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 2012: 17 questions
All years →- Q42 · Minerals, energy & industryDespite having large reserves of coal, why does India import millions of tons of coal? It is the policy of India to save its own coal reserves for the future, and import it from other countries for th…
- Q56 · World: places, rivers & mappingA person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated 5 km east of the point where he was standing. He had no instruments to find the direction but he loc…
- Q57 · Earth, landforms & geomorphologyElectrically charged particles from space traveling at speeds of several hundred km/sec can severely harm living beings if they reach the surface of the Earth. What prevents them from reaching the sur…
- Q58 · Climate & atmosphereNormally, the temperature decreases with the increase in height from the Earth’s surface, because: The atmosphere can be heated upwards only from the Earth’s surface There is more moisture in the uppe…
- Q59 · Climate & atmosphereWhich one of the following is the characteristic climate of the Tropical Savannah Region?…
- Q60 · OceansConsider the following factors: Rotation of the Earth Air pressure and wind Density of ocean water Revolution of the Earth…
- Q62 · Agriculture & cropsWhich of the following is the chief characteristic of 'mixed farming'?…
- Q63 · Agriculture & cropsConsider the following crops of India: Groundnut Sesamum Pearl millet…
- Q64 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWhen you travel in Himalayas, you will see the following: Deep gorges U-turn river courses Parallel mountain ranges Steep gradients causing land-sliding.…
- Q65 · India: climate, soils & vegetationConsider the following statements: The duration of the monsoon decreases from southern India to northern India. The amount of annual rainfall in the northern plains of India decreases from east to wes…
- Q66 · India: climate, soils & vegetationA particular State in India has the following characteristics: It is located on the same latitude which passes through northern Rajasthan. It has over 80% of its area under forest cover. Over 12% of f…
- Q71 · Agriculture & cropsConsider the following agricultural practices: Contour bunding Relay cropping Zero tillage…
- Q90 · Earth, landforms & geomorphologyWhich of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidences for the continued expansion of the universe? Detection of microwaves in space Observation of redshift phenomenon in space Mo…
- Q91 · Minerals, energy & industryBiomass gasification is considered to be one of the sustainable solutions to the power crisis in India. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct? Coconut shells, groundnut she…
- Q93 · Agriculture & cropsConsider the following crops of India: Cowpea Green gram Pigeon pea…
- Q97 · Minerals, energy & industryRecently, there has been a concern over the short supply of a group of elements called ‘rare earth metals’. Why? China, which is the largest producer of these elements, has imposed some restrictions o…
- Q98 · Population, settlement & transportConsider the following specific stages of demographic transition associated with economic development: Low birthrate with low death rate High birthrate with high death rate High birthrate with low dea…
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.
