UPSC Prelims 2025 exam analysis: 1st shift paper review, difficulty level, answer key & students' reactions

The UPSC Prelims 2025 General Studies Paper 1 has followed a balanced pattern. Based on past trends, the difficulty level was from moderate to slightly challenging. Key topics included Current Affairs, History, Polity, and Environment.

Aspirants faced factual and conceptual questions. The exam had been ended at 11:30 AM. Below is the detailed UPSC Prelims 2025 paper analysis, answer key, and students reactions here.


The UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1 had covered a wide range of topics. These included current affairs, history, polity, economy, environment, and general science.

It has followed the trend of previous years. No major changes in the question pattern but application-based questions had been given more weight.



The official UPSC Prelims 2025 answer key will be released by the Union Public Service Commission after the completion of the entire examination cycle, including the mains and interview stages. Candidates will be able to download the answer keys for both General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT (Paper 2) from the UPSC official website.


Although, here we will share the unofficial answer key 2025 soon after today's exam conclusion.


Students are expected to react with a mix of relief and cautious optimism after the UPSC Prelims 2025 first shift. Many may find the paper challenging but manageable. Soon we'll share the students reactions here for UPSC prelims 2025 for 1st shift as exam will end at 11:30 AM.


The UPSC Prelims 2025 cutoff will depend on a few key factors. These include the difficulty level of the question paper and the number of vacancies.

• Since the number of vacancies is expected to be similar to previous years (around 1000), the cutoff will mostly depend on how tough the paper is.

The important syllabus topics covered in the UPSC Prelims 2025 include two compulsory papers: General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT (Paper 2).

General Studies Paper 1:

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and the Indian National Movement
• Indian and world geography (physical, social, and economic)
• Indian polity and governance including the Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, and public policy
• Economic and social development such as sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, and social sector initiatives
• General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity, and climate change
• General science

CSAT (Paper 2) tests:

• Comprehension and interpersonal skills including communication
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (Class X level)
• Data interpretation including charts, graphs, tables, and data sufficiency (Class X level)

CSAT is a qualifying paper with a minimum required score of 33%, while General Studies Paper 1 determines the candidate’s ranking. Both papers include objective multiple-choice questions with negative marking for incorrect answers



After the UPSC Prelims 2025 exam, candidates who qualify will move to the next stage. The UPSC Mains 2025 exam is scheduled for August 22, 2025. The Prelims result will be declared within about ten days after the exam. Only those who clear the cutoff will be eligible to appear for the Mains.

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