UPSC Question Paper Analysis 2024; See Here Sectional Breakup, Expected Cutoff and Video

Indian Administrative Services 2024 ( IAS )

3 mins read

Registration: 22 Jan '25 - 11 Feb '25

Rachit Kumar
Rachit Kumar Saxena
Manager-Editorial
Updated on Jun 16, 2024 13:37 IST

The Union Public Service Commission conducted the UPSC Prelims exam on June 16, 2024. The UPSC Question Paper Analysis 2024 is available here. The candidates can see here the section-wise breakdown of the UPSC exam 2024 and the expected cutoff for IAS prelims.

UPSC_Exam_Analysis_2024

UPSC Exam Analysis 2024

UPSC Exam Analysis 2024: The Union Public Service Commission conducted the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2024 General Studies Paper in the first session. The  Civil Service Exam prelims exam is conducted to recruit candidates for all three All India Services and the Central Civil Services. The UPSC prelims exam is qualifying only and the marks secured in the IAS prelims exam will not be counted for the final UPSC result. The UPSC exam is conducted once in a year. If the candidates do not perform well or in case they do not appear in the paper, they will have to wait for next year.

Also Read: UPSC Answer Key 2024 Live Updates

UPSC 2024 Exam Timing

The candidates should note that there are two papers in the UPSC prelims exam. The duration of each paper is two hours. The Commission mentioned the exam timing in the UPSC IAS admit card. The candidates can see below the UPSC exam timing:

Q:   How many papers are there in the IAS prelims exam?

A:

The IAS prelims exam is an objective type exam. The IAS prelims is conducted offline and the candidates need to mark their answers on the answer sheet (OMR). There are two papers in the IAS prelims exam. The details of IAS prelims exam is given below:

  • General Studies Paper 1
  • General Studies Paper 2 ( Aptitude Test)

The Aptitude paper is qualifying only and the passing marks in the aptitude paper is  67.5 marks out of 200.

Q:   How many subjects are in the IAS exam?

A:
The Union Public Service Commission's main (written) examination comprises nine papers. Union Public Service Commission includes two qualifying papers and seven papers which will be calculated for ranking. However, according to the updated syllabus of the Indian Administrative Service exam: History of India, History of World, Art and Culture, Indian and World Geography, Indian Polity, Governance, Economics, Social Development, Environment, General Science, General mental ability, and Reasoning. Other than these subjects, there are around 25 degree subjects and 23 literature language subjects from which to select your optional subjects for the Indian Administrative Service main stage. For more details, You may visit the Shiksha IAS exam page. (https://www.shiksha.com/exams/ias-exam). I hope this will help you.

Q:   Did UPSC ask analytical questions in IAS prelims 2023?

A:

Yes, the UPSC asked conceptual and analytical questions in the IAS prelims exam in 2023. The CSAT paper tested analytical skills, reasoning ability, and aptitude. The questions included permutations and combinations and analytical reasoning.

The difficulty level of the exam was moderate. The paper was lengthy because it included statement-based questions. The questions were a mix of static and current affairs. The majority of the questions were from Environment and Geography.

The CSAT was more difficult than previous years. Students with Science and IIT backgrounds found the exam tough.

Session Paper Timing Paper Name
Morning Session 9.30 AM to 11.30 AM General Studies Paper 1
Noon Session 2.30 PM to 4.30 PM General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT)

The candidates can see here more details about the UPSC Exam Timing.

Structure of the UPSC Prelims Exam

The Union Public Service Commission mentions the structure of the UPSC Civil Service Exam (IAS) exam in the official notification. The candidates can see the details of the papers:

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  • General Studies Paper 1
  • General Studies Paper 2 (Aptitude Paper)

The marks secured in the General Studies Paper 1 will be considered for the UPSC Prelims Cutoff purposes. The General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT) paper is qualifying only. The candidates are required to score 33 per cent marks on the CSAT paper.

Also ReadUPSC IAS Exam Pattern

UPSC 2024 General Studies Paper Analysis

The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC prelims General Studies Paper 1 in the morning session. The UPSC General Studies paper will be over at 11.30. The candidates will get here the UPSC 2024 General Studies Paper 1 after the exam. The candidates will get here the sectional breakup of the UPSC Prelims question paper.

Q:   How many papers are there in the IAS main exam?

A:

 As the name suggest, the IAS main exam has 9 descriptive papers. The details of these papers are given below:

PaperDescriptionMarks
AOne of the Indian language to be selected by the candidate from the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the constitution (Qualifying only)300
BEnglish (Qualifying Only)300
1Essay250
2General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)250
3General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)250
4General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)250
5General Studies –IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)250
6Optional Subject - Paper 1250
7Optional Subject - Paper 2250

Q:   How IAS question papers are useful?

A:

 IAS question papers are extremely helpful for aspirants preparing for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam. Here are some ways in which IAS question papers can be useful:

  • Familiarity with the exam pattern
  • Time management
  • Identifying important topics
  • Developing a strategy
  • Improving accuracy

Q:   How can I download the IAS question paper?

A:

The Union Public Service Commission releases the IAS question papers for prelims and main exam. The Commission releases the question papers on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The candidates can download the IAS prelims and Mains question paper from the official website.

The candidates are not required to login with their credentials to download the IAS question papers. The Commission release the question papers in PDF.

Q:   How many questions are there in IAS exam?

A:
Hello Dear, In UPSC Civil Service Examination there will be 2 papers. Paper 1: 100 questions Paper 2: 80 Questions.

Q:   How to start revision and make short notes for UPSC preparation?

A:
UPSC is not everyone's cup of tea you need to work smart. Revision and note making are important. Following tips are there. Learning is the first step of notes Making. Notes making is quite often confused with writing everything down on paper or digital devices. Quite often you will see students go for notes making in one go and without understanding the exact meaning of notes making and the importance of notes making. The very exact meaning of notes making is to write down things, which you can forget and things which can be revised in a quick succession of time. Notes making is an art where you read things and use that information smartly in pinning down that information in a crispy and precise manner so that you can remember those things. Reading less analyzing more Visualize things to remember the studied matter. One of the common problems that are found in students is that they forgot, what they had read after some time. You don't have to worry about these things much, as although it is quite natural that you will forget the studied things but revising time and again holds the key in this examination. Civil service examination is not about bookish knowledge but beyond limited knowledge of books. So, keep on expanding your knowledge, not by book alone but by analyzing the things in practicality that is understanding the concept more innately. E. g. Delhi government implement the Odd-Even scheme in November every year. In this case, understand that Delhi pollution is solely responsible for pollution in Delhi or neighboring states also contributes to Air pollution in Delhi. You should also understand what kind of air is injurious to health and their source of emergence. Making notes in own words Make a Mind-map or Flow chart. Making a mind-map or flow chart is not only beneficial in notes making point of view but, this same flow chart can be utilized in Mains answer writing to get an edge ahead as compared to other students. Making a diagram or flow chart is beneficial in terms of answer writing; when due to time crunch you may have to go to depict relevant information on your copy. These little things can also fetch you good marks. Confining notes as Small as Possible Make precise and crisp points.
Subject Question Difficulty Level
Ancient & Medieval History  5 Difficult
Indian National Movement 0 NA
Art, Culture & Ancient Literature 3 Difficult
Geography 24 Moderate to Difficult
Indian Polity 19 Moderate
Indian Economy 12 Moderate to Difficult
World Economy 1 Difficult
General Science 4 Moderate to Difficult
Environment, Wildlife & Biodiversity 10 Difficult
Technology 5 Moderate to Difficult
Current Affairs 10 Moderate
Government Scheme 4 Moderate (factual)
Defence Force Ranks 1 Moderate (factual)
Books 1 Moderate (factual)
Total 100 Moderate to Difficulte

The candidates will also get the UPSC question paper here.

UPSC 2024 Expected Cutoff

The candidates should note that the UPSC Prelims Cutoff depends on the marks of the General Studies paper 1 (GS Marks) only. The candidates will get here the details of UPSC's expected cutoff  2024 after the exam is over. 

Category

IAS Prelims Cut off 2024

General

TBA

EWS

TBA

OBC

TBA

SC

TBA

ST

TBA

PwBD1

TBA

PwBD2

TBA

PwBD3

TBA

PwBD5

TBA

UPSC Prelims Question Paper Analysis 2023

The candidates can see the UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis of the previous year to anticipate the difficulty level of the UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper.

 UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2023

The Union Public Service Commission released the UPSC 2023 prelims cutoff after the declaration of the result. The candidates can see below the UPSC 2023 cutoff for all the categories:

Category

IAS Prelims Cut off 2023

General

75.41

EWS

68.02

OBC

74.75

SC

59.25

ST

47.82

PwBD1

40.40

PwBD2

47.13 

PwBD3

40.40 

PwBD5

33.68

The candidate should expect a similar cutoff trend this year also.

UPSC 2024 Result Expected Date

The Commission is expected to release the UPSC prelims 2024 result online by June 28, 2024.

Also Read

UPSC Syllabus

About the Author
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Rachit Kumar Saxena
Manager-Editorial

With over thirteen years of experience in the government exam and its preparation domain, Rachit knows the life cycle of almost all government exams and related information. He deeply understands the user requiremen... Read Full Bio

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