Get a detailed Last five years UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis from 2020 to 2024, covering subject-wise question distribution, difficulty levels, and key trends.
theIAShub | 26 May, 2025 | 6483 | 0 |
The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) Prelims exam is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination. It is a screening test for candidates who want to become IAS, IPS, and other civil service officers. The exam consists of two papers: General Studies Paper 1 and General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT). Paper 1 tests knowledge of history, geography, economy, polity, science, and current affairs. Paper 2 tests reasoning, comprehension, and mathematical ability. The exam is known for its unpredictability, so analyzing past years’ question papers helps aspirants understand the trends and prepare accordingly. Below is a detailed analysis of the last five years of UPSC Prelims exams.
Analyzing the past five years of the UPSC Prelims exam helps candidates understand important subjects, difficulty levels, and changing patterns. The analysis covers the distribution of questions across different subjects, trends in question difficulty, and shifts in focus areas. This will guide aspirants in preparing effectively for future exams.
UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT Paper Download
Aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam should be aware of the pattern followed in recent years. The last five years show trends in subjects like history, polity, economy, geography, science, and current affairs. The analysis will help candidates focus on the most important areas and adjust their preparation strategies accordingly.
Also Check UPSC Prelims 2025 Question Paper
In the 2025 UPSC Prelims Exam, the subject-wise distribution showed a strong focus on Economics, which had the highest number of questions at 21, indicating its growing importance in recent years. Polity and Science & Technology each contributed 15 questions, maintaining their consistent weightage. Geography had 14 questions, while History and Current Affairs both featured 12 and 13 questions respectively, reflecting a balanced coverage of static and dynamic topics. Environment had a noticeable drop compared to previous years, with only 10 questions, suggesting a slight shift in emphasis this year.
| Subject | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Environment | 10 | Moderate to Difficult |
| History | 12 | Easy to Moderate |
| Geography | 14 | Easy to Moderate |
| Economics | 21 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Science & Technology | 15 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Polity | 15 | Easy to Moderate |
| Current Affairs | 13 | Moderate to Difficult |
Also Check UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2025 with Solution
How many of the above are treated as Alternative Investment Funds?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four
2. Which of the following are the sources of income for the Reserve Bank of India?
I. Buying and selling Government bonds
II. Buying and selling foreign currency
III. Pension fund management –
IV. Lending to private companies
V. Printing and distributing currency notes
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I and II only
(b) II, III and IV
(c) I, III, IV and V .
(d) I, II and V
The UPSC Prelims exam consists of two papers: General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT (Paper 2). Below is an analysis of the 2023 exam. The UPSC Prelims question paper analysis shows that the difficulty level was on the higher side compared to the previous year, and many candidates found the paper challenging. Science & Technology, Environment & Ecology were moderate to difficult, while the rest of the subjects were moderate in nature.
| Topics | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Current Affairs | 9 | Moderate |
| Geography and Environment | 36 | Moderate |
| Ancient History | 2 | Difficult |
| Medieval History | 2 | Difficult |
| International Affairs and Others | 3 | Moderate |
| Economics and Social Development | 16 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Polity | 15 | Easy to Moderate |
| Science & Technology | 8 | Moderate |
Also check UPSC Prelims Answer Key (Out Soon)
In 2022, the majority of questions focused on Environment and Science & Technology (31 questions). The exam had a different pattern in options, making elimination strategies difficult.
Download the PDF UPSC 2025 GS Paper 1 in Hindi
| Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| History | 16 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Polity | 11 | Moderate |
| Geography | 10 | Moderate |
| Economics | 16 | Moderate |
| Environment & Science | 31 | Moderate to Difficult |
| International Relations | 14 | Moderate |
| Total | 98 | Moderate |
Also Check the Last 10 years of UPSC Prelims Question Papers with Answers
In the UPSC Prelims 2021, each subject had almost equal weightage. The most important areas were Environment, Polity, and History.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | 21 | Easy to Moderate |
| History | 18 | Easy to Moderate |
| Current Affairs | 11 | Easy to Moderate |
| Science & Technology | 8 | Moderate |
| Environment & Ecology | 18 | Moderate |
| Geography | 10 | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | 14 | Easy to Moderate |
Also Check Prelims CSAT Exam Analysis 2025 (Out Soon)
In 2020, the exam followed its usual pattern, focusing on fundamental concepts.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Economy | 14 | Moderate to Tough |
| Geography | 13 | Moderate to Tough |
| Environment & Ecology | 11 | Moderate to Tough |
| Indian Polity | 14 | Easy to Moderate |
| History & Art and Culture | 19 | Easy to Moderate |
| Science & Technology | 10 | Moderate to Tough |
| Current Affairs | 19 | Easy to Moderate |
| Total Questions | 100 | Overall Moderate |
Subjects like History, Polity, Geography, Environment, and Economics have consistently had a high number of questions in recent years.
The difficulty level varies each year, but the trend shows that conceptual and application-based questions are increasing.
Current affairs play a crucial role, and questions are often linked with core subjects like Polity, Economy, and Science & Technology.
It helps in understanding which topics are frequently asked, what weightage different subjects hold, and how question patterns are changing.
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