UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level, Year Wise Trends
Deeksha Dixit17 May, 2025
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UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level: Understanding the changing difficulty level of the UPSC Prelims over the years can significantly shape your preparation. As the first stage of the Civil Services exam, this stage demands a balance of factual understanding and analytical reasoning.
Over the years, UPSC Prelims have emerged as a challenging stage with cut off usually below 100 marks. Find year-wise difficulty trends of the UPSC Prelims from 2020 to 2024 to plan a strategy that aligns with the evolving pattern for the upcoming exam.
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2025 (Expected)
Since the UPSC Prelims 2025 is yet to be held, a detailed analysis will be conducted by PW educators after the exam. Based on past trends, the paper is expected to include a mix of factual, conceptual, and application-based questions. The difficulty level will be updated here for both papers:
UPSC Prelims Paper 1 - General Studies
The General Studies paper tests candidates across a wide range of subjects, including Polity, Economy, History, Science & Technology, Geography, Environment, and Current Affairs. The table below will be updated after the exam with subject-wise difficulty levels based on expert analysis:
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | To be updated |
| Economy | To be updated |
| History | To be updated |
| Science & Technology | To be updated |
| Geography | To be updated |
| Environment | To be updated |
| Current Affairs /Misc. | To be updated |
| Overall | To be updated |
UPSC Prelims Paper 2 - CSAT
CSAT evaluates a candidate’s comprehension, logical reasoning, and numerical ability. While it is qualifying in nature, the difficulty level has seen a noticeable rise in recent years. The following table will be updated post-exam with a detailed analysis of each section.
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning Ability | To be updated |
| Reading Comprehension | To be updated |
| Numerical Ability | To be updated |
| Overall | To be updated |
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level - Year Wise Trends
The difficulty level of the UPSC Prelims fluctuates each year depending on the nature of questions, weightage of subjects, and depth of current affairs. Below is a general overview of the trend observed in recent years:
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2024
The 2024 Prelims was considered moderately challenging. The General Studies paper was well-balanced with a mix of direct and analytical questions, particularly from Polity, History, Economy, and Environment. Here is Prelims difficulty level last year:
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Paper 1 - GS | |
| Polity | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | Moderate |
| History | Moderate to Difficult |
| Science & Technology | Easy |
| Geography | Easy to Moderate |
| Environment | Moderate |
| Current Affairs /Misc. | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 2 - CSAT | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate |
| Reading Comprehension | Easy to Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate |
Also Read: UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis 2024
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2023
The 2023 Prelims stood out as one of the toughest in recent years. GS Paper 1 leaned heavily towards tough questions, particularly the CSAT paper was tougher than usual, with dense comprehension passages and intricate reasoning problems:
| Paper 1 (GS) | |
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | Moderate to Difficult |
| Modern History | Moderate to Difficult |
| Ancient, Medieval History and Culture | Difficult |
| Science & Technology | Moderate |
| Geography | Moderate |
| Environment | Moderate to Difficult |
| Current Affairs /Misc. | Moderate |
| Overall | Difficult |
| Paper 2 (CSAT) | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate to Difficult |
| Reading Comprehension | Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | Difficult |
| Overall | Difficult |
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2022
In 2022, the paper was moderately tough. Questions in GS Paper 1 were evenly distributed, with a heavy reliance on comprehension of Current Affairs and core concepts.
| Paper 1 (GS) | |
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | Moderate to Difficult |
| Economy | Moderate to Difficult |
| Modern History | Moderate |
| Ancient and Medieval History | Difficult |
| Art & Culture | Difficult |
| Science & Technology | Moderate |
| Geography | Moderate |
| Environment | Moderate |
| International Relations | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderately Tough |
| Paper 2 (CSAT) | |
| Reasoning Ability/Data Sufficiency | Moderate to Difficult |
| Reading Comprehension | Easy to Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | Moderate to Difficult |
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2021
The 2021 Prelims was relatively more manageable. The questions were more straightforward, with a significant focus on factual knowledge from Polity, Environment, and Modern History.
| Paper 1 (GS) | |
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | Moderate |
| History | Difficult |
| Art & Culture | Difficult |
| Science & Technology | Moderate to Difficult |
| Geography+Agriculture | Easy to Moderate |
| Environment | Moderate to Difficult |
| Sports/Misc. Current Affairs | Difficult |
| Overall | Moderately Tough |
| Paper 2 (CSAT) | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate |
| Reading Comprehension | Moderate to Difficult |
| Numerical Ability | Difficult |
| Misc. | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | Moderately Tough |
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2020
The 2023 Prelims posed a significant challenge to candidates. However, GS Paper 1 featured abstract and tricky questions, particularly in the Economy and Environment. On the other hand, CSAT was slightly more doable.
| Paper 1 (GS) | |
| Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | Moderate to Difficult |
| History and Art, and Culture | Moderate to Difficult |
| Science & Technology | Easy to Moderate |
| Geography | Moderate to Difficult |
| Environment | Moderate to Difficult |
| Current Affairs | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | Moderate |
| Paper 2 (CSAT) | |
| Reasoning Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| Reading Comprehension | Moderate to Difficult |
| Numerical Ability | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | Moderate |
Over the years, the UPSC Prelims difficulty level has varied, but one consistent theme has been the importance of both depth and breadth in preparation. Aspirants must develop a smart strategy that blends revision, practice, and current affairs coverage to stay ahead.
Looking to strengthen your UPSC preparation? Explore PW’s UPSC Online Coaching Programs!
UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level FAQs
What is UPSC Prelims Difficulty Level 2025?
How tough was the UPSC Prelims 2024?
Which year had the most difficult UPSC Prelims paper recently?
Is the CSAT paper getting tougher?
Has the focus on Current Affairs increased in recent years?
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