UPSC Prelims Practice Test: Exam Pattern and 50 Questions

The Civil Services Examination is the Union Public Service Commission’s three-stage recruitment exam for the IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination (written) and an Interview/Personality Test. Prelims is a screening test of two objective papers. Its marks decide who goes on to Mains but are not counted in the final merit list. Use the 50 original questions below to practise both papers.

Papers: General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT), 200 marks each
Duration: 2 hours per paper
Negative marking: One-third (0.33) of the question’s marks per wrong answer; no penalty for a blank
Paper II: Qualifying only – minimum 33%; the Mains shortlist is drawn on Paper I marks

From the official source listed at the bottom of the page.

How the Civil Services Examination is structured

Prelims: General Studies Paper I200 marks, two hours, multiple choice. Current events, history of India and the national movement, Indian and world geography, polity and governance, economic and social development, environment and general science.
Prelims: General Studies Paper II (CSAT)200 marks, two hours, multiple choice. Comprehension, interpersonal and communication skills, logical reasoning, decision making, general mental ability and Class X-level numeracy and data interpretation. Qualifying, with a 33% minimum.
Negative markingEvery question has four alternatives. A wrong answer costs one-third of that question’s marks; marking more than one answer counts as wrong; a blank costs nothing. Candidates must sit both papers to be evaluated.
Main ExaminationNine conventional essay-type papers, two of them qualifying (an Indian language and English). Only Papers I–VII count towards ranking.
Interview/Personality Test275 marks, with no minimum qualifying marks. It is added to the Mains written marks for the final order of merit.

UPSC Prelims practice test — 50 questions

Original questions written to prepare for the UPSC Prelims; they are not official test questions. Answer them without an account and see an explanation for each one.

Question 1 of 50

According to Article 79 of the Constitution, Parliament of India consists of:

Question 2 of 50

If a question arises whether a Bill is a Money Bill, whose decision is final under Article 110?

Question 3 of 50

Under Article 72, who can grant a pardon to a person sentenced by a Court Martial?

Question 4 of 50

Consider the statements about the Attorney-General for India: 1. He or she is appointed by the President. 2. He or she must be qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Question 5 of 50

An ordinance promulgated by the President under Article 123 ceases to operate, unless approved earlier, at the end of:

Question 6 of 50

Under Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to:

Question 7 of 50

The “annual financial statement” laid before Parliament under Article 112 is popularly known as the:

Question 8 of 50

Article 356 of the Constitution deals with:

Question 9 of 50

Which Article of the Constitution lays down the procedure for impeachment of the President?

Question 10 of 50

The Union Public Service Commission is provided for under which Article?

What to practise for the UPSC Prelims

Indian polity and the Constitution
Ancient, medieval and modern Indian history
The Indian national movement
Indian and world geography
Environment, ecology and biodiversity
General science
Reading comprehension
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Basic numeracy and data interpretation

Type any of these topics into the quiz generator to make a practice quiz. Quiz templates

How to prepare for the UPSC Prelims with SimpleQuizMaker

Work through the 50 practice questions below in sets of ten and read every explanation you miss.
Type a topic such as “UPSC Prelims Indian polity” and generate your own quiz of up to 10 questions – the free plan gives you 5 AI generations a month.
Paste a page of your NCERT notes as text and turn it into a quiz.
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UPSC Prelims tips

Paper II only has to be passed, but it must be passed: a strong Paper I is wasted if CSAT falls below 33%.
With one-third of the marks lost per wrong answer, a blind guess on four options does not pay; guess only after eliminating at least two.
In statement-based questions, judge each statement on its own first, then pick the option that matches.
Learn Constitution articles by number and heading; they are stable and easy to revise.

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{short} FAQ

Are these official UPSC questions?

No. All 50 questions were written for this page to mirror the two Prelims papers. They are not taken from UPSC question papers, and the Commission has no connection with this site.

How many papers are in UPSC Prelims?

Two compulsory objective papers, according to the official notification: General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II, each of 200 marks and two hours.

Is CSAT counted for the merit list?

No. Paper II is qualifying with a minimum of 33%. The list of candidates who go on to Mains is drawn on Paper I marks, and Prelims marks are not counted in the final order of merit at all.

Is there negative marking in UPSC Prelims?

Yes. One-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer, and marking more than one answer counts as wrong. A question left blank carries no penalty.

What are the stages of the Civil Services Examination?

Three: the Preliminary Examination (screening), the Main Examination (written) and the Interview/Personality Test.

Can I make my own UPSC quizzes?

Yes. The free plan lets you build quizzes of up to 10 questions from a topic or pasted text, with 5 AI generations a month. The Student plan adds file uploads and up to 100 questions. People taking your quiz do not need an account.

Official sources

SimpleQuizMaker is not affiliated with any police service, fire department, recruiting body or government. Our questions are original practice items, not official test questions. Always check the current rules with the official source.

UPSC Prelims at a glance