UPSC CSE Prelims 2025: Full Analysis — Easy, Moderate, Difficult, and the Cut-off Dilemma
Dear UPSC Aspirants,
The UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2025 was held on May 25. Once again, it reminded candidates that this is not just an exam — it’s a test of nerves and preparation. The General Studies (GS) paper had many surprises, and the CSAT paper felt more like an elimination round. Many aspirants were left wondering, adjusting their strategies, and even shocked.
Let’s break down the paper into sections to understand what was easy, moderate, or hard. We’ll also look at the cut-off predictions that everyone is talking about.
Subject-Wise Question Distribution (2025 vs Previous Years)
| Subject | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 17 | 14 | 14 |
| Environment | 10 | 15 | 12 |
| Geography | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| History & Culture | 16 | 12 | 13 |
| Polity & Governance | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| Science & Technology | 15 | 13 | 15 |
| Miscellaneous | 13 | 13 | 18 |
Key Takeaways from UPSC Prelims 2025
🏛️ History & Culture – Easy
This section was one of the simplest. It had clear questions on Modern Indian History and easy cultural topics. Famous names like Gandhi, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Fa-Hein appeared.
Verdict: A good chance to score for those with strong basics. But don’t make silly mistakes.
🏛️ Polity – Moderate to Difficult
The questions seemed simple but were tricky. Many had multiple statements to check. This made them confusing and took more time.
Verdict: Standard topics but hidden traps. Be alert.
📉 Economy – Moderate to Difficult
This section tested both theory and real-life news. Questions covered RBI income, UPI, green economy, bonds vs stocks, and farming taxes. Some calculations were also there.
Verdict: Strong understanding and recent news were a must.
🧪 Science & Technology – Moderate
The section mixed current news with static topics. Questions included EVs, GAGAN, Majorana, viruses, and cement-making.
Verdict: Easy for those who followed news and kept concepts clear.
🌐 International Relations – Easy but Limited
There were only 5 questions. Most were on global groups like BRICS, NATO, and BIMSTEC. One tricky question was about EU’s climate law.
Verdict: A scoring area for news followers.
🎯 Miscellaneous – Easy to Moderate
Topics were diverse, from Chess and Kho Kho to AI Summits and Gandhi Peace Prize. It gave an edge to those with broad news reading.
Verdict: Smart guesses could help here.
🌍 Geography & Environment – Moderate
This year had fewer environment questions. But geography content was strong. It included maps and climate topics. NCERTs and news were both important.
Verdict: Good for those with balanced prep.
📘 CSAT – Difficult
CSAT was much harder this year. Reading passages were long, and reasoning questions were time-consuming.
Expert View:
“This was one of the toughest CSAT papers.” – Mudit Gupta, CSAT Expert
Verdict: More like a test of elimination than qualification.
🧠 GS Paper Overall – Difficult
The paper mixed familiar topics with tricky changes. Statement-based questions tested knowledge and logical thinking.
Verdict: Only those who stayed calm and smart did well.
🎯 The Cut-Off Puzzle
With a tough CSAT and a tricky GS paper, cut-off predictions are falling. Experts think:
- GS cut-off may drop below 85 marks (General category)
- Many may not clear CSAT because of its difficulty
But no one can say for sure. The official answer key will come out with the Mains notification. So, these are just guesses.
What Should Aspirants Do Now?
- Don’t overthink.
- If you’re near the cut-off, start Mains prep immediately.
- If not, don’t lose hope. UPSC is a long race.
Click here for full UPSC Prelims 2025 analysis and preparation guide
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