Go through the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 analysis done by the expert faculty of theIAShub and explore the key trends, question types, and difficulty level. This detailed breakdown of GS Paper 3 helps aspirants plan their UPSC preparation with confidence and clarity.
UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF is released by theIAShub right after the exam concluded on 24 August 2025, the second day of the Civil Services (Mains) Examination. The GS Paper 3 was scheduled in the morning session from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This article brings you the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 analysis, covering all the important topics, levels of difficulty, and the exam pattern based on the official question paper. The aspirants can download the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF and stay updated on the latest question trends and adjust their study approach for better performance.
Also Read: UPPSC Exam 2025
UPSC GS Paper 3 in the Civil Services Mains Examination plays a crucial role in evaluating a candidate’s knowledge about the Indian economy, agriculture, environment, internal security, disaster management, and science & technology. Performing well in this paper reflects a candidate’s subject understanding, current affairs awareness, and their ability to analyse, interlink, and present effective solutions. Here are a few of the important features of UPSC GS 3 Paper 2025:
| Features | Details |
| Name of Examination | UPSC GS 3 Paper |
| Exam Date | 24 August 2025 |
| Timing | 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. |
| Main Topics | Economy, Environment, Science & Technology, Disaster Management, Security |
| Total Questions | 20 (Compulsory) |
| Total Marks | 250 |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Nature of Paper | Counted for final merit |
Also Read: UPSC Mains Question Papers 2025
The official UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF is attached below by theIAShub. The aspirants can also review the UPSC Mains GS 3 analysis to get the expert’s insight on the questions asked in this year’s paper. Download and review the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF and view the analysis for future preparations.
| Paper | |
| UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 |
Download Link |
Also Read: UPSC Mains GS 3 Paper Analysis 2025
The detailed UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 analysis is included right after the exam finished on 24 August 2025. theIAShub’s subject matter experts provide a clear and thorough breakdown of the questions asked, highlight key trends, and review the overall difficulty level to help aspirants understand this year’s GS Paper 3.
For the 2025 session, the UPSC GS 3 paper followed its traditional structure with 20 compulsory questions (divided into 10 x 10 marks and 10 x 15 marks, a total of 250 marks). The paper covered a comprehensive range of topics such as Economy, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Environment, Disaster Management, and Internal Security. The GS Paper 3 included static concepts with dynamic, real-world developments and required current awareness rather than just factual knowledge. There were many questions linked to recent happenings, government reports, and policy initiatives, especially in the environment, science, tech, and internal security.
The overall difficulty level was moderate to tough. While some questions looked straightforward, writing quality answers under exam pressure was challenging. Here is a table to show topic-wise question breakdown and what was covered in each topic:
| Section | Approx. No. of Questions | Notable Coverage |
| Economy & Development | 4 | HDI vs IHDI, Protectionism, Fiscal Health Index, PLI Scheme |
| Agriculture & Rural Economy | 3–4 | High-value crops, Supply chain management, Food processing, Groundwater depletion |
| Science & Technology | 2–3 | India’s role in ITER (fusion energy), Nanotechnology in agriculture, Semiconductor mission |
| Environment & Climate Change | 4 | CCUS (Carbon Capture), Seawater intrusion, Mining hazards, COP26, Paris Commitments |
| Disaster Management | 2 | Often interlinked with the environment (e.g., mitigation strategies for various hazards) |
| Internal Security | 4 | Terrorism, Left Wing Extremism (LWE), North-East security, Maritime security |

Also Read: UPSC Admit Card for Mains 2025
The GS Paper 3 has considerably changed over the years, reflecting the ever-evolving nature of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The analysis reveals a notable shift in the topic-wise weightage, question framing, and difficulty levels, displaying a trend shift towards the analytical and problem-solving questions. These types of questions require the candidates to think critically and interlink the real-life case studies with the conceptual knowledge. Below is the UPSC GS 3 Paper Analysis through the years from 2021 to 2025.
| Subjects | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Economy/ Agriculture | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7-8 |
| Environment/ Ecology | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Science & Tech | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2-3 |
| Disaster Management | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Internal Security | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Difficulty levels | Moderate | Moderate to Tough | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate to Tough |

Also Read: Important Topics for UPSC Mains 2025
The comprehensive UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 analysis is shared here, and theIAShub’s experts have broken down the paper by topics, providing a clear picture of question distribution and areas of emphasis.
Topic Breakdown:
It is very important to analyse the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper as it helps aspirants understand the types of questions asked, the key topics to focus on, and the latest exam trend. Having a better understanding of the subject helps the candidates to be able to focus their preparation better, improve their answer-writing skills, and increase their chances of scoring high in the exam.
By following the latest UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 analysis, the aspirants can align their preparation, understand the exam demands, and the latest question trends, so that they know which subject to focus more on. The yearly analysis trend can help them tailor their preparation according to the evolving expectations of UPSC and maximise their chances of scoring well in the GS Paper 3. Check out the latest question paper analysis and download the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF provided by theIAShub.
You can download the UPSC GS 3 Question Paper 2025 PDF from the link provided above in the table.
There are a total of 20 compulsory questions asked, out of which 10 questions are of 10 marks while the rest of 10 questions carry 15 marks each.
Analysing the GS Paper 3 can help identify important and frequently asked areas that can aid you in prioritizing the topics to focus on.
Yes, the UPSC GS Paper 3 carries a total of 20 compulsory questions.
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