UPSC Mains Question Paper 2025: The UPSC Mains Exam 2025 is the second stage of the Civil Services Examination. The examination is scheduled to take place from 22nd August to 31st August 2025. It consists of nine papers: one Essay paper, four General Studies (GS) papers, two qualifying papers (Compulsory Indian Language and English), and two papers on the chosen optional subject.
UPSC Mains 2025 examination begins with the UPSC Essay Paper on 22 August in the first shift from 9:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. After each paper, candidates will be able to download the UPSC Mains Question Papers 2025 PDFs for practice and analysis.
UPSC Mains Question Paper with Solution Overview
UPSC Mains Exam 2025 will be held from 22 to 31 August in offline mode, comprising nine descriptive papers. These include the Essay, four General Studies papers, two optional papers, and two qualifying language papers. Candidates can download the UPSC Mains Question Paper 2025 PDFs after each exam.
| UPSC Mains Question Paper 2025 Overview | |||||
| Paper Category | Papers | Marks | Duration | Exam Dates (2025) | Role |
| Essay | 1 Paper | 250 | 3 hours | 22 August | Merit-based |
| General Studies (GS I–II) | 2 Papers | 250 each | 3 hours each | 23 August | Merit-based |
| General Studies (GS III–IV) | 2 Papers | 250 each | 3 hours each | 24 August | Merit-based |
| Qualifying Papers | Indian Language & English | 300 each | 3 hours each | 30 August | Qualifying only |
| Optional Subject (Paper VI & VII) | 2 Papers | 250 each | 3 hours each | 31 August | Merit-based |
| Total | 9 Papers | 2350 | – | 22–31 August 2025 | Merit + Qualifying |
Candidates can also download UPSC Mains Question Papers with solutions to understand the approach to each question.
UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2025 PDF
UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2025 will be conducted on 22 August 2025 from 9:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M., marking the beginning of UPSC Mains 2025. Candidates can download the UPSC Mains Essay Paper PDF after the official exam to practice essay writing, structure arguments, and improve clarity.
खण्ड – A / SECTION – A (Choose One)
- सत्य कोई रंग नहीं जानता है।— Truth knows no color.
- बिना लड़े हुए शत्रु को वश में करना युद्ध की सर्वोच्च कला है।— The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
- विचार एक दुनिया खोजता भी है और एक बनाता भी है।— Thought finds a world and creates one also.
- सबसे अच्छे सबक कड़वे अनुभवों से सीखे जाते हैं।— Best lessons are learnt through bitter experiences.
खण्ड – B / SECTION – B (Choose One)
- गंदे पानी को अकेला छोड़ देने से ही उसे सबसे अच्छा साफ किया जा सकता है।— Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.
- वर्ष बहुत कुछ सिखाते हैं, जो दिन कभी नहीं जानते।— The years teach much which the days never know.
- जीवन को यात्रा के रूप में देखना सर्वोत्तम है, न कि एक गंतव्य के रूप में।— It is best to see life as a journey, not as a destination.
- संतोष प्राकृतिक सम्पत्ति है; विलासिता कृत्रिम निर्धनता है।— Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty.
Download UPSC Mains Essay Paper PDF with Topics |
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UPSC Mains General Studies Papers 2025 PDFs
The four General Studies papers will be conducted on 23 and 24 August 2025. The examination shift for GS papers is going to be divided in two shifts, that is the forenoon session from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and the afternoon session from 2:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. Each GS paper carries 250 marks and is descriptive in nature. The UPSC Mains General Studies Papers 2025 PDFs will be available for download only after the scheduled exam dates.
UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 2025 PDFs
UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 2025 will be held on 23 August from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This paper evaluates a candidate’s understanding of history, art, culture, society, and geography. The official UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 2025 PDF will be available for download after the exam for practice and revision.
| Download UPSC Mains 2025 GS 1 Question Paper |
| TBA |
UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 2025 PDFs
UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 2025 is scheduled for 23 August, from 2:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. It tests governance, constitution, social justice, and international relations. Candidates can download the UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 2025 PDF once the examination is conducted.
| Download UPSC Mains 2025 GS 2 Question Paper |
| TBA |
UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 2025 PDFs
UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 2025 will be conducted on 24 August from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. It covers economy, environment, technology, disaster management, and security. Aspirants may download the UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 2025 PDF after the exam.
| Download UPSC Mains 2025 GS 3 Question Paper |
| TBA |
UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 2025 PDFs (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)
UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 2025 will be held on 24 August from 2:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. It focuses on ethics, aptitude, and integrity in public life. The paper includes case studies, and its UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 2025 PDF will be available for download after the official exam.
| Download UPSC Mains 2025 GS 4 Question Paper |
| TBA |
UPSC Mains Compulsory Indian Language Paper PDFs
The qualifying Indian Language and English papers will be held on 30 August 2025, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Each carries 300 marks and tests comprehension, précis, translation, and essay writing. UPSC Mains Compulsory Indian Language Paper PDFs will be available for download after the exams are officially conducted.
| UPSC Mains Compulsory Indian Language Paper PDFs | |
| Compulsory Subject | Download PDF |
| Assamese | TBA |
| Bengali | TBA |
| Bodo | TBA |
| English | TBA |
| Gujarati | TBA |
| Hindi | TBA |
| Kannada | TBA |
| Maithili | TBA |
| Malayalam | TBA |
| Marathi | TBA |
| Nepali | TBA |
| Odia | TBA |
| Punjabi | TBA |
| Sanskrit | TBA |
| Sindhi | TBA |
| Tamil | TBA |
| Telugu | TBA |
| Urdu | TBA |
UPSC Literature Subjects 2025 PDFs
UPSC Literature Subject papers are part of the optional subjects. They are descriptive in format, focusing on prose and poetry. These will be held along with the optional papers on 31 August 2025, and UPSC Literature Subjects 2025 PDFs will be released after the exams.
| UPSC Literature Subjects 2025 PDFs | ||
| Subject | Paper – I PDF | Paper – II PDF |
| Assamese Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Bengali Literature | TBA | TBA |
| English Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Gujarati Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Hindi Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Kannada Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Maithili Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Malayalam Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Manipuri Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Marathi Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Odia Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Punjabi Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Sindhi Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Sanskrit Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Tamil Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Telugu Literature | TBA | TBA |
| Urdu Literature | TBA | TBA |
UPSC Optional Papers 2025 PDFs
UPSC Optional Papers 2025 will be conducted on 31 August 2025. Each carries 250 marks and allows candidates to choose from a wide range of subjects across humanities, sciences, and literature. UPSC Optional Papers 2025 PDFs will be available for download after the exams are over
| UPSC Optional Papers 2025 PDFs | |
| Optional Subject | Download PDF |
| Agriculture | TBA |
| Agriculture | TBA |
| Animal Husbandry & Vet. Science | TBA |
| Animal Husbandry & Vet. Science | TBA |
| Anthropology | TBA |
| Anthropology | TBA |
| Botany | TBA |
| Botany | TBA |
| Chemistry | TBA |
| Chemistry | TBA |
| Civil Engineering | TBA |
| Civil Engineering | TBA |
| Commerce & Accountancy | TBA |
| Commerce & Accountancy | TBA |
| Economics | TBA |
| Economics | TBA |
| Electrical Engineering | TBA |
| Electrical Engineering | TBA |
| Geography | TBA |
| Geography | TBA |
| Geology | TBA |
| Geology | TBA |
| History | TBA |
| History | TBA |
| Law | TBA |
| Law | TBA |
| Management | TBA |
| Management | TBA |
| Mathematics | TBA |
| Mathematics | TBA |
| Mechanical Engineering | TBA |
| Mechanical Engineering | TBA |
| Medical Science | TBA |
| Medical Science | TBA |
| Philosophy | TBA |
| Philosophy | TBA |
| Physics | TBA |
| Physics | TBA |
| Political Science & IR | TBA |
| Political Science & IR | TBA |
| Psychology | TBA |
| Psychology | TBA |
| Public Administration | TBA |
| Public Administration | TBA |
| Sociology | TBA |
| Sociology | TBA |
| Statistics | TBA |
| Statistics | TBA |
| Zoology | TBA |
| Zoology | TBA |
How to Download UPSC Mains Question Paper 2025?
After the UPSC Mains Exam 2025, UPSC will provide the UPSC Mains Exam 2025 PDFs. Once the papers are updated by UPSC, aspirants can follow these simple steps:
- Visit https://upsc.gov.in/
- Go to the Previous Question Papers section.
- Click on Download link.
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