Prepare for the UPSC exam by reviewing previous years’ question papers. Here are a few questions from previous years’ UPSC exam question papers, with the answers, so that you are ready to take the exam. Go through the list of questions (with answers) that we’ve selected from previous years’ UPSC exam papers, and then attempt our quiz at the bottom.

General awareness

1. Satellites used to telecommunication relay are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be such an orbit when:

I. The orbit is geosynchronous.

II. The orbit is circular.

III. The orbit lies in the plane of earth’s equator.

IV. The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(A) I, II, and III only

(B) I, III, and IV only

(C) II and IV only

(D) I, II, III, and IV

Ans: A

2. Consider the following:

I. Carbon dioxide

II. Oxides of Nitrogen

III. Oxides of Sulphur

Which of the above is/are emission/emissions from coal combustion at thermal power plants?

(A) I only

(B) II and III only

(C) I and III only

(D) I, II, and III

Ans: D

3. In terms of economy, the visit by foreign nationals to witness the XIX Common Wealth Games in India amounted to:

(A) Export

(B) Import

(C) Production

(D) Consumption

Ans: A

4. Consider the following actions which the Government can take:

I. Devaluing the domestic currency

II. Reduction of export subsidy

III. Adopting suitable policies which attract greater FDI and more funds from FDIs

Which of the following action/s can help in reducing current account deficits?

(A) I and II

(B) II and III

(C) III only

(D) I and III

Ans: D

5. The rapid increase in inflation is sometimes attributed to ‘base effect’. What is ‘base effect’?

(A) It is the impact of drastic deficiency in supply due to failure of crops.

(B) It is the impact of the surge in demand due to rapid economic growth.

(C) It is the impact of the price levels of previous year on the calculation of inflation rate.

(D) None of the other statements is correct.

Ans: C

6. The authorization of withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India must come from:

(A) The President of India

(B) The Parliament of India

(C) The Prime Minister of India

(D) The Union Finance Minister

Ans: B

CSAT

7. Twelve people form a club. By picking lots, one of them will host a dinner for all once in a month. The number of dinner a particular member has to host in one year is:

(A) One

(B) Zero

(C) Three

(D) Cannot be predicted

Ans: D

8. In a test, candidate attempted only 8 questions and secured 50% marks in each of the questions. If he obtained a total of 40% in the test and all the questions in the test carried equal marks, how many questions were there in the test?

(A) 8

(B) 10

(C) 15

(D) 16

Ans: B

9. A father is nine times as old as his son and the mother is eight times as old as her son. The sum of father’s and mother’s age is 51. What is the age of the son?

(A) 7 years

(B) 5 years

(C) 4 years

(D) 3 years

Ans: D

10. In a 500-metre race, B starts 45 metres ahead of A, but A wins the race while B is still 35 metres behind. What is the ratio of the speeds of A and B assuming that both start at the same time?

(A) 25:21

(B) 25:20

(C) 5:3

(D) 5:7

Ans: A