UPSC Question Paper 2020 Download, Prelims & Mains PYQ Papers PDF
UPSC CSE Question Paper 2020 provides insights into the trends and patterns of the questions asked in the exam. Find UPSC Question Paper 2020 PDF for prelims and mains exams here.
Deeksha Dixit19 Apr, 2024
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UPSC Question Paper 2020: The Union Public Service Commission is known for its unpredictable nature of questions . The structure of the UPSC CSE Question Paper 2020 was a reflection of that when new patterns and themes were briefly introduced. The prelims exam this year was held on October 4, 2020, and the mains exam was held in January 2021 .
Candidates can get interesting insights by going through the UPSC CSE Question Paper 2020 for GS, CSAT, Essay, and General Studies papers. An analysis of the UPSC PYQ Paper 2020 and a direct link to the solved UPSC Question Papers 2020 is provided in the below article for aspiring candidates.UPSC Question Paper 2020 PDF Download
The UPSC CSE exam is conducted in three stages, with pen and paper-based prelims and mains exams. The UPSC previous year question papers for these stages are available on the official website at ‘upsc.gov.in’. By solving UPSC Question Paper 2020 PDFs for each stage, candidates can identify the unique requirements of that particular stage. For instance, in prelims, they need to learn to mark the correct options out of the given options, and in mains, they must articulate their thoughts well. Here is a brief overview of the structure of the UPSC exam, which must be familiar with before practicing UPSC question papers.| UPSC CSE Exam Pattern - Overview | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam | UPSC CSE Exam 2020 |
| Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Stages |
|
| UPSC Prelims 2020 | October 4, 2020 |
| UPSC Prelims Papers |
|
| Nature of Exam | Qualifying |
| UPSC Mains 2020 | January 8 to January 17, 2021 |
| Papers |
|
| Total Marks | 2025 (Mains-1750 Marks + Interview-275) |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC Question Paper 2020 Prelims
The UPSC Prelims exam is a screening test with two papers , viz., General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT) . Both papers have an equal weight of 200 marks , but passing criteria differ. The General Studies II is also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), in which candidates need to simply score 33%, or 67 marks out of 200. However, from 2020 on, reaching this score is no longer easy. On the other hand, the GS I paper has become quite challenging, with surprising questions on agriculture in the UPSC Question Paper 2020. Download UPSC 2020 question papers with answer key here:| UPSC CSE Prelims Question Papers 2020 | ||
| Paper | Question Papers | Answer Key |
| General Studies I | Download GS l Paper | GS I Answer Key |
| General Studies II (CSAT) | Download CSAT Paper | CSAT Answer Key |
UPSC Question Paper 2020 Mains
The UPSC CSE Mains question papers are significant as their score is taken for preparing the final merit list. There are a total of 9 papers in the UPSC CSE Mains exam, of which compulsory English and compulsory Indian Language are qualifying in nature. In both papers, candidates need to score 75 marks out of 300. The score of the remaining 7 papers , including two optional papers, is calculated for making the rank list by adding the interview score . Further, the UPSC Mains cutoff is also prepared from the marks of these papers. The Download link for UPSC Question Papers 2020 for mains is given below:| UPSC CSE Question Papers 2020 | |
| Question Papers | Download Link |
| Compulsory English | Click Here |
| Essay | Click Here |
| General Studies I | Click Here |
| General Studies II | Click Here |
| General Studies III | Click Here |
| General Studies IV | Click Here |
UPSC Question Paper 2020 with Answers
Candidates often look for UPSC Question Paper 2020 with answers to learn the approach to attempting the questions in the upcoming exam. After solving the UPSC PYQ questions, candidates can match their answers with the solved UPSC Question Paper 2020 PDFs. This will help in preparing the responses according to the demands of the exam. Get a direct link to the solved UPSC PYQ Paper 2020 by PW experts in the below table for prelims and mains:| UPSC CSE Question Paper 2020 With Answers | |
| Question Paper | Link |
| UPSC Prelims Solved Question Paper | Click Here |
| UPSC Mains Solved Question Paper | Click Here |
UPSC Question Paper 2020 Analysis
An analysis of UPSC Question Paper 2020 by experts suggests that the level of difficulty was on the higher side overall. This resulted in a fall in the UPSC cutoff to 92.51, which has further decreased since then due to the increasingly tough nature of questions. The UPSC 2020 mains question papers were dominated by the current theme of COVID 19, demanding different approaches from candidates. The UPSC CSE 2020 prelims question paper analysis is tabulated below:| UPSC CSE Prelims Question Paper 2020 Analysis - GS Paper | ||
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Polity | 14 | Easy to Moderate |
| Economy | 14 | Moderate to Difficult |
| History and Art and Culture | 19 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Science & Technology | 10 | Easy to Moderate |
| Geography | 13 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Environment | 11 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Current Affairs | 19 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Total | 100 | Moderate |
| UPSC CSE Question Paper 2020 Analysis - CSAT | ||
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning Ability | 16 | Easy to Moderate |
| Reading Comprehension | 25 | Difficult |
| Numerical Ability | 39 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Total | 80 | Moderate |
UPSC Question Paper 2020 FAQs
What is the importance of solving the UPSC Question Paper 2020?
The UPSC 2020 question papers will help in understanding the framing of questions and the format of the actual exam.
Do PYQs repeat in the UPSC exam?
Yes, the themes of UPSC Question Paper 2020 were repeated in later UPSC exams.
Do PYQ papers help in UPSC?
Yes, UPSC PYQ Paper 2020 is significantly useful in understanding the trends of the exam and important topics.
How was the UPSC 2020 CSAT paper?
The UPSC CSAT question paper was comparably tougher than previous years.
Where can I get the solve UPSC 2020 question papers?
The solved UPSC 2020 question papers are available on the website of Physics Wallah. A direct link to access solved papers is available above.
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