Tips and tricks for tricky UPSC questions
UPSC questions often try to trick you. This page gives you simple rules to find the right answer. Each rule has a real question from an old UPSC paper, and shows how to solve it step by step.
Prelims
1Strong words like “all”, “only”, “always”, “never” are usually false
A statement with a strong word like “all”, “only”, “always” or “never” is usually false.
Why? A strong word allows no exception. If even one case is different, the statement is wrong. In real life there is almost always one exception. So these statements are usually false.
Be careful: “usually” is not “always”. Before you mark it false, try to think of one example that breaks it.
With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements: I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply. How many of the statements given above are correct?
- (a)Only one
- (b)Only two
- (c)All the three
- (d)None
How to solve it
- Every statement says “All types of UAVs”. UAV means drone.
- Think of one drone that does not do it. A drone with wings, like a small plane, cannot stay still in the air (hover) and cannot land straight down. Many big drones use fuel, not only a battery.
- So all three statements are false. Answer: (d) None.
Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct? 1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States. 2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States. 3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.
- (a)1 only
- (b)1 and 2
- (c)2 and 3
- (d)3 only
How to solve it
- Read the question slowly. It asks which are NOT correct. Circle the word “not”.
- Statement 3 says Sikkim is the only State that touches just one other State. But Meghalaya also touches only one State (Assam). So statement 3 is wrong.
- Statement 2 is also wrong: West Bengal, not Rajasthan, has the longest border with other countries.
- Statement 1 is right: Uttar Pradesh touches eight States. So the wrong ones are 2 and 3. Answer: (c).
2“How many of the above”: check every statement
Check every statement one by one. Write ✓ or ✗ next to each one. Then count the ✓.
Why? Many questions now end with “How many of the above are correct?”. The answers are only numbers: one, two, three, all. So you cannot remove options by knowing just one statement. You must check all of them.
Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme: I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth II. Observance of strict non-violence III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?
- (a)Only one
- (b)Only two
- (c)Only three
- (d)All the four
How to solve it
- I. Stay away from British courts and foreign cloth: ✓
- II. Strict non-violence: ✓
- III. Keep British titles quietly: ✗. Gandhi asked people to give back their titles.
- IV. Village panchayats to settle disputes: ✓
- Three ✓. Answer: (c) Only three.
Not sure about one statement? Then only two answers are possible. That is a 50:50 guess, and it is worth taking (see tip 7).
3Statement-I and Statement-II: three small steps
Step 1: Is Statement-I true? Step 2: Is Statement-II true? Step 3: Only if both are true, ask: is II the reason for I?
Statement-I: Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as compared to poles. Statement-II: At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents.
- (a)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- (b)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- (c)Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d)Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
How to solve it
- Statement-I is true. The lowest layer of air is about 18 km thick at the equator and about 8 km at the poles.
- Statement-II is true. At the equator, hot air rises very high.
- Is II the reason for I? Yes. Hot air rising high makes the layer thicker. Answer: (a).
Statement-I: Giant stars live much longer than dwarf stars. Statement-II: Compared to dwarf stars, giant stars have a greater rate of nuclear reactions.
- (a)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- (b)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- (c)Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d)Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
How to solve it
- Statement-II is true. Big stars burn their fuel faster.
- So big stars live a shorter time. Statement-I is false.
- This is the trick: Statement-II is true and is about the same thing, but it shows that Statement-I is wrong. Answer: (d).
4Pairs: check each pair on its own
Check each pair alone. If even one part of a row is wrong, the whole row is wrong.
Why? UPSC often changes just one small part of a pair, like the ministry name, to catch you.
Consider the following pairs: Provision in the Constitution of India : Stated under I. Separation of Judiciary from the Executive in the public services of the State : The Directive Principles of the State Policy II. Valuing and preserving of the rich heritage of our composite culture : The Fundamental Duties III. Prohibition of employment of children below the age of 14 years in factories : The Fundamental Rights How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- (a)Only one
- (b)Only two
- (c)All the three
- (d)None
How to solve it
- Keeping judges separate from the government is Article 50. It is a Directive Principle: ✓
- Protecting our shared culture is Article 51A(f). It is a Fundamental Duty: ✓
- No children under 14 in factories is Article 24. It is a Fundamental Right: ✓
- All three are right. Answer: (c).
Learn which Part of the Constitution each important Article is in. It answers many questions like this.
5Map questions: draw a small map first
Draw a small rough map on your question paper before you look at the options.
Why? The wrong options are made to look almost right. A drawing helps you see the real order.
With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from West to East, which one of the following sequences is correct?
- (a)Ghaghara - Gomati - Gandak - Kosi
- (b)Gomati - Ghaghara - Gandak - Kosi
- (c)Ghaghara - Gomati - Kosi - Gandak
- (d)Gomati - Ghaghara - Kosi - Gandak
How to solve it
- Draw the Ganga going from left (west) to right (east).
- Mark where each river joins: Gomati near Varanasi, Ghaghara near Chhapra, Gandak near Patna, Kosi in east Bihar.
- Read your map from left to right: Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi. Answer: (b).
6News questions: learn the law or scheme behind the news
When something is in the news, learn the law, scheme or organisation behind it. UPSC asks about that.
Why? UPSC does not ask only “what happened”. It joins the news with an old fact you should know.
Consider the following statements: I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member. II. India is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified. III. The Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a)I and II only
- (b)II and III only
- (c)I and III only
- (d)I, II and III
How to solve it
- I is the news: India joined this group in 2023. ✓
- III is the law behind the news: the mining law was changed in 2023. ✓
- II has the strong word “all” (tip 1). India buys many of these minerals, like lithium and cobalt, from other countries. ✗
- Answer: (c) I and III only.
7Guessing: only when you can remove one option
Do not guess blindly. Guess only when you are sure at least one option is wrong.
Why? A right answer gives you 2 marks. A wrong answer takes away 0.66 marks. See what a guess gives you on average:
| You removed | Chance of being right | Should you guess? |
|---|---|---|
| No option | 1 in 4 | No. You gain nothing on average. |
| 1 option | 1 in 3 | Yes, a small gain. |
| 2 options | 1 in 2 | Yes, a good gain. |
How to solve it
Remove an option only when you really know it is wrong. Do not use guesses like “UPSC rarely chooses (d)”.
8Time: go through the paper three times
Go through the paper three times: the easy ones, then the 50:50 ones, then check your answer sheet.
- First time (about 50 minutes): answer only the questions you are sure of. Put a “?” next to the others.
- Second time: go back to the “?” questions. Remove wrong options and answer if you can (tip 7).
- Last 10 to 15 minutes: check that your answer sheet matches your question paper. Fill the sheet after every few pages, not all at the end.
You have 2 hours for 100 questions. Answer the easy questions fast. This saves time for the hard ones.
9CSAT: you need only 33%, but do not ignore it
In CSAT (Paper II) you only need 33%: 66 marks out of 200. But many good students fail it every year.
CSAT has 80 questions of 2.5 marks each, and wrong answers lose marks too. Solve a few old CSAT papers early, with a timer. If you pass easily, solve one paper a month to stay in practice.
Mains
10Find the key word in the question
Find the key word (discuss, examine, comment…). It tells you what kind of answer to write.
| Key word | What to write | Real question |
|---|---|---|
| Discuss | Talk about it from different sides. Give examples. | “Discuss the salient features of the Harappan architecture.” (GS1, 2025) |
| Examine | Look closely. Explain the causes and the results. | “Examine the factors responsible for depleting groundwater in India…” (GS3, 2025) |
| Analyse | Break it into parts. Show how the parts connect. | “Analyse this statement with reference to sense of responsibility… as a civil servant.” (GS4, 2025) |
| Critically examine / analyse / evaluate | Give the good points and the bad points. Then give your own final view. | “…Critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the system of appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India and that of the USA.” (GS2, 2025) |
| Comment | Give your opinion, with facts to support it. | “The duty of the Comptroller and Auditor General is not merely to ensure the legality of expenditure but also its propriety. Comment.” (GS2, 2024) |
| Elucidate | Explain it clearly, with examples. | “The ethos of civil service in India stand for the combination of professionalism with nationalistic consciousness – Elucidate.” (GS1, 2025) |
How to solve it
If you see the word “critically”, always write both sides and then your view. An answer with only one side loses marks, even if the facts are good.
11Answer every part of the question
Many questions ask two things. Answer both. Give each part a heading.
“Comment on the need of administrative tribunals as compared to the court system. Assess the impact of the recent tribunal reforms through rationalization of tribunals made in 2021.” (GS2, 2025, 150 words)
How to solve it
- Part 1: why we need tribunals. They are faster, their members are experts, and they reduce the work of courts.
- Part 2: what the 2021 law changed. It closed several tribunals and sent their cases to the High Courts and other courts. Then say what this changed.
- If you answer only part 1, you can get only about half the marks.
12Start, middle, end
Start short. Write points in the middle. End with a way forward.
- Start (2 or 3 lines): a definition, a fact or the background.
- Middle: short headings and points. Follow the key word (both sides for “critically”).
- End (2 or 3 lines): a balanced way forward. Link it to a scheme, a report or a value in the Constitution.
Each GS paper has 20 questions in 3 hours. A 10-mark answer is 150 words (about 7 minutes). A 15-mark answer is 250 words (about 11 minutes). Finish the paper: an unfinished paper costs more marks than a short answer.
13Add facts the examiner can see quickly
Examiners read fast. Add facts they can see quickly.
- Articles of the Constitution and important court judgments
- Names of committees and official reports, like the Economic Survey or the CAG
- One or two numbers with their source (for groundwater: the Central Ground Water Board)
- A government scheme that fits (for groundwater: the Atal Bhujal Yojana)
- A simple diagram, flowchart or map, if it explains faster than words
14Ethics case studies: four steps
For GS Paper IV case studies, follow four steps.
- People: write who is involved and what each person can lose.
- Problem: name the main conflict in one line (for example, following the rules against being kind).
- Options: if the question says “evaluate each of the options”, write the good and bad points of everyoption, not only the one you choose.
- Your choice: say what you will do, why, and how you will do it.
Practise on real questions
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