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GEO 2026 vs GEO 2025 — what changed

120 vs 120 questions · answer-keyed 0/120 vs 120/120 · GEO

Executive summary

  • Question style: 41% of GEO 2026 was analytical (multi-statement) vs 21% in 2025 — a marked shift toward multi-statement reasoning.
  • Biggest subject change: Economy rose 2→9 questions (1.7%→7.5%).
  • 12 concepts recurred from 2025; 12 appeared that were absent in 2025.

Conceptual vs factual

Analytical (multi-statement) questions: 21% in 2025 → 41% in 2026 — a marked shift toward multi-statement reasoning.
Show evidence — how this is measured
Analytical = statement-based, assertion-reason, match-the-following, pairs, how-many-correct and sequence questions; factual = single-fact recall. GEO 2026: 49 analytical / 71 factual. GEO 2025: 25 analytical / 95 factual.

Subject distribution

Subject20252026Δ
Science & Technology5045-5declined
Environment & Ecology1616+0stable
Polity & Governance1214+2stable
Current Affairs & Static GK149-5declined
Geography138-5declined
History710+3stable
Economy29+7gained
Geology & Earth Sciences15+4gained
Art & Culture31-2stable
Social Issues & Welfare12+1stable
Agriculture11+0stable
"Gained/declined" is flagged only where the change is ≥3 questions and ≥3 percentage points; smaller moves are normal year-to-year variation (shown as stable).
Show evidence — Science & Technology in GEO 2026 (45 Qs)
Q51 · GEO 2026 Which of the following white blood cells (WBCs) are found in the highest number …
Q52 · GEO 2026 Which of the following statements about the process of respiration is/are correc…
Q53 · GEO 2026 Which part of the circulatory system is affected in coronary artery disease?…
Q54 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements : I. Blood of 'A' group has anti-B antibodies …
Q55 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following is not the function of endoplasmic reticulum?…
Q56 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following structures is not found in case of asexual reproducti…
Q57 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following structures is not a part of vegetative propagation?…
Q58 · GEO 2026 Which of the following cells in the human digestive system is responsible for se…
Q59 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following is not a part of the fallopian tube of the female rep…
Q60 · GEO 2026 Which of the following statements is/are correct for gynoecium of a flower? I. I…
Q61 · GEO 2026 What is the molarity of NaOH in the solution prepared by dissolving its 4 g in 2…
Q62 · GEO 2026 A solution is prepared by adding 4 g of a substance to 36 g of water. What is th…
Q63 · GEO 2026 A tablespoon holds 0·5 mole of water. What is the number of molecules present in…
Q64 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following characteristics is possessed by enantiomers?…
Q65 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements : The polar nature of water makes it I. a very…
Q66 · GEO 2026 The conversion of naphthalene into naphthalene vapours is called…
Q67 · GEO 2026 Which of the following methods can be used for removing permanent hardness of wa…
Q68 · GEO 2026 Which of the following are characteristics of aromatic compounds? I. They should…
Q69 · GEO 2026 The adsorbent used in chromatographic techniques is…
Q70 · GEO 2026 Consider the following compounds : I. Anthracene II. Benzene III. Cyclobutane IV…
Q71 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following components is added to optical glass to cut off UV ra…
Q72 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements in respect of noble gases : I. They are p-bloc…
Q73 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding oxidation : I. There is loss of hydr…
Q74 · GEO 2026 The manufacturing of Vanaspati Ghee from polyunsaturated vegetable oils involves…
Q75 · GEO 2026 The cleaning action of soap is characterized by which of the following? I. Emuls…
Q101 · GEO 2026 For satellite communication, why are microwave links at 10-12 GHz preferred?…
Q102 · GEO 2026 A rigid body is placed on a horizontal table. When slightly disturbed, its centr…
Q103 · GEO 2026 A sphere weighs 0·98 N on the Earth. It is brought on the Moon and is divided in…
Q104 · GEO 2026 The diameter of a sphere and the side of a cube are of equal length. Which one o…
Q105 · GEO 2026 A compass needle made of paramagnetic alloy is used at a location where the angl…
Q106 · GEO 2026 Consider the following magnetic materials at room temperature : 1. Gadolinium ox…
Q107 · GEO 2026 A mercury barometer is placed in an elevator accelerating upwards with a constan…
Q108 · GEO 2026 A block of wood floats in water with 3/4th of its volume submerged. The same blo…
Q109 · GEO 2026 Typically a Geiger-Müller tube is used to detect…
Q110 · GEO 2026 In which of the following cases, the centre of mass of a metallic rod is definit…
Q111 · GEO 2026 For the Newton's laws to hold true at the Earth's equator, if c is the value of …
Q112 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following materials is strongly paramagnetic due to the presenc…
Q113 · GEO 2026 In which one of the following regions of electromagnetic spectrum, LASER is most…
Q114 · GEO 2026 Which one among the following is the primary reason of microwave heating of wate…
Q115 · GEO 2026 If the electric conductivity of the Earth's outer core is slightly decreased, th…
Q116 · GEO 2026 Which of the following constants are necessarily included in defining the seven …
Q117 · GEO 2026 The temperature about which a hot solid object emits infrared radiation alone is…
Q118 · GEO 2026 A spacecraft is placed at a Lagrange point in our solar system where it is far a…
Q119 · GEO 2026 Which of the following fields could bring a deflection in an electron beam?…
Q120 · GEO 2026 Why is sunscreen lotion used while moving out during daytime in summer?…
Show evidence — Science & Technology in GEO 2025 (50 Qs)
Q1 · GEO 2025 An electromagnetic wave with its magnetic field B = 0.3cos(8y - 10^8 t) ĵ tesla …
Q2 · GEO 2025 A spherical conductor of radius a has a cavity of radius b at its centre such th…
Q3 · GEO 2025 For a given system of resistors having resistances R, 2R, R₀ and 2R (shown in th…
Q4 · GEO 2025 A cyclotron has an oscillator frequency of 12×10⁶ Hz and 'Dee' radius of 21 inch…
Q5 · GEO 2025 When white light propagating in air passes through a glass prism, it splits into…
Q6 · GEO 2025 Why do we prefer to have a liquid and not a gas to be used as the fluid in a hyd…
Q7 · GEO 2025 A threshold frequency for photoelectric emission in copper is 1.1×10¹⁵ Hz. When …
Q8 · GEO 2025 The masses of ⁴₂He, ³₁H and ¹₁H nuclides are respectively 4·002603 amu, 3·016056…
Q9 · GEO 2025 A 10 keV electron (mass = 9·1×10⁻³¹ kg and charge = 1·6×10⁻¹⁹ C) enters perpendi…
Q10 · GEO 2025 A transmitting antenna at the top of a tower has a height 32 m and the height of…
Q11 · GEO 2025 A man walks at a speed of 6 km/hr for 1 km and 8 km/hr for the next 1 km. What i…
Q12 · GEO 2025 A particle moves in a circle of radius 0·2 m. Its linear speed is given by v = 2…
Q13 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following is the sum of moments of inertia (about a tangent …
Q14 · GEO 2025 The focal length of a thin lens made up of glass of refractive index 1·5 (see th…
Q15 · GEO 2025 The saturation vapour pressure at 300 K is 3·6 kPa and the gas constant R is 8·3…
Q16 · GEO 2025 Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given bel…
Q17 · GEO 2025 The ratio of electrostatic potentials at a distance of 1 angstrom from the proto…
Q18 · GEO 2025 A glass bar (refractive index = 1·5) is immersed in a liquid having the same ref…
Q19 · GEO 2025 A sound wave consists of…
Q20 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following statements is not true?…
Q21 · GEO 2025 The radius of the first stationary orbit of hydrogen atom is…
Q22 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following is an example of olfactory indicator?…
Q23 · GEO 2025 Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given bel…
Q24 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following constituents of cement is responsible for initial …
Q25 · GEO 2025 Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given bel…
Q26 · GEO 2025 Water has its maximum density at which one of the following temperatures?…
Q27 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following properties of an element was considered by Mendeleev …
Q28 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following statements for the reaction between a metal and ni…
Q29 · GEO 2025 Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given bel…
Q30 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following reactions correctly represents the respiration reacti…
Q31 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following statements is not correct?…
Q32 · GEO 2025 Separation of the isotope of uranium requires a physical method rather than a ch…
Q33 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following compounds is produced in human stomach?…
Q34 · GEO 2025 The rate of evaporation of a liquid decreases with an increase in…
Q35 · GEO 2025 Consider the following elements : 1. Bromine 2. Phosphorus 3. Mercury 4. Radon H…
Q37 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following adaptive characteristics of the organism is correct?…
Q38 · GEO 2025 Xerophytic plants adapt to the hot arid regions by…
Q39 · GEO 2025 Which among the following stages of cell cycle is correctly matched in its chara…
Q40 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following sets of diseases is example of polygenic disorders?…
Q43 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following statements is correct?…
Q44 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following viruses is considered to be responsible for COVID-19?…
Q45 · GEO 2025 Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats are associated with…
Q86 · GEO 2025 The scientific name of Mango is Mangifera indica L. The word indica stands for w…
Q87 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following is the main driver in explaining the cohesion-tension…
Q88 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following combinations consists of essential components of biom…
Q89 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following categories does not have photosynthetic pigments?…
Q90 · GEO 2025 Which of the following organisms ingest dead organic matter and then digest inte…
Q93 · GEO 2025 In Germany, the date in the spring season when new leaves open on horse chestnut…
Q95 · GEO 2025 The International Botanical Congress held in 1892 proposed that the year 1753 be…
Q96 · GEO 2025 The cooperative aggregates of microorganisms can form colonies on various surfac…
Show evidence — Current Affairs & Static GK in GEO 2026 (9 Qs)
Q76 · GEO 2026 A23a refers to…
Q77 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements : I. Bahubali is the name of ISRO's Launch Veh…
Q78 · GEO 2026 The 22nd India-ASEAN Summit was held in October 2025 in…
Q79 · GEO 2026 Consider the following pairs : Leader : Country I. Sanae Takaichi : Japan II. Ca…
Q80 · GEO 2026 Consider the following countries : I. Ethiopia II. Nigeria III. Egypt IV. UAE Ho…
Q81 · GEO 2026 Philadelphi Corridor is located between…
Q82 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following countries is the newest member of NATO?…
Q83 · GEO 2026 India's installed solar capacity in 2025 is close to…
Q84 · GEO 2026 Dholera and Sanand in Gujarat are in news for setting up…
Show evidence — Current Affairs & Static GK in GEO 2025 (14 Qs)
Q60 · GEO 2025 The Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE) ha…
Q75 · GEO 2025 Which country is the Chair of G20 for the year 2025?…
Q106 · GEO 2025 Purvodaya initiative, under the Union Budget 2024-25, includes which of the foll…
Q108 · GEO 2025 Which/Who among the following has been selected for the Nobel Peace Prize, 2024?…
Q109 · GEO 2025 The 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) was held in…
Q110 · GEO 2025 The host country of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup, 2025 is…
Q111 · GEO 2025 The Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of N…
Q112 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following films was awarded the National Film Award, India in 2…
Q113 · GEO 2025 Naseem-Al-Bahr, held in October 2024, was a joint maritime exercise between the …
Q114 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following countries hosted the QUAD Leaders' Summit in 2024?…
Q115 · GEO 2025 In Vazhachal forest division, tribal community members are being engaged in the …
Q116 · GEO 2025 The National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) is proposed to be developed at whi…
Q119 · GEO 2025 Consider the following States : 1. Kerala 2. Karnataka 3. Chhattisgarh 4. Bihar …
Q120 · GEO 2025 Which of the following statements about the 'Kaveri Meets Ganga' Programme is/ar…
Show evidence — Geography in GEO 2026 (8 Qs)
Q16 · GEO 2026 With reference to tropical thorn forests in India, which of the following statem…
Q17 · GEO 2026 With reference to 'water vapour in the atmosphere', which of the following state…
Q18 · GEO 2026 With reference to 'conditions favourable for tropical cyclones', which of the fo…
Q19 · GEO 2026 The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many States of India?…
Q22 · GEO 2026 The International Date Line is made to zigzag to avoid which one of the followin…
Q26 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding terrestrial radiation : I. Insolatio…
Q27 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding South-West monsoons in India : I. Th…
Q30 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding salinity of oceans : I. The North Se…
Show evidence — Geography in GEO 2025 (13 Qs)
Q46 · GEO 2025 Consider the following statements : It is an extremely cold wind laden with dry …
Q47 · GEO 2025 The Tropic of Capricorn does not pass through…
Q48 · GEO 2025 Llamas are typically reared in the…
Q49 · GEO 2025 The cultivation of which one of the following crops was introduced in the Baba B…
Q50 · GEO 2025 Among the following, which one is the least in percentage by volume in the atmos…
Q51 · GEO 2025 In which among the following atmospheric layers, the temperature increases with …
Q53 · GEO 2025 Distance of about 147 million kilometres between the Sun and the Earth is found …
Q54 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following rivers is a tributary of river Hooghly?…
Q55 · GEO 2025 Consider the following characteristics of a type of soil as given by the Natural…
Q56 · GEO 2025 Exfoliation in rocks can occur due to forces induced by 1. carbonation 2. oxidat…
Q57 · GEO 2025 Which one of the following is related with the term 'Nephanalysis'?…
Q58 · GEO 2025 Among the following local winds, which one is known as 'Doctor's wind'?…
Q59 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following cities is not connected through the Trans-Canadian…
Show evidence — Economy in GEO 2026 (9 Qs)
Q32 · GEO 2026 Which of the following is/are considered to be part/parts of broad money measure…
Q33 · GEO 2026 A bank generated savings credit of ₹1,600 crore in the first round from a saving…
Q34 · GEO 2026 In the context of economy, the term 'capital goods' refers to…
Q35 · GEO 2026 With reference to distribution of employment in India for the year 2024-2025, co…
Q36 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements about the SANKALP Scheme : I. It is a programm…
Q37 · GEO 2026 According to the World Bank Poverty and Equity Brief (October 2025), 46% of Indi…
Q38 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-Natio…
Q39 · GEO 2026 With reference to the Human Development Report (2023-2024), consider the followi…
Q40 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements about the Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE…
Show evidence — Economy in GEO 2025 (2 Qs)
Q85 · GEO 2025 Consider the following statements about the development plans in India : 1. The …
Q118 · GEO 2025 With regard to the findings of the Second All India Rural Financial Inclusion Su…
Show evidence — Geology & Earth Sciences in GEO 2026 (5 Qs)
Q20 · GEO 2026 The Earth in its initial phases of formation was a hot object with a thin layer …
Q21 · GEO 2026 Which one of the following refers to 'the Big Splat'?…
Q23 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding earthquake : I. Tectonic earthquakes…
Q24 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements regarding metamorphic rocks : I. They undergo …
Q25 · GEO 2026 Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Weathering results in mechanic…
Show evidence — Geology & Earth Sciences in GEO 2025 (1 Qs)
Q52 · GEO 2025 Which one among the following tectonic plates is not located in the Pacific Ocea…

Concept-level changes

Cross-exam connections

Recurring concepts here that also travel across other UPSC exams — the same idea, reframed. Click any for its full timeline.
Supreme Court of India
CSE 1979 → CDS 2016 → CISF 2021 → NDA 2022 → CAPF 2023 → EPFO 2023 → CBI 2023 → GEO 2025
Election Commission of India
CSE 1980 → CDS 2015 → CAPF 2019 → GEO 2021 → CISF 2022 → LDCE 2024 → EPFO 2025 → NDA 2026
Kerala
CSE 1979 → CDS 2015 → EPFO 2016 → CAPF 2021 → CBI 2023 → GEO 2025
Ramsar Convention
CSE 2014 → CAPF 2016 → EPFO 2020 → CDS 2024 → NDA 2024 → GEO 2025
Salt Satyagraha
CDS 2017 → NDA 2020 → CAPF 2020 → EPFO 2020 → GEO 2021
Weathering
CSE 1979 → CDS 2014 → CAPF 2015 → NDA 2021 → GEO 2025

Preparation takeaways

  • If this style shift persists, prioritise multi-statement reasoning practice over single-fact recall — but confirm against a third year before treating it as a trend.
  • Economy carried more weight this year (2→9); ensure it is not under-prepared. A single year is a noisy signal, so weigh it against earlier papers.
  • Science & Technology was lighter this year (50→45); do not drop it — single-year dips frequently reverse.
Methodology & caveats
All figures are computed from CrispUPSC's verified PYQ corpus — no opinions, no predictions, no AI-written analysis. A single paper per year is a small, noisy sample, so a two-year difference is a change, not a trend; a subject is flagged as moved only when it shifts ≥3 questions and ≥3 percentage points. Concept tagging is provisional, so concept lists are directional. "Not tested this year" never means a concept was dropped. This page explains how UPSC has changed; it does not predict future papers.
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