UPSC Prelims 2019 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
Economy
21
Environment & Ecology
18
Science & Technology
15
Indian Polity
13
Modern History
6
Indian Geography
5
Social Issues & Schemes
5
Art & Culture
5
International Relations
4
Medieval History
3
Ancient History
2
Physical Geography
2
World Geography
1
Difficulty Analysis
Type of questions
Key Insights
- Economy, Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology 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 51% of the paper, making careful reading and elimination especially important.
- The paper was largely easy to moderate in difficulty, with 69% of questions falling in the easy or medium range and only 31% classified as hard.
- Questions were spread across 13 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 49% of questions being direct, while most required evaluating multiple statements or reasoning through assertions.
PYQs with Detailed Answers
Ancient History (2)Art & Culture (5)Economy (21)Environment & Ecology (18)Geography (8)Indian Polity (13)International Relations (4)Medieval History (3)Modern History (6)Science & Technology (15)Social Issues & Schemes (5)
- View Answer for: Which one of the following groups of plants were domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
Which one of the following groups of plants were domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
- View Answer for: With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements: Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’. In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:
- Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.
- In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
- Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- View Answer for: With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements: It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements:
- It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.
- The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs: Person | Position Held --------------------------|------------------------------------------------ 1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru | President, All India Liberal Federation 2. K.C. Neogy | Member of the Constituent Assembly 3. P.C. Joshi | General Secretary, Communist Party of India Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs:
Person Position Held 1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru President, All India Liberal Federation 2. K.C. Neogy Member of the Constituent Assembly 3. P.C. Joshi General Secretary, Communist Party of India Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- View Answer for: Consider the following statements about ‘the Charter Act of 1813’: It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements about ‘the Charter Act of 1813’:
- It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.
- It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.
- The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- View Answer for: Consider the following pairs: Movement/Organization | Leader ----------------------------------|---------------------------- 1. All India Anti-Untouchability League | Mahatma Gandhi 2. All India Kisan Sabha | Swami Sahajanand Saraswati 3. Self-Respect Movement | E.V. Ramaswami Naicker Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Consider the following pairs:
Movement/Organization Leader 1. All India Anti-Untouchability League Mahatma Gandhi 2. All India Kisan Sabha Swami Sahajanand Saraswati 3. Self-Respect Movement E.V. Ramaswami Naicker Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these the complete UPSC Prelims 2019 questions?
Yes. This page covers the complete UPSC Prelims 2019 question paper, with questions organised by subject for easier practice and review.
Can I practise these questions before seeing the answers?
Yes. Each question is accompanied by a detailed model answer and explanation, helping you understand the correct answer and the reasoning behind it.
Are these answers based on the official UPSC answer key?
Yes. The model answers are prepared with reference to the official UPSC answer key, along with detailed explanations to help you understand the reasoning behind each answer.
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