Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF – UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions (PYQ)
By Balaji
Updated on: March 20th, 2023
Topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF is crucial for aspirants preparing for the upcoming Civil Services examination. As per the updated calendar, the UPSC Prelims exam is all set to be conducted on 28 May 2023. By going through the UPSC topic wise previous year questions for the Prelims examination, one can prepare by going in the right direction as the difficulty level, and type of questions under each subject can be analysed properly using the UPSC PYQ topic wise.
In this article, candidates will get the topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF of Geography, Polity, History, economy, etc., along with a detailed analysis of the number of questions asked in the previous year papers of the last eight years (2013 to 2022).
Table of content
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1. Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF
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2. UPSC PYQ Topic Wise 2022
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3. Topic wise Polity UPSC Prelims Questions PDF
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4. UPSC Geography Prelims Questions Topic Wise
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5. UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions for Ancient History
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6. Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Medieval History
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7. Topic Wise Modern History Questions UPSC Prelims
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8. Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Art and Culture
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9. UPSC PYQ Topic Wise for Environment and Ecology
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10. Topic Wise Economy UPSC Prelims Questions
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11. Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Science and Technology
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12. How to Attempt UPSC PYQ Topic Wise?
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13. UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions for Mains
Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF
For the preparation of the UPSC 2023 exam, candidates can download the topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF from the links given below:
- Topic Wise Polity UPSC Prelims Questions
- UPSC Prelims Geography Questions
- UPSC Prelims Questions for Ancient History
- Modern History UPSC Prelims Questions
- Medieval History Questions for UPSC Prelims
- UPSC Prelims Economy Questions
- Environment and Ecology UPSC Prelims Questions
- UPSC Prelims Science and Technology Questions
- Art and Culture UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
UPSC PYQ Topic Wise 2022
Those who are going to appear for the upcoming UPSC exam must download the topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF for Geography, Polity, History, Economy, etc. from the links provided below. These questions were asked in the latest 2022 examination and provide useful insights to aspirants studying for the Civil Services examination.
- UPSC PYQ Topic Wise PDF for Geography
- UPSC Prelims Questions 2022 for Polity
- Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF for Ancient History
- Modern History UPSC Prelims Questions Topic Wise 2022
Topic wise Polity UPSC Prelims Questions PDF
On an average, around 10 to 16 questions are asked from the Polity section in the UPSC Prelims exam. Candidates can go through the following table to understand the trends of the number of questions asked over the years from 2013 to 2022 and get the PDF of UPSC topic wise previous year questions of Indian Polity subject.
Year | Number of UPSC Prelims Polity Questions (Out of 100) | Topic wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF |
2022 | 10 | Download PDF |
2021 | 18 | Download PDF |
2020 | 16 | Download PDF |
2019 | 11 | Download PDF |
2018 | 12 | Download PDF |
2017 | 19 | Download PDF |
2016 | 09 | Download PDF |
2015 | 13 | Download PDF |
2014 | 11 | Download PDF |
2013 | 19 | Download PDF |
UPSC Geography Prelims Questions Topic Wise
Download the topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF of Geography from 2013 to 2022 from the direct links below. These questions will assist aspirants to prepare for this subject well by understanding the difficulty level and the type of questions asked in the Prelims exam. Usually, 12 to 16 Geography questions are asked. The year-wise number of UPSC Prelims PYQ is listed in the following table:
Year | Number of UPSC Prelims Geography Questions (Out of 100) | UPSC PYQ Topic Wise PDF |
2022 | 13 | Download PDF |
2021 | 12 | Download PDF |
2020 | 17 | Download PDF |
2019 | 14 | Download PDF |
2018 | 14 | Download PDF |
2017 | 08 | Download PDF |
2016 | 07 | Download PDF |
2015 | 14 | Download PDF |
2014 | 18 | Download PDF |
2013 | 23 | Download PDF |
UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions for Ancient History
Many candidates find it challenging to study History subject, but with the help of topic wise UPSC prelims questions, one can get an idea of the type of questions usually asked from this section. From the following table, candidates can check the previous year’s trends of UPSC Ancient History questions and download the PDF for each year from 2013 to 2022 to practice this section well:
Year | Number of Ancient History UPSC Prelims Questions (Out of 100) | UPSC Prelims Questions Topic Wise PDF |
2022 | 2 | Download PDF |
2021 | 4 | Download PDF |
2020 | 3 | Download PDF |
2019 | 2 | Download PDF |
2018 | 1 | Download PDF |
2017 | 1 | Download PDF |
2016 | 2 | Download PDF |
2015 | 1 | Download PDF |
2014 | 1 | Download PDF |
2013 | 1 | Download PDF |
Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Medieval History
Medieval History of India is the time period between the 6th to 16th Century AD. Around 2 to 4 questions are asked from this section in the Prelims exam. Candidates can check the topic wise UPSC prelims questions analysis of Medieval history from the following table and go through the sample questions below to understand the nature of the questions asked in this section.
Year | Number of Medieval History UPSC Prelims Questions (Out of 100) |
2021 | 4 |
2020 | 2 |
2019 | 4 |
2018 | 1 |
2017 | 1 |
2016 | 2 |
2015 | 2 |
2014 | 2 |
2013 | 1 |
Some sample UPSC prelims questions of Medieval history are given below:
Question 1: With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size? [UPSC Prelims, 2021]
(a) Paragana- Sarkar- Suba
(b) Sarkar-Paragana-Suba
(c) Suba-Sarkar-Paragana
(d) Paragana-Suba-Sarkar
Answer: Paragana- Sarkar- Suba
Question 2: With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct? [UPSC Prelims, 2019]
(a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
(b) It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.
(c) The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages.
(d) The eldest son of the labourer was sent as a forced labourer.
Answer: A
Topic Wise Modern History Questions UPSC Prelims
Get the direct link to download the topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF of Modern History here along with the analysis of questions asked from 2013 to 2022.
Year | Number of Modern History UPSC Prelims Questions (Out of 100) | UPSC PYQ Topic Wise PDF |
2022 | 4 | Download PDF |
2021 | 8 | Download PDF |
2020 | 7 | Download PDF |
2019 | 6 | Download PDF |
2018 | 13 | Download PDF |
2017 | 4 | Download PDF |
2016 | 6 | Download PDF |
2015 | 8 | Download PDF |
2014 | 4 | Download PDF |
2013 | 6 | Download PDF |
Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Art and Culture
Art and Culture comprise questions asked from languages, folk dances, paintings, traditional music and dances, etc. of different regions of India. Candidates can expect 4 to 7 questions from this section in the Prelims examination. The number of UPSC PYQ topic wise from Art and Culture for the years 2013 to 2021 are listed below:
Year | Number of UPSC Prelims Questions for Art and Culture (Out of 100) |
2021 | 5 |
2020 | 4 |
2019 | 3 |
2018 | 7 |
2017 | 5 |
2016 | 3 |
2015 | 3 |
2014 | 10 |
2013 | 9 |
Check the sample Art and Culture UPSC Prelims questions here:
Question 1: With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to [UPSC Prelims, 2021]
(a) Dance forms of Northwest India
(b) Musical instruments
(c) Pre-historic cave paint
(d) Tribal languages
Answer: Tribal languages
Question 2: Consider the following pairs of tradition and state: [Prelims, 2018]
- Chapchar Kut Festival — Mizoram
- Khongjom Parba ballad — Manipur
- Thang-Ta Dance — Sikkim
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3
UPSC PYQ Topic Wise for Environment and Ecology
Check the last few years’ trends of the number of UPSC Prelims questions asked in the Environment and Ecology section here along with checking some sample questions to understand the difficulty level of questions.
Year | Number of Environment and Ecology UPSC Prelims Questions (Out of 100) |
2021 | 16 |
2020 | 25 |
2019 | 20 |
2018 | 11 |
2017 | 15 |
2016 | 12 |
2015 | 13 |
2014 | 20 |
2013 | 16 |
Question 1: Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide? [Prelims, 2022]
Cotton, Rice, Sugarcane, Wheat
Answer – Rice
Question 2: Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito repellent? [Prelims, 2021]
Congress grass, Elephant grass, Lemongrass, Nut grass
Answer: Lemongrass
Topic Wise Economy UPSC Prelims Questions
Questions related to RBI policies, banking system, monetary structure, finance, etc are asked in the Economics section in the UPSC Preliminary examination. Candidates must know the banking and economic structure of the country to score well in this subject and keep an eye on the current affairs related to the Indian banking and financial sector. Go through the table below to check the topic wise UPSC prelims questions analysis of the Economy subject:
Year | Number of Economy UPSC Prelims Questions (Out of 100) |
2021 | 14 |
2020 | 14 |
2019 | 13 |
2018 | 13 |
2017 | 06 |
2016 | 20 |
2015 | 14 |
2014 | 10 |
2013 | 18 |
Some sample UPSC topic wise previous year questions of Economy are as follows:
Question 1: “Rapid Financing Instrument” and “Rapid Credit Facility” are related to the provisions of lending by which one of the following? [Prelims, 2022]
- Asian Development Bank
- International Monetary Fund
- United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
- World Bank
Answer: International Monetary Fund
Question 2: The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following? [Prelims, 2021]
- Increase in the Cash Reserve Ratio in the banks.
- Increase in the Statutory Liquidity Ratio in the banks.
- Increase in the banking habit of the people.
- Increase in the population of the country.
Answer: Increase in the banking habit of the people
Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions for Science and Technology
Around 7 to 11 questions are asked from the Science and Technology section. The following table presents the year-wise number of UPSC prelims questions asked from Science and Technology subject:
Year | Number of UPSC Prelims Questions for Science and Technology (Out of 100) |
2021 | 13 |
2020 | 11 |
2019 | 11 |
2018 | 13 |
2017 | 09 |
2016 | 07 |
2015 | 10 |
2014 | 06 |
2013 | 06 |
Question 1: Which one of the following statements best describes the role of B cells and T cells in the human body? [Prelims, 2022]
(a) They protect the body from environmental allergens.
(b) They alleviate the body’s pain and inflammation.
(c) They act as immunosuppressants in the body.
(d) They protect the body from diseases caused by pathogens.
Answer: (d)
Question 2: The term ‘ACE2’ is talked about in the context of [UPSC Prelims, 2021]
(a) genes introduced in the genetically modified plants
(b) development of India’s own satellite navigation system
(c) radio collar for wildlife tracking
(d) spread of viral diseases
Answer: (d)
How to Attempt UPSC PYQ Topic Wise?
UPSC PYQ topic wise holds utmost importance for those preparing for the forthcoming IAS exam. Learn how to attempt topic wise UPSC prelims questions PDF by going through the following points:
- First, it is important to go through the entire UPSC syllabus for Prelims.
- After getting an idea of the subjects, exam pattern, and the number of questions asked from each topic, candidates should quickly go through the UPSC topic wise previous year questions to have a fair idea of the difficulty level.
- Go through UPSC study material for each subject and prepare well with dedication.
- After preparation, solve topic wise UPSC prelims questions to analyze your preparation level.
UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions for Mains
Here, candidates can check and download UPSC topic wise previous year questions for the Mains 2023 examination. The subjects asked in the Mains paper are Compulsory Indian language, English, Essay, General Studies papers 1 to 4, and optional subjects.
- Art and Culture UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions
- Economy UPSC Mains Questions
- Environment and Ecology UPSC Mains Questions
- UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions for Geography
- UPSC Mains History Previous Year Questions
- Indian Society UPSC Topic Wise PYQ
- Science and Technology UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions