Last Updated on June 7, 2025 by Admin
Download UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Papers from 1995 till 2025 in PDF format. All the question papers have been taken from official sources along with UPSC Prelims official answer keys. The answer key to the 2025 paper is not yet available. Official answer key from UPSC side will be available around April 2026.
If you’re looking for all the UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions arranged in subject wise and topic wise fashion, click here.
For convenience and standardisation, we’ve provided Set A UPSC Prelims Question Papers for all the years. The UPSC Official Answer keys for Prelims are for all the sets i.e. A, B, C & D.
UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Papers – General Studies (2011-2025)
UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Papers – CSAT (2011-2025)
Quick Note About UPSC Prelims Pattern Before 2010
The pattern of UPSC Prelims exam changed from 2011 onwards. In the new pattern, CSAT was introduced as a separate paper and General Studies questions were made separate. Prior to 2011, i.e. 2010 and before, UPSC Prelims Question Paper consisted of total 150 questions with approximately 30-40 questions from CSAT while the remaining 110-120 questions were from General Studies.
Even in general studies, the syllabus of UPSC Prelims Question Papers was different than what it is today. Environment was not so much important than what it is today. And the questions from General Knowledge were more important. The orientation of question was also more factual than conceptual.
Thus, from an exam perspective, UPSC prelims previous year question papers from before 2010 are not so important. However we’re making them available here from academic perspective. So feel free to download them and have a look at it. But don’t change your strategy based on what was asked from these papers.
Also a quick note, the official answer keys to these previous year papers is not available now. Thus, the answers are based on study and research. However, there were some questions for which even after research we could not find a concrete answer. So take the answers for these previous year questions with a pinch of salt.
UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Papers (1995-2010)
| Year | Download Prelims Question Paper | Download Prelims Answer Key |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2010 Prelims Question Paper-Download PDF | 2010 Prelims Answer Key-Download PDF |
| 2009 | 2009 Prelims Question Paper-Download PDF | 2009 Prelims Answer Key-Download PDF |
| 2008 | 2008 Prelims Question Paper-Download PDF | 2008 Prelims Answer Key-Download PDF |
UPSC Prelims Question Paper Instructions
Following are the instructions for UPSC Prelims Question Paper (from 2023 CSAT paper). The instructions remain same for GS1 & GS2 (CSAT) Papers except point no. 4, where it says 100 items (questions) for GS1 and 80 for GS2.
Thank you so much Education Province. This is really helpful!
Jitu, Your kind words really motivate us to provide essential data for UPSC Aspirants. Stay Connected.
This is pure gold. I cant thank enough for this collection, no website had these papers available for download. Thanks a ton
Thanks for your kind words Sanidhya, we are always here to provide best among all since we believe every Aspirant is Gem for our Nation.
Thank you for your efforts in providing the question papers. I would like to request you to organise 2008-10 CSE PRELIMS question papers as you have made those of 2007-1995
Actually wherever possible, we’ve tried to provided the official question paper and answer key. For 2008, 2009 and 2010, we could get the official question paper hence it has been published in that manner. For 2007-1995, the official papers or answer keys were not available, hence we’ve kept it in the manner provided above.
Thanks a lot and great effort for all question papers with answers.. Thank you sir god bless you abundantly
Thank you for your kind words Swathi. Best wishes for your preparation!
Great work! I just have three queries:
1. Do you have a plan on mobile app creation of the website?
2. Are you already in the process of adding 2024 prelim questions?
3. Apart from answer keys, I don’t seem to find the CSAT solutions. Do we have it like the GS solved sections? Or am I missing something?
As always, I wholeheartedly appreciate and thank you for your tremendous work!!!
Hello Suraj, So sorry for late reply
1. Currently we don’t have a plan to create mobile app.
2. 2024 Prelims questions will be added mostly after Mains 2024. We do have limited resources, and now, most of is directed towards Mains exam.
3. CSAT is not there in our website, nor is GS Mains solved questions. We’ll try to include that going forward, but difficult to promise exact time.
Really appreciate the efforts!
All the pyq are available at ease
Thanks a lot
one important update require that each question paper should be copy friendly. pdf is not searchable.
We’ll try do that in next update Amit. Thank you for the suggestion.
For students studying me (a Sufi saint) for their exam, Education Province is doing a bit of saint’s work themselves. Amazing consolidation.
Really appreciating work education province . Thank u so much to make easy our prepration through like that effort . This effort really helpfull in our upsc journey ❤️
The most helpful website ever. Thank You so Much for Qualitative data
Thank you
Can you please post papers of 1979 to 1994 in the same manner as well. They are available on internet and i have the pdf as well but they are not formatted cleanly. Could you add them as well so this website becomes a one stop solution for previous 40 years question paper
Actually, it was our conscious decision not to includes questions as old as 1979. In fact, we didn’t wanted to go back to 1995 also. The way UPSC asks questions has changed a lot since 1995. The older questions are more of a factual kind than conceptual. The social and even intellectual situation of country now is too different than it was in 1995. Hence actually referring older question can be, at times misleading.
We’ve included 1995 onward questions just to give a feel of comprehensiveness to students. But in our opinion it doesn’t add much value to preparation. 2005 or 2011 onwards questions are sufficient from exam perspective.
However, we may consider it in future, just to give a sense of completeness to students, and just to make our website One Stop Solution. But again, from preparation perspective, existing PYQs should be more than sufficient.
Thankyou soo much . You have done a commendable job
THANKYOU SO MUCH MY DEAR SIR IM IAS OFFICER OF 2026 BATCH
i need help for pyq
Ji
Hello.sir jay shree krishna sir 1995 ka pdf load nhi ho rha h ……
I sincerely thank you for providing the PYQs. Your effort in compiling and sharing these resources means a lot. They are incredibly helpful for my preparation and give me a clearer understanding of the exam pattern and important topics.
Your support is truly appreciated!
I extend my deepest gratitude for your invaluable assistance.
Your benevolence and timely intervention were profoundly impactful.
Such magnanimity and grace shall forever remain etched in my memory.
With heartfelt appreciation, I thank you most sincerely.
Sir, It was truly a great initiative from your side—thank you so much for your efforts.
If it’s not too much to ask, could you kindly consider including pictorial representations—such as maps and images of animals—wherever relevant, especially in Mapping and Environment-related questions?(In PYQ Solutions) It would greatly enhance understanding and retention.
ha
Thank you so much for your help
Thankyou very much bcz very helpful for many aspirants in competative field. And especially me , 😊💗
thank you so much buddy for providing question paper and answer key at one site.
May god bless you with pink health and wealth.
🙏🙏 YOU ARE MY SAVIOUR
Tq
Hi , why don’t u provide exact book for upsc prelims YEAR – WISE pyq
I need it ……
Thanks for the material which is not available on any coaching website
thank you
Thanks for upsc aspirants
can you provide General Studies Paper 2 also