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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) held the eagerly awaited Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 on May 25, 2025, in several centres across India. The two-session examination was the first test for lakhs of candidates seeking to join India’s top civil services like the IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. The General Studies (GS) Paper I, held in the morning session (9:30 AM – 11:30 AM), examined candidates on various subjects such as history, geography, polity, economy, environment, and current affairs. As the competition becomes increasingly intense every year, the official UPSC Prelims Question Paper PDF has created much hullabaloo among aspirants, teachers, and coaching centers alike. This article contains the direct link to download this year’s question paper and summaries necessary highlights from this year’s exam.
UPSC Prelims 2025 Question Paper
UPSC Preliminary 2025 General Studies Paper I was conducted on May 25, 2025, morning session from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The UPSC Prelims Question Paper contained questions on Polity, History, Economy, Geography, Environment, Science & Tech, and Current Affairs. The candidates have rated the paper as moderately hard, with the analytical questions having priority. Release of the original question paper is significant for the candidates for Mains 2025 preparation or for attempting in the future in 2026.
Check here: UPSC Prelims 2025 Exam Analysis
UPSC Prelims Exam 2025 Overview
UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 took place on 25th May 2025 during the morning session. It was the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other Group A & B services screening test. UPSC Prelims Question Paper tested candidates on subjects like current affairs, history, polity, geography, and the environment. The test was as uncertain as the image of UPSC, with moderate to very high difficulty levels. Some of the important highlights of the test are presented in a small table below.
Particulars | Details |
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Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2025 |
Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
Exam Date | 25th May 2025 |
Session | First Half (9:30 AM – 11:30 AM) |
Paper Name | General Studies Paper I (GS) |
Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen & Paper-based) |
Type of Questions | Objective (MCQ) |
Total Questions | 100 |
Total Marks | 200 |
Duration | 2 Hours |
UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2025 with Detailed Explanation
UPSC Prelims 2025 Paper PDF Link
In order to assist the aspirants to scrutinize the exam in depth and make preparation for the Mains accordingly, we are sharing the official UPSC Prelims GS Paper I 2025 PDF. Downloading the paper is not just critical for assessment of performance but also for analyzing the trend and designing strategies for the subsequent phases. Professionals recommend attempting the paper under timed conditions to get a feel of the real exam. Click the link below to download your copy of the UPSC Prelims 2025 General Studies Question Paper.
Download UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper I PDF
How to Download the UPSC Prelims 2025 Question Paper
Follow these simple steps to download the official UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper:
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Visit the official UPSC website – https://upsc.gov.in
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Navigate to the “Examinations” tab and select “Previous Question Papers”.
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Click on “Civil Services Examination”.
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Locate the 2025 Prelims GS Paper I and click the download link.
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Save the PDF to your device for offline analysis.
UPSC Prelims Paper 2025 Trends and Analysis
The UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper I displayed a moderate to difficult level of questions, with a visible shift towards conceptual and analytical understanding. Key trends noted include:
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Environment and Ecology remained dominant, reflecting UPSC’s continued emphasis on climate awareness.
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Current Affairs questions were spread across themes such as international relations, recent government schemes, and global summits.
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Polity and Governance featured conceptual questions based on constitutional articles and judicial interpretations.
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History and Art & Culture saw reduced weightage compared to 2024.
Last Five Years UPSC Prelims GS Question Papers PDF
Practicing previous years’ question papers is one of the most effective ways to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. It helps aspirants understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and important topics frequently asked by UPSC. Below are the direct PDF links to the General Studies (GS) Question Papers from the last five years (2021 to 2025). Downloading and solving these papers will sharpen your problem-solving speed and accuracy.
Year | Question Paper PDF Links |
2014 | |
2015 | |
2016 | |
2017 | |
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
2023 | |
2024 |