UPSC Question Paper 2019 – IAS Prelims and Mains Question Papers
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
The UPSC Question Paper 2019 is of extreme essentiality for the candidates and would help them figure out what kinds of questions they should expect in the upcoming Prelims and Mains exams, and they can prepare accordingly. UPSC Question Paper 2019 has been released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for both Prelims and Mains examination on the official website Additionally, the UPSC Question Paper 2019 explains the way the Commission frames the questions for various subjects and the difficulty levels of these questions.
Approximately 8 lakhs candidates applied for the UPSC Prelims 2019 and from them, 11845 qualified for the Mains exam. The IAS exam poses immense competition. Below we will be covering the UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF and the UPSC 2019 Mains Question paper. Candidates can download these question papers and kickstart their preparation for upcoming UPSC exams.
Table of content
UPSC Question Paper 2019
The candidates can download the UPSC question paper 2019 to analyze the level of questions asked in the exam. Downloading the question papers will assist the candidates in framing an efficient preparation strategy for the exam. The difficulty level of the question papers for prelims ranged from easy to moderate and from moderate to difficult.
There is one optional subject as well, and it is divided into two papers. Candidates can choose one optional out of 48 optional subjects. Check the detailed UPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims and Mains to be able to utilize the question paper in a productive manner. We have provided the direct link to download all the optional subjects of the UPSC Question Paper 2019.
UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF [GS]
As we have mentioned above the UPSC Question Paper 2019 for Prelims consists of two papers- General Studies-1, and General Studies-2 (CSAT). The marks secured in the General Studies-1 are considered for the merit list whereas the CSAT paper is qualifying in nature.
UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF for GS-1
Candidates can download the UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF for General Studies-1 directly from the link given below and start practicing. Go through the UPSC Prelims Syllabus to better analyze the UPSC Prelims 2019 Paper.
UPSC Prelims Question Paper 2019 GS Analysis
The UPSC Question Paper 2019 was unpredictable for most of the candidates. Most of the questions in this paper were about current affairs, geography, and the environment. The topics like polity were not that difficult which was different from the UPSC Previous Year Question Paper.
The economics sections demanded applied knowledge from the students, and some new types of questions were asked such as the Sub Index of Ease of Doing Business Index. The conceptual-based questions were difficult, and the questions from the history sections were unexpected.
There were a total of 15 environment-based questions in the UPSC Question Paper 2019 for Prelims GS-1. The level of difficulty was moderate to tough. Below we have added the weightage from each section.
| UPSC Question Paper 2019: Question Distribution for Prelims GS-1 | |
| Topics | Number of Questions |
| Current Affairs | 55 |
| Indian Polity | 7 |
| Environment | 7 |
| History | 12 |
| Indian Economy | 9 |
| Science and Tech | 5 |
| Geography | 4 |
UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF [CSAT]
Candidates need to score at least 33% to clear this paper but candidates must take it seriously. If a candidate doesn’t qualify for this paper then his/her score in GS-1 won’t be considered.
UPSC Question Paper 2019 for CSAT PDF
Download the detailed UPSC CSAT Syllabus to ensure that you have completed all the topics before the exam. Candidates can download the CSAT Previous Year Paper from the link given below.
UPSC Question Paper 2019 Analysis [CSAT]
Overall the UPSC Question Paper 2019 for CSAT was tough, and proper choice of questions was essential to fetch good marks. The questions from Maths were not easy, and the candidates who don’t belong to Maths background faced difficulty.
The reasoning sections followed the last year’s pattern mostly. Passages dominated the CSAT paper with a good amount of critical reasoning questions. This CSAT paper tells how important it is to select the right questions to answer. We have mentioned the number of questions asked from each section.
| UPSC Prelims CSAT Question Paper 2019 Question Distribution | |
| Topics | Number of Questions |
| Analytical Reasoning | 14 |
| Numbers/Fractions | 10 |
| Syllogism | 1 |
| Sequence and Series | 4 |
| Directions & Blood Relations | 2 |
| Averages/% ages | 6 |
| Profit-Loss-Discount, S.I-C.I | 1 |
| Coding-Decoding, Cubes | 3 |
| Time, Speed, Distance & Work | 1 |
| Algebra | 2 |
| P&C, Prob, Sets | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | 3 |
| Single/Two Question RC (Inference Based) | 30 |
UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF in Hindi
UPSC released and published the UPSC Prelims Question Paper PDF 2019 in Both English and Hindi. There is one question paper for both the medium and aspirants can attempt questions in either Hindi or English. Download UPSC Prelims 2019 Question Paper PDF in Hindi from the direct link mentioned below.
UPSC 2019 Mains Question Paper
There are a total of 9 papers in the UPSC 2019 Question Paper for Mains namely General Studies- I to IV, Essay, English language, Compulsory Indian Language, and an optional subject. The UPSC Mains Syllabus clearly defines topics and sections for each paper and optional subject. The Mains paper carries a total of 1750 marks. We will be covering the UPSC 2019 Mains question paper for each paper below, candidates can directly download the paper from there.
UPSC 2019 Mains Question Paper for Compulsory Papers
There are two compulsory papers- Paper-A and Paper B. Paper-A deals with the compulsory Indian language, and Paper B is all about the English language.
These two papers are qualifying in nature, and candidates need to score at least 25% in each paper to qualify. As the total marks of each paper is 300, candidates need to score at least 75 or their other papers won’t get evaluated. So it is important for the aspirants to know what kind of questions they are going to face.
UPSC 2019 Question Paper Mains for the English Language PDF
Here is a list of all the Indian Language subjects in the UPSC Mains, candidates need to choose one subject from this list. We have provided a direct link to download every language paper below.
- Assamese
- Hindi
- Maithili
- Oriya
- Sanskrit
- Tamil
- Urdu
- Sindhi(Devanagari)
- Bengali
- Gujarati
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Nepali
- Punjabi
- Telugu
- Dogri
- Marathi
UPSC Question Paper 2019 for Mains Essay
The essay paper carries 250 marks, and there is no certain syllabus for this paper, and candidates have to pick from the given topics. It checks the candidates’ ability to interpret their ideas in a clear and concise manner, and their grasp of the subject.
UPSC Mains Question Paper 2019 for Essay
Candidates must check out the essay paper below and start their preparation accordingly as it will be counted for the merit list.
UPSC Question Paper 2019 Mains for General Studies
There are four general studies papers in the Mains exam. Candidates must try to fetch optimum marks in these papers as their chances of being recruited as Civil Servants highly depend on them. That is why candidates must check out the previous years’ general studies papers that would help them to find out the difficulty level and they can prepare accordingly.
- UPSC Question Paper 2019 for Mains GS-1
- UPSC Question Paper for Mains 2019 GS-2
- UPSC Question Paper 2019 for Mains GS-3
- UPSC Question Paper for Mains 2019 GS-4
UPSC Mains Optional Question Paper 2019
As we have mentioned above, the optional subject will be selected by the candidates. There is a total of 48 optional subjects and candidates can choose one from the list.
We have provided the question paper for each subject below. Candidates can download the optional subject question paper for which they want to opt for in the upcoming exam to understand the difficulty level, paper pattern, and types of questions.
Why Practice UPSC Question Paper 2019?
Practicing the UPSC previous year’s question papers is by far one of the highly recommended tips for all aspirants, and the reason behind it is reasonable. There are numerous benefits of practicing the previous year’s paper as it will give an idea about what kind of questions are asked, which are important topics, etc.
- No matter how much you read about the UPSC exam pattern, dealing with it practically would be the best way to be familiar with it. The best way you can be familiar with the exam pattern is by practicing the question paper.
- Additionally, it would help you to understand the nature, type, and format of the questions. Furthermore, you will be acquainted with the complexity level. Once you understand the question format and nature it will become easy for you in the final exams.
- General studies papers have a vast UPSC Syllabus and topics from current affairs and both national and international importance. Solving the UPSC Question Paper 2019 will help you to tick off the crucial sections from the IAS Exam point of view as well. You will be able to figure out the latest trends as well.
- You can come up with your own preparation strategy and study plan. It will be easier for you to find out your weaknesses and track your progress.
- Solving the question paper helps reverse the topics, and as soon as you are done with the question papers evaluate your performance and work on the weak areas.
- Self-assessment is crucial for UPSC preparation, and question papers are the best sources for it.
You can also download UPSC Question Paper from several years for better preparation.
- UPSC Prelims 2021 Question Paper
- UPSC Mains 2021 Question Paper
- UPSC Prelims 2020 Question Paper
- UPSC 2020 Mains Question Paper
- UPSC Question Paper 2016
- UPSC Question Paper 2015
How to Analyze UPSC Question Paper 2019?
After attempting the UPSC Question Paper 2019, candidates must analyze it to check their performance. Analyzing it would help the candidates to figure out their preparation level and what areas they need to work on. To analyze candidates must follow these steps.
- Start attempting the questions, and make sure to submit them on time.
- Set a timer so you can find out how long it takes for you to complete the paper.
- If you take more time than required then work on your time-management ability.
- When you get done with the paper, evaluate it and calculate the marks.
- If you haven’t done will then find out the areas you need to improve and re-attempt again.
