Today’s first shift (Paper 1- General Studies) of the Civil Services Examination (Prelims) is over now; it was concluded from 9:30 to 11:30 am. The Paper 1 includes a total of 100 questions, and the Paper 2 includes a total of 80 questions. The duration to solve the complete question paper is 2 hours each.
As the exam was conducted in offline mode, the candidates were provided a hard copy of the UPSC Prelims Question Paper. All sets of General Studies (Paper 1) question paper PDFs are attached below.
UPSC Prelims 2026 Question Paper Out
The UPSC Prelims Question Paper PDF is helpful for candidates who are planning to prepare for the UPSC CSE exam next year. It’ll help the candidates to understand the difficulty level and the types of questions asked in the examination. As reviewed, the questions asked in the General Studies exam were of a difficult level
UPSC CSE Question Paper 2026- Overview
| UPSC Question Paper 2026- Overview | |
| Organization | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Examination (Prelims) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Exam Date | 24th May 2026 |
| Shift Timing | GS- 9:30 am to 11:30 am CSAT- 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm |
| Type of Questions | Objective Type MCQs |
| Difficulty Level | Difficult |
| Number of Questions | CSAT: 80 questions GS: 100 questions |
| Total Marks | 200 for each paper |
| Duration | 2 hours for each paper |
| Medium of Exam | English & Hindi |
UPSC Prelims 2026 Question Paper PDF
Candidates must download the question paper to have a realistic insight into the exam pattern, marking scheme, type of questions asked, and the difficulty level of the exam.
General Studies Paper 1 PDF (All Sets)
The GS paper included 100 questions from subjects such as History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science & Technology, and Current Affairs. Candidates can download the question paper to understand the topic-wise weightage and the overall trend followed by UPSC this year, along with any new changes.
| Sets | Paper PDFs |
| Set A | Question Paper PDF |
| Set B | Question Paper PDF |
| Set C | Question Paper PDF |
| Set D | Question Paper PDF |
UPSC Prelims GS Paper Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
Based on the feedback of the candidates, we are sharing the difficulty level of each paper, and also, based on that, good attempts will also be discussed.
| Papers | Name of Exam | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
| Paper 1 | General Studies | Difficult |
Connect with the faculty of StudyIQ for live analysis of UPSC Prelims Question Paper 2026 through their youtube channel.
UPSC CSE Prelims Exam Schedule & Timing
The UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2026 is scheduled for a single day, 24th May 2026. The morning shift for the General Studies exam is held from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, and the Afternoon session for CSAT is from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
| Papers | Exam Starts | Exam Ends |
| Paper 1 | 9:30 am | 11:30 am |
| Paper 2 | 2:30 pm | 4:30 pm |
| Related Links | |
| UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2026 | UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 [Prelims + Mains] |
| UPSC Books List for Prelims Exam | UPSC IAS, IPS, IRS & IFS Salary |
| UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026 | UPSC Calendar 2027 |









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