
Shelf read · 2024

Where the paper leaned

Heaviest: Geography + Indian Polity + Economy (~52%)

73%
Statement-heavy
27%
Direct / recall
18%
Hard share

Subject-wise questions

Difficulty mix

  • Easy · 42 (42%)
  • Medium · 40 (40%)
  • Hard · 18 (18%)
  • Geography led with 20 questions; Indian Polity (19) and Economy (13) rounded the top three.
  • Polity was heavy (19) — articles, Parliament, and federal bodies.
  • Recent papers skew multi-statement — practise elimination under timer in Shelf Quiz.
Practise in Shelf

Practise Prelims GS 2024

Attempt the Shelf Set C bank on this page (official keys + original notes), or file the UPSC PDF and run Quiz for timed sets.

Name the page “Prelims 2024 · GS-I”

Practise Set COfficial UPSC PDFFile in libraryOpen Quiz
Shelf practice bank · 2024

Prelims GS · Set C

Question text from a public typed republication of the official booklet (Set C). Keys from the UPSC official answer key (CSP-2024 Series C). Questions 42, 47 and 90 were dropped from scoring. Shelf explanations are original.

Question1/100
Attempted0
Correct0
Wrong0
Net≈ 0
Q.1 · GS-I · Set CInternational & CAStatement I–II

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. Statement-II : There have been military takeovers/coups d’état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?

0/7 in this view · #1
Across years

Subject and difficulty trends

Difficulty by year

Subject trend

Subject20262025202420232022202120202019
Ancient History75311332
Art & Culture924871055
Economy1618131616142121
Environment & Ecology1015131618191918
Geography913201510988
Indian Polity914191511181513
International Relations12861011234
Medieval History—1135423
Modern History58333796
Science & Technology1913111015121315
Social Issues & Schemes43733225

Economy

~15% of GS-I across a decade; often 14–21 Qs/year. Pair static (money, fiscal) with Budget / Survey.

Environment & Ecology

Highest long-run weight (peak 27 in 2014). Climate, conservation, and applied ecology recur.

Polity

Average ~15 Qs/year; 2017 hit 22 and 2024 hit 19. Articles and parliamentary procedure stay core.

Geography

Combined Geo often 8–20 Qs. Physical revival in recent papers — keep maps + physical + Indian together.

Science & Technology

Usually ~10–15 Qs/year. Application and current tech beat rote textbook lists.

In Shelf

Four-step practice loop

01

File the year PDF / Doc

Name it with year + paper (GS / CSAT / Essay).

02

Attempt under timer

Prelims in Quiz; Mains as written drafts in the library.

03

Tag misses to Revision

Subject / micro-topic folders for weak areas.

04

Revisit before the next mock

Planner task linked back to the same page.

FAQs

PYQ questions

Why solve Prelims PYQs?

They reveal framing, difficulty, recurring themes, and weak areas faster than random mocks. Analyse the concept and options — not only the key.

Where are the actual papers and answers?

For Prelims 2024 GS, practise Set C on this page with UPSC official keys and Shelf notes. For other years, use upsc.gov.in PDFs in your library / Quiz. Mains 2024 has Shelf-written answer frameworks (structure guides), not coaching model answers.

How many years should I cover?

Aim for 10–15 years of Prelims GS. For CSAT, cover at least the last 8–10 papers under timed conditions.

GS or CSAT first?

Build GS year-wise for pattern, but never skip CSAT — it is qualifying. Use the CSAT tab to see Maths vs Reading weight each year.

Topic-wise or year-wise?

Both. Topic-wise while studying a subject; full year-wise papers later under timed conditions.

How do I use Mains PYQs in Shelf?

Open the Mains tab, pick 2024 for Shelf answer frameworks (intro–body–value-add–conclusion), draft under timer in your library, then attach faculty feedback. Frameworks are scaffolds — expand in your own words.

Start a practice set

Open Quiz from library material, or jump to Prelims / Mains guides for scheme context.

Open QuizPrelims guideMains blueprint

Disclaimer: UPSC Shelf is an independent study workspace and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Union Public Service Commission. Official notifications, calendars, admit cards, and results are published only at upsc.gov.in.