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 & drainageConsider the following assertion: In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of …
- 2026 · Q25 · India: relief, rivers & drainageIdentify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:…
- 2026 · Q26 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWhich of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct?…
- 2026 · Q30 · World: places, rivers & mappingShips from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean?…
- 2026 · Q31 · World: places, rivers & mappingTungurahua Volcano, which was declared a Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2025, is situated in which one among the following countries?…
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.