The UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2024 was conducted nationwide with lakhs of aspirants appearing for the General Studies Paper 1 (GS 1). Considered the most competitive exam in India, the UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 decides whether a candidate advances to the next stage – the Mains.
In this blog, we provide a detailed analysis of the UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 2024, highlight important topics, difficulty level, subject-wise weightage, and most importantly – give you the free PDF download of the question paper with answer key and explanations.
📘 Overview of UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 2024
| Exam | UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination |
|---|---|
| Paper | General Studies Paper 1 (GS 1) |
| Total Questions | 100 MCQs |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Time Duration | 2 Hours |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd of marks deducted per wrong answer |
| Date of Exam | May 2024 |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (OMR Based) |
📊 Subject-Wise Weightage (GS Paper 1 2024)
The 2024 GS Paper 1 continued the trend of mixing core concepts with current affairs. Here’s a topic-wise analysis:
🔹 History & Art and Culture (15–17 questions)
- Focus on modern history and freedom struggle
- Ancient and medieval themes included key personalities and events
- Art & Culture had tricky factual questions on dance, architecture, and texts
🔹 Geography (12–14 questions)
- Indian geography, mapping, monsoon, and resources
- Questions included conceptual physical geography and static topics
🔹 Polity (10–12 questions)
- Indian Constitution, fundamental rights, amendments, parliamentary procedures
- Focus on interpretation-based MCQs
🔹 Economy (10–11 questions)
- Inflation, GDP, monetary & fiscal policy, RBI reports
- Conceptual plus current-based questions
🔹 Environment & Ecology (14–16 questions)
- Biodiversity, environmental laws, climate agreements (Paris, COP), national parks
- Dominated by factual and applied questions
🔹 Science & Technology (6–8 questions)
- Focus on recent developments in ISRO, defence tech, biology, and AI
- Some basic science questions from static syllabus
🔹 Current Affairs (15–18 questions)
- Questions linked to recent bills, schemes, events, and global organizations
- Indirect questions with static+current overlap
🧠 Difficulty Level – GS Paper 1 2024
The overall difficulty of UPSC GS Paper 1 2024 was Moderate to Difficult. Let’s break it down:
| Subject | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| History | Moderate |
| Polity | Moderate |
| Economy | Moderate |
| Geography | Moderate |
| Environment | Tough |
| Science & Tech | Moderate |
| Current Affairs | Moderate to Tough |
Many questions were designed to test conceptual clarity, not just memorization. The elimination technique was helpful for intelligent guesswork, especially in options with confusing phrasing.
📥 Free PDF Download – UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 2024 with Answer Key
Download the official UPSC GS Paper 1 2024 with detailed solutions and answer key prepared by experts:
🔻👇 Click Below to Download the PDF
<div style=”text-align: center; margin: 20px 0;”> <a href=”#pdf-download” style=”text-decoration: none;”> <button style=”font-size: 1.75rem; font-weight: bold; background-color: #007BFF; color: white; padding: 10px 25px; border: none; border-radius: 8px; cursor: pointer;”> Scroll down for download </button> </a> </div>
📌 How to Use This Paper for UPSC 2025 Preparation
- Simulate Real Exam Conditions: Set a timer for 2 hours, attempt the paper, and don’t check answers in between.
- Compare with Answer Key: Evaluate your accuracy and use Physics Wallah or expert solutions to understand mistakes.
- Revise Frequently Asked Topics: Identify high-weightage areas like Polity, Environment, and Modern History.
- Practice Elimination Techniques: UPSC is known for close options. Learn to eliminate logically.
- Revise Static + Current Mix: Many questions are dynamic, requiring both book knowledge and current awareness.
🧾 Answer Key (Set A) – Sample Questions
| Q. No | Question Topic | Correct Answer | Explanation Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Polity | (b) | Article 21 interpretation |
| 5 | Environment | (c) | National Parks in India |
| 11 | Modern History | (a) | Role of Gandhi during Non-Cooperation |
| 20 | Economy | (d) | Concept of stagflation |
| 37 | Geography | (b) | Tributaries of the Ganga |
➡️ Full detailed solution is available in the PDF download below.