The UPSC Civil Services Examination is one of the toughest competitive exams in India. Every year lakhs of aspirants prepare for the exam, but only a few succeed. One of the smartest strategies to crack the examination is solving UPSC Mains previous year question papers regularly.
Previous year question papers help candidates understand the exam pattern, important topics, answer-writing style, and the level of analytical thinking required in the UPSC Mains examination. Whether you are preparing for IAS, IPS, IFS, or other civil services, practicing UPSC Mains PYQs can significantly improve your performance.
According to the official Union Public Service Commission website, UPSC releases previous year question papers for General Studies, Essay, Language Papers, and Optional Subjects every year.
📚 What is the UPSC Mains Examination?
The UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam is the second stage of the Civil Services Examination after the Preliminary exam 📝. Candidates who qualify for Prelims appear for the Mains written examination.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Indian Language (Qualifying) | 300 |
| Paper B | English (Qualifying) | 300 |
| Paper I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper II | GS Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper III | GS Paper 2 | 250 |
| Paper IV | GS Paper 3 | 250 |
| Paper V | GS Paper 4 (Ethics) | 250 |
| Paper VI | Optional Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper VII | Optional Paper 2 | 250 |
📥 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers PDF Download (2025–2020)
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2025 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2025 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2024 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2024 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2023 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2023 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2022 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2022 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2021 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2021 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📘 UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers 2020 PDF Download
| UPSC Mains Question Papers 2020 | PDF Download |
| UPSC Mains Essay | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies I | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies II | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies III | Download |
| UPSC Mains General Studies IV | Download |
📝 UPSC Ethics Previous Year Question Paper [Paper 4]
| UPSC GS Paper 4 (Ethics) Paper | PDF Download |
| UPSC Ethics 2025 Question Paper | Download |
| UPSC Ethics 2024 Question Paper | Download |
| UPSC Ethics 2023 Question Paper | Download |
| UPSC Ethics 2022 Question Paper | Download |
| UPSC Ethics 2021 Question Paper | Download |
📖 UPSC Mains Optional Previous Year Question Papers
Choose your UPSC Optional Subject and download the previous year’s question papers PDF
UPSC Optional Subjects Previous Year Question Papers
| 📌 Sl. No. | Optional Subject 📖 | Download 📥 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agriculture | Download PDF |
| 2 | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | Download PDF |
| 3 | Anthropology | Download PDF |
| 4 | Botany | Download PDF |
| 5 | Chemistry | Download PDF |
| 6 | Civil Engineering | Download PDF |
| 7 | Commerce & Accountancy | Download PDF |
| 8 | Economics | Download PDF |
| 9 | Electrical Engineering | Download PDF |
| 10 | Geography | Download PDF |
| 11 | Geology | Download PDF |
| 12 | History | Download PDF |
| 13 | Law | Download PDF |
| 14 | Management | Download PDF |
| 15 | Mathematics | Download PDF |
| 16 | Mechanical Engineering | Download PDF |
| 17 | Medical Science | Download PDF |
| 18 | Philosophy | Download PDF |
| 19 | Physics | Download PDF |
| 20 | Political Science & International Relations | Download PDF |
| 21 | Psychology | Download PDF |
| 22 | Public Administration | Download PDF |
| 23 | Sociology | Download PDF |
| 24 | Statistics | Download PDF |
| 25 | Zoology | Download PDF |
UPSC Literature Optional Subjects Previous Year Question Papers
| 📌 Sl. No. | Literature Subject 📖 | Download 📥 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assamese Literature | Download PDF |
| 2 | Bengali Literature | Download PDF |
| 3 | Bodo Literature | Download PDF |
| 4 | Dogri Literature | Download PDF |
| 5 | English Literature | Download PDF |
| 6 | Gujarati Literature | Download PDF |
| 7 | Hindi Literature | Download PDF |
| 8 | Kannada Literature | Download PDF |
| 9 | Kashmiri Literature | Download PDF |
| 10 | Konkani Literature | Download PDF |
| 11 | Maithili Literature | Download PDF |
| 12 | Malayalam Literature | Download PDF |
| 13 | Manipuri Literature | Download PDF |
| 14 | Marathi Literature | Download PDF |
| 15 | Nepali Literature | Download PDF |
| 16 | Odia Literature | Download PDF |
| 17 | Punjabi Literature | Download PDF |
| 18 | Sanskrit Literature | Download PDF |
| 19 | Santhali Literature | Download PDF |
| 20 | Sindhi Literature | Download PDF |
| 21 | Tamil Literature | Download PDF |
| 22 | Telugu Literature | Download PDF |
| 23 | Urdu Literature | Download PDF |
Also Check Out:
| Last 10 Years’ UPSC Question Paper | Click Here |
| UPSC Geography Optional Previous Year Question | Click Here |
| UPSC Prelims previous year question papers | Click Here |
| UPSC CAPF AC previous year question paper | Click Here |
| UPSC Prelims Mock Test Free PDF with answers | Click Here |
| UPSC EPFO previous year question papers | Click Here |
How to Download UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers
- Visit the official UPSC website or PreppyQ.in.
- Select your optional subject from the table above.
- Click on the “Download PDF” button.
- The PDF file will open in a new tab.
- Save the file to your device for offline study.
UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers
FAQs – UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers
Q1. Where can I download UPSC? Mains Previous Year Question Papers PDF.
You can download UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers PDF from the official UPSC website and various educational platforms.
Q2. How many years of UPSC Mains PYQs should I solve?
Experts recommend solving at least the last 10 years of UPSC. Main question papers for better understanding of trends and answer writing.
Q3. Are UPSC Are Mains’ previous year papers enough for preparation?
No, previous year papers should be combined with current affairs, standard books, mock tests, and answer-writing practice.
Q4. Does UPSC repeat questions in Mains?
UPSC usually repeats themes and concepts rather than exact questions. Topics like governance, climate change, economy, and ethics are frequently asked.
Q5. Which papers are included in UPSC Mains PYQs?
UPSC Mains PYQs include Essay, GS Papers 1–4, Optional Papers, English, and Indian Language papers.
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