Check out the UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 by theIAShub and examine the exam trends, question types, and difficulty level. This analysis breaks down history, culture, and geography topics to help aspirants plan their studies effectively for better exam performance in the future.
theIAShub | 23 Aug, 2025 | 5451 | 0 |
UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 by theIAshub is now available to review after the UPSC GS Paper 1 concluded on 23 August 2025. The UPSC Civil Services Examination officially started from 22 August 2025, and the GS 1 paper was scheduled for the morning shift on 23 August 2025, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This article provides the aspirants with the latest UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 Analysis 2025, the UPSC Mains GS Question Paper 1 PDF, along with all the valuable information about this year’s exam pattern, question trends, and the important topics.
Also Read: UPPSC Exam 2025
The UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 2025 is an important part of the Civil Services Examination that mainly focuses on the Indian heritage and culture, history, and geography. The GS Paper 1 tests a candidate’s subject matter expertise and helps assess their ability to think critically and connect various concepts, and write analytical and thoughtful answers.
Also Read: UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2026
UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper 2025 tests a candidate’s subject knowledge through a variety of questions. It is designed to evaluate a candidate’s subject knowledge and how clearly they can explain their ideas. Here are this year’s key highlights for the UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 2025.
|
Features |
Details |
| Name of Examination | UPSC GS Paper 1 |
| Exam Date | 23 August 2025 |
| Timing | 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. |
| Main Topics | Art & Culture, Indian history, society, and geography |
| Total Questions | 20 (Compulsory) |
| Total Marks | 250 |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Nature of Paper | Counted for the final merit list |
Also Read: UPSC Mains Question Papers 2025
The PDF for the UPSC Mains GS Question Paper 1 2025 has been attached here since the exam concluded on 23 August 2025. The aspirants can download and save the question paper PDF from the table below. Additionally, theIAShub also provides a detailed UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 to help candidates review and grasp the important aspects of the UPSC examination.
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Paper |
|
| UPSC Mains GS 1 Question Paper 2025 | PDF Link |
Also Read: UPSC GS 1 Question Paper 2025
UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 has been one of the integral components of the UPSC Civil Services Examination over the years. The candidates are expected to answer a variety of questions based on Indian art, history, geography, and society to test their conceptual knowledge and analytical skills. The detailed analysis of the GS Paper 1 for the last 5 years, from 2021 to 2025, is provided here. Through these years, the GS Paper 1 has gradually evolved, centering more on a candidate’s subject understanding and their ability to link conceptual knowledge with current affairs.
Also Read: UPSC Mains Admit Card 2025
The comprehensive UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 is shared by theIAShub’s subject matter expert to offer aspirants professional insights about the questions asked, emerging trends, and difficulty levels. The GS 1 Paper primarily covers Indian heritage and culture, History, Indian Society, and Geography. The GS Paper 1 for the 2025 session was well-balanced, testing a candidate’s factual knowledge as well as analytical skills.
1. Indian Heritage & Culture: The Indian heritage culture included questions that required understanding of classical and folk art, traditional practices, and their importance in Indian society.
2. History: The questions were evenly spread across all historical periods. The paper also asked for historical events analysis, their impact on society, and connections to present-day India.
3. Indian Society: Questions focused on current social challenges, cultural diversity, and the effects of modernization and globalization.
4. Geography: Geography remains a high-scoring topic with around 100 marks of weightage and includes questions based on solar energy, non-farm primary activities, smart cities, and urban poverty issues.
The difficulty level ranged from moderate to challenging in some areas. Here is a table displaying the question distribution and the topic-wise difficulty levels.
|
Subjects |
Main Topics Covered | No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
| Indian Heritage & Culture | Art, Architecture, Literature, Dance, Temple Traditions | 3 | Moderate |
| History | Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Post-Independence, World | 5 | Moderate–Difficult |
| Indian Society | Features, Social Issues, Globalisation, Demography | 6 | Moderate |
| Geography | Indian and World Geo, Resources, Industry, Environment | 6 | Moderate–Difficult |
The 2024 GS Paper 1 showed a slight increase in the questions based on Indian society, displaying the UPSC’s focus on social challenges like globalisation and modernisation. The Geography section contained both the Indian and world aspects, including resources and industrial growth. This year’s GS Paper 1 level of difficulty ranges from moderate to somewhat challenging, especially in the Indian society section, requiring candidates to show their analytical skills and updated awareness about the subject.
|
Subject |
Topics Covered | No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
| Indian Heritage and Culture, History | Indian Art, Architecture, and Literature
Ancient, Modern History, World History, Post-Independence |
6 Questions | Moderate |
| Indian Society | Social Issues, Globalisation, Modernisation | 7 Questions | Moderate to Difficult |
| Geography | World Geography, Indian Geography | 7 Questions | Moderate |
The UPSC’s main focus was on history and geography for the GS Paper 1 Analysis 2023. The questions asked mostly address ancient and modern historical periods, along with the physical and economic geography. The paper was mostly moderate in difficulty level and expected the candidates to connect the static knowledge with current affairs.
|
Subject |
Topics Covered | No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
| Art and Culture | Indian Art, Architecture, Literature | 1 | Moderate |
| History | Ancient, Medieval, Modern History, World History, Post-Independence | 5 | Moderate |
| Indian Society | Social Issues, Globalisation, Modernisation | 6 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Geography | Indian Geography, World Geography, Resource distribution, Climate patterns, Human geography, Industrial growth | 8 | Moderate |
In 2022, the UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 included 20 questions spread across the core subjects of GS Paper 1. There was a slight increase in the Art and Culture questions than the previous year. The geography section contained a total of 9 questions addressing resource distribution, climate patterns, and such. The difficulty level for this year’s GS Paper 1 was mostly moderate.
|
Subject |
Topics Covered | Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
| Art and Culture | Indian Art, Architecture, Literature | 3 | Moderate |
| History | Ancient, Medieval, Modern History, World History, Post-Independence | 2 | Moderate |
| Indian Society | Social Issues, Globalisation, Modernisation | 6 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Geography | Indian Geography, World Geography, Resource distribution, Climate patterns, Human geography, Industrial growth | 9 | Moderate |
The 2021 GS Paper 1 carried questions across art and culture, history, society, and geography. The geography questions covered both the physical and human geography of India and the world. The overall difficulty level was from moderate to difficult, with social and geographical questions being more towards the difficult level.
|
Subject |
Topics Covered | Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
| Art and Culture | Indian Art, Architecture, Literature | 1 | Moderate |
| History | Ancient, Medieval, Modern History, World History, Post-Independence | 5 | Moderate |
| Indian Society | Social Issues, Globalisation, Modernisation | 6 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Geography | Indian Geography, World Geography, Resource distribution, Climate patterns, Human geography, Industrial growth | 8 | Moderate to Difficult |
Also Read: UPSC Admit Card for Mains 2025
UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 is an important part of UPSC preparation as it helps the aspirants understand the exam pattern, identify important topics, the types of questions asked, and the levels of difficulty. This analysis gives valuable information about the GS Paper 1 of the Civil Services Examination that can help candidates in preparing more effectively and improving their chances of scoring well.
UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 by theIAShub is essential for all UPSC aspirants as it breaks down each of the GS Paper 1 topics in an easy-to-understand way and highlights the key areas and difficulty levels for focused preparation. Reviewing the UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper Analysis 2025 helps candidates to prepare with a solid strategy and improves their chances of scoring well in the GS Paper 1. Download the UPSC Mains GS Question Paper 1 2025 PDF and explore the detailed analysis provided by theIAShub to stay updated and ensure that your preparation is on the right track.
The UPSC GS 1 Paper carries a total of 250 marks, in which 10 questions carry 10 marks each and the other 10 questions carry 15 marks each.
The UPSC GS 1 paper carries a total of 20 questions. The word limit for questions carrying 10 marks is 150, and 15 marks is 250.
You can easily download the UPSC GS Paper 1 PDF from this article after the exam has commenced.
Yes, including relevant examples and case studies helps you strengthen your answers and display a deeper understanding.
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