UPSC Prelims 2026
Get UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question (PYQ) Papers with detailed explanations, mindmaps, organized year-wise and subject-wise for CSAT.
- MathsView Answer for: The weight of $X$, in kg, is denoted by $X$. The weights of $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$, $P$, $Q$, $R$ and $S$ are measured. Given : $$A + B + C + D = 17$$ $$A + C = 6$$ $$P + Q + S + D = 15$$ $$P + Q + R + B = 17$$ $$P = R \text{ and } Q = S$$Which one of the following statements is correct?
The weight of , in kg, is denoted by . The weights of , , , , , , and are measured. Given :
Which one of the following statements is correct?
- MathsView Answer for: How many words can one form by shuffling the letters of the word QUEUE, if Q is always followed by U? The words thus formed need not necessarily have any meaning.
How many words can one form by shuffling the letters of the word QUEUE, if Q is always followed by U? The words thus formed need not necessarily have any meaning.
- MathsView Answer for: $X$, $Y$ and $Z$ jump forward $4'$, $6'$ and $5'$, respectively. At 8 AM, they all land on mark $199'$. How many times will they all land on the same mark (need not be at the same moment) between mark $195'$ and $1000'$, if all of them cross mark $1000'$ by 9 AM?
, and jump forward , and , respectively. At 8 AM, they all land on mark . How many times will they all land on the same mark (need not be at the same moment) between mark and , if all of them cross mark by 9 AM?
- MathsView Answer for: If $10^m \times 1000 \times n = 75^{25} \times 25^{32} \times 32^{75}$, where $n$ is not divisible by $10$, then the value of $m$ is
If , where is not divisible by , then the value of is
- MathsView Answer for: Three variables $x$, $y$ and $z$ take values $2, 3, 4$ or $5$ such that their values are always distinct. If $M$ and $N$ denote the largest possible value and the smallest possible value, respectively, for the expression ${(x \times y) + z}$; then $M - N$ is
Three variables , and take values or such that their values are always distinct. If and denote the largest possible value and the smallest possible value, respectively, for the expression ; then is
- MathsView Answer for: The speed of a train $T$ is $100$ km per hour and the speed of a person $P$ is $4$ km per hour. $T$ crosses $P$ in $15$ seconds, if $P$ travels along the direction of motion of $T$. If $P$ travels along the opposite direction of $T$, then in how much time does $T$ cross $P$, in seconds, approximately?
The speed of a train is km per hour and the speed of a person is km per hour. crosses in seconds, if travels along the direction of motion of . If travels along the opposite direction of , then in how much time does cross , in seconds, approximately?
- MathsView Answer for: $X$ receives three coins of different denominations : $1$, $2$, $5$, $10$ and $20$. If the total amount received by $X$ is $m$, does $X$ receive a coin of denomination $5$? Statement I : $m$ is not a prime number. Statement II : The sum of the digits of $m$ is greater than $5$.
receives three coins of different denominations : , , , and . If the total amount received by is , does receive a coin of denomination ? Statement I : is not a prime number. Statement II : The sum of the digits of is greater than .
- MathsView Answer for: If $x$, $y$ and $z$ are integers, each greater than $1$, then is $x$ a prime number? Statement I : $xy^2 = 116$ Statement II : $xz = 261$
If , and are integers, each greater than , then is a prime number? Statement I : Statement II :
- MathsView Answer for: Consider the following three statements, namely S1, S2 and S3 :S1. Protecting the environment is an existential exigency for humans, given the impact of environmental degradation on climate change.S2. Scientific consensus has not been achieved with regard to the extent of the contribution of human intervention to climate change.S3. Environmental activism includes climate alarmism and other extremist points of view that often become the focus of climate change deniers.Which of the following relationships based on the statements given above is/are correct? S3 is a counterpoint to S1 S3 is unconnected to S1 and S2 S2 could be the reason for S3Select the answer using the code given below.
Consider the following three statements, namely S1, S2 and S3 :
S1. Protecting the environment is an existential exigency for humans, given the impact of environmental degradation on climate change.
S2. Scientific consensus has not been achieved with regard to the extent of the contribution of human intervention to climate change.
S3. Environmental activism includes climate alarmism and other extremist points of view that often become the focus of climate change deniers.
Which of the following relationships based on the statements given above is/are correct?
- S3 is a counterpoint to S1
- S3 is unconnected to S1 and S2
- S2 could be the reason for S3
Select the answer using the code given below.
- MathsView Answer for: A toy $T$ jumps forward or backward. In each forward jump, it moves $5'$ forward whereas in each backward jump, it moves $2'$ backward. If in $31$ jumps, $T$ moves exactly $15'$ forward, then what is the difference of the number of forward and backward jumps?
A toy jumps forward or backward. In each forward jump, it moves forward whereas in each backward jump, it moves backward. If in jumps, moves exactly forward, then what is the difference of the number of forward and backward jumps?
- MathsView Answer for: In a recruitment process, the selection of candidates is based on their performance in three components. The weightages of the components 1, 2 and 3 are $0.2$, $0.3$ and $0.5$, respectively. Use the data given below and find the cutoff score if exactly three candidates are to be selected : Candidate | Score in component 1 | Score in component 2 | Score in component 3 ---|---|---|--- 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 5 | 8 | 8 | 2
In a recruitment process, the selection of candidates is based on their performance in three components. The weightages of the components 1, 2 and 3 are , and , respectively. Use the data given below and find the cutoff score if exactly three candidates are to be selected :
Candidate Score in component 1 Score in component 2 Score in component 3 1 5 4 6 2 4 6 5 3 3 2 8 4 9 4 3 5 8 8 2 - MathsView Answer for: For two distinct real numbers $x$ and $y$, which of them is bigger? Statement I : $x^2 < y < 1$ Statement II : $y < \sqrt{x} < 1$
For two distinct real numbers and , which of them is bigger? Statement I : Statement II :
- MathsView Answer for: The top of a table is rectangular and its dimensions are $6' \times 10'$. Two rectangular portions of the table top are painted in blue colour; both these portions have dimensions $2.5' \times 8'$ and each of them has exactly two sides common with two edges of the table top. If the table is fixed to the ground and the remaining portion of the table top is painted in white, how many different patterns are possible when observed from above?
The top of a table is rectangular and its dimensions are . Two rectangular portions of the table top are painted in blue colour; both these portions have dimensions and each of them has exactly two sides common with two edges of the table top. If the table is fixed to the ground and the remaining portion of the table top is painted in white, how many different patterns are possible when observed from above?
- MathsView Answer for: Three partners $A$, $B$ and $C$ entered into a business. $A$ invested one-third of the capital for one-third duration. $B$ invested one-fourth of the capital for one-fourth duration. $C$ invested the remaining capital for the whole duration. Out of a profit of ₹ $17,000$, how much profit will $C$ get?
Three partners , and entered into a business. invested one-third of the capital for one-third duration. invested one-fourth of the capital for one-fourth duration. invested the remaining capital for the whole duration. Out of a profit of ₹ , how much profit will get?
- MathsView Answer for: There are two chemicals which do not react with each other. A container contains $10$ litres of the chemical $A$. One litre of this chemical is removed from it and one litre of the chemical $B$ is poured. Then one litre of the mixture is removed from the container and one litre of $B$ is poured. If this process of replacing one litre of the mixture by one litre of $B$ is performed once more, then what is the volume of $B$ that is present in the container approximately (in percentage)?
There are two chemicals which do not react with each other. A container contains litres of the chemical . One litre of this chemical is removed from it and one litre of the chemical is poured. Then one litre of the mixture is removed from the container and one litre of is poured. If this process of replacing one litre of the mixture by one litre of is performed once more, then what is the volume of that is present in the container approximately (in percentage)?
- MathsView Answer for: If $x$ and $y$ are integers, then is $x$ even? Statement I : $x^2 y^2$ is even. Statement II : $1 + x^2 + y^2$ is odd.
If and are integers, then is even? Statement I : is even. Statement II : is odd.
- MathsView Answer for: A shopkeeper employs a delivery boy and gives him a motorcycle for home delivery. For every delivery, the boy is given ₹ $5$. At the end of the day, he also gets ₹ $2$ for every kilometre of the distance covered in the day. The boy wants to earn more than ₹ $500$ a day, but does not want to travel more than $100$ km. Which of the following numbers of deliveries would definitely meet his target?
A shopkeeper employs a delivery boy and gives him a motorcycle for home delivery. For every delivery, the boy is given ₹ . At the end of the day, he also gets ₹ for every kilometre of the distance covered in the day. The boy wants to earn more than ₹ a day, but does not want to travel more than km. Which of the following numbers of deliveries would definitely meet his target?
- MathsView Answer for: If the product of the HCF and LCM of two distinct numbers is the cube of one of the numbers, then which of the following statements is/are correct?I. The difference of the numbers is an even number. II. One of the numbers is a perfect square.Select the answer using the code given below.
If the product of the HCF and LCM of two distinct numbers is the cube of one of the numbers, then which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. The difference of the numbers is an even number. II. One of the numbers is a perfect square.
Select the answer using the code given below.
- MathsView Answer for: If $x$ and $y$ are two digits and the number $4x5y790$ is divisible by $11$, then what is the remainder, if $x+y$ is divided by $11$?
If and are two digits and the number is divisible by , then what is the remainder, if is divided by ?
- MathsView Answer for: The class average $x$ in a test increases by $4$ when the score of a student is rectified, whose corrected score is $100$ instead of $0$. Later, the score of another student was found to have been recorded as $81$ in place of $56$. If there are no other corrections and the final corrected average is $y$, then $y - x$ is
The class average in a test increases by when the score of a student is rectified, whose corrected score is instead of . Later, the score of another student was found to have been recorded as in place of . If there are no other corrections and the final corrected average is , then is
- MathsView Answer for: For $\frac{1}{3} < x < y < 2$, which of the following statements is/are always correct? I. $x + \frac{1}{x} < y + \frac{1}{y}$ II. $\frac{\sqrt{1 + y^2}}{y} < \frac{\sqrt{1 + x^2}}{x}$ Select the answer using the code given below.
For , which of the following statements is/are always correct? I. II. Select the answer using the code given below.
- MathsView Answer for: Seven persons $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$, $E$, $F$ and $G$ travel by three cars $X$, $Y$, $Z$. $A$ and another two of them travel by $X$. Only $E$ travels with $G$. $C$ travels by $Z$, but $B$ does not travel by $Y$. Besides, $A$ and $B$ do not travel by the same car. Then which of the following are correct? I. No one travels alone. II. Only $D$ travels with $F$. III. Only $C$ travels with $B$. Select the answer using the code given below.
Seven persons , , , , , and travel by three cars , , . and another two of them travel by . Only travels with . travels by , but does not travel by . Besides, and do not travel by the same car. Then which of the following are correct? I. No one travels alone. II. Only travels with . III. Only travels with . Select the answer using the code given below.
- MathsView Answer for: Suppose $x$, $y$ and $z$ are variables taking positive real numbers as their possible values. It is given that $y$ is directly proportional to $x^2$ and $x$ is inversely proportional to $z$. For $z = \frac{7}{25}$, the values of $x$ and $y$ are $5$ and $50$, respectively. If $y = 98$, what is $z$ equal to?
Suppose , and are variables taking positive real numbers as their possible values. It is given that is directly proportional to and is inversely proportional to . For , the values of and are and , respectively. If , what is equal to?
- MathsView Answer for: An explosion takes place at a certain distance from an army camp. As soon as the sensor in the camp receives the sound of the explosion, a drone starts flying towards the spot of explosion. The drone clicks a picture from the spot and the camp receives it at the same time. Immediately another drone starts flying to the spot and it also sends a picture as soon as it reaches the spot. The two pictures were received at 5:02 PM and 5:05 PM, respectively. If the speed of the drones is 30 m/s, at what time did the explosion take place? Assume that the speed of sound is 300 m/s.
An explosion takes place at a certain distance from an army camp. As soon as the sensor in the camp receives the sound of the explosion, a drone starts flying towards the spot of explosion. The drone clicks a picture from the spot and the camp receives it at the same time. Immediately another drone starts flying to the spot and it also sends a picture as soon as it reaches the spot. The two pictures were received at 5:02 PM and 5:05 PM, respectively. If the speed of the drones is 30 m/s, at what time did the explosion take place? Assume that the speed of sound is 300 m/s.
- MathsView Answer for: How many three-digit numbers can be expressed as an integral power of $2$?
How many three-digit numbers can be expressed as an integral power of ?
- MathsView Answer for: $X$ and $Y$ are two runners who run for the same duration of time on the same circular track. They started running at the same time in the same direction with uniform speeds. When $X$ completed $7$ rounds, $Y$ did exactly $5$. After completing $5$ rounds, $Y$ changed his direction and started running in the opposite direction with speed which is double of his earlier speed. On the other hand, $X$ continued to run with the same speed. They stopped running when $X$ completed exactly $21$ rounds. How many times did $X$ and $Y$ meet after they had started and before they finally stopped?
and are two runners who run for the same duration of time on the same circular track. They started running at the same time in the same direction with uniform speeds. When completed rounds, did exactly . After completing rounds, changed his direction and started running in the opposite direction with speed which is double of his earlier speed. On the other hand, continued to run with the same speed. They stopped running when completed exactly rounds. How many times did and meet after they had started and before they finally stopped?
- MathsView Answer for: In an objective type question paper, $5$ marks are awarded for a correct answer and $2$ marks are deducted for a wrong answer. A student attempted all the questions and got a score of $69$. Had he been awarded $4$ marks for a correct answer and $1$ mark deducted for a wrong answer, he would have scored $84$. How many questions were there in the question paper?
In an objective type question paper, marks are awarded for a correct answer and marks are deducted for a wrong answer. A student attempted all the questions and got a score of . Had he been awarded marks for a correct answer and mark deducted for a wrong answer, he would have scored . How many questions were there in the question paper?
- MathsView Answer for: What is the minimum number of times one needs to measure to get $298$ litres of water from a tank, if the measuring cylinders have capacities $1$ litre, $6$ litres, $25$ litres and $100$ litres?
What is the minimum number of times one needs to measure to get litres of water from a tank, if the measuring cylinders have capacities litre, litres, litres and litres?
- MathsView Answer for: The digit in the unit place of the number $6^{129} \times 7^{307}$ is
The digit in the unit place of the number is
- MathsView Answer for: A person saves 10% of his salary every month. If his salary increases by 12% and the expenditure increases by 10%, then what will be the change in his saving per month?
A person saves 10% of his salary every month. If his salary increases by 12% and the expenditure increases by 10%, then what will be the change in his saving per month?
- MathsView Answer for: How many times does $5$ appear in all two-digit positive integers?
How many times does appear in all two-digit positive integers?
- MathsView Answer for: There are four types of weights, namely $1$ kg, $2$ kg, $5$ kg and $10$ kg. What is the maximum number of different ways one can measure $20$ kg, if at least eight but not more than eleven weights of $1$ kg are to be used while measuring?
There are four types of weights, namely kg, kg, kg and kg. What is the maximum number of different ways one can measure kg, if at least eight but not more than eleven weights of kg are to be used while measuring?
- MathsView Answer for: $X$ travels $6$ km on a bicycle with average speeds of $5$ km per hour, $10$ km per hour and $4$ km per hour during the first $1$ km, the next $2$ km and the remaining $3$ km, respectively. $Y$ travels the same distances with average speeds of $4$ km per hour, $10$ km per hour and $5$ km per hour, respectively. How many minutes early will $Y$ complete the journey if both $X$ and $Y$ start at the same time?
travels km on a bicycle with average speeds of km per hour, km per hour and km per hour during the first km, the next km and the remaining km, respectively. travels the same distances with average speeds of km per hour, km per hour and km per hour, respectively. How many minutes early will complete the journey if both and start at the same time?
- MathsView Answer for: In a sequence of numbers, each number other than the first two is the sum of the two immediately preceding numbers from it. If the first two numbers in the sequence are $4$ and $7$, then the sixth number is
In a sequence of numbers, each number other than the first two is the sum of the two immediately preceding numbers from it. If the first two numbers in the sequence are and , then the sixth number is
- MathsView Answer for: The ratio of male to female workers in two companies $A$ and $B$ is $13 : 10$ and $7 : 5$, respectively. If both the companies have the same number of female workers, then what is the ratio of the total number of workers in $A$ to those in $B$?
The ratio of male to female workers in two companies and is and , respectively. If both the companies have the same number of female workers, then what is the ratio of the total number of workers in to those in ?
- MathsView Answer for: A cut on a solid object divides the object into two parts where the new surfaces thus produced are plane. On the other hand, one single cut can be used to cut more than one object at a time. In an experiment, the total number of pieces produced by applying $n$ cuts is denoted by $xn$. The experiment is performed on a solid cube where pieces remain unmoved after each cut. In this experiment, if after the third cut, the pieces are identical, then which of the following is not a possible value for $x4$?
A cut on a solid object divides the object into two parts where the new surfaces thus produced are plane. On the other hand, one single cut can be used to cut more than one object at a time. In an experiment, the total number of pieces produced by applying cuts is denoted by . The experiment is performed on a solid cube where pieces remain unmoved after each cut. In this experiment, if after the third cut, the pieces are identical, then which of the following is not a possible value for ?
- MathsView Answer for: An alloy $P$ contains $20\%$ copper and $80\%$ zinc by weight. Another alloy $Q$ contains $60\%$ copper and $40\%$ zinc by weight. A third alloy $R$ is to be prepared from $P$ and $Q$ so that it contains equal amount of copper and zinc. In what ratio, amounts of $P$ and $Q$ be mixed in order to get $R$?
An alloy contains copper and zinc by weight. Another alloy contains copper and zinc by weight. A third alloy is to be prepared from and so that it contains equal amount of copper and zinc. In what ratio, amounts of and be mixed in order to get ?
- MathsView Answer for: $A$ is a 2-digit number with different digits. $B$ is also a 2-digit number and is obtained by reversing the digits of $A$. If $A - B$ is a multiple of $27$, where $A > B$, how many such different $A$'s are possible?
is a 2-digit number with different digits. is also a 2-digit number and is obtained by reversing the digits of . If is a multiple of , where , how many such different 's are possible?
- MathsView Answer for: There are three types of rectangular tiles : $3' \times 3'$, $3' \times 7'$ and $3' \times 11'$. An area of rectangular shape of dimensions $3' \times 100'$ is to be covered using these tiles without breaking them. If $x$ and $y$ are the maximum and minimum numbers of tiles of various sizes, respectively, that can be used to cover the area exactly, then $x - y$ is
There are three types of rectangular tiles : , and . An area of rectangular shape of dimensions is to be covered using these tiles without breaking them. If and are the maximum and minimum numbers of tiles of various sizes, respectively, that can be used to cover the area exactly, then is
- MathsView Answer for: A train has to complete a journey of $800$ km. If it meets a minor accident, its speed becomes half of the existing speed. If there is a mechanical defect, the speed becomes one-fourth of the existing speed. On its way, the train meets with a minor accident after $200$ km; and $400$ km thereafter, it develops a mechanical defect. Had the train developed the mechanical defect after $200$ km and met the minor accident $400$ km thereafter, it would have taken $4$ more hours to reach its destination. What was the original speed of the train in km per hour?
A train has to complete a journey of km. If it meets a minor accident, its speed becomes half of the existing speed. If there is a mechanical defect, the speed becomes one-fourth of the existing speed. On its way, the train meets with a minor accident after km; and km thereafter, it develops a mechanical defect. Had the train developed the mechanical defect after km and met the minor accident km thereafter, it would have taken more hours to reach its destination. What was the original speed of the train in km per hour?
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