Prelims GS I · 162 questions · 2016–2026
Geography: every Prelims question, by topic
UPSC syllabus: “Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.
Geography in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 162 questions on Geography in GS Paper I from 2016 to 2026 — about 15 a year, the most in 2023 (23). The most-asked topic is World: places, rivers & mapping (30 questions).
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 16 Oct 2026.
- World: places, rivers & mapping30 questions · asked in 9 of 11 years
- Agriculture & crops30 questions · asked in 10 of 11 years
- India: relief, rivers & drainage29 questions · asked in 10 of 11 years
- Minerals, energy & industry28 questions · asked in 9 of 11 years
- Climate & atmosphere16 questions · asked in 8 of 11 years
- Earth, landforms & geomorphology12 questions · asked in 6 of 11 years
- Oceans8 questions · asked in 6 of 11 years
- India: climate, soils & vegetation5 questions · asked in 5 of 11 years
- Population, settlement & transport4 questions · asked in 3 of 11 years
Latest questions
- 2026 · Q11 · India: relief, rivers & drainageनिम्नलिखित अभिकथन पर विचार कीजिए : अत्यंत नूतन (प्लीस्टोसीन) काल में या तो यमुना, कभी सिन्धु में प्रवाहित होती थी, या फिर सतलुज, यमुना में प्रवाहित होती थी तथा इनमें से क…
- 2026 · Q25 · India: relief, rivers & drainageनिम्नलिखित सूचना के आधार पर भारतीय उप-महाद्वीप की नदी को पहचानिए :…
- 2026 · Q26 · India: relief, rivers & drainageभारतीय राज्यों के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा/कौन-से सही नहीं है/हैं ?…
- 2026 · Q30 · World: places, rivers & mappingनिम्नलिखित में से किन देशों से आने वाले जहाजों को हिंद महासागर तक पहुँचने के लिए होर्मुज जलडमरूमध्य (स्ट्रेट ऑफ़ होर्मुज) को पार करना होता है ?…
- 2026 · Q31 · World: places, rivers & mappingतुंगुराहुआ ज्वालामुखी, जिसे वर्ष 2025 में यूनेस्को (UNESCO) द्वारा एक वैश्विक भू-उद्यान (ग्लोबल जियोपार्क) घोषित किया गया था, निम्नलिखित में से किस देश में स्थित है ?…
The same ground in Mains
These official Mains syllabus lines cover Geography. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.
Geography PYQs as a PDF — free
All 48 PDFs →Every Geography question from 2016 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 124 pages. Free; sign up once.
Geography PYQs: quick answers
How many Geography questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2016 to 2026?
162 questions in GS Paper I — about 15 a year, the most in 2023 (23). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.
Which Geography topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?
World: places, rivers & mapping: 30 questions between 2016 and 2026, asked in 9 of 11 years. The topics are listed above, most asked first, each with its year-by-year trend.
Are the answers UPSC's official answer keys?
Yes. Every answer is from UPSC's final answer key (2016–2025); for 2026 UPSC has so far published a provisional key, and those answers are labelled. Explanations cite official sources — NCERT and government pages first.
Can I download the Geography PYQs as a PDF?
Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Geography question with answers and explanations (124 pages, 2.5 MB), free after a one-time sign-up, from the Vault's downloads page.
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault; answers are UPSC's keys.