Table of Contents
Candidates preparing for UPSC civil services examination should solve the previous year question papers before they face UPSC Prelims and Mains. Only practising the authentic IAS question papers will give you a real feel of the pattern and style of the UPSC questions. One can easily understand the level of the Civil Services Examination with the UPSC previous question paper analysis. In this blog we will discuss about UPSC 2025 Previous Question Paper.
📅 UPSC CSE 2025: Important Dates
-
Notification Release: 22 January 2025
-
Application Period: 22 January – 11 February 2025
-
Preliminary Exam: 25 May 2025 (Sunday)
-
Mains Exam: 22 August 2025 onwards
The candidates who will register on the official UPSC website successfully will be issued Admit Cards for IAS exam (Prelims) in about three weeks before the date of the exam. Candidates have to download the same from the UPSC official website. The admit cards will not be sent by post.
There is no sure shot formula to crack the civil services exams conducted by the UPSC – one of the toughest competitive exams in the country. Lakhs of contenders write the prelims and only a few hundred are finally appointed as civil servants. The numbers reveal that cracking the IAS exam requires a specialised approach to preparation. This article compiles ten handy tips to clear the civil services exam as disclosed by previous IAS toppers themselves.
Crack UPSC with expert mentors! Get Free Demo Classes!
UPSC 2025 Exam Pattern
1. Preliminary Examination (Screening Test)
-
Paper I – General Studies: 100 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours
-
Paper II – CSAT: 80 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours (qualifying with 33% marks)
-
Negative marking: 1/3rd mark deducted for each wrong answer
2. Mains Examination (Descriptive)
-
Qualifying Papers:
-
Paper A: Indian Language – 300 marks
-
Paper B: English – 300 marks
-
-
Papers Counted for Merit:
-
Essay – 250 marks
-
General Studies I to IV – 250 marks each
-
Optional Subject Papers I & II – 250 marks each
-
-
Total Marks for Merit: 1,750
3. Personality Test (Interview)
-
275 marks
-
Final Merit: Total of Mains (1,750) + Interview (275) = 2,025 marks
UPSC Previous Question Papers 2025 – IAS Exam Question Paper
Solving the last 10 years UPSC IAS Exam question papers is ideal but considering the change in UPSC exam pattern, here we have given the latest IAS question papers from 2013 to 2018. Using the links given below, you can find previous year IAS Exam question papers for Prelims, Mains and Optional subjects (IAS Exam question paper).
IAS Prelims Paper
The IAS Prelims Paper of UPSC is for screening purpose only. The marks obtained in the UPSC Prelims IAS Paper will be a qualification to take the UPSC Main examination and will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. There are 2 IAS Prelims Papers with objective type questions. Both papers carry 200 marks each and it serves as a screening test only CSAT is the Paper-II of Preliminary Exam the candidate will have to score a minimum 33% of marks for qualifying in Mains (written). Paper-I of IAS Prelims includes mainly the current affairs, while Paper-II or CSAT is the aptitude test.
PDF Links
1: Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
UPSC 2019 Question Paper (QS-1) – CLICK HERE
UPSC 2019 Question Paper(CSAT)- CLICK HERE
UPSC 2018 Question Paper(Paper-I)– CLICK HERE
UPSC 2018 Question Paper(Paper-II)- CLICK HERE
Ace your preparation. That is where Entri comes in. It helps you to prepare effectively for your Exam.
That will be all from our end at Entri, hope you have benefited from our mock tests and study materials. Entri wishes you all the best for your upcoming examinations. Start your Preparation today itself.
Crack UPSC with expert mentors! Get Free Demo Classes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I solve previous year UPSC question papers?
Solving previous year papers helps you:
-
Understand the exam pattern and structure
-
Familiarize yourself with question types and difficulty level
-
Identify frequently asked topics
-
Improve time management
-
Practice real exam-like conditions
Are UPSC question papers the same for all candidates?
Yes, the question paper is the same for all candidates appearing for a particular UPSC exam session (e.g., Prelims Paper I). However, optional subjects in Mains have separate papers based on the subject chosen.
Do questions repeat in UPSC exams?
Exact questions rarely repeat, but topics, themes, and concepts often do. For example, questions on Indian polity, environment, and international relations often reappear in different formats.
