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UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021: PDF Download, UPSC CSE 2021 Mains Paper

By Balaji

Updated on: February 17th, 2023

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 holds utmost importance for candidates who cleared Prelims and preparing for the Mains examination. Going through previous year’s papers is always crucial as it provides useful insights about the types of questions, difficulty level, number of questions from each topic, etc. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 has been released by the Union Public Service Commission, including a total of 9 papers. Of these nine papers, Paper A and Paper B are qualifying in nature, and the other seven papers will be considered for the merit list.

Candidates preparing for the upcoming Mains exam must go through the UPSC 2021 Mains Question Paper to comprehend the current trend of the exam pattern, figure out the important sections from the syllabus, and develop a robust study plan to score big in this exam. This post will provide a direct link to download the UPSC Mains question paper 2021, including language papers, General Studies Papers 1 and 2, and optional papers PDF.

Table of content

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  • 1. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 (more)
  • 2. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021- Language Papers A and B (more)
  • 3. UPSC Mains Paper 2021 for Essay (more)
  • 4. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 PDF for General Studies (more)
  • 5. UPSC Mains Optional Papers 2021 (more)
  • 6. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021: Analysis (more)
  • 7. UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021: Difficulty level (more)
  • 8. Importance of Solving UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 (more)
  • 9. How to Analyze UPSC Mains Paper 2021? (more)

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 had a total of 9 papers as per the exam pattern. Paper A and Paper B were qualifying in nature, and each carried 300 marks. Paper 1 was for an Essay, and Paper 2 to 5 were general studies papers. Additionally, there were two optional subject papers, each of which had 250 marks. Below we have provided the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 PDF download link for each paper.

The UPSC Mains 2021 was conducted from 7th January to 16th January 2022 for almost 10,000 candidates who cleared the Prelims exam. Later, Commission released the UPSC 2021 Mains question paper on its official website.

Those preparing for the UPSC Mains 2023 exam must download the UPSC Mains previous year question papers PDF of the last few years from the links below:

Year

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers

2022

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2022

2020

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2020

2019

UPSC 2019 Question Papers

2018

UPSC Previous Year Papers 2018

2017

UPSC Question Paper 2017

2016

UPSC Paper 2016 PDF

2015

UPSC Question Paper 2015

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021- Language Papers A and B

Although Papers A and B are qualifying in nature, candidates must score 25% in them, or their remaining sheets won’t be considered. The UPSC 2021 Mains question paper PDF for Papers A and B is shared below.

☛ Download: UPSC 2021 Mains Compulsory English Paper (Paper B)

Candidates can download the compulsory Indian Language UPSC Mains question paper 2021 directly from the link given below:

Telugu

Urdu

Punjabi

Sindhi (Devanagari)

Hindi

Kannada

Malayalam

Marathi

Nepali

Odia

Gujrati

Bodo

Sanskrit

Tamil

Assamese

Bengali

UPSC Mains Paper 2021 for Essay

As per the syllabus, candidates must write essays on the given essay topics. The essay section of the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 expects candidates to focus on the subject, arrange their idea in the best possible way, and write concisely. Candidates must check out the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for the Essay because it will be counted for the merit ranking.

Quotes for UPSC Essay

Fetching good marks in the essay will help the candidate boost their overall UPSC Exam score. Aspirants can download the UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Paper below:

UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Paper PDF

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 PDF for General Studies

There are four general studies papers included in the UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021. Each paper carries 250 marks. The GS papers cover a wide range of topics like History, Geography, Science & Technology, Ethics, Economics, Biodiversity, etc. Below we have provided the UPSC Mains GS Questions Papers 2021 PDF:

UPSC Mains Optional Papers 2021

Candidates can choose any subject from the list of UPSC Optional subjects. This list covers 48 optional subjects in total. Each optional paper carries 250 marks, so the aspirants must check the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for the subject they want to choose.

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 for Optional Subjects

Physics Paper I

Physics Paper II

Political Science and International Relations Paper I

Political Science and International Relations Paper II

Psychology Paper I

Psychology Paper II

Public Administration Paper I

Public Administration Paper II

Sociology Paper I

Sociology Paper II

Statistics Paper I

Statistics Paper II

Zoology Paper I

Zoology Paper II

Economics Paper I

Economics Paper II

Electrical Engineering Paper I

Electrical Engineering Paper II

Geography Paper I

Geography Paper II

Geology Paper I

Geology Paper II

Mechanical Engineering Paper I

Mechanical Engineering Paper II

Medical Science Paper I

Medical Science Paper II

Management Paper I

Management Paper II

Mathematics Paper I

Mathematics Paper II

History Paper I

History Paper II

Law Paper I

Law Paper II

Philosophy Paper I

Philosophy Paper II

Agriculture Paper I

Agriculture Paper II

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Paper I

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Paper II

Anthropology Paper I

Anthropology Paper II

Botany Paper I

Botany Paper II

Chemistry Paper I

Chemistry Paper II

Civil Engineering Paper I

Civil Engineering Paper II

Commerce and Accountancy Paper I

Commerce and Accountancy Paper II

Candidates can also opt for literature subjects listed under the UPSC optional subjects. Here is UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for Literature optional:

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021 for Literature Optional

Sanskrit Paper I

Sanskrit Paper II

Santhali Paper I

Santhali Paper II

Sindhi Paper I

Sindhi Paper II

Tamil Paper I

Tamil Paper II

Telugu Paper I

Telugu Paper II

Urdu Paper I

Urdu Paper II

English Paper I

English Paper II

Kashmiri Paper I

Kashmiri Paper II

Konkani Paper I

Konkani Paper II

Maithili Paper I

Maithili Paper II

Malayalam Paper I

Malayalam Paper II

Manipuri Paper I

Manipuri Paper II

Marathi Paper I

Marathi Paper II

Nepali Paper I

Nepali Paper II

Odia Paper I

Odia Paper II

Punjabi Paper I

Punjabi Paper II

Assamese Paper I

Assamese Paper II

Bengali Paper I

Bengali Paper II

Bodo Paper I

Bodo Paper II

Dogri Paper I

Dogri Paper II

Gujarati Paper I

Gujarati Paper II

Hindi Paper I

Hindi Paper II

Kannada Paper I

Kannada Paper II

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021: Analysis

The Mains exam aims to assess the depth of understanding of candidates instead of their memory power. Check out the analysis of each UPSC Mains question paper 2021 below.

  • Essay Paper: As per most candidates, the essay question paper for Mains 2021 was philosophical. This paper was quite unpredictable, and this year’s essay section differed from the previous year’s paper. As per the experts, the motive of the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 was to check the candidates’ thinking process and analytical and philosophical thinking.
  • GS 1 Paper Analysis: The essay paper was a shocker. But candidates were quite relieved as the questions asked in GS 1 had an expected difficulty level. Questions from geography sections were more compared to other years. There was no sort of unusual questions in this paper. In conclusion, the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for GS Paper 1 was scoring in nature.
  • GS 2 Paper: Compared to previous years, questions asked in GS 2 were straightforward in the UPSC Mains Paper 2021. Questions from the polity and constitution were easy. The number of questions from governance has decreased as compared to previous years. Overall the difficulty level of the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for GS 2 was moderate to difficult.
  • GS 3 Paper: The weightage of internal security and the economy was the same as in Mains 2020. The UPSC 2021 Mains question paper for GS 3 focused more on the environment section. The overall difficulty level was moderate.
  • GS 4 Analysis: Questions asked in the GS 4 of the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 sought the candidates to answer with examples and not just the theory part. This paper tested the decision-making ability of the candidates. Section A was moderately difficult, according to some candidates. In UPSC Mains 2020, the questions in Section A were based on current affairs, but the UPSC Mains paper 2021 was based on the static part.

UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021: Difficulty level

The overall UPSC 2021 Mains question paper had a difficulty level of moderate. As we have mentioned, the essay section was very difficult. But then again, the GS 1 paper balanced it out. GS-2 and GS-3 papers were quite tricky, and many candidates found these papers a little difficult. The UPSC Mains question paper 2021 for GS 4 also had an expected difficulty level per the standards.

Importance of Solving UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021

All the experts and IAS toppers recommend solving UPSC Previous Year Question Paper. This is due to several reasons. Solving the UPSC Mains question paper 2021 would help the candidates understand the exam and paper pattern in-depth. In addition, candidates will be aware of the latest topics and shape their preparation accordingly.

Mistakes to Avoid During UPSC Preparation

Candidates can also check out the answer to each question with an explanation. The more you practice the UPSC Main Question Paper 2021, the better the chances of attempting more questions. At last, it will give you a self-assessment so that you can boost your performance in the actual exam.

How to Analyze UPSC Mains Paper 2021?

While attempting the UPSC Mains Question Paper 2021, you need to analyze it to figure out your weaknesses and resolve them in your next attempt. Here is how you need to analyze your Mains paper for 2021.

  • Set a timer and start solving the UPSC 2021 Mains question paper.
  • Take it as an exam, and solve it before the time limit.
  • After solving it evaluate and check if you have scored well enough or not.
  • If you haven’t, then find out the problem and improve it in the next attempt.

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