Question 1

How many UPSC previous year questions are available on Vaidra?

Accepted Answer

Vaidra's PYQ bank currently has 25,000 UPSC previous year questions across 86 subjects, drawn from recent Prelims and Mains papers. Each subject page organizes its questions year by year for targeted practice.

Question 2

Are UPSC PYQs important for Prelims preparation?

Accepted Answer

Yes, UPSC previous year questions are the single most important resource for Prelims preparation. Analyzing PYQs reveals recurring themes, frequently asked topics, and the difficulty level expected by UPSC. Approximately 20-30% of each year's Prelims paper contains concepts from previous year questions.

Question 3

How should I use PYQs for UPSC Mains preparation?

Accepted Answer

For Mains, use PYQs to understand the type of analysis UPSC expects — multi-dimensional answers covering social, economic, political, and ethical dimensions. Practice writing model answers for past Mains questions in time-bound conditions. Note recurring themes across years to identify predictable question patterns in each GS paper.

Question 4

Which subjects have the most UPSC PYQs on Vaidra?

Accepted Answer

Economics, CSAT, Science & Technology currently have the largest question banks on Vaidra. Practicing subject-wise helps you identify weak areas systematically and revisit high-yield topics across Prelims and Mains.

Core subjects

Economics

CSAT

Science & Technology

Geography

Chemistry

Medical Science

Mathematics

Agriculture

Environment

Physics

Electrical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Statistics

Mechanical Engineering

History

Philosophy

Psychology

Sociology

Geology

Law

Management

Zoology

Botany

Anthropology

Polity

Commerce

Current Affairs

Modern History

GS-I

Animal Husbandry

Political Science

Public Administration

GS-II

Compulsory Language

Art & Culture

GS-III

GS-IV

Essay

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Governance and Social Justice

Medieval History

Ancient History

Constitution and Polity

Geography and Environment

International Relations

Indian Society

Internal Security

More subjects

Science and Technology

Modern Indian History and Post Independence History

Literature-Sanskrit

Art and Culture

Literature-Gujarati

Disaster Management

World History

Literature-Telugu

Literature-Malayalam

Literature-Manipuri

Literature-Tamil

Literature-Marathi

Literature-Sindhi

Literature-Urdu

Literature-English

Literature-Kannada

Literature-Punjabi

Literature-Assamese

Literature-Bengali

CHAPTER_POLITY_REGIONAL_PLURILATERAL_GROUPINGS

CHAPTER_POLITY_NCERT_ENVIRONMENT_NATURAL_RESOURCES

CHAPTER_POLITY_NCERT_GLOBALISATION

Literature-Hindi

CHAPTER_HISTORY_RECENT_DEVELOPMENTS_INDIAN_POLITICS

Literature-Odia

Schemes

CHAPTER_HISTORY_RISE_OF_POPULAR_MOVEMENTS

Defence

Literature-Kashmiri

CHAPTER_GEO_INDIA_TRANSPORT_COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER_HISTORY_DEVOTIONAL_PATHS_DIVINE