Complete Analysis on UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 – General Studies Paper 1
Overview of General Studies Paper 1 – UPSC Prelims 2025
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 took place on [25-05-2025] , kicking off the year’s most competitive exam in India. The GS Paper 1 tests a candidate’s knowledge in history, polity, economy, geography, environment, science & tech, and current affairs. Here’s a detailed, structured analysis to help aspirants and educators alike understand the nature of the paper.
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UPSC GS Paper 1 2025 – At a Glance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Marks | 200 |
| Time Limit | 2 hours |
| Negative Marking | -0.66 per wrong answer |
| Type | Objective (MCQs) |
UPSC Question Paper 2025 OUT: Download CSE Prelims Set Wise GS Paper 1 & CSAT PDF
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 has been successfully conducted, and the official question papers are now available for download. Candidates who appeared for the exam—or those preparing for upcoming attempts—can now access the GS Paper 1 and CSAT question papers, organized set-wise (A, B, C, D) for convenience.
📥 Download UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Question Paper & Answer Key - 1 PDF's
You can now download General Studies (GS) Question Papers & Answer Key – 1 in PDF format:
Set A - GS
Paper 1
Set B - GS
Paper 1
Set C - GS
Paper 1
Set D - GS
Paper 1
📥 Download UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT Question Paper - 2 PDF's
You can now download CSAT Question Paper – 2 in PDF format:
Set A - CSAT
Paper 2
Set B - CSAT
Paper 2
Set C - CSAT
Paper 2
Set D - CSAT
Paper 2
Prelims 2025 Trends – What Stood Out?
- Increased focus on conceptual clarity over factual recall.
- Current affairs questions often integrated with traditional subjects.
- Polity and Economy likely carried weight again.
- Surprise elements expected in science and environment.
Comparison with Previous Years
Year-wise Paper Comparison
| Year | Key Focus | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | (To be added) | -- |
| 2024 | Environment + Economy heavy | Moderate |
| 2023 | More static & factual | Tough |
| 2022 | Balanced, conceptual | Moderate |
Lessons & Strategy for Future Aspirants
- Revise NCERTs Thoroughly: Especially History, Polity, Geography.
- Current Affairs Integration: Link news to static topics.
- Mock Tests: Minimum 40 full-length before exam.
- PYQs Practice: Analyze 10 years of past papers.
- Concept Over Fact: UPSC loves logic-based questions.
Conclusion
The UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1 reaffirms that consistency, clarity, and smart study are the keys to cracking the exam. Once the official question paper is released, we’ll update this page with subject-wise data and expert analysis. Stay tuned, and best of luck to all aspirants!
UPSC SYLLABUS
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
PAPER I: GENERAL STUDIES (100 x 2 = 200 marks) [Duration: 2 Hrs]
- Current events of national and international importance.
- History of India and Indian National Movement
- Indian and World Geography Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayat Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic and Social Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change -that do not require subject specialization.
PAPERII: CSAT (80 x 2.5 = 200 marks) [Duration: 2 Hrs]
- Reading Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills,
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc.) (Class Xlevel)
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. Class X level)
- English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).
Common Points to be remembered:
- Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum Qualifying Marks fixed at 33.33%.
- The Questions will be of Multiple Choices, objective type the appearance of questions will be set in HINDI and ENGLISH.
- Each paper will be of TWO Hours duration. Blind candidates will however be allowed an extra time of 20 minutes at each paper. And even Physically Challenged people will get extra time of 40 minutes.
- It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both the Papers of Civil Services (Prelims) Examination for the purpose of evaluation.
- If the candidate has qualified in Paper – II (CSAT) then only their Paper-1 (GS) paper will be evaluated.
- There will be a cut off marks to qualify for the next level i.e. Mains Examination. That will be determined according to the number of posts, number of candidates who appeared for the exam, and the average of the candidates who appeared for the exam, and the level of difficulty of the question paper in average. The marks scored by the candidates in the preliminary examination are not counted for the final score.
| Category Year | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PH-1 | PH-2 | PH-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 116 | – | 110.66 | 99.34 | 96 | 75.34 | 72.66 | 40 |
| 2017 | 105.34 | – | 102.66 | 88.66 | 88.66 | 85.34 | 61.34 | 40 |
| 2018 | 98 | – | 96.66 | 83.34 | 83.34 | 73.34 | 53.34 | 40 |
| 2019 | 98 | 90 | 95.34 | 82 | 77.34 | 55.34 | 44.66 | 40.66 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 77.55 | 89.12 | 74.84 | 68.71 | 70.66 | 63.94 | 40.82 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 80.14 | 84.55 | 75.41 | 70.71 | 68.02 | 67.33 | 43.09 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 82.83 | 87.54 | 74.08 | 69.84 | 58.59 | 40.40 | 40.40 |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 68.02 | 74.75 | 59.25 | 47.82 | 40.40 | 47.13 | 40.40 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difficulty level of UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1?
A1: The difficulty of UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1 varies each year. Our detailed analysis covers the overall difficulty, topic-wise distribution, and comparison with previous years to help you understand the exam trend.
Q2: Which subjects were most important in UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1?
A2: The main subjects in GS Paper 1 include History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science & Technology, and Current Affairs. Our review highlights which areas had maximum questions this year.
Q3: How soon after the exam will this paper analysis be updated?
A3: We update our analysis promptly after the exam, usually within 24 hours, to provide fresh insights and question-by-question reviews.
Q4: What is the expected cut-off for UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1?
A4: While the official cut-off will be released by UPSC after the final result, based on the difficulty level of GS Paper 1, the expected cut-off for the General category may range between 82–88 marks. This can vary depending on overall performance and number of vacancies.
Q5: How many questions were there in UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1?
A5: The GS Paper 1 consisted of 100 objective-type questions, each carrying 2 marks, totaling 200 marks.
Q6: What was the duration of the UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1 exam?
A6: The time duration for GS Paper 1 was 2 hours (120 minutes).
Q7: Is there negative marking in UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1?
A7: Yes, there is a negative marking of 1/3rd marks per wrong answer, which means 0.66 marks are deducted for every incorrect response.