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UPSC CSE Previous Year Question Papers

Civil Services Examination

Union Public Service Commission26 papers · 2018–2025Verified 3 Oct 2026
Browse Previous Year PapersOfficial website

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All 26 papers

About UPSC CSE

The Civil Services Examination is UPSC's annual three-stage recruitment for the IAS, IPS, Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Revenue Services and other Group A and Group B central services. Graduates from any discipline sit an objective preliminary screening, then a descriptive main exam with an optional subject, and finally a personality test. The 2026 cycle advertised roughly 933 vacancies.

Eligibility (summary)

Graduate degree from a recognised university; age 21-32 as on 1 August 2026 (category relaxations apply); 6 attempts for general candidates, more for OBC/PwBD and unlimited for SC/ST within age limit. Read the latest notification for exact age limits, relaxations and qualifications.

Stages & subjects

  1. 1

    Preliminary Examination

    Offline objective MCQ screening test of two papers; GS Paper-II (CSAT) is qualifying

  2. 2

    Main Examination (Written)

    Nine descriptive papers: two qualifying language papers and seven papers counted for merit

  3. 3

    Personality Test

    Interview by a UPSC board that assesses suitability for public service

General Studies (Paper I)CSAT (General Studies Paper II)Indian Language (qualifying)English (qualifying)EssayGeneral Studies IGeneral Studies IIGeneral Studies IIIGeneral Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)Optional Subject Paper 1Optional Subject Paper 2

Exam pattern

Summarised from the official notification. Patterns change; confirm in the latest notice.

StagePattern
Preliminary Examination2 objective papers of 200 marks each, 2 hours each; GS Paper-II qualifying at 33%; negative marking of one-third of the question's marks per wrong answer; marks not counted for final merit2026 notification (Exam Notice 05/2026-CSE) · source
Main Examination (Written)Qualifying Paper A (Indian language) and Paper B (English), 300 marks each; merit papers are Essay, GS I-IV and two optional papers, 250 marks each (1750 total); each paper 3 hours2026 notification (Exam Notice 05/2026-CSE) · source
Personality Test275 marks with no minimum qualifying marks; grand total 2025 marks2026 notification (Exam Notice 05/2026-CSE) · source

Preparing with UPSC CSE papers

  • Start with the most recent paper (2025) to see the current style, then work backwards.
  • Practise each stage separately: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination (Written), Personality Test.
  • Re-check the syllabus in the latest notification before relying on older papers.

FAQs

Where can I download UPSC CSE previous year papers?

PYQSathi lists 26 UPSC CSE papers from 2018 to 2025, each linked to its official source. Open the paper library above and pick a year.

Who conducts UPSC CSE?

UPSC CSE is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Notifications, dates and results are published on its official website.

Is this information official?

No. PYQSathi is independent. We summarise official documents and link to them, last checked 3 Oct 2026. Always confirm on the official website before applying.

Official sources

Last verified 3 Oct 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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