UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT Paper — 70 Questions with Answers

CSAT Paper II of the 2026 Preliminary examination, held on 24 May 2026. 80 questions · 200 marks · qualifying at 33%. The questions broke down as Basic Numeracy 26, Comprehension 19, Mental Ability 10, Logical Reasoning 9, Interpersonal & Communication Skills 6.

  1. Q1 Question : X receives three coins of different denominations : 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20. If the total amount received by X is m, does X receive a coin of denomination 5? Statement I : m is not a prime number. Statement II : The sum of the digits of m is greater…
    Comprehension· medium
  2. Q2 Question : For two distinct real numbers x and y, which of them is bigger? Statement I : x² < y < 1 Statement II : y < √x < 1
    Comprehension· medium
  3. Q3 Question : If x and y are integers, then is x even? Statement I : x²y² is even. Statement II : 1 + x² + y² is odd.
    Comprehension· medium
  4. Q4 Question : X is a collection of certain odd numbers whereas Y is a collection of certain even numbers. T consists of the numbers all of which are either from X or from Y. Is every number of T from Y? Statement I : The sum of any two numbers belonging to T is…
    Comprehension· medium
  5. Q5 Question : If x, y and z are integers, each greater than 1, then is x a prime number? Statement I : xy² = 116 Statement II : xz = 261
    Comprehension· medium
  6. Q8 The weight of X, in kg, is denoted by X. The weights of A, B, C, D, P, Q, R and S are measured. Given : A + B + C + D = 17 A + C = 6 P + Q + S + D = 15 P + Q + R + B = 17 P = R and Q = S Which one of the following statements is correct?
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  7. Q9 How many words can one form by shuffling the letters of the word QUEUE, if Q is always followed by U? The words thus formed need not necessarily have any meaning.
    Mental Ability· medium
  8. Q10 X, Y and Z jump forward 4', 6' and 5', respectively. At 8 AM, they all land on mark 199'. How many times will they all land on the same mark (need not be at the same moment) between mark 195' and 1000', if all of them cross mark 1000' by 9 AM?
    Basic Numeracy· hard
  9. Q11 Which of the following conclusions are valid? 1. Sport is more than just games; it is a way of life. 2. Sport can help mitigate the problems of seclusion among the young. 3. Earning laurels in sport can help one secure a job on the basis of an assigned quota…
    Comprehension· medium
  10. Q12 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Parents are not encouraging enough when it comes to children playing sport. 2. Participation in sporting activities can help develop life skills. 3. Sport as a way of life can help evolve the very nature of…
    Comprehension· medium
  11. Q13 A toy T jumps forward or backward. In each forward jump, it moves 5' forward whereas in each backward jump, it moves 2' backward. If in 31 jumps, T moves exactly 15' forward, then what is the difference of the number of forward and backward jumps?
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  12. Q14 Eight persons P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W sit around a round table in eight different seats placed with equal distance between any two consecutive seats. Both P and R are adjacent to Q. Both T and R are adjacent to S. Both U and W are adjacent to V. S and W are…
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  13. Q15 The top of a table is rectangular and its dimensions are 6' × 10'. Two rectangular portions of the table top are painted in blue colour; both these portions have dimensions 2·5' × 8' and each of them has exactly two sides common with two edges of the table…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  14. Q16 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Real value should not change in the instance of static output cost and unchanged quantities against falling oil prices. 2. Deflators are to be used separately for inputs and outputs, and this is a practice…
    Comprehension· hard
  15. Q17 Which of the following assumptions is/are valid? 1. Deflation strategies can be used to make manufacturers appear to be doing better than they actually are. 2. When input and output prices are both deflated against a single input price, it is referred to as…
    Comprehension· medium
  16. Q18 A pattern formed by two characters a and b is repeated more than once in the following string : x b x a x a x x a x a x bab What is x x in the 7th and 8th positions from the left in the above string?
    Mental Ability· medium
  17. Q19 If 10^m × 1000 × n = 75^25 × 25^32 × 32^75, where n is not divisible by 10, then the value of m is
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  18. Q20 The speed of a train T is 100 km per hour and the speed of a person P is 4 km per hour. T crosses P in 15 seconds, if P travels along the direction of motion of T. If P travels along the opposite direction of T, then in how much time does T cross P, in…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  19. Q21 For 1/3 < x < y < 2, which of the following statements is/are always correct? I. x + 1/x < y + 1/y II. √(1 + y²)/y < √(1 + x²)/x Select the answer using the code given below.
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  20. Q22 What is the minimum number of times one needs to measure to get 298 litres of water from a tank, if the measuring cylinders have capacities 1 litre, 6 litres, 25 litres and 100 litres?
    Mental Ability· medium
  21. Q23 There are four types of weights, namely 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg. What is the maximum number of different ways one can measure 20 kg, if at least eight but not more than eleven weights of 1 kg are to be used while measuring?
    Mental Ability· medium
  22. Q24 A cut on a solid object divides the object into two parts where the new surfaces thus produced are plane. On the other hand, one single cut can be used to cut more than one object at a time. In an experiment, the total number of pieces produced by applying n…
    Mental Ability· hard
  23. Q25 The class average x in a test increases by 4 when the score of a student is rectified, whose corrected score is 100 instead of 0. Later, the score of another student was found to have been recorded as 81 in place of 56. If there are no other corrections and…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  24. Q29 Three variables x, y and z take values 2, 3, 4 or 5 such that their values are always distinct. If M and N denote the largest possible value and the smallest possible value, respectively, for the expression {(x × y) + z}; then M - N is
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  25. Q30 Suppose x, y and z are variables taking positive real numbers as their possible values. It is given that y is directly proportional to x^2 and x is inversely proportional to z. For z = 7/25, the values of x and y are 5 and 50, respectively. If y = 98, what is…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  26. Q31 Which of the following assumptions is/are valid? 1. Agricultural productivity has marched ahead in the West because of the economies of scale facilitated by the adoption of AI tools. 2. Affordable AI tools rendered available in local languages can help…
    Comprehension· medium
  27. Q33 P, Q, R, S and T are ranked 1 to 5 (not necessarily in that order). The rank of P is 4, the rank of Q is not 5, the rank of R is 1, the rank of S is not 2, the rank of T is not 3. Then which of the following is/are correct? I. If the rank of S is 3, then that…
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  28. Q34 Two identical straight rods are painted in five distinct colours so that each of them gets divided into five equal parts along the length. In one of them, the portions are marked P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 (not necessarily in that order) whereas in the other, they…
    Mental Ability· hard
  29. Q35 Seven persons A, B, C, D, E, F and G travel by three cars X, Y, Z. A and another two of them travel by X. Only E travels with G. C travels by Z, but B does not travel by Y. Besides, A and B do not travel by the same car. Then which of the following are…
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  30. Q36 There are four statements X, Y, Z and W. Their relations are as follows : If X is incorrect, then so is Z; if Y is incorrect, then W is correct; if W is correct, then X is incorrect. Which of the following is/are correct? I. If X is correct, then so is Y. II…
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  31. Q37 X and Y are two runners who run for the same duration of time on the same circular track. They started running at the same time in the same direction with uniform speeds. When X completed 7 rounds, Y did exactly 5. After completing 5 rounds, Y changed his…
    Basic Numeracy· hard
  32. Q38 In an objective type question paper, 5 marks are awarded for a correct answer and 2 marks are deducted for a wrong answer. A student attempted all the questions and got a score of 69. Had he been awarded 4 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark deducted for a…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  33. Q39 Which of the following conclusions is/are valid? 1. Only a serious offence as categorised by the revised JJ Act, justifies the transfer of a case to the adult judicial system. 2. The JJ Act, 2021, categorises an offence as a serious offence based on the…
    Comprehension· medium
  34. Q40 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. If an offence has no minimum prescribed punishment, it cannot be considered heinous as per the JJ Act, 2015. 2. As per the JJ Act, 2021, an offence for which there is a provision for a maximum sentence of…
    Comprehension· hard
  35. Q41 An explosion takes place at a certain distance from an army camp. As soon as the sensor in the camp receives the sound of the explosion, a drone starts flying towards the spot of explosion. The drone clicks a picture from the spot and the camp receives it at…
    Basic Numeracy· hard
  36. Q42 The digit in the unit place of the number 6^129 × 7^307 is
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  37. Q43 A person saves 10% of his salary every month. If his salary increases by 12% and the expenditure increases by 10%, then what will be the change in his saving per month?
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  38. Q44 P has a son and a daughter. S is the mother of T. S is R's spouse. Q and R are children of P. Then how is Q related to S?
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  39. Q45 How many three-digit numbers can be expressed as an integral power of 2?
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  40. Q46 Which of the following inferences is/are correct? 1. The source of the energy we consume is the key to the battle for cleaner air. 2. Bans are effective where the will is strong and the people are convinced that such bans are for the greater good of society…
    Comprehension· medium
  41. Q47 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Thermal power stations in Delhi were required to summarily shut down. 2. CNG supplies had to be assured once diesel vehicles were prohibited from plying. 3. The Supreme Court banned the use of coal across…
    Comprehension· medium
  42. Q48 Consider the following statements : Every red is blue. Every blue is green. Every green is yellow. Which of the following statements denoted by P, Q and R are correct? P. Every blue is yellow. Q. Every red is green. R. Every red is yellow. Select the answer…
    Logical Reasoning· easy
  43. Q49 How many times does 5 appear in all two-digit positive integers?
    Mental Ability· easy
  44. Q50 X travels 6 km on a bicycle with average speeds of 5 km per hour, 10 km per hour and 4 km per hour during the first 1 km, the next 2 km and the remaining 3 km, respectively. Y travels the same distances with average speeds of 4 km per hour, 10 km per hour and…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  45. Q51 Seven cubes are identical in shape. Out of these, the weight of each of the six cubes is equal and the weight of the remaining cube is less than the weight of any other cube. A balance is used to identify the lightest cube. What is the minimum number of…
    Mental Ability· medium
  46. Q52 Which one among the following statements most appropriately reflects the point of view of the given passage?
    Comprehension· medium
  47. Q53 Which of the following conclusions, made on the basis of the given passage, is/are correct? 1. The advent of new customer-service technology had invariably sparked fears about job losses. 2. Often it is found that instead of job losses, alternative channels…
    Comprehension· medium
  48. Q54 Which of the following conclusions is/are correct? 1. All landlords essentially have some goodness trapped within them. 2. The common grazing grounds of a village are intended for use by the cattle of that village. 3. Landlords who believe in tradition tend…
    Comprehension· medium
  49. Q55 Which of the following statements are not correct? 1. The landholdings of Rai Sahib were currently not being used for farming. 2. Temperamentally, Rai Sahib was as greedy as other landlords. 3. It cannot be ascertained that Rai Sahib could have made some…
    Comprehension· medium
  50. Q56 A person facing the East travels 4 km straight and then turns right and travels 3 km, then further turns left and travels 2 km and finally turns left and travels 3 km. The minimum distance between the final point and the initial point, and the direction in…
    Logical Reasoning· medium
  51. Q57 In a sequence of numbers, each number other than the first two is the sum of the two immediately preceding numbers from it. If the first two numbers in the sequence are 4 and 7, then the sixth number is
    Mental Ability· easy
  52. Q58 The ratio of male to female workers in two companies A and B is 13 : 10 and 7 : 5, respectively. If both the companies have the same number of female workers, then what is the ratio of the total number of workers in A to those in B?
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  53. Q59 If the product of the HCF and LCM of two distinct numbers is the cube of one of the numbers, then which of the following statements is/are correct? I. The difference of the numbers is an even number. II. One of the numbers is a perfect square. Select the…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  54. Q60 If x and y are two digits and the number 4x5y790 is divisible by 11, then what is the remainder, if x + y is divided by 11?
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  55. Q63 Which of the following conclusions are correct? 1. In the breakaway phase, economic progress is slow for the technology followers. 2. In the catch-up phase, leaders stagnate and followers, therefore, close the gap between them and the leaders. 3. In the…
    Comprehension· hard
  56. Q65 An alloy P contains 20% copper and 80% zinc by weight. Another alloy Q contains 60% copper and 40% zinc by weight. A third alloy R is to be prepared from P and Q so that it contains equal amount of copper and zinc. In what ratio, amounts of P and Q be mixed…
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  57. Q66 A is a 2-digit number with different digits. B is also a 2-digit number and is obtained by reversing the digits of A. If A − B is a multiple of 27, where A > B, how many such different A's are possible?
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  58. Q67 If ZERO is encoded as ADSN, then how do you encode STOP?
    Logical Reasoning· easy
  59. Q68 There are three types of rectangular tiles : 3' x 3', 3' x 7' and 3' x 11'. An area of rectangular shape of dimensions 3' x 100' is to be covered using these tiles without breaking them. If x and y are the maximum and minimum numbers of tiles of various…
    Mental Ability· medium
  60. Q70 In a recruitment process, the selection of candidates is based on their performance in three components. The weightages of the components 1, 2 and 3 are 0·2, 0·3 and 0·5, respectively. Use the data given below and find the cutoff score if exactly three…
    Basic Numeracy· easy
  61. Q71 Consider the following three statements, namely S1, S2 and S3 : S1. Protecting the environment is an existential exigency for humans, given the impact of environmental degradation on climate change. S2. Scientific consensus has not been achieved with regard…
    Logical Reasoning· hard
  62. Q72 Match List-I with List-II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Relationship category) A. Between cricket captain and team members B. Between judge and lawyers in court C. Between Vice Chancellor and Deputy Registrar D. Between…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  63. Q73 Match List-I with List-II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Tool of communication) A. Memorandum B. Flyer C. Bcc D. Minutes List-II (Purpose) 1. To record decisions 2. To inform confidentially 3. To intimate a directive 4…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  64. Q74 Which among the following actions would constitute the most appropriate directive(s) in resolving interpersonal conflict in an office with culturally diverse personnel? 1. Direct personnel to practise activities that are the cultural markers of diverse groups…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  65. Q75 Match List-I with List-II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Barrier to communication) A. Semantic B. Cognitive C. Organisational D. Affective List-II (Example) 1. Lack of feedback 2. Misunderstanding the meaning of a word 3…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  66. Q76 You are required to design a 'questionnaire' to be filled on-location by visitors, based on the following objective while writing a report : "To determine the feasibility of setting up a family-oriented vacation resort in the vicinity of a lake destination in…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  67. Q77 With reference to 'circular letters', which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Circular letters are usually addressed to a group of people. 2. Non-standard and customized content is typical of circular letters. 3. Circular letters are used to…
    Interpersonal & Communication Skills· medium
  68. Q78 Three partners A, B and C entered into a business. A invested one-third of the capital for one-third duration. B invested one-fourth of the capital for one-fourth duration. C invested the remaining capital for the whole duration. Out of a profit of ₹ 17,000…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  69. Q79 There are two chemicals which do not react with each other. A container contains 10 litres of the chemical A. One litre of this chemical is removed from it and one litre of the chemical B is poured. Then one litre of the mixture is removed from the container…
    Basic Numeracy· medium
  70. Q80 A shopkeeper employs a delivery boy and gives him a motorcycle for home delivery. For every delivery, the boy is given ₹ 5. At the end of the day, he also gets ₹ 2 for every kilometre of the distance covered in the day. The boy wants to earn more than ₹ 500 a…
    Basic Numeracy· easy

Question paper and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanations: UPSC Answer Check. Practise this paper with a timer →