UPSC Prelims 2017 Question Paper & Analysis
Get the UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question (PYQ) Paper with subject-wise trends, difficulty analysis, and detailed model answers — including diagrams, flowcharts, and structured writing for GS.
Subject-wise MCQ Distribution
Difficulty Analysis
Type of questions
Key Insights
- Indian Polity, Economy, Environment & Ecology carried the highest weightage, together accounting for 54% of the paper.
- The paper strongly favoured statement-based questions — multi-statement and assertion-reasoning questions together made up 58% of the paper, making careful reading and elimination especially important.
- The paper was largely easy to moderate in difficulty, with 66% of questions falling in the easy or medium range and only 34% classified as hard.
- Questions were spread across 12 subject areas, making broad syllabus coverage important rather than relying on a few traditionally dominant subjects.
- The question format demanded more than direct recall, with only 42% of questions being direct, while most required evaluating multiple statements or reasoning through assertions.
PYQs with Detailed Answers
- View Answer for: Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?
Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?
- View Answer for: The Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? Jordan Iraq Lebanon SyriaSelect the correct answer using the code given below:
The Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries?
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Syria
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- View Answer for: With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. An IOD phenomenon can influence El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- An IOD phenomenon can influence El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- View Answer for: If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?
- View Answer for: With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements:
- The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
- River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
- River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: Consider the following statements: In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only. The Western Ghats are spread over five States only. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements:
- In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
- The Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
- Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: At one of the places in India if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shoreline a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at -
At one of the places in India if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shoreline a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at -
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