CSAT · Set A

UPSC Prelims 2026

80 questions · 2.5 marks each · Qualifying marks: 66/200

Hard

24%

19 questions

RC weight

29%

23 questions

Numerical weight

38%

30 of 80

Qualifying mark

66/200

33% of total

Section breakdown

Quantitative Aptitude

30 (38%)

Comprehension

23 (29%)

Logical Reasoning

12 (15%)

Analytical Reasoning

8 (10%)

Data Interpretation

5 (6%)

Decision Making

2 (3%)

← 20252026— →

All 80 questions

80 shown

Click any row to read the full question and explanation. 80 of 80 have text so far — marks those.

#▲	Topic↕	Section↕	Type↕	Difficulty↕	Source
1	Algebra — Multi-Variable Inequalities	Numerical	Statement-based	Hard	Standard inequalities — algebraic property substitution	↗Read
2	Optimization — Base Cylinder Compounding	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Standard optimization — greedy breakdown algorithms	↗Read
3	Permutations — Diophantine Partitioning	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Standard combinations — linear integer constraints	↗Read
4	Geometry — Solid Cube Cuts	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Hard	Standard spatial logic — maximum pieces via planar cuts	↗Read
5	Averages — Data Correction	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Standard averages — net change correction framework	↗Read
6	RC — Comparative Virology Analysis	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — epidemiology and health policy	↗Read
7	RC — Authorial Intent Tracking	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Medium	RC passage — scientific comparisons	↗Read
8	RC — Textual Logical Inferences	Reading Comp.	Inference-based	Easy	RC passage — contrast and comparisons	↗Read
9	Optimization — Discrete Variable Bounds	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Standard optimization — algebraic extrema maximization	↗Read
10	Ratios — Compound Proportionality	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Standard variation — proportional constant determination	↗Read
11	自由ए — Agritech Policy Assumptions	Reading Comp.	Statement-Assumption	Medium	RC passage — agricultural technology diffusion	↗Read
12	RC — AgTech Policy Specifics	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — technology deployment parameters	↗Read
13	Logic — Deductive Ranking Rules	Reasoning	Statement-Conclusion	Medium	Standard ranking — discrete constraint deduction matrix	↗Read
14	Logic — Spatial Match Puzzles	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Hard	Standard arrangements — linear relative alignment rules	↗Read
15	Logic — Discrete Distribution Routing	Reasoning	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Standard puzzles — grouping constraints mapping	↗Read
16	Logic — Conditional Implication Chains	Reasoning	Statement-Conclusion	Medium	Standard formal logic — contrapositive deduction chains	↗Read
17	Time, Speed & Distance — Circular Races	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Circular tracking — relative speeds and directional changes	↗Read
18	Equations — Linear Simultaneous Systems	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Standard simultaneous systems — algebraic elimination framework	↗Read
19	RC — Juvenile Justice Statutory Inferences	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Medium	RC passage — legal statutory analysis	↗Read
20	RC — Legal Statutory Provisions	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — statutory definitions	↗Read
21	Quantitative — Relative Speed & Sound Telemetry	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Relative tracking — multi-agent sound and drone intervals	↗Read
22	Quantitative Aptitude — Unit Digit Cyclicity	Numerical	Series & Pattern	Easy	Unit digits — pattern cyclicity algorithms	↗Read
23	Quantitative — Percentage Balance Systems	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Income-expenditure links — baseline percentage tracking	↗Read
24	Reasoning — Family Blood Relations	Reasoning	Blood Relations	Easy	Standard blood relations — symbolic generation tree construction	↗Read
25	Quantitative Aptitude — Exponential Bounds	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Number parameters — integer exponential limits	↗Read
26	RC — Fiscal Policies for Clean Fuel	Reading Comp.	Inference-based	Easy	RC passage — environmental regulations and economic incentives	↗Read
27	RC — Environmental Regulations Context	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — regulatory timelines	↗Read
28	Logic — Standard Syllogisms	Reasoning	Syllogism	Easy	Syllogisms — intersecting set inclusions	↗Read
29	Quantitative — Integer Digit Frequency	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Digit distribution — systematic combinatorics tracking	↗Read
30	Quantitative — Split Distance Average Speed	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Multi-stage travel — discrete time interval summation	↗Read
31	Optimization — Weighing Scale Logic	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Medium	Weighing balance — binary and ternary search algorithms	↗Read
32	RC — AI Impacts on Workplace Value	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — workplace automation	↗Read
33	RC — Technological Shifts and Labor	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — technological evolution	↗Read
34	RC — Land Rights and Landlord Values	Reading Comp.	Inference-based	Medium	RC passage — agrarian socio-economic dynamics	↗Read
35	RC — Characterization and Policy Details	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — narrative character analysis	↗Read
36	Reasoning — Vector Displacement & Orientation	Reasoning	Direction & Distance	Easy	Standard tracking — multi-turn displacement vector mapping	↗Read
37	Quantitative — Recurrence Series Patterns	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Easy	Fibonacci-style series — additive recurrence relations	↗Read
38	Quantitative — Scaling Unified Ratios	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Ratio balancing — scaling across common variables	↗Read
39	Quantitative — Number Theory Extrema	Numerical	Statement-based	Medium	Number theory — fundamental product property rules	↗Read
40	Quantitative Aptitude — Divisibility Rules	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Divisibility — alternating sum criteria algorithms	↗Read
41	RC — Psychological and Social Performance Metrics	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Medium	RC passage — modern sociology and behavioral insights	↗Read
42	RC — Textual Contextual Phrasing	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — behavioral analysis	↗Read
43	RC — Technological Convergence Models	Reading Comp.	Inference-based	Medium	RC passage — economic history and technology adoption models	↗Read
44	RC — Analysis of Convergence Theory	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Medium	RC passage — economic development parameters	↗Read
45	Quantitative — Mixture Allegation Systems	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Alligations — two-component concentration balancing	↗Read
46	Quantitative — Diophantine Digit Reversal	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Number theory — algebraic digit transformations	↗Read
47	Logic — Alphabetic Shift Ciphering	Reasoning	Coding-Decoding	Easy	Cryptographic ciphers — fixed progressive character offsets	↗Read
48	Quantitative — Spatial Area Tiling	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Discrete geometry — optimize tile layout counts	↗Read
49	Quantitative — Train Accident Deceleration	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Multi-stage speed shifts — simultaneous ratio equations	↗Read
50	Quantitative — Weighted Average Cutoffs	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Weighted scoring — compound coefficient matrix indexing	↗Read
51	Logic — Analytical Argument Consistency	Reasoning	Statement-Conclusion	Medium	Logical reasoning — logical consistency and structural relations	↗Read
52	Logic — Communication Typologies	Reasoning	Analogy	Easy	Organizational communication — structural hierarchy taxonomies	↗Read
53	Logic — Administrative Communication Tools	Reasoning	Analogy	Easy	Office correspondence — functional communication records	↗Read
54	Decision Making — Workplace Conflict	Reasoning	Decision Making Scenario	Easy	Management strategy — inclusive workplace mediation frameworks	↗Read
55	Logic — Taxonomy of Communication Barriers	Reasoning	Analogy	Medium	Organizational communication — linguistic and psychological friction parameters	↗Read
56	Decision Making — Survey Parameter Design	Reasoning	Decision Making Scenario	Medium	Research methodology — targeted data scope metrics	↗Read
57	Logic — Corporate Correspondence Rules	Reasoning	Statement-Conclusion	Easy	Office correspondence — internal communication properties	↗Read
58	Quantitative — Compound Partnership Yields	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Partnership structures — capital-time product scaling	↗Read
59	Quantitative — Successive Fluid Dilution	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Successive replacement — fractional dilution tracking formula	↗Read
60	Quantitative — Linear Optimization Scenarios	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Linear boundaries — calculating minimum integer thresholds	↗Read
61	Data Sufficiency — Diophantine Coin Systems	DI / DS	Data Sufficiency	Hard	Standard data sufficiency — combinatorics constraint evaluation	↗Read
62	Data Sufficiency — Real Number Properties	DI / DS	Data Sufficiency	Medium	Inequalities — fractional and roots interval logic	↗Read
63	Data Sufficiency — Parity Rules	DI / DS	Data Sufficiency	Easy	Number theory — integer parity arithmetic	↗Read
64	Data Sufficiency — Set Parity Restrictions	DI / DS	Data Sufficiency	Hard	Set properties — parity distribution logic	↗Read
65	Data Sufficiency — Prime Factorization Bounds	DI / DS	Data Sufficiency	Hard	Number theory — prime factors factorization equations	↗Read
66	RC — Evaluation of Cultural Exhibition Details	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — cultural festival architecture	↗Read
67	RC — Textual Data Matching	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — fine arts documentation	↗Read
68	Logic — Simultaneous Equation Weight systems	Reasoning	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Algebraic puzzles — simultaneous value elimination matrices	↗Read
69	Permutations — Word Arrangements with Constraints	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Combinatorics — string block permutation rules	↗Read
70	Quantitative — Periodic Step LCM Systems	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Step intervals — periodic least common multiple synchronization	↗Read
71	RC — Societal Value of Sports	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — sports and public health	↗Read
72	RC — Life Skills Through Sports	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — lifestyle and behavioral health	↗Read
73	Quantitative — Linear Jump Equations	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Easy	Linear tracking — simultaneous integer variable solutions	↗Read
74	Logic — Circular Seating Arrangements	Reasoning	Direction & Distance	Hard	Circular seating — mapping adjacent relative constraints	↗Read
75	Logic — Grid Symmetry & Spatial Patterns	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Hard	Grid arrangements — geometric reflections and rotational symmetry	↗Read
76	RC — Evaluation of Economic Deflation Strategies	Reading Comp.	Reading Comprehension	Easy	RC passage — macroeconomic accounting indices	↗Read
77	自由ए — Deflation Accounting Assumptions	Reading Comp.	Statement-Assumption	Medium	RC passage — macroeconomic data metrics	↗Read
78	Logic — Alphanumeric Substring Periodic Patterns	Reasoning	Series & Pattern	Hard	String sequences — repeating substring matrix rules	↗Read
79	Quantitative — Modular Exponent Prime Factorization	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Hard	Prime factors — base prime factorization equations	↗Read
80	Quantitative — Relative Moving Object Passing Speeds	Numerical	Arithmetic Problem	Medium	Relative motion — direction variations and speed ratios	↗Read