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The UPSC Prelims 2025 exam, conducted on 25th May 2025, marked the first stage of the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE). This year’s UPSC Prelims question paper analysis reveals a shift towards analytical thinking, conceptual clarity, and application-based questions. Aspirants observed that mere memorization was not enough—what mattered most was how well one could apply their knowledge under pressure.

UPSC Civils Prelims 2025 Analysis: Exam Difficulty, Subject-Wise Weightage, and Cut-Off Insights

Whether you're a UPSC aspirant who appeared for the exam or planning for the next attempt, this detailed analysis of UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 offers critical insights into subject-wise weightage, question pattern, expected cut-off, and expert recommendations for post-prelims preparation.

Also Read: UPSC Civils Prelims 2025 Paper-1 With Key : సివిల్స్ ప్రిలిమ్స్ పేపర్‌-1 General Studies కొశ్చ‌న్ పేప‌ర్ & 'కీ'...

UPSC Prelims 2025: Key Highlights

Feature	Details
Exam Date	25th May 2025
Expected Result Date	Last week of June 2025
Total Vacancies	979
Appeared Candidates	Estimated 5–6 Lakhs
Exam Mode	Offline, MCQ-based
Number of Questions (GS)	100
Number of Questions (CSAT)	80

UPSC Prelims 2025 Difficulty Level

Based on expert inputs and student feedback, the UPSC Prelims 2025 was of moderate to high difficulty. The exam emphasized conceptual clarity, interdisciplinary linkages, and analytical aptitude, marking a continued shift in UPSC’s approach towards testing real understanding rather than rote learning.

UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper: Subject-wise Weightage

Here is the subject-wise distribution of questions in the General Studies Paper-I:

Subject	No. of Questions
Economy	17
Environment & Ecology	12
Geography	14
History & Art Culture	16
Indian Polity	13
Science & Technology	14
Miscellaneous (IR, Society, etc.)	14
Total	100

The paper maintained a balanced subject coverage, with a tilt towards Economy, Polity, and Science-Tech.

CSAT 2025 Paper Analysis

The CSAT (Paper II) comprised 80 questions from:

Reading Comprehension
Logical & Analytical Reasoning
Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation

While not qualifying in nature, CSAT 2025 was slightly tougher than last year, according to initial reports. A detailed topic-wise breakdown will follow shortly.

UPSC Prelims Cut-off Trends (Past Years)

Understanding previous cut-offs helps gauge the trend and set realistic expectations:

Category	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
General	75.41	88.22	87.54	92.51	98	98
OBC	74.75	87.54	89.12	89.12	95.34	96.66
SC	59.25	74.08	75.41	74.84	82	84
ST	47.82	69.35	70.71	68.71	77.34	83.34
EWS	68.02	82.83	80.14	77.55	90	—