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October 22, 2024 06:30
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How many questions are in the UPSC Prelims? The exam includes GS Paper 1 (100 questions, 2 marks each) and CSAT (80 questions, 2.5 marks each), with negative marking.
How Many Questions in UPSC Prelims are Asked?: The UPSC Prelims exam consists of two papers—General Studies Paper 1 (GS1) and General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT). GS Paper 1 has 100 questions covering subjects like History, Polity, Geography, Economy, and Current Affairs, with each question carrying 2 marks. Meanwhile, GS paper 2 or CSAT covers topics such as logical reasoning, decision-making, comprehension, general mental ability, basic numeracy, and data interpretation, comprising 80 questions, each carrying 2.5 marks. Both papers follow a negative marking scheme of 1/3rd per incorrect answer.
The total number of questions asked in the General Studies paper (Paper 1) of UPSC prelims is fixed at 100. The details about Paper 1 is given in the table below:
Number of Questions
100
Total Marks
200
Total Time
3 hrs
Marks for Correct Answer
+2
Marks for Incorrect Answer
-0.66
Marks for no Attempt
0
Cutoff Marks
Varies (75.41 in 2023 for General)
The number of questions in CSAT paper (Paper 2) is different from Paper 1. In Paper 2, 80 questions are asked, compared to 100 in Paper 1. The details about Paper 2 is given below:
Number of Questions
80
Total Marks
200
Total Time
3 hrs
Marks for Correct Answer
+2.5
Marks for Incorrect Answer
-0.83
Marks for no Attempt
0
Cutoff Marks
66.67
UPSC keeps changing the weightage of questions in UPSC prelims. Based on trends from the last few years, we can arrive at an approximate number. The details are given in the table below.
The breakdown of questions into sub topics for General Studies paper is given below:
Subject
Number of Questions
Polity
15-20
History
15-20
Geography
10-15
Economy
10-15
Environment and Ecology
10-15
Science and Technology
10-15
Current Affairs
20-30
Miscellaneous
5-10
The CSAT paper can be broadly divided into three subjects. The detailed analysis is given in the table below:
Subject
Number of Questions
Reasoning Ability
13-15
Reading Comprehension
23-27
Numerical Ability
35-40
There is no fixed number of questions to be attempted in both papers of the UPSC prelims. Candidates must keep in mind accuracy while attempting the questions. There is no scope for guesswork in UPSC prelims due to the negative marking scheme.
In Paper 1, candidates attempting <80 questions and those attempting >80 questions have both cleared the cutoff marks. Hence, candidates will have to devise their own strategies for attempting questions.
In Paper 2, candidates have to use their time efficiently to attempt a maximum number of questions. To clear the cutoff mark of 66.67, candidates have to attempt at least 45-55 questions with high accuracy.
Candidates have to decide how many questions in UPSC prelims have to be attempted based on their experience, which begins right at the start of their preparation. You can follow some of these tips to arrive at the best conclusion.
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