UPSC Optional · 500 marks

Geology

Mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, economic geology, geomorphology.

Five deep-dives: syllabus, booklist, paper analysis, strategy, PYQ trends (2021–2025).

What UPSC actually asked in Geology, 2021–2026

96 questions across 6 years, taken from the official papers. Every one has its own page with the directive word, marks, word limit and evaluation rubric.

Paper 1
48 questions · 2400 marks total
Paper 2
48 questions · 2400 marks total

Topics that came up

Crystallography, mineralogy, petrology and sedimentary rocks · Banded iron formations, late magmatic and porphyry copper ore deposits · Biozonation, index fossils, Blaini Formation, saline water intrusion, engineering geology · Coastal geomorphology, remote sensing and GIS, thrust geometries · Continental drift, geomorphic diversity, rejuvenation · Continental drift, plate tectonics, aerial photography, linear structures · Convergent plate boundaries, GIS data types, drainage patterns, drag folds, unconformities · Cosmochemistry, mineral chemistry and petroleum geology

Directive words used most

discuss (38) · describe (28) · explain (13) · elucidate (5) · calculate (3) — see the directive words guide for how each one changes the answer you should write.

Mark distribution

96 questions at 50 marks

Browse all 96 Geology previous year questions →

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