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Essay · Full-Length Test · Mains 2026 / 2027
UPSC Essay Full-Length Mock Test — Practice Topics (Sets A & B)
Two full-length Essay papers on the UPSC Mains pattern — philosophical prompts in Section A and issue-based Indian themes in Section B. Pick one topic from each section and write two 1000–1200-word essays under the real three-hour clock. All topics are free to read below; download either set as a printable booklet.
Eight topics in two sections · write TWO essays, one from each section · ~1000–1200 words each · 125 × 2 = 250 marks · 3 hours
Printable question-cum-answer booklets with ruled answer space · free · no login
What's inside (16 topics across two sets)
Original UnlockIAS Sherlocking Simulator papers on the UPSC Mains pattern — not official past papers.
Set A · Simulator Set 1 (spaced single paper) · 8 topics
Section A
- Q1.What we choose not to do also builds the self. (125 marks)
- Q2.A promise is easy to make and hard to be worthy of. (125 marks)
- Q3.Envy measures our lives by a ruler that is not our own. (125 marks)
- Q4.Time spends us as surely as we spend it. (125 marks)
Section B
- Q5.India counts its cities by their skylines, but they are built by those who cannot afford to live in them. (125 marks)
- Q6.A degree opens the gate, but the classroom decides who ever reaches it. (125 marks)
- Q7.India writes new laws faster than it can deliver old verdicts. (125 marks)
- Q8.In the village the smartphone arrives long before the skill to read it. (125 marks)
Set B · Simulator Set 2 (real Mains shape) · 8 topics
Section A
- Q1.To question well is harder than to answer quickly. (125 marks)
- Q2.What is built in a hurry seldom stands for long. (125 marks)
- Q3.The smallest kindness outlives the largest monument. (125 marks)
- Q4.We forgive others as a favour to ourselves. (125 marks)
Section B
- Q5.India adds gigawatts to its grid faster than it clears the haze from its skies. (125 marks)
- Q6.India's granaries overflow even as its children grow up too short for their age. (125 marks)
- Q7.When the harvest depends on the sky, no farmer is truly free. (125 marks)
- Q8.A woman's work is counted last and paid least, though the household stands on it. (125 marks)
Neil Siron Telegram
Following a Sherlocking Mains plan? Neil Sir posts answer-writing breakdowns and topper-script lessons on @UPSCneil Telegram to go with it.
Join @UPSCneil to see moreGet the model answers & evaluation for this paper
Write the paper, then get the deployable model answers and AWE engine evaluation — with weak-subject diagnostics and a 1-to-1 call with Neil Sir — in the Sherlocking Test Series Module (₹7,009), also part of the Sherlocking Mains Comprehensive Module.
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A full-length test proves stamina; daily answer writing builds it. Practise Essay topics one question a day, free:
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FAQ
How do I download the Essay full-length mock test?
Click "Download Set A" or "Download Set B" at the top of the page. Each is a printable question-cum-answer booklet with a UPSC-style cover, instructions and ruled answer space — print it and write the paper under the real three-hour clock. No sign-up or login is required.
Are these Essay mock test papers free?
Yes — both sets are free to read and download. Only the model answers, AWE engine evaluation, weak-subject diagnostics and the 1-to-1 call with Neil Sir are part of the paid Sherlocking Test Series Module.
How is the Essay paper structured?
Like the real UPSC Essay paper: eight topics in two sections — philosophical prompts in Section A, issue-based themes in Section B. You write two essays, one from each section, of about 1000–1200 words each; each carries 125 marks (250 in all) in three hours.
Do I get model answers for this paper?
The question papers are free. The deployable model answers — written to the UPSC word limits — plus AWE engine evaluation and weak-subject diagnostics for every test are part of the Sherlocking Test Series Module, also included in the Sherlocking Mains Comprehensive Module.
Are these official UPSC previous-year questions?
No. These are original UnlockIAS papers from the Sherlocking Simulator, set on the UPSC Mains pattern and current themes — not official UPSC past papers.
Question papers from the UnlockIAS Sherlocking Simulator (Sherlocking Test Series Module) — original full-length papers set on the UPSC Mains pattern, not official UPSC past papers. Last updated: July 2026.