UPSC Prelims Mock Test 4: GS Paper 1 Practice Test with Answers

This is UPSC Prelims Mock Test 4, a GS Paper 1 practice test with 20 mixed questions from Polity, Economy, Modern History, Geography, Environment and Science and Technology, along with answers and explanations. Take it in one sitting with a timer, and check the answer key only after you finish.

Why a Full-Length Mock Test Matters

A full mock test is the closest thing to the real exam. It shows you how you handle time and pressure, and where your knowledge is weak. Taking tests at regular intervals, and analysing them well, is the single habit that is most linked with success in the Prelims. Use this test as a checkpoint in your preparation.

Instructions

• Total questions: 20. Suggested time: 24 minutes.
• Each correct answer gives 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks, as in the real Prelims.
• Attempt the questions first and check the answer key only after you finish.

Practice Questions

Q1. Who is the constitutional head of a state in India?
(a) Chief Minister
(b) Governor
(c) Speaker
(d) Chief Justice of the High Court

Q2. The Fundamental Duties were added to the Constitution by the:
(a) 42nd Amendment
(b) 44th Amendment
(c) 73rd Amendment
(d) 86th Amendment

Q3. The Panchayati Raj institutions got constitutional status through the:
(a) 72nd Amendment
(b) 73rd Amendment
(c) 74th Amendment
(d) 75th Amendment

Q4. Which body recommends the distribution of tax revenue between the Centre and the states?
(a) NITI Aayog
(b) Finance Commission
(c) GST Council
(d) Planning Commission

Q5. The Reserve Bank of India was established in:
(a) 1925
(b) 1935
(c) 1947
(d) 1969

Q6. Which of the following is an example of a 'merit good'?
(a) Education
(b) Luxury cars
(c) Alcohol
(d) Cigarettes

Q7. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is announced by the government on the recommendation of:
(a) NABARD
(b) Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
(c) SEBI
(d) FCI

Q8. The Poona Pact (1932) was between:
(a) Gandhi and Ambedkar
(b) Gandhi and Jinnah
(c) Nehru and Patel
(d) Tilak and Gokhale

Q9. Who gave the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it'?
(a) Gandhi
(b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(c) Subhas Chandra Bose
(d) Gokhale

Q10. The Cabinet Mission arrived in India in:
(a) 1942
(b) 1944
(c) 1946
(d) 1947

Q11. The Himalayan range lying between the Greater Himalaya and the Shiwaliks is:
(a) Trans-Himalaya
(b) Lesser Himalaya (Himachal)
(c) Purvanchal
(d) Karakoram

Q12. Which of the following is a Kharif crop?
(a) Wheat
(b) Rice
(c) Mustard
(d) Gram

Q13. The 'Green Revolution' in India was mainly associated with:
(a) Rice and wheat
(b) Pulses
(c) Milk
(d) Fish

Q14. Which of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Rice
(b) Cotton
(c) Wheat
(d) Maize

Q15. The term 'Carbon footprint' refers to:
(a) The area of forests
(b) The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual or an activity
(c) The amount of coal reserves
(d) The thickness of ozone layer

Q16. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas?
(a) Oxygen
(b) Nitrogen
(c) Methane
(d) Argon

Q17. The headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is at:
(a) Geneva
(b) Nairobi
(c) New York
(d) Rome

Q18. The 'Aditya-L1' mission of ISRO is meant to study:
(a) The Moon
(b) The Sun
(c) Mars
(d) Venus

Q19. Which of the following is used as a moderator in a nuclear reactor?
(a) Heavy water
(b) Cadmium rod
(c) Uranium
(d) Plutonium

Q20. The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately:
(a) 3 x 10^6 m/s
(b) 3 x 10^8 m/s
(c) 3 x 10^10 m/s
(d) 3 x 10^5 m/s

Answer Key with Explanations

1. Q1: (b) The Governor is the constitutional head of a state, appointed by the President.
2. Q2: (a) The 42nd Amendment (1976), on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, added the Fundamental Duties in Part IV-A (Article 51A).
3. Q3: (b) The 73rd Amendment (1992) added Part IX to the Constitution on the Panchayats, and the 74th Amendment added Part IX-A on the municipalities.
4. Q4: (b) The Finance Commission is a constitutional body (Article 280), set up every five years to recommend the sharing of taxes.
5. Q5: (b) The RBI was established on 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934, and was nationalised in 1949.
6. Q6: (a) Merit goods, like education and health, are goods that the government wants people to consume more of, because of their benefit to society.
7. Q7: (b) The CACP recommends the MSP for 22 crops, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves it.
8. Q8: (a) The Poona Pact was an agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar that replaced the separate electorates for the Depressed Classes with reserved seats.
9. Q9: (b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave this slogan during the Home Rule movement.
10. Q10: (c) The Cabinet Mission came to India in 1946, to discuss the transfer of power and the framework of the Constitution.
11. Q11: (b) The Lesser Himalaya (Himachal) lies between the Himadri and the Shiwaliks, and has hill stations like Shimla and Mussoorie.
12. Q12: (b) Rice is a Kharif crop, sown in June to July and harvested in September to October. Wheat, mustard and gram are Rabi crops.
13. Q13: (a) The Green Revolution of the 1960s, led by M.S. Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug, increased the production of wheat and rice with high-yielding varieties.
14. Q14: (c) Wheat is a rabi (winter) crop, sown in October to December and harvested in March to April. Rice, cotton and maize are kharif crops.
15. Q15: (b) A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, expressed as CO2 equivalent, caused directly and indirectly by a person, product or event.
16. Q16: (c) Methane, along with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and water vapour, is a greenhouse gas.
17. Q17: (b) UNEP is headquartered at Nairobi, Kenya.
18. Q18: (b) Aditya-L1 is India's first solar observatory mission, placed near the Lagrange point L1 to study the Sun.
19. Q19: (a) Heavy water (and graphite) is used as a moderator to slow down the neutrons. Cadmium rods are used as control rods.
20. Q20: (b) The speed of light in a vacuum is about 3 x 10^8 metres per second, or 3 lakh km per second.

Subject-wise Coverage of This Test

Quick Fact Sheet

• The marking in the real Prelims is +2 for a correct answer and -0.66 for a wrong one in GS Paper 1.
• The best order of attempt is: sure questions, then two-option eliminations, then the rest.
• Do not change an answer in the last minutes unless you find a clear mistake.
• Check the OMR sheet carefully before the time is over.
• Keep a record of the tests in a sheet: score, accuracy, attempts and weak areas.
• Revise the explanations of all questions that you got wrong within 24 hours.

How to Use This Mock Test

Use the test as a diagnostic tool. After the test, make a list of the subjects with the most errors and revise those first. Retake the wrong questions after a week, to see if you have learnt from them. In the final month, give a test every second day, and use the other days for the revision of short notes and current affairs. You can also read our free UPSC notes for simple revision, and use our other practice papers on the site for mixed practice.

Tricks for Attempting a Mock Test

• Use a timer. The time pressure is part of the exam skill.
• Use the two-round method. It keeps you from spending too much on one question.
• Learn from the right answers too. Check if you were sure or lucky.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Taking a test and not analysing it.
• Leaving the revision of the wrong questions to the last days.
• Guessing without any logic.
• Giving up the habit of tests after a low score.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How should I attempt this mock test?

Take it in one sitting in 24 minutes, mark your answers on paper, and check the key after you finish.

What is a good score in this test?

A score of 28 or more out of 40 with good accuracy is a good level. Compare it with your own earlier tests.

How many questions should I attempt?

Attempt a doubtful question only if you can remove two options, and do not leave the sure questions.

How do I analyse the test?

Sort your mistakes into concept gaps, memory gaps and silly mistakes, and revise accordingly.

How often should I take a mock test?

Once a week in the early phase and two or three times a week in the last month.

Is the test in the UPSC style?

It follows the GS Paper 1 style, with a mix of subjects and the same marking scheme.

Where can I find more tests?

Our site has more practice papers on polity, economy, history, geography and environment.