Solve UPPCS previous-year questions (PYQs) to work with the wording and subject depth that UPPSC examiners have used. UPPSC has scheduled PCS Prelims 2026 for 6 December, so you can use the remaining time to practise those questions and review your errors.
Use Prelims PYQs to practise recall and elimination. For Mains, study the way UPPSC frames prompts and the depth examiners expect. Choose Ghatna Chakra or Smriti according to the work you plan to do.
UPPCS 2026 exam pattern, in brief
UPPSC released the PCS 2026 notification on 25 June 2026 for about 500 vacancies and set the Preliminary Examination for 6 December. The commission conducts two objective papers on the same day. GS Paper I carries 200 marks and determines shortlisting for Mains. GS Paper II, or CSAT, carries 200 marks and requires a score of 33%. UPPSC applies one-third negative marking to both papers. It uses GS Paper I marks for the Mains cutoff and excludes Prelims marks from final merit.
Candidates write eight descriptive Mains papers worth 1,500 marks: General Hindi, Essay, and GS Papers I–VI. In the 2023 cycle, UPPSC removed the optional subject and added two UP-specific papers. GS V and GS VI carry 200 marks each and cover UP history, geography, economy, and governance. Prepare UP-specific PYQs for these papers. UPPSC combines 1,500 Mains marks with 100 Interview marks for final merit.
Use UPPCS PYQs for Prelims
Review Prelims PYQs and note the topics that repeat. Study the way examiners frame options. Compare subject coverage across recent cycles, along with shifts in difficulty. Start with a year-wise pass to learn each paper’s structure. Then group questions by topic and isolate weak areas.
Set a purpose for each session in a large archive. If you solve questions without recording errors, you lose the information needed to plan revision.
Printed UPPCS PYQ compilations and Hindi editions
Choose a printed, paper-wise compilation if you want to annotate without a screen. Sam-Samayik Ghatna Chakra is an Allahabad-based publisher with a long-running current-affairs magazine. The publisher sells UPPCS Prelims compilations and Mains GS solved-paper sets. It also offers the GS Pointer series in Hindi and English. It sells some e-books through its channels.
For Hindi-medium study, Ghatna Chakra sells Hindi editions of its UPPCS PYQ books. A printed book removes device dependence and gives you space to annotate. Choose that format for long reading sessions or offline study.
UPPCS PYQs for Mains
Use Mains PYQs to study prompt wording and recurring themes across the eight papers. Check the depth that examiners expect. Since the 2023 restructuring, GS V and GS VI have focused on Uttar Pradesh. Read the papers from 2023 onward to study how UPPSC tests state history, culture, geography, and governance. Compare each prompt with model answers to calibrate structure and length.
Ghatna Chakra vs Smriti for UPPCS PYQs
Ghatna Chakra publishes printed references for paper-wise reading and annotation. Smriti groups 7,000+ official UPPSC GS PYQs from 1990 to 2024 into 297 topics for digital practice. In Smriti, you can answer a question and study each option. The app records your answer history and schedules missed questions for spaced review.
Use Ghatna Chakra for a desk reference or screen-free study. Use Smriti to practise one topic and inspect a wrong answer. You can also schedule missed questions for another attempt. Pair a printed compilation for the first pass with a tagged question bank for review and error tracking.
Priorities for UPPCS PYQ prep before December 2026
UPPSC set the Prelims date for 6 December 2026. Work back from that date and prioritise the last 5–7 years of papers. Use recent papers to study current-affairs context and the post-2023 UP-specific Mains structure. Then use the historical archive to widen topic coverage and find patterns across decades.
Choose by your next study task
- Choose a printed compilation such as Ghatna Chakra for paper-wise or screen-free reading.
- Use a tagged question bank such as Smriti to practise one topic and track mistakes. It can also schedule revision.
- For Prelims, complete a year-wise pass before you drill weak topics.
- For Mains GS V and GS VI, read UP-specific PYQs from 2023 onward with model answers.
- Add a timed test series after you have practised by topic.
Record each attempt and schedule the questions you need to revisit. Choose the resource that suits today’s task.
Try the UPPSC GS PYQ library