UPSC CSAT is a qualifying paper in which you need to score at least 66 marks out of 200. One of the most effective ways to prepare for the CSAT paper is by analyzing and understanding the UPSC CSAT previous years’ question papers.
This helps you identify the most important topics, types of questions, the difficulty level and the changing trends of the CSAT paper so you can tailor your UPSC CSAT preparation accordingly.
Fill out the form below to download the UPSC CSAT previous year question papers with detailed explanations in PDF format.
UPSC CSAT Previous Year Papers Book
EduTap has created a comprehensive book containing the solved UPSC CSAT previous year papers.
Download your UPSC CSAT previous year papers book for free by filling out the form above.
Now that you can access previous years’ question papers with answers, it’s time to analyze the UPSC CSAT PYQs to understand the exam’s difficulty level and identify important topics.
UPSC CSAT Previous Years Question Papers Analysis
Below, we have explained the distribution of questions in the UPSC CSAT paper across Maths, Reasoning and English in the previous 10 years.
| UPSC CSAT Distribution of Questions | ||||||||||
| Number of Questions | ||||||||||
| Subject | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Maths | 38 | 43 | 38 | 36 | 45 | 32 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 28 |
| Reasoning | 15 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 18 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
| English | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 30 |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
UPSC CSAT Maths PYQ Analysis
Below, you can see the distribution of questions amongst topics of Maths for the CSAT papers of 2015 to 2024. This will help you identify the topics that are most important, moderately important and least important.
| UPSC CSAT Distribution of Questions in Maths | ||||||||||
| Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Percentage | 5 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Ratio and Proportion | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Profit and Loss | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Compound Interest | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Data Interpretation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ages & Partnership | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Time & Work | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Time, Speed, and Distance | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Pipes & Cistern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Boats & Stream | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Probability | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| P&C | 0 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Alligation Mixture | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number System | 19 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Average | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Mensuration 2D, 3D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| HCF & LCM | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Number Series | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 38 | 43 | 38 | 36 | 45 | 32 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 28 |
Most Important Topics for CSAT Maths
Based on the above table, the most important topics for CSAT maths are:
- Number System
- HCF and LCM
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Ratio and Proportion
- Age and Partnership
- Time and Work
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Average
- Mensuration 2D and 3D
- Permutation and Combination
- Probability
- Number Series
Other Key Takeaways
- The weightage of maths questions has steadily increased over the years. From 28/80 questions in 2015, the number of questions asked from maths in 2023 went up to 43. In 2024 it came down to 38. What this means for you is that around 50% of the CSAT paper comprises of maths questions and you must prepare accordingly.
- Syllabus
- Important Topics
- Trend Analysis
- Strategy
UPSC CSAT Reasoning PYQ Analysis
Below, you can see the distribution of questions amongst topics of Reasoning for the CSAT papers of 2015 to 2024. This will help you identify the topics that are most important, moderately important and least important.
| UPSC CSAT Distribution of Questions in Reasoning | ||||||||||
| Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Alphanumeric Series | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coding & Decoding | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Continues Letter Series | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Analogy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction Sense | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Blood Relation | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Ranking & Order | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Syllogism | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sitting Arrangement + Puzzle | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Clock | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Calendar | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dice | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Counting Figure | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cube & Cuboid | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Images | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Analytical Reasoning | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Total | 15 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 18 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
Most Important Topics for CSAT Reasoning
Based on the above table, the most important topics for CSAT Reasoning are:
- Syllogism
- Blood Relation
- Direction Sense
- Alphabetical and Alphanumeric Series
- Coding and Decoding
- Calendar
- Clock
- Continuous Letter Series
- Ranking and Order
Other Key Takeaways
- The weightage of reasoning questions has steadily decreased over the years. From 22 out of 80 questions in 2015, the number of questions asked from reasoning in 2023 went down to just 11. In 2024, 15 questions were asked.
- Syllabus
- Important Topics
- Trend Analysis
- Strategy
UPSC CSAT English PYQs Analysis
Below, you can see the distribution of questions amongst topics of English for the CSAT papers of 2015 to 2024.
| UPSC CSAT Distribution of English Questions | ||||||||||
| Passage level | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Level 1* Passage | 9 | 22 | 6 | 25 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 28 | 14 | 19 |
| Level 2* Passage | 18 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Level 3* Passage | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Level 4* Passage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Total | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 30 |
*Level 1 passages are the ones that consist of only 1 question. Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 passages consist of 2,3 and 4 questions, respectively.
Most Important Topics for CSAT English
Based on the above table, the most important topics for CSAT English are:
- Reading Comprehension
- Assumption
- Inference
- Conclusion
Other Key Takeaways
- The weightage of English comprehension questions has varied from 25 to 32. An aspirant can attempt about 70% of these questions with 100% accuracy.
- Syllabus
- Important Topics
- Trend Analysis
- Strategy
UPSC CSAT Difficulty Level
The difficulty level of the UPSC CSAT paper has varied over years. Below, we have provided the subject-wise difficulty level of the questions asked in the previous years.
UPSC CSAT Math Difficulty Level
The table below contains the bifurcation of easy, moderate, and difficult questions of CSAT maths from 2015 to 2024.
| UPSC CSAT Maths Difficulty Level | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||
| Total questions | 38 | 43 | 38 | 36 | 45 | 32 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 28 | |
| Difficulty Level | Easy Questions | 7 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 9 |
| Moderate Questions | 18 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | |
| Difficult Questions | 13 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 8 | |
Key Takeaways
- Easy and moderate questions constitute more than 50% of the questions asked in CSAT maths.
UPSC CSAT Reasoning Difficulty Level
The table below contains the bifurcation of easy, moderate, and difficult questions of CSAT reasoning from 2015 to 2024.
| UPSC CSAT Reasoning Difficulty Level | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||
| Total questions | 15 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 18 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 22 | |
| Difficulty Level | Easy Questions | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 8 |
| Moderate Questions | 8 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 12 | |
| Difficult Questions | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | |
UPSC CSAT English Difficulty Level
The table below contains the bifurcation of easy, moderate, and difficult questions of CSAT English from 2015 to 2024.
| UPSC CSAT English Difficulty Level | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||
| Total questions | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 30 | |
| Difficulty Level | Easy Questions | 4 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 |
| Moderate Questions | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 | |
| Difficult Questions | 12 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | |
Key Takeaways
- Level 1 passages (containing 1 question) are usually easier, these can be attempted with 80-90% accuracy.
- Level 4 passages (containing 4 questions) should be targeted first as more questions can be attempted.
- Syllabus
- Important Topics
- Trend Analysis
- Strategy
Conclusion
Familiarizing yourself with USC CSAT previous year question papers (PYQs) is an essential step. PYQs offer invaluable insights into the exam format, past trends, frequently tested topics, and overall difficulty level. This knowledge empowers you to:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to pinpoint areas where you need more focus and tailor your preparation accordingly.
- Select resources that align with the exam’s specific content and format, ensuring you’re studying the most relevant material.
- Identify any shifts in exam pattern or content, ensuring your preparation is up-to-date and relevant to the current exam requirements.
- Practice actual exam questions, improving your time management strategies and overall exam confidence.
By incorporating PYQs into your preparation, you’ll gain a competitive edge and increase your chances of qualifying the UPSC CSAT exam.
