PYQ 2024UPSC Prelims

UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II)

Attempt the official UPSC Prelims previous year question paper 2024 as a free, timed mock test on AajExam. Get instant scoring, sectional analysis, and detailed solutions for every question.

80
Questions
200
Total Marks
120
Minutes
2024
Year

About This Paper

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (CSE) is the highly competitive first stage of the exam used to recruit officers for the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other central services This page hosts the official UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II) — the UPSC Prelims previous year question paper from 2024. AajExam has reconstructed this paper into a fully timed online mock test so candidates preparing for UPSC Prelims can experience the real exam pattern, attempt every question with answer keys verified by our expert panel, and analyse their performance section-wise. The paper contains 80 multiple-choice questions to be attempted in 120 minutes for a total of 200 marks. The exam uses 1 sections — CSAT (Aptitude) (80 questions) with 0.33 negative marking per wrong answer. Use this paper to practise question selection, sectional time management, and accuracy under real exam conditions. Why solve UPSC Prelims 2024 previous year papers? Government competitive exams like UPSC Prelims repeat question patterns, formula-based concepts and theme-based questions year after year. Solving the actual UPSC Prelims 2024 paper helps you identify high-yield chapters, calibrate the difficulty level, and build the speed required to clear sectional cut-offs. Every question on this paper has a detailed solution available immediately after submission, including step-by-step working for quantitative problems, grammar rules for English, and direct reference statements for general awareness questions. How to use this PYQ paper effectively: first, attempt the full 120-minute test in a single sitting without referring to notes — treat it like the actual UPSC Prelims exam. After submission, review the auto-generated analytics to see your section-wise accuracy, attempt rate, and time spent per question. Then revisit every wrong and skipped question with the explanation, and add the underlying concept to your revision notes. Repeat the same paper after 7-10 days — your second attempt should be at least 15-20% faster with better accuracy. This UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II) mock test is completely free on AajExam. You can also browse the full archive of UPSC Prelims previous year papers shift-wise and year-wise to build a strong PYQ-driven preparation strategy. All papers come with bilingual support (English and Hindi solutions where applicable), instant scoring, all-India ranking, and downloadable performance reports.

Exam Pattern & Sections

SectionQuestionsMarks/QNegative
CSAT (Aptitude)802.50.83

Sample Questions with Answers

Showing 5 of 80 questions. Start the mock test to attempt all questions in timed mode.

1
CSAT (Aptitude)

Passage - 1 By the time children reach class 8, the bulk of them tend to be in the age range of 13 years to 15 years. But in our country, about a quarter of all children in class 8 struggle with reading simple texts and more than half are still unable to do basic arithmetic operations like division. Every year about 25 million young boys and girls from elementary school move into the life that lies for them beyond compulsory schooling. They cannot enter the workforce at least in the organized sector till they are 18. For many families, these children are the first from their families ever to get this far in school. Parents and children expect that such ‘graduates’ from school will go on to high school and college. Hardly anyone wants to go back to agriculture. On the other hand, abilities in terms of academic competencies are far lower than they should be even based on curricular expectations of class 8. Based on the above passage, following assumptions have been made: 1. For effective school education, parents have greater role than the governments. 2. School curriculum that conforms to today’s requirements and is uniform for the entire country may address the issues brought out. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Assumption 1 is invalid: The passage does not assert that effective school education depends more on parents than on governments. It explores challenges within the education system and discusses the aspirations of parents and children, but it does not make a direct comparison between the roles of parents and governments in ensuring effective school education. Assumption 2 is invalid: The passage does not suggest that a uniform school curriculum conforming to today’s requirements is the solution to the educational issues highlighted. It mentions the challenges students face with basic academic competencies but does not propose a solution that involves uniform curriculum reforms. Thus, option (d) is correct.

2
CSAT (Aptitude)

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea conveyed by the passage?

  1. A.Total eradication of poverty in the country will resolve the issue of under-performance of our school- children.
  2. B.Monetary incentives to parents and teachers is a strategy to improve the children’s academic performance.
  3. C.Public policy should ensure that competencies and achievements of young people are aligned with their expectations.
  4. D.India is not going to take advantage of the demographic dividend unless some school pass-outs go back to agriculture.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect  because while eliminating poverty can positively impact various societal issues, including education, the passage does not explicitly state that eradicating poverty alone resolves the issue of under-performance in school children. The passage primarily focuses on educational challenges and the need for public policy to align competencies with expectations. Option (b) is incorrect because although monetary incentives for parents and teachers can improve academic performance, the passage does not advocate this as the primary solution for addressing under-performance in school children. It emphasizes broader systemic issues within the education system and the necessity of policy interventions Option (c) is correct because it aligns with the central idea of the passage. The passage underscores the importance of public policy in ensuring that the competencies and achievements of young people match their expectations. This is crucial for tackling the under-performance issues highlighted in the passage. Option (d) is incorrect because the passage does not explicitly suggest that India’s demographic dividend hinges on school pass-outs returning to agriculture. This option introduces a specific condition not directly related to the passage’s central theme of aligning competencies and achievements with expectations through public policy. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

3
CSAT (Aptitude)

Passage - 2 We take it for granted now that science has a social responsibility. The idea would not have occurred to Newton or Galileo. They thought of science as an account of the world as it is, and the only responsibility that they acknowledged was to tell the truth. The idea that science is a social enterprise is modern, and it begins at the industrial revolution. We are surprised that we cannot trace a social sense further back, because we nurse the illusion that the industrial revolution ended a golden age. Which one of the following statements best reflects the thinking of the author about the science? UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION (PRELIMS)-CSAT

  1. A.Science must value the commitment of the scientists.
  2. B.Science is a product of civilized society and must be used for the promotion of scientific awareness in people.
  3. C.Industrial revolution was made possible by the advancements in science.
  4. D.Science must pursue truth but be responsible for social welfare.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect  because the passage centers on the historical perspectives of scientists such as Newton and Galileo, who perceived science primarily as the pursuit of truths without addressing societal obligations. It contrasts their views with the contemporary belief that science should also uphold social responsibility. Option (b) is incorrect  because it implies that the passage advocates using science to enhance public scientific awareness, which isn’t its primary focus. Instead, the passage examines the historical evolution during the industrial revolution regarding science’s societal responsibilities, rather than its role in promoting scientific literacy. Option (c) is incorrect because it oversimplifies the connection between the industrial revolution and scientific advancements. While the passage acknowledges the significant impact of scientific progress during that period, it also underscores the broader societal and technological changes that played crucial roles in driving the industrial revolution. Therefore, option (c) does not fully capture the complexity of factors discussed in the passage regarding this historical era. Option (d) is correct  because it aligns with the central theme of the passage. The passage contrasts early scientists who primarily sought truths with the modern perspective that emphasizes not only discovering truths but also considering the societal impact of scientific advancements and contributing to social welfare. Therefore, option (d) accurately reflects the themes discussed in the passage regarding the evolving role of science.

4
CSAT (Aptitude)

Consider the sequence A _ BCD _ BBCDABC _ DABC _ D that follows a certain pattern. Which one of the following completes the sequence?

  1. A.B, A, D, C
  2. B.B, A, C, D
  3. C.A, A, C, D
  4. D.A, A, D, C

Explanation

The pattern used in the question is AABCD, ABBCD, ABCCD, ABCDD By filling the appropriate letters in the gaps given in the question from the above pattern, we get the required letters. They are: A, A, C, D Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

5
CSAT (Aptitude)

Two persons P and Q enter into a business. P puts ` 14,000 more than Q, but P has invested for 8 months and Q has invested for 10 months. If P’s share is ` 400 more than Q’s share out of the total profit of ` 2,000, what is the capital contributed by P?

  1. A.` 30,000
  2. B.` 26,000
  3. C.` 24,000
  4. D.` 20,000

Explanation

Let P’s share in profit be X Then Q’s share in profit = X – 400 Given, total profit = ₹ 2000 ⇒ X + X – 400 = 2000 ⇒ X = 1200 So, P’s profit is ₹ 1200 Q’s profit is ₹ 800 Let P’s investment be P Q’s investment is P - 14000 (Given in the question) We know that, profit is directly proportional to investment × time P's profit Q s profit ' = ( ) ( ) P Q × × 8 800 = P P 8 14000 ( ) Solving for P, we get P = 30000 Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Free account required

Attempt All 80 Questions

You've seen 5 sample questions. Create a free account in 30 seconds to attempt the full paper with timer, scoring, and detailed solutions.

80 Questions120 Min Timer200 MarksInstant ResultsFree to attempt

Frequently Asked Questions

Is UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II) free to attempt on AajExam?

UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II) is part of our PRO plan. The latest year's UPSC Prelims paper is always free; older papers are available with an AajExam PRO subscription that unlocks the full UPSC Prelims PYQ archive.

How many questions does the UPSC Prelims 2024 - CSAT (Paper II) contain?

The paper contains 80 multiple-choice questions to be attempted in 120 minutes for a total of 200 marks, with 0.33 negative marking per wrong answer.

What sections are covered in UPSC Prelims 2024?

The UPSC Prelims 2024 paper covers the following sections: CSAT (Aptitude). Each section is designed to test a specific skill set required for the UPSC Prelims exam.

Are answers and explanations available?

Yes. Every question on this PYQ paper has the correct answer and a detailed explanation. After submitting the test, you can review each question with step-by-step solutions, concept references, and tips on how to solve similar questions faster.

Can I attempt this paper multiple times?

Yes. You can attempt this PYQ paper as many times as you like. Each attempt is recorded separately so you can track improvement in score, accuracy, and time-management.

Will solving PYQs really help me crack UPSC Prelims?

Government exam toppers consistently say PYQ practice is the single highest-leverage strategy. UPSC Prelims repeats question patterns, frequently-tested concepts and difficulty distribution year after year. Solving 8-10 PYQ shifts before the exam dramatically improves time management and confidence.

More UPSC Prelims PYQ Papers