UPSC 2024 Prelims PYQs

Q: If P means 'greater than (>); @ means less than (<*; R means 'not greater than (*)'; S means not less than (*)* and T means 'equal to (=), then consider the following statements 1. If 2x (S)3y and 3x(T)4z, then 9y (P) 8. 2. If x (Q)y and y(R)z, then x(R)z. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct: D. Neither 1 nor 2. Convert the given information into a small table, equation set, sequence pattern or truth condition according to the question. Then test each option against every stated condition. Option D is the keyed answer because it is the only choice that follows from the complete

Q: If a+b means a -b; a -b means a x b; ax b means a + b; a+ b means a+b, then what is the value of 10 + 30 - 100 50 + 25? (Operations are to be replaced simultaneously)

Correct: D. -25. Replace the symbols as given: + becomes -, - becomes x, x becomes /, and / becomes +. Thus 10 + 30 - 100 x 50 / 25 becomes 10 - 30 x 100 / 50 + 25. Apply normal precedence: 30 x 100 / 50 = 60. So the value is 10 - 60 + 25 = -25.

Q: A Main Statement is followed by four Statements labelled P, Q, R and S. Choose the ordered pair of the Statements where the first Statement implies the second, and the two Statements are logically consistent with the Main Statement. Main Statement Pradeep becomes either a Director or a Producer. Statement P: Pradeep is a Director. Statement Q Pradeep is a Producer. Statement R: Pradeep is not a Director. Statement S: Pradeep is not a Producer. Select the correct answer.

Correct: C. The keyed answer is C: Both SP and RQ. Make a compact arrangement table and place the fixed conditions first. Then add relative conditions one by one and test the options against the completed arrangement. Option C is retained because it is consistent with the complete condition set; the

Q: A Question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements. Age of each of P and Q is less than 100 years but more than 10 years. If you interchange the digits of the age of P, the number represents the age of Q. Question What is the difference of their ages? Statement-I: The age of P is greater than the age of Q. Statement-II The sum of their ages is 11/6 times their difference. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Correct: A. The keyed answer is A: The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other Statement alone. This is a data-sufficiency question, so the task is not to compute a final value immediately. Test Statement I alone, then Statement II alone,

Q: The flower was not invented to please us. It flaunted its petals and spread its perfume to attract an insect. The insect carries the pollen from flower to flower SO that pollen is not carried away by wind and thus not wasted. What we call a flower's beauty is merely a by-product and a human invention. The perfume is not there to please us, it pleases us because it is there and we have been conditioned to it. Question: Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. The author of the passage believes that flowers are creations of Nature's luxury. 2. The author of the passage does not believe in the usefulness of flowers except as things of beauty. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Correct: D. Neither 1 nor 2. The passage's controlling idea is best captured by this option because it stays within the author's argument instead of importing outside information.

Q: Unlike religion and science, poetry does not posit or expect any belief in absolute truths. Those forces or individuals who claim to have absolute truths in their grasp tend to turn dictatorial and tyrannical. Truth usually does not admit any contradictions or imperfections. It is unitarian. It is, therefore, not of much use for poetry. Poetry abides by the plurality of life and existence. Perhaps poetry follows reality which is plural, anachronistic, full of contradictions. Against the tyranny of truth, poetry remains a partisan of democratic reality. Against the arrogance of power, wealth and hierarchy, poetry proposes both humility and defiance. Question: Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational message conveyed by the above passage?

Correct: D. In a world of violence, tyranny and bigotry, poetry is a form of dynamic resistance. The passage's controlling idea is best captured by this option because it stays within the author's argument instead of importing outside information.

Question 1

In some code, letters P, Q, R, S, T represent numbers 4, 5, 10, 12, 15. It is not known which letter represents which number. If Q-S = 2S and T = R+S +3, then what is the value of P+R-T?

Accepted Answer

Correct: B. Source review required before student release. Reason: the extracted wording and keyed answer need source consistency review. The previous generic explanation was removed to avoid presenting an unverified solution as final.

Question 2

What will come in place of * in the sequence 3, 14, 39, 84, *, 258?

Accepted Answer

Correct: B. The keyed answer is B: 155. List the given conditions, convert them into a table or symbolic form, and test the options against all conditions together. Option B is retained because it is consistent with the complete condition set; the other options fail at least one stated condition or

Question 3

If in a certain code, 'POT' is written as ATOP and 'TRAP' is written as APART, then how is 'ARENA' written in that code?

Accepted Answer

Correct: D. The keyed answer is D: AANERA. Decode the symbol or letter rule carefully, apply it in the same order, and avoid reversing the relationship. Option D is retained because it is consistent with the complete condition set; the other options fail at least one stated condition or draw a concl

Question 4

If in a certain code, 'ABCD' is written as 24 and 'EFGH' is written as 1680, then how is IJKL' written in that code?

Accepted Answer

Correct: A. The keyed answer is A: 11880. Decode the symbol or letter rule carefully, apply it in the same order, and avoid reversing the relationship. Option A is retained because it is consistent with the complete condition set; the other options fail at least one stated condition or draw a conclu

Question 5

If P means 'greater than (>); @ means less than (<*; R means 'not greater than (*)'; S means not less than (*)* and T means 'equal to (=), then consider the following statements 1. If 2x (S)3y and 3x(T)4z, then 9y (P) 8. 2. If x (Q)y and y(R)z, then x(R)z. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct: D. Neither 1 nor 2. Convert the given information into a small table, equation set, sequence pattern or truth condition according to the question. Then test each option against every stated condition. Option D is the keyed answer because it is the only choice that follows from the complete

Question 6

If a+b means a -b; a -b means a x b; ax b means a + b; a+ b means a+b, then what is the value of 10 + 30 - 100 50 + 25? (Operations are to be replaced simultaneously)

Accepted Answer

Correct: D. -25. Replace the symbols as given: + becomes -, - becomes x, x becomes /, and / becomes +. Thus 10 + 30 - 100 x 50 / 25 becomes 10 - 30 x 100 / 50 + 25. Apply normal precedence: 30 x 100 / 50 = 60. So the value is 10 - 60 + 25 = -25.

Question 7

A Main Statement is followed by four Statements labelled P, Q, R and S. Choose the ordered pair of the Statements where the first Statement implies the second, and the two Statements are logically consistent with the Main Statement. Main Statement Pradeep becomes either a Director or a Producer. Statement P: Pradeep is a Director. Statement Q Pradeep is a Producer. Statement R: Pradeep is not a Director. Statement S: Pradeep is not a Producer. Select the correct answer.

Accepted Answer

Correct: C. The keyed answer is C: Both SP and RQ. Make a compact arrangement table and place the fixed conditions first. Then add relative conditions one by one and test the options against the completed arrangement. Option C is retained because it is consistent with the complete condition set; the

Question 8

A Question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements. Age of each of P and Q is less than 100 years but more than 10 years. If you interchange the digits of the age of P, the number represents the age of Q. Question What is the difference of their ages? Statement-I: The age of P is greater than the age of Q. Statement-II The sum of their ages is 11/6 times their difference. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Accepted Answer

Correct: A. The keyed answer is A: The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other Statement alone. This is a data-sufficiency question, so the task is not to compute a final value immediately. Test Statement I alone, then Statement II alone,

Question 9

The flower was not invented to please us. It flaunted its petals and spread its perfume to attract an insect. The insect carries the pollen from flower to flower SO that pollen is not carried away by wind and thus not wasted. What we call a flower's beauty is merely a by-product and a human invention. The perfume is not there to please us, it pleases us because it is there and we have been conditioned to it. Question: Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. The author of the passage believes that flowers are creations of Nature's luxury. 2. The author of the passage does not believe in the usefulness of flowers except as things of beauty. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Accepted Answer

Correct: D. Neither 1 nor 2. The passage's controlling idea is best captured by this option because it stays within the author's argument instead of importing outside information.

Question 10

Unlike religion and science, poetry does not posit or expect any belief in absolute truths. Those forces or individuals who claim to have absolute truths in their grasp tend to turn dictatorial and tyrannical. Truth usually does not admit any contradictions or imperfections. It is unitarian. It is, therefore, not of much use for poetry. Poetry abides by the plurality of life and existence. Perhaps poetry follows reality which is plural, anachronistic, full of contradictions. Against the tyranny of truth, poetry remains a partisan of democratic reality. Against the arrogance of power, wealth and hierarchy, poetry proposes both humility and defiance. Question: Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational message conveyed by the above passage?

Accepted Answer

Correct: D. In a world of violence, tyranny and bigotry, poetry is a form of dynamic resistance. The passage's controlling idea is best captured by this option because it stays within the author's argument instead of importing outside information.

UPSC 2024 Question 1: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 2: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 3: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 4: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 5: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 6: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 7: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 8: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 9: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Question 10: CSAT

UPSC 2024 Prelims Questions