Topic Allotropy
Asked 10 times across 3 UPSC exams over 10 years (2016–2026), peaking in 2016.
Key insights
- Most tested in NDA — 6 of 10 PYQs
- Most asked in 2016
- Recurs across 7 years (2016–2026)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CDS 2016 → CAPF 2016 → NDA 2020
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (10 of 10) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
NDA2026
Which one of the following forms of carbon is thermodynamically most stable?
- A Coal
- B Graphite ✓
- C Diamond
- D Fullerene
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
NDA2024
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists
| List I (Allotrope of Carbon) | List II (Property) |
|---|
| A. Graphite | 1. Thinnest and strongest material |
| B. Diamond | 2. Hardest natural substance |
| C. Fullerene | 3. Very light and strong material |
| D. Graphene | 4. Soft and slippery material |
Codes:
- A A-4 B-2 C-3 D-1 ✓
- B A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
- C A-1 B-3 C-2 D-4
- D A-1 B-2 C-3 D-4
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
NDA2023
Buckminster fullerene, which looks like a football, is an allotropic form of
- A Phosphorus
- B Sulfur
- C Carbon ✓
- D Tin
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
Study how UPSC repeats — not just the papers
₹199 / 1 year · Founding Member
Full access unlocks the three things no PYQ PDF gives you:
① Cross-exam learning — see the same idea recur across CSE, CAPF, CDS and NDA.
② Topic evolution — how each idea is framed, year by year.
③ Question intelligence — every PYQ + answer, linked to related concepts and similar questions.
e.g. Round Table Conference: CDS 2017 → CSE 2017 → … → CAPF 2024
15 days free, no card required — then ₹199 for 1 year.
Start your 15-day free trial →