UPSC Previous Year Question Papers – UPSC Previous Year Question Papers (PYQs) are one of the most reliable resources for civil services preparation conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. They provide direct insight into the nature, depth, and trend of questions asked over the years.
PYQs help aspirants understand the syllabus boundaries, recurring themes, and evolving focus areas. Regular practice of these papers improves analytical thinking, answer structuring, and time management, making them indispensable for serious UPSC aspirants.
UPSC Previous Year Question Papers, Exam Pattern
The UPSC Civil Services Examination follows a three-stage exam pattern: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview). The Preliminary stage consists of two objective-type papers qualifying candidates for the Mains.
The Mains examination includes nine descriptive papers that assess intellectual depth and clarity. Finally, the interview evaluates personality traits and administrative suitability. Understanding the exam pattern alongside PYQs helps aspirants align their preparation strategy with actual examination requirements.
| UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2025 | ||
| Stage | UPSC CSE Exam 2025 | Marks |
| Stage 1 | UPSC Prelims Exam | 400 |
| Stage 2 | UPSC Mains Exam | 1750 |
| Stage 3 | UPSC Interview Exam | 275 |
UPSC Prelims PYQ PDF
UPSC Prelims PYQ PDFs contain objective-type questions from General Studies Paper I and CSAT Paper II. These PDFs help candidates identify frequently asked topics such as polity, economy, environment, and current affairs.
Solving UPSC Previous Year Question Papers improves accuracy, elimination techniques, and speed. Aspirants also learn the changing difficulty level and framing of questions. Regular revision of Prelims PYQ PDFs strengthens conceptual clarity and builds confidence before attempting mock tests.
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2025 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2024 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2023 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2022 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2021 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2020 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2019 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2018 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2017 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2016 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2015 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2014 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
UPSC Mains PYQ PDF
UPSC Mains PYQ PDFs include descriptive questions from General Studies papers, Essay, and Optional subjects. These papers guide aspirants in understanding answer demand, word limits, and multidimensional analysis. Studying UPSC Previous Year Question Papers helps in developing content enrichment, proper introduction-body-conclusion structure, and balanced viewpoints.
They also highlight important themes such as governance, ethics, social justice, and international relations. Writing answers based on PYQs significantly improves presentation and coherence.
Importance Of UPSC Previous Year Question Papers
UPSC Previous Year Question Papers play a crucial role in focused and efficient preparation. They help aspirants avoid unnecessary resources and concentrate on relevant topics. PYQs reveal repetition of themes, aiding smart revision and better retention.
They also act as a benchmark to self-evaluate preparation levels. Consistent PYQ analysis bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and exam-oriented application, increasing the chances of success in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.


IB SA MT Result 2026 Out @mha.gov.in, Do...
Rajasthan Patwari Syllabus 2026 and Exam...
ISI Kolkata Recruitment 2026 Notificatio...




Adda247 Job portal has complete information about all Sarkari Jobs and Naukri Alerts, its latest recruitment notifications, from all state and national level jobs and their updates.