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: Consider the following statements: Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only. Only some cyclones develop an eye. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Consider the following statements:
- Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
- Only some cyclones develop an eye.
- The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- View Answer for: The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimetres of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop. Which one of the following is that crop?
The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimetres of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop. Which one of the following is that crop?
- View Answer for: With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements: Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop. Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements:
- Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
- Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
- In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: Consider the following minerals: Bentonite Chromite Kyanite SillimaniteIn India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals?
Consider the following minerals:
- Bentonite
- Chromite
- Kyanite
- Sillimanite
In India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals?
- View Answer for: Siachen Glacier is situated to the
Siachen Glacier is situated to the
- View Answer for: With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct? OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the south-western Indian Ocean during January-March. OMT collected during January-March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct?
- OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the south-western Indian Ocean during January-March.
- OMT collected during January-March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- View Answer for: With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements: A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with singlebudded setts as compared to setts with many buds. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:
- A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
- When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with singlebudded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
- If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
- Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: Consider the following pairs: River | Flows into ---------|----------------- 1. Mekong | Andaman Sea 2. Thames | Irish Sea 3. Volga | Caspian Sea 4. Zambezi | Indian Ocean Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Consider the following pairs:
River Flows into 1. Mekong Andaman Sea 2. Thames Irish Sea 3. Volga Caspian Sea 4. Zambezi Indian Ocean Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
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