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Topic Soil classification
Asked 7 times across 3 UPSC exams over 6 years (2019–2025), peaking in 2020.
Key insights
- Most tested in CDS — 5 of 7 PYQs
- Most asked in 2020
- Recurs across 6 years (2019–2025)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CDS 2019 → NDA 2023 → GEO 2025
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (7 of 7) are since 2016.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
GEO2025
Consider the following characteristics of a type of soil as given by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- It develops in poorly drained areas
- It is largely composed of slowly decomposing plant material
- It is common in Tundra areas. On the basis of the above characteristics, identify the type of soil
- A Entisols
- B Inceptisols
- C Histosols ✓
- D Andisols
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Physical Geography of India
NDA2023
Which one of the following is an organic soil ?
- A Aridisols
- B Histosols ✓
- C Oxisols
- D Vertisols
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Geography › Physical Geography of India
CDS2022
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists
| List I (Soil Type) | List II (Salient Characteristic) |
|---|
| A. Entisols | 1. Soils having weakly or quickly developed horizons |
| B. Inceptisols | 2. Weakly developed soils with no horizons |
| C. Histosols | 3. These soils are very old and highly weathered |
| D. Oxisols | 4. These soils have very high quantity of organic matter in the upper layers |
Codes:
- A A-2 B-1 C-4 D-3 ✓
- B A-2 B-4 C-1 D-3
- C A-3 B-4 C-1 D-2
- D A-3 B-1 C-4 D-2
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Geography › Physical Geography of India
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