Quick answer
UPSC publishes every Prelims paper. Open the official papers on UPSC's website, then use our analysis below to see how the paper is changing. Our analysis of the official papers is below, and every full mock follows the same pattern.
Official question papers
UPSC publishes every Prelims paper. Open the official papers on UPSC's website, then use our analysis below to see how the paper is changing.
Question formats in GS Paper I
| Format | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How many of the above are correct (statements, items, pairs) | 47 | 17 | 27 | 2 |
| Statement-I / Statement-II (incl. the 3-statement version) | 18 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
| Classic coded options (1 only / 1 and 2 only / …) | 7 | 43 | 42 | 59 |
| New in 2026 (conclusion, relationship, inference, List-I/II) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Direct single-answer | 28 | 27 | 17 | 25 |
RankVyuh's count of the official papers; allow ±1–2 per row.
Questions by subject
| Subject | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polity | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| History and Art & Culture | 13 | 12 | 12 | 21 |
| Geography | 16 | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Economy | 14 | 14 | 21 | 13 |
| Environment | 12 | 15 | 10 | 9 |
| Science & Technology | 15 | 13 | 15 | 18 |
Subject tags from Vajiram & Ravi's paper analyses; other analysts tag some questions differently.
Practise on the real UPSC Prelims pattern
5 full mocks with the same sections, timer and marking. The first one is free.
Questions students ask
Where can I solve UPSC Prelims previous year papers online?
UPSC publishes every Prelims paper. Open the official papers on UPSC's website, then use our analysis below to see how the paper is changing. Our analysis of the official papers is below, and every full mock follows the same pattern.
Are the UPSC Prelims previous year paper mocks free?
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) publishes the papers on its website; the links are above. Our full mocks follow the same pattern and the first one is free.
How should I use UPSC Prelims previous year papers?
Take each paper as a timed mock, not a reading exercise. Then compare the report with a fresh full mock: the topics you lose marks on in both are where to spend the next week.