How Prelims is marked
- Two objective papers, 200 marks and two hours each, in Hindi and English.
- GS Paper I decides who qualifies. CSAT (GS Paper II) is qualifying: you need 33%, about 67 marks, or Paper I is not counted.
- Each wrong answer costs one-third of the question's marks; marking two answers counts as wrong; a blank costs nothing.
Source: UPSC Exam Notice 05/2026-CSP ↗ · Every cut-off since 2016 →
When is a guess worth it?
In GS Paper I a right answer earns 2 marks and a wrong one loses 2/3. If the options left are equally likely, the average marks of one attempt are:
| Options still in play | Average marks per attempt |
|---|---|
| 4 (a blind guess) | +0.00 |
| 3 (one ruled out) | +0.22 |
| 2 (two ruled out) | +0.67 |
A blind guess is worth almost nothing; every option you can honestly rule out makes the attempt pay. The catch: in "How many of the above" questions you must judge every statement, so ruling out options is much harder.
How UPSC asks: question formats by year
| Year | How many of the above | Statement I / II | Statements with a code | Direct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 67 | 31 |
| 2025 | 35 | 6 | 42 | 17 |
| 2024 | 19 | 12 | 43 | 26 |
| 2023 | 47 | 18 | 7 | 28 |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 64 | 28 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 42 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 37 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 49 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 42 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 42 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 44 |
Our classification of all 100 questions in each paper. Formats swing from year to year, no single trick survives; knowing the content does.
Where the questions come from
Average questions per paper, 2016–2026: Economy & social development 17.2 · Geography 14.7 · Environment & ecology 14.2 · Polity & governance 13.8 · International relations & current affairs 12.2 · Science & technology 11.1 · Modern India & the freedom struggle 6.6 · Ancient India 4.3 · Art & culture 3.5 · Medieval India 2.5.
Static subjects carry most of the paper, and current affairs is usually asked through them, a scheme through the economy, a species through the environment. Study each news story with its static background. The full beginner's roadmap →
The last 120 days
- Days 120–60: one full past paper a week under exam conditions; a second revision of every subject; an error log of every wrong or guessed question.
- Days 60–20: two full tests a week; revise from the error log and short notes only; current affairs of the last 12–18 months, tied to the syllabus.
- Last 20 days: no new sources; light tests to keep timing; CSAT practice so the 33% is never at risk; sleep and routine set to the exam's 9:30 start.
If you have 6 months, 3 months or 1 month
Finish the static subjects once, with that subject's PYQs after each one. Start one full paper every two weeks from month three.
Revise, don't start new sources. Two full papers a week, an error log, and the current affairs of the last year tied to the syllabus.
Only your own notes and the error log. Past papers under time, every other day. Protect the CSAT 33% and your sleep.
In the exam hall
Go through the paper in rounds: first answer everything you are sure of, then return to questions where you can rule out options, and leave blind guesses blank. Mark the OMR sheet as you go, not in the last minutes.
Take the next step
Timed tests · UPSC's marking
PYQ Test Pass
Every Prelims and CSAT paper since 2011 as a timed test, sectional sets, a monthly ranked Grand Test and a mistakes bank, in English and Hindi.
Book · English + हिंदी
The UPSC Syllabus X-Ray
All 928 sub-topics of the syllabus, ranked by how often UPSC has asked them, so you know what to study first.
One mentor · Prelims to interview
Prepare with a mentor who reads your answers
Weekly targets, a weekly one-to-one and every assigned Mains answer evaluated. Start with a free 30-minute strategy call.
Quick answers
What is a safe score in UPSC Prelims?
No score is declared safe in advance. Since 2018 the General cut-off has ranged from 75.41 to 98.00, so aim to score clearly above 98 in full timed tests.
Should I guess in UPSC Prelims?
A blind guess among four options is worth almost nothing on average. If you can rule out one option for sure, a guess pays on average; if you can rule out two, it pays more. In 'How many of the above' questions elimination is harder, so be careful there.
How many marks do I need in CSAT?
CSAT (GS Paper II) is qualifying: 33% of 200, about 67 marks. Below that, your GS Paper I marks are not counted at all.
Which subjects carry the most questions in Prelims?
Across the papers from 2016 to 2026: Economy & social development (17.2), Geography (14.7), Environment & ecology (14.2), Polity & governance (13.8) questions per paper on average.
How many months of current affairs should I cover?
Roughly the 12–18 months before the exam, tied to the syllabus, with a revision at the end of each month.
Can I clear UPSC Prelims in the first attempt?
Yes, many do. What decides it is not the attempt number but whether you have covered the static syllabus, revised it more than once, and practised full timed papers with negative marking before the exam.
Is there negative marking in CSAT too?
Yes. In both papers a wrong answer costs one-third of the question's marks; a blank costs nothing.
Cut-offs from UPSC's notices; formats and subject counts are our own count of UPSC's papers.
