Prelims GS I · 235 questions · 2011–2026
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 Prelims 2011: 14 questions
All years →- Q43 · Climate & atmosphereWesterlies in the southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in the northern hemisphere. Why? Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to the northern hemisphere. Coriolis force is …
- Q44 · Climate & atmosphereWhat could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of the African and Eurasian desert belt? It is located in the sub-tropical high-pressure cells. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents…
- Q45 · Climate & atmosphereThe jet aircraft fly very easily and smoothly in the lower stratosphere. What could be the appropriate explanation? There are no clouds or water vapour in the lower stratosphere. There are no vertical…
- Q47 · Climate & atmosphereLa Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in the equatorial Indian Ocean where…
- Q48 · Agriculture & cropsThe lower Gangetic plain is characterized by a humid climate with high temperature throughout the year. Which one among the following pairs of crops is most suitable for this region?…
- Q49 · Agriculture & cropsSalinization occurs when the irrigation water accumulated in the soil evaporates, leaving behind salts and minerals. What are the effects of salinization on the irrigated land?…
- Q50 · Agriculture & cropsAmong the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of orchids with minimum cost of production, and can develop an export oriented in…
- Q51 · India: relief, rivers & drainageThe Brahmaputra, Irrawady and Mekong rivers originate in Tibet and flow through narrow and parallel mountain ranges in their upper reaches. Of these rivers, Brahmaputra makes a “U” turn in its course …
- Q52 · Agriculture & cropsA state in India has the following characteristics: Its northern part is arid and semi-arid. Its central part produces cotton. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops.…
- Q54 · World: places, rivers & mappingBetween India and East Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following? Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia. Opening a new canal across…
- Q55 · OceansIn the context of ecosystem productivity, marine upwelling zones are important as they increase marine productivity by bringing the: Decomposer microorganisms to the surface. Nutrients to the surface.…
- Q86 · Climate & atmosphereA layer in the Earth’s atmosphere called Ionosphere facilitates radio communication. Why? The presence of ozone causes the reflection of radio waves to Earth. Radio waves have a very long wavelength.…
- Q90 · World: places, rivers & mappingSoutheast Asia has captivated the attention of global community over space and time as a geostrategically significant region. Which among the following is the most convincing explanation for this glob…
- Q93 · Minerals, energy & industryIn the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply? It is a major classification of crude oil. It is sourced from the North Sea. It…
Geography in UPSC Prelims at a glance
UPSC has asked 235 questions on Geography in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 15 a year, the most in 2023 (23). The most-asked topic is Agriculture & crops (44 questions).
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 11 |
Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.
- Agriculture & crops44 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- India: relief, rivers & drainage38 questions · asked in 15 of 16 years
- Minerals, energy & industry38 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- World: places, rivers & mapping37 questions · asked in 14 of 16 years
- Climate & atmosphere30 questions · asked in 13 of 16 years
- Earth, landforms & geomorphology15 questions · asked in 8 of 16 years
- Oceans13 questions · asked in 10 of 16 years
- India: climate, soils & vegetation13 questions · asked in 9 of 16 years
- Population, settlement & transport7 questions · asked in 6 of 16 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 2011 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 2011 to 2026?
235 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?
Agriculture & crops: 44 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 15 of 16 years. The topics are listed above, most asked first, each with its year-by-year trend.
Are the answers UPSC's official answer keys?
From 2016, yes: every answer is from UPSC's final answer key (2016–2025); for 2011–2015, where UPSC published no key online, each answer is worked out from official sources and reviewed independently; 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.
