Home / Topic / Resistance
Topic Resistance
Asked 6 times across 2 UPSC exams over 8 years (2015–2023), peaking in 2017.
Key insights
- Most tested in CDS — 5 of 6 PYQs
- Most asked in 2017
- Recurs across 5 years (2015–2023)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CDS 2015 → NDA 2020
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (5 of 6) 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.
CDS2023
Three resistors of resistances 11 Ω, 22 Ω and 33 Ω are connected in parallel. Their equivalent resistance is equal to
- A 66 Ω
- B 22 Ω
- C 12 Ω
- D 6 Ω ✓
✓ Correct answer: (D)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
CDS2021
An electric circuit is consisting of a cell, an ammeter and a nichrome wire of length l. If the length of the wire is reduced to half (l/2), then the ammeter reading
- A decreases to one-half.
- B gets doubled. ✓
- C decreases to one-third.
- D remains unchanged.
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
NDA2020
A metallic wire having resistance of 20 Ω is cut into two equal parts in length. These parts are then connected in parallel. The resistance of this parallel combination is equal to
- A 20 Ω
- B 10 Ω
- C 5 Ω ✓
- D 15 Ω
✓ 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 →