Rachit Kumar
Rachit Kumar Saxena
Manager-Editorial
Updated on Jun 16, 2024 13:37 IST
The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC IAS prelims exam on June 16. The candidates will get here the UPSC 2024 question paper analysis, expected cutoff, sectional break-up and the Student Reaction Video. The candidates can also see here the UPSC 2024 result expected date.

The Union Public Service Commission conducted the UPSC Prelims exam on June 16, 2024. The UPSC Question Paper Analysis 2024 is available here. The candidates can see here the section-wise breakdown of the UPSC exam 2024 and the expected cutoff for IAS prelims.

UPSC_Exam_Analysis_2024

UPSC Exam Analysis 2024

UPSC Exam Analysis 2024: The Union Public Service Commission conducted the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2024 General Studies Paper in the first session. The  Civil Service Exam prelims exam is conducted to recruit candidates for all three All India Services and the Central Civil Services. The UPSC prelims exam is qualifying only and the marks secured in the IAS prelims exam will not be counted for the final UPSC result. The UPSC exam is conducted once in a year. If the candidates do not perform well or in case they do not appear in the paper, they will have to wait for next year.

Also Read: UPSC Answer Key 2024 Live Updates

Table of contents
  • UPSC 2024 Exam Timing
  • Structure of the UPSC Prelims Exam
  • UPSC 2024 General Studies Paper Analysis
  • UPSC 2024 Expected Cutoff
  • UPSC Prelims Question Paper Analysis 2023
  • UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2023
  • UPSC 2024 Result Expected Date
View More

UPSC 2024 Exam Timing

The candidates should note that there are two papers in the UPSC prelims exam. The duration of each paper is two hours. The Commission mentioned the exam timing in the UPSC IAS admit card. The candidates can see below the UPSC exam timing:

Session Paper Timing Paper Name
Morning Session 9.30 AM to 11.30 AM General Studies Paper 1
Noon Session 2.30 PM to 4.30 PM General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT)

The candidates can see here more details about the UPSC Exam Timing.

Q:   How many papers are there in the IAS prelims exam?
A:

The IAS prelims exam is an objective type exam. The IAS prelims is conducted offline and the candidates need to mark their answers on the answer sheet (OMR). There are two papers in the IAS prelims exam. The details of IAS prelims exam is given below:

  • General Studies Paper 1
  • General Studies Paper 2 ( Aptitude Test)

The Aptitude paper is qualifying only and the passing marks in the aptitude paper is  67.5 marks out of 200.

Q:   How many subjects are in the IAS exam?
A:
The Union Public Service Commission's main (written) examination comprises nine papers. Union Public Service Commission includes two qualifying papers and seven papers which will be calculated for ranking. However, according to the updated syllabus of the Indian Administrative Service exam: History of India, History of World, Art and Culture, Indian and World Geography, Indian Polity, Governance, Economics, Social Development, Environment, General Science, General mental ability, and Reasoning. Other than these subjects, there are around 25 degree subjects and 23 literature language subjects from which to select your optional subjects for the Indian Administrative Service main stage. For more details, You may visit the Shiksha IAS exam page. (https://www.shiksha.com/exams/ias-exam). I hope this will help you.
Q:   Did UPSC ask analytical questions in IAS prelims 2023?
A:

Yes, the UPSC asked conceptual and analytical questions in the IAS prelims exam in 2023. The CSAT paper tested analytical skills, reasoning ability, and aptitude. The questions included permutations and combinations and analytical reasoning.

The difficulty level of the exam was moderate. The paper was lengthy because it included statement-based questions. The questions were a mix of static and current affairs. The majority of the questions were from Environment and Geography.

The CSAT was more difficult than previous years. Students with Science and IIT backgrounds found the exam tough.

Structure of the UPSC Prelims Exam

The Union Public Service Commission mentions the structure of the UPSC Civil Service Exam (IAS) exam in the official notification. The candidates can see the details of the papers:

  • General Studies Paper 1
  • General Studies Paper 2 (Aptitude Paper)

The marks secured in the General Studies Paper 1 will be considered for the UPSC Prelims Cutoff purposes. The General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT) paper is qualifying only. The candidates are required to score 33 per cent marks on the CSAT paper.

Also ReadUPSC IAS Exam Pattern

Staying updated about the latest educational events is just a click away
Enter Mobile Number

UPSC 2024 General Studies Paper Analysis

The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC prelims General Studies Paper 1 in the morning session. The UPSC General Studies paper will be over at 11.30. The candidates will get here the UPSC 2024 General Studies Paper 1 after the exam. The candidates will get here the sectional breakup of the UPSC Prelims question paper.

Subject Question Difficulty Level
Ancient & Medieval History  5 Difficult
Indian National Movement 0 NA
Art, Culture & Ancient Literature 3 Difficult
Geography 24 Moderate to Difficult
Indian Polity 19 Moderate
Indian Economy 12 Moderate to Difficult
World Economy 1 Difficult
General Science 4 Moderate to Difficult
Environment, Wildlife & Biodiversity 10 Difficult
Technology 5 Moderate to Difficult
Current Affairs 10 Moderate
Government Scheme 4 Moderate (factual)
Defence Force Ranks 1 Moderate (factual)
Books 1 Moderate (factual)
Total 100 Moderate to Difficulte

The candidates will also get the UPSC question paper here.

Q:   How many papers are there in the IAS main exam?
A:

 As the name suggest, the IAS main exam has 9 descriptive papers. The details of these papers are given below:

PaperDescriptionMarks
AOne of the Indian language to be selected by the candidate from the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the constitution (Qualifying only)300
BEnglish (Qualifying Only)300
1Essay250
2General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)250
3General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)250
4General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)250
5General Studies –IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)250
6Optional Subject - Paper 1250
7Optional Subject - Paper 2250
Q:   How can I download the IAS question paper?
A:

The Union Public Service Commission releases the IAS question papers for prelims and main exam. The Commission releases the question papers on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The candidates can download the IAS prelims and Mains question paper from the official website.

The candidates are not required to login with their credentials to download the IAS question papers. The Commission release the question papers in PDF.

Q:   How many questions are there in IAS exam?
A:
Hello Dear, In UPSC Civil Service Examination there will be 2 papers. Paper 1: 100 questions Paper 2: 80 Questions.

UPSC 2024 Expected Cutoff

The candidates should note that the UPSC Prelims Cutoff depends on the marks of the General Studies paper 1 (GS Marks) only. The candidates will get here the details of UPSC's expected cutoff  2024 after the exam is over. 

Category

IAS Prelims Cut off 2024

General

TBA

EWS

TBA

OBC

TBA

SC

TBA

ST

TBA

PwBD1

TBA

PwBD2

TBA

PwBD3

TBA

PwBD5

TBA

UPSC Prelims Question Paper Analysis 2023

The candidates can see the UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis of the previous year to anticipate the difficulty level of the UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper.

 UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2023

The Union Public Service Commission released the UPSC 2023 prelims cutoff after the declaration of the result. The candidates can see below the UPSC 2023 cutoff for all the categories:

Category

IAS Prelims Cut off 2023

General

75.41

EWS

68.02

OBC

74.75

SC

59.25

ST

47.82

PwBD1

40.40

PwBD2

47.13 

PwBD3

40.40 

PwBD5

33.68

The candidate should expect a similar cutoff trend this year also.

Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates

CSIR NET 2026 June Application Form

28 Feb '26

UGC NET June 2026 Application Form

30 Apr '26

IBPS PO 2026 Prelims Exam

22 Aug '26 - 23 Aug '26

SBI PO Notification 2026

30 Aug '26

IBPS Clerk 2026 notification

31 Aug '26

UPSC 2024 Result Expected Date

The Commission is expected to release the UPSC prelims 2024 result online by June 28, 2024.

Also Read

UPSC Syllabus

About the Author
author-image
Rachit Kumar Saxena
Manager-Editorial
 
Role : Editorial Project Manager, Problem Solver & Test Prep Expert
 
Education: A Delhi University Alumni and a Science Graduate from Lucknow University
 
Rachit Kumar Saxena is a Ed-tech professio
Read Full Bio
Download Important Dates for Sarkari Exams Exams

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News

Explore Other Exams

19 Dec '25

SSC JE Tier 1 Provisional Answ...

19 Dec '25 -

22 Dec '25

SSC JE Tier 1 Answer Key Objec...

4 Oct '25 -

6 Oct '25

Application Correction

1 Oct '25 -

3 Oct '25

HP TET Nov 2025 Application Wi...

Aug '26

SBI PO Notification 2026

Aug '26

SBI PO Application Form 2026

Feb '26

CSIR NET 2026 June Application...

Feb '26

CSIR NET 2026 June Notificatio...

1 Feb '26

IBPS RRB Clerk 2025 Mains Exam

28 Dec '25

IBPS RRB 2025 Single Online Ex...

Aug '25

Kerala SET 2025 July Exam

12 Jun '25

Kerala SET 2025 July Applicati...

29 Sep '25

KTET Answer Key

18 Sep '25 -

19 Sep '25

KTET Exam Date

22 Aug '26 -

23 Aug '26

IBPS PO 2026 Prelims Exam

4 Oct '26

IBPS PO 2026 Mains Exam

Apr '26

UGC NET June 2026 Application ...

Apr '26

UGC NET June 2026 Notification

17 Dec '25

OTET Exam Date

10 Dec '25

OTET Admit Card

The list of exams are recommended based on what other exams do the students in your area show interest in
qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered 4 days ago

The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC IAS Prelims 2026 exam on May 24, 2026. The Commission will release the UPSC Civil Service Prelims Exam 2026 within a week from the exam on its official website - upsc.gov.in.

S

Saakshi Kumar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

Yes, the UPSC IAS Notification 2026 was postponed due to administrative reasons. The Commission released the notification on its official website - upsc.gov.in on February 4, 2026. The last date to apply online for the Civil Service (IAS) exam is February 27 now.

N

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The Union Public Service Commission will release the IAS Prelims Answer Key 2026 in May 2027. The Commission releases the official answer key after the declaration of final result.

M

Mamona Gupta

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the IAS prelims exam on May 24, 2026. The Commission will release the IAS prelims result 2026 in the first week of June.

V

Vipra Sharma

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The Cadre Controlling Authority for Indian Foreign Service is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is recruited through the Civil Service Exam.

78438894
Rachit Kumar Saxena

Contributor-Level 9

Answered a month ago

The Cadre Controlling Authority for Indian Police Service is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It comes directly under the supervision of Home Minister of India.

N

Nitesh Singh

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The Union Public Service Commission notified 933 UPSC Civil Service vacancies in the official notification. The number of vacancies for IAS is 180 and for IPS it is 150. Rest of the vacancies are notified for the Central Civil Services.

M

Manori Malhotra

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The Union Public Service Commission mention the age limit in the official notification. The upper age limit for the General Categoary candidates is 32 years. The Commission provides age relaxation to certain reserved categories.

S

Saakshi Kumar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

No, the Indian Foriegn Service is a Central Civil Service. It is organised and controlled by the Ministry of External Affairs. It is recruited through the UPSC Civil Service Exam conducted annually.

R

Rashmi

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

The Union Public Service Commission released the Civil Service (IAS) notification 2026 on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The Commission notified 933 vacancies (tentative) in the notification. 

R

Raj Shukla

Contributor-Level 6