Previous year questions
Every UPSC question that matters, in one place
The single highest-yield habit in UPSC prep is studying previous-year questions. Browse them by subject and micro-theme — prelims MCQs with answers, mains questions with year and marks.
Prelims · 2008–2026
1,984 MCQs
11 subjects, 221 micro-themes — every MCQ with four options and the correct answer behind a reveal.
Browse prelims PYQs →
Mains · 2013–2026
1,179 questions
GS Paper I · GS Paper II · GS Paper III · GS Paper IV (Ethics) · Essay — each question with its year and marks, organised by micro-theme.
Browse mains PYQs →
Analysis · computed from 3,163 PYQs
Weightage & trends
Which subjects carry the paper, how the paper changed year by year, the most-asked micro-themes and the mains themes that keep repeating.
How to use PYQs
- Attempt a micro-theme's questions closed-book — Practice mode gives instant feedback, Test mode scores you at the end. Filter by year to drill one paper at a time.
- For prelims, note which options UPSC uses as distractors — patterns repeat.
- For mains, rank micro-themes by question count — that is where the marks concentrate, year after year.
- Revisit the same micro-theme after studying the linked concept articles.