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 2018: 13 questions
All years →- Q13 · World: places, rivers & mappingWhich of the following has/have shrunk immensely/dried up in the recent past due to human activities? Aral Sea Black Sea Lake Baikal…
- Q27 · Minerals, energy & industryConsider the following statements: In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non-coal mines. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.…
- Q29 · India: relief, rivers & drainageAmong the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?…
- Q37 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following pairs: Aleppo — Syria Kirkuk — Yemen Mosul — Palestine Mazar-i-sharif — Afghanistan…
- Q57 · Earth, landforms & geomorphologyConsider the following statements: The Earth's magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no ca…
- Q59 · Agriculture & cropsWith reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of “Conservation Agriculture” assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture? Avoiding the …
- Q67 · Minerals, energy & industryWith reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements: India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units. The solar…
- Q77 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWhich one of the following is an artificial lake?…
- Q82 · India: climate, soils & vegetationWith reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements: A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity. Soil does not play any role in the sul…
- Q85 · India: relief, rivers & drainageConsider the following statements: The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar. The last time the Barren Islan…
- Q87 · OceansConsider the following statements: Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Phi…
- Q90 · World: places, rivers & mappingConsider the following pairs: Catalonia — Spain Crimea — Hungary Mindanao — Philippines Oromia — Nigeria…
- Q99 · Agriculture & cropsConsider the following: Birds Dust blowing Rain Wind blowing…
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.
