UPSC Prelims 2021 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
- Environment & Ecology, Indian Polity, Economy carried the highest weightage, together accounting for 51% of the paper.
- The paper strongly favoured statement-based questions — multi-statement and assertion-reasoning questions together made up 60% 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 40% 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: The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age 21. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements:
- The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age 21.
- The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- View Answer for: Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- View Answer for: Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
- View Answer for: With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
- View Answer for: In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located? Broach Chicacole TrichinopolySelect the correct answer using the codes given below
In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?
- Broach
- Chicacole
- Trichinopoly
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
- View Answer for: With reference to 8th August 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?
With reference to 8th August 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?
- View Answer for: In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
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