Every applicant hoping to pass the Civil Services Examination needs to have access to the UPSC IAS PYQ for both the Prelims and Mains. These papers provide firsthand information about the kinds of questions UPSC asks, the degree of difficulty, and the evolving patterns over time. Solving PYQs is a tried-and-true step towards success, regardless of how far along you are in your preparation.
UPSC Civil Services IAS 2026 Exam Notification
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the official notification for the Civil Service Exam every year. Additionally, the UPSC released the notification for the Civil Service Exam 2026 on 04 February 2026, announcing 933 vacancies. UPSC CSE Exam Date – 24th May 2026, so be prepared for the exam. If you want to know more about the exam details, check our article UPSC Civil Service Notification 2026. Here, we present the previous year’s question papers for exam preparation, organized in a table.
UPSC Civil Services Previous Year Question Papers
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2025 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2024 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2023 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2022 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2021 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2020 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2019 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2018 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2017 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2016 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2015 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| UPSC Prelims PYQ 2014 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
UPSC IAS Mains PYQ
Here in this table are UPSC IAS Mains PYQs and Essay Exam downloads in PDF format.
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2025 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2024 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2023 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2022 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2021 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2020 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2019 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2018 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2017 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2016 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2015 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
| UPSC Mains PYQ 2014 | |
| Paper I | Paper II |
| Paper III | Paper IV |
| Essay | |
UPSC IAS PYQ Exam Pattern
UPSC IAS consists of two objective-type papers, i.e., General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (popularly known as CSAT). And also, both of the papers were done on the same day. Paper I covers subjects like history, geography, polity, economy, and current affairs. Paper II assesses the candidate’s comprehension, analytical ability, and decision-making skills.
| Paper | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies Paper I | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT) | 80 | 200 |
UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam Pattern
It is a written examination with nine papers, including one qualifying paper on Indian languages and one on English. And also, the remaining papers cover Essays, General Studies (I, II, III, and IV), and optional subjects chosen by the candidate.
| Name of the Paper | Subject | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Indian Language | 300 |
| Paper B | English | 300 |
| Paper I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper II | General Studies I | 250 |
| Paper III | General Studies II | 250 |
| Paper IV | General Studies III | 250 |
| Paper V | General Studies IV | 250 |
| Paper VI | Optional I | 250 |
| Paper VII | Optional II | 250 |
UPSC IAS PYQ and Study Recommended Books
| Book Name | Book Type | Book Link |
| UPSC IAS Prelims PYQs (2011–2025) English Medium | General Studies & CSAT | 2500+ Chapterwise & Topicwise Solved Questions with Detailed Explanations | Month-wise Preparation Strategy | UPSC Civil Services Exam Book | Question Bank | View Book |
| UPSC IAS Prelims (Civil Services) book by AS Pandit Sir for Exam In Hindi | Solved Papers | View Book |
| UPSC Prelims Book for Exam In Hindi | Solved Papers | View Book |
| UPSC Prelims Book for Exam In English | Solved Papers | View Book |
| Examcart Latest Easy to Learn General English Book By Harsh Pratap Sir for All Competitive Exams 2026 | Banking, SSC, DSSSB, NDA, Agniveer, GATE, UPSC, State PCS, Police & Teaching Exam) (Bilingual) | Text Book | View Book |
| Examcart General Science Book By Kajal Sihag for All Competitive Exams 2026 | Complete Theory, PYQs, Mock Papers | For UPSC, PCS, SSC, Railway, NDA, Agniveer, CTET, KVS & Other Exams (Hindi Medium) | Text Book | View Book |
UPSC Civil Services FAQ
Ans: Simply download from this blog. which is very easy to download in PDF format
Ans: Candidates can better grasp the format, difficulty level, and key subjects covered in the UPSC Civil Service exam by practicing the UPSC previous year question papers.
Ans: A graduation degree from a recognized university.
