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. With reference to the Cabinet Mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?

I. It recommended government a federal government.

II. It enlarged the powers of the Indian Courts.

III. It provided for more Indians ill the ICS.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(A) I only

(B) II and III

(C) I and III

(D) None

Ans: A

2. Which one of the following National Parks has a climate that varies from tropical to subtropical, temperate and arctic?

(A) Khangchendzonga National Park

(B) Nandadevi National Park

(C) Neora Valley National Park

(D) Namdapha National Park

Ans: D

3. ‘BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustain- able Forest Landscapes’ is managed by the:

(A) Asian Development Bank

(B) International Monetary Fund

(C) United Nations Environment Programme

(D) World Bank

Ans: D

4. Consider the following statements:

I. The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme was launched during 1996-97 to provide loan assistance to poor fanners.

II. The Command Area Development Programme was launched in 1974-75 for the development of water-use efficiency.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(A) I only

(B) II only

(C) Both I and II

(D) Neither I nor II

Ans: C

5. ‘Basel III Accord’ or simply ‘Basel III’, often seen in the news, seeks to:

(A) develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

(B) improve banking sector’s ability to deal with financial and economic stress and improve risk management

(C) reduce the greenhouse gas emissions but places a heavier burden on developed countries

(D) transfer technology from developed Countries to poor countries to enable them to replace the use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration with harmless chemicals

Ans: B

6. In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. As the time passes, these bridges become stronger. These unique ‘living root bridges’ are found in:

(A) Meghalaya

(B) Himachal Pradesh

(C) Jharkhand

(D) Tamil Nadu

Ans: A

7. In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?

(A) Tropical moist deciduous forest

(B) Tropical rain forest

(C) Tropical thorn scrub forest

(D) Temperate forest with grasslands

Ans: A

CSAT

8. The outer surface of a 4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm cube is painted completely in red. It is sliced parallel to the faces to yield sixty four 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm small cubes. How many small cubes do not have painted faces?

(A) 8

(B) 16

(C) 24

(D) 36

Ans: A

9. In a certain code, ‘256’ means ‘red colour chalk’, ‘589’ means ‘green colour flower’ and ‘254’ means ‘white colour chalk’. The digit in the code that indicates `white’ is

(A) 2

(B) 4

(C) 5

(D) 8

Ans: B

10. What is the total number of digits printed, if a book containing 150 pages is to numbered from 1 to 150?

(A) 262

(B) 342

(C) 360

(D) 450

Ans: B