In the journey to cracking the Civil Services Examination, UPSC previous year question papers play an important role. They offer valuable insights into the exam pattern, question types, priority areas, and time management strategies. Moreover, they provide a means for aspirants to assess their progress and build confidence. Aspirants should incorporate the practice of solving UPSC previous year papers into their study routine, making it an integral part of their preparation strategy. In doing so, they enhance their chances of mastering this challenging examination and realising their dream of serving the nation in prestigious administrative roles.
Every year, thousands of aspirants strive to crack this examination to secure prestigious positions in the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and various other central services. Among the myriad resources available for CSE preparation, UPSC previous year question papers stand out as invaluable assets. On this page, you can download the last 10 years UPSC question papers PDF and understand how they aid aspirants in their journey toward success.
UPSC previous year question papers offer a window into the variety of question types that the Commission employs. Questions in the CSE are designed to test candidates' analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. These may include multiple-choice questions, essay-type questions, and those requiring subjective responses. By reviewing past papers, aspirants can identify common question structures and practice answering them effectively.
Start with the recent years' question papers. The UPSC exam pattern changes over time, so it is important to start with the most recent UPSC question papers. This will give you a good idea of the current trend of questions. Solve the question papers under timed conditions. This will help you to get used to the time pressure of the actual exam.
Regularly attempting UPSC previous year question papers serve as an excellent tool for self-assessment. It allows aspirants to evaluate their preparedness and identify areas where improvement is needed. This process of self-assessment is instrumental in tracking progress and refining study strategies.
The UPSC Mains exam is divided into 9 papers:
You can download the previous year's question papers for each of these papers from our website. The question papers are available in PDF format.
2022:
2021:
2020:
2019:
2018:
2017:
2016:
2015:
2014:
The UPSC Mains Essay Paper is one of the nine papers that candidates are required to attempt at this stage. It is conducted for a duration of 3 hours. Candidates are required to write multiple Essays, each carrying a weightage of 125 marks each.
The UPSC Mains Optional Papers, also known as the Optional Subject Papers, are an integral part of the Mains Examination. Candidates are required to choose one optional subject from a list of approximately 26 subjects. They need to appear for two papers (Paper I and Paper II) for their chosen optional subject. Each optional subject paper is marked out of 250 marks, making a total of 500 marks for both optional papers. Each paper is conducted over three hours.
2022:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Administration |
||
Sociology |
2021:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Administration |
||
Sociology |
2020:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2019:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2015:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2014:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2013:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2012:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2011:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2010:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
2009:
Anthropology |
||
Commerce |
||
Geography |
||
History |
||
Political Science |
||
Psychology |
||
Public Admin |
||
Sociology |
Solving UPSC previous year question papers is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for the UPSC exam. Here are some of the benefits of solving previous year's question papers:
To request a counselling call, please fill out this form: