UPSC Previous Year Question Papers (2016–2026)
Free downloads of the official UPSC Civil Services Examination question papers, 2016 to 2026: Prelims GS Paper I and CSAT, and Mains Essay and GS Papers I to IV. Every paper is bilingual (Hindi and English), with no login or sign-up.
About these papers
Each PDF is the question paper booklet published by the Union Public Service Commission, shared as it is, with no edits, watermarks or extra pages. Prelims PDFs are full 40–56 page booklets, so some files are large (up to 35 MB); download them on Wi-Fi if your data is limited.
UPSC Prelims question papers year-wise (2016–2026)
The Prelims has two objective papers on the same day. GS Paper I decides the merit for Mains; CSAT only needs to be cleared at 33 per cent.
| Year | GS Paper I | CSAT (Paper II) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | GS Paper I 2026 (36 MB) | CSAT 2026 (28 MB) |
| 2025 | GS Paper I 2025 (29 MB) | CSAT 2025 (32 MB) |
| 2024 | GS Paper I 2024 (31 MB) | CSAT 2024 (31 MB) |
| 2023 | GS Paper I 2023 (7 MB) | CSAT 2023 (30 MB) |
| 2022 | GS Paper I 2022 (10 MB) | CSAT 2022 (9 MB) |
| 2021 | GS Paper I 2021 (31 MB) | CSAT 2021 (35 MB) |
| 2020 | GS Paper I 2020 (13 MB) | CSAT 2020 (13 MB) |
| 2019 | GS Paper I 2019 (1 MB) | CSAT 2019 (2 MB) |
| 2018 | GS Paper I 2018 (7 MB) | CSAT 2018 (7 MB) |
| 2017 | GS Paper I 2017 (8 MB) | CSAT 2017 (9 MB) |
| 2016 | GS Paper I 2016 (4 MB) | CSAT 2016 (4 MB) |
UPSC Mains question papers year-wise (2016–2026)
The Essay and four General Studies papers below make up 1,250 of the 1,750 written marks in Mains. Optional subject papers and the qualifying language papers are not included here. Click a year to read every question of that year’s papers as text, in exam order with marks and topics.
| Year | Essay | GS Paper I | GS Paper II | GS Paper III | GS Paper IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 all questions | Essay (1 MB) | GS I (2 MB) | GS II (4 MB) | GS III (5 MB) | GS IV (6 MB) |
| 2025 all questions | Essay (1 MB) | GS I (2 MB) | GS II (2 MB) | GS III (3 MB) | GS IV (7 MB) |
| 2024 all questions | Essay (1 MB) | GS I (2 MB) | GS II (2 MB) | GS III (2 MB) | GS IV (10 MB) |
| 2023 all questions | Essay (2 MB) | GS I (2 MB) | GS II (3 MB) | GS III (2 MB) | GS IV (11 MB) |
| 2022 all questions | Essay (<1 MB) | GS I (3 MB) | GS II (4 MB) | GS III (4 MB) | GS IV (8 MB) |
| 2021 all questions | Essay (1 MB) | GS I (3 MB) | GS II (2 MB) | GS III (3 MB) | GS IV (6 MB) |
| 2020 all questions | Essay (<1 MB) | GS I (<1 MB) | GS II (<1 MB) | GS III (<1 MB) | GS IV (1 MB) |
| 2019 all questions | Essay (<1 MB) | GS I (2 MB) | GS II (2 MB) | GS III (2 MB) | GS IV (4 MB) |
| 2018 all questions | Essay (<1 MB) | GS I (<1 MB) | GS II (<1 MB) | GS III (<1 MB) | GS IV (<1 MB) |
| 2017 all questions | Essay (1 MB) | GS I (3 MB) | GS II (3 MB) | GS III (3 MB) | GS IV (5 MB) |
| 2016 all questions | – | GS I (3 MB) | GS II (4 MB) | GS III (3 MB) | GS IV (9 MB) |
UPSC CSE paper format at a glance
| Paper | Questions | Marks and time |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims GS Paper I | 100 objective questions | 200 marks, 2 hours; one-third negative marking |
| Prelims CSAT (Paper II) | 80 objective questions | 200 marks, 2 hours; qualifying at 33% |
| Mains Essay | 2 essays, one from each of two sections | 250 marks, 3 hours |
| Mains GS Papers I–III | Usually 20 questions (10 × 10 marks, 10 × 15 marks) | 250 marks each, 3 hours |
| Mains GS Paper IV (Ethics) | Section A theory, Section B case studies | 250 marks, 3 hours |
Full details are on the UPSC exam pattern and UPSC syllabus pages.
How to use UPSC previous year papers
- Read the syllabus with the papers open. Mark which syllabus line each question comes from; this shows which parts UPSC returns to year after year.
- Attempt at least the last five Prelims papers as full mocks in 2 hours, then list the topic of every wrong or skipped question.
- Read the Mains papers before you make notes. The directive words (discuss, examine, critically analyse) and the 150 and 250 word limits tell you how deep each topic has to go.
- Write answers to recent Mains questions under time, about 7 minutes for a 10-mark answer and 11 minutes for a 15-mark answer, and get them reviewed.
Related: UPPSC PCS previous year papers, MCQ Test Builder for topic-wise practice and Mains answer evaluation.
हिंदी में
इस पेज पर UPSC सिविल सेवा परीक्षा के 2016 से 2026 तक के मूल प्रश्न पत्र मुफ़्त PDF में उपलब्ध हैं: प्रारंभिक परीक्षा (सामान्य अध्ययन प्रश्न-पत्र I और CSAT) और मुख्य परीक्षा (निबंध और सामान्य अध्ययन प्रश्न-पत्र I से IV)। हर प्रश्न पत्र हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी दोनों में है।
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download UPSC previous year question papers in PDF?
This page has the official UPSC Civil Services Prelims (GS Paper I and CSAT) and Mains (Essay and GS Papers I to IV) question papers from 2016 to 2026 as free PDFs, with no login or sign-up.
Are these the official UPSC question papers?
Yes. Every PDF is the question paper booklet published by the Union Public Service Commission, shared as it is without edits, watermarks or added pages.
Are UPSC question papers available in Hindi?
Yes. UPSC prints Prelims and Mains question papers in both Hindi and English in the same booklet, so every PDF on this page is bilingual.
How many questions are there in UPSC Prelims GS Paper I and CSAT?
GS Paper I has 100 questions for 200 marks and CSAT (Paper II) has 80 questions for 200 marks. Each paper is 2 hours long, a wrong answer costs one-third of the marks for that question, and CSAT is qualifying at 33 per cent.
How many marks is each UPSC Mains GS paper?
The Essay paper and each of GS Papers I to IV carry 250 marks and are 3 hours long. GS Papers I to III usually have 20 questions (10 of 10 marks and 10 of 15 marks), while GS Paper IV (Ethics) has two sections, theory and case studies.
Which years of UPSC question papers are on this page?
Prelims and Mains papers from 2016 to 2026. The Mains 2016 Essay paper and the optional subject papers are not on this page yet.
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Source: Question papers published by the Union Public Service Commission on upsc.gov.in. Prepared by the GSMitra Editorial Team. Last updated 1 November 2026.