Check the UPSC Prelims exam analysis 2026 for GS Paper 1 and CSAT here. Also, check the difficulty level, subject-wise questions, and key insights.
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination is the first stage of India’s prestigious civil services recruitment process. The exam evaluates candidates on conceptual understanding, analytical ability, current affairs awareness and decision making skills through General Studies Paper 1 and the qualifying CSAT paper conducted in objective format.
| Exam Paper | Shift Timings | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies (GS Paper 1) | 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM | View Paper |
| Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) | 02:30 PM – 04:30 PM | View Paper |
| UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 Subject Wise | ||||||
| Subject | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Environment | — | 10 | 15 | 12 | 22 | 16 |
| History | — | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 20 |
| Geography | — | 14 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 14 |
| Economics | — | 21 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 |
| Science & Technology | — | 15 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 12 |
| Polity | — | 15 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 17 |
| Current Affairs | — | 13 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| UPSC Prelims Exam Difficulty Level | ||
| Paper | Difficulty Level 2026 | Difficulty Level 2025 |
| GS Paper 1 | — | Moderate to Tough |
| CSAT Paper | — | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall Exam | — | Moderate |
| UPSC Exam Analysis 2026 CSAT Subject Wise | |||
| Section | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Reasoning Ability | — | 17 | 35-40 |
| Reading Comprehension | — | 29 | 22-24 |
| Numerical Ability | — | 34 | 23-25 |
| Total Questions | — | 80 | 80 |
| UPSC Prelims Expected Cut Off 2026 | |
| Category | Expected Cut Off 2026 |
| General | – |
| OBC | – |
| EWS | – |
| SC | – |
| ST | – |
| PwBD 1 | – |
| PwBD 2 | – |
| PwBD 3 | – |
| PwBD 5 | – |
