UPSC IAS Prelims Paper 2023 was remarked between moderate to difficult. Most of the questions of paper 1 were from Polity, History, Geography, and Economics. However, paper 1 was easier than CSAT.
UPSC prelims paper analysis will offer the candidates with the areas of high weightage and marks distribution. Candidates who wish to appear for the UPSC IAS Mains Exams need to qualify for the CSE Prelims. One of the best ways to prepare for the exam, especially the CSAT, is to use mock tests or previous year question papers through the years. Not only does this help save time, but it gives candidates an insight into the various types of questions that will appear in the exam.
UPSC IAS Prelims 2023 Paper Analysis
The UPSC IAS Prelims 2023, paper 1 saw most questions from four sections. They are History, Indian Polity, Geography, and Economics. Candidates required to prioritize these sections before anything. The questions from Current Affairs were dynamic. Securing full marks in current affairs can make the exam favorable to you than the rest.
UPSC IAS Prelims 2023 Analysis: Subject-Wise Weightage and Marks Distribution
Firstly, the UPSC IAS Prelims exams 2023 consisted of 2 papers, namely General Studies 1 and 2, 2 being the CSAT. There were 200 marks allotted for each paper, and to qualify for the CSAT, candidates needed to secure 33%. The score a candidate secured in General Studies Paper 1 decided the candidate's ranking.
Subject | Number of questions |
Difficulty level
|
Polity | 15 |
Moderate to Difficult
|
Economy | 14 | Difficult |
Geography | 16 | Moderate |
History | 14 |
Easy to moderate
|
Science & Technology | 12 |
Moderate to difficult
|
Environment & Ecology | 14 | Moderate |
International Relations | 11 | Moderate |
History Analysis
Questions in history appeared majorly from
- Modern history
- An amalgamation of history with art and culture
- Ancient history
- Post-independence period
Polity Analysis
Some of the questions that appeared in the 2019 UPSC IAS prelims Polity exam included:
- Fundamental rights
- Judicial review
- Executive
- Legislature
- Historical background of the Constitution
- Issues related to rights
There were 100 questions asked with 15 appearing from Indian Polity and governance. This section was relatively easy, but a few questions were difficult.
Economics Analysis
Economics in the 2019 Prelims exam for UPSC IAS was relatively easy. The topics that appeared on the questions paper included:
- Banking and Finance
- Sectors of the economy
- Balance of payments
- International trade
- Fiscal policy
UPSC IAS Prelims Exam: CSAT Analysis
General Studies Paper 1 was easier than the CSAT. The detailed analysis of the question paper as as follows:
Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty level |
Reasoning Ability | 13-14 | Moderate |
Reading Comprehension | 27 |
Moderate to Difficult
|
Basic Numeracy and Maths (Including Data Sufficiency) | 39-40 |
Moderate to difficult
|
Overview of the UPSC IAS Prelims Exam
When analyzing the previous year UPSC IAS prelim trends, we found that current events were more relative to the year in question and took up almost 26.6% of the question paper. The question paper often contained topics like government schemes, economic statutes, and politics.
Science and Technology were more conceptual and based on the application of Technology in a remote setting. We also found that it is vital to cover all subjects and have adequate knowledge of all questions.
Topics in UPSC IAS Prelims Exam | The average number of Questions |
---|---|
Indian History | 15% |
Current affairs | 26.6% |
Environment | 10.8 % |
Indian Economy | 13.8 % |
Indian Polity | 15% |
Miscellaneous | 3 % |
Science and Technology | 7.8 % |
Geography | 9% |