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 2017: 8 questions
All years →- Q19 · India: relief, rivers & drainageAt one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, a…
- Q30 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWith reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it …
- Q49 · World: places, rivers & mappingIf you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?…
- Q54 · World: places, rivers & mappingMediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? Jordan Iraq Lebanon Syria…
- Q58 · India: relief, rivers & drainageConsider the following statements: In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only. Western Ghats are spread over five States only. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.…
- Q66 · Climate & atmosphereWith reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? IOD phenomenon is characterised by a d…
- Q71 · Agriculture & cropsWhich of the following practices can help in water conservation in agriculture? Reduced or zero tillage of the land Applying gypsum before irrigating the field Allowing crop residue to remain in the f…
- Q98 · India: relief, rivers & drainageWhich of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?…
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.
