UPSC Prelims 2020 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
- Economy, Environment & Ecology, Indian Polity carried the highest weightage, together accounting for 55% of the paper.
- The paper strongly favoured statement-based questions — multi-statement and assertion-reasoning questions together made up 63% of the paper, making careful reading and elimination especially important.
- The paper was largely easy to moderate in difficulty, with 73% of questions falling in the easy or medium range and only 27% 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 37% of questions being direct, while most required evaluating multiple statements or reasoning through assertions.
PYQs with Detailed Answers
- View Answer for: With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term paramitas?
With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term paramitas?
- View Answer for: With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism. Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:
- Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism.
- Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism
- The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs: Parivrajaka — Renunciant and Wanderer Shramana — Priest with a high status Upasaka — Lay follower of BuddhismWhich of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs:
- Parivrajaka — Renunciant and Wanderer
- Shramana — Priest with a high status
- Upasaka — Lay follower of Buddhism
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- View Answer for: Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscription? “Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely.”
Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscription? “Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely.”
- View Answer for: With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements: Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements:
- Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.
- Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.
- Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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