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All 80 questions from the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026, CSAT Paper 2 (Set D), conducted on 24 May 2026 — each with the UnlockIAS expert answer and a worked solution. Click any question to open its dedicated page with the full solution and source reference.
How the 80 CSAT Paper 2 questions are distributed across the paper's areas.
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.
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?
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?
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 p…
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 o…
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
Suppose x, y and z are variables taking positive real numbers as their possible values. It is given that y is directly proportional to x² and x is inversely proportional to z. For z = 7/25, the values of x and y are 5 and 50, respectivel…
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 rou…
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…
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 th…
The digit in the unit place of the number 6^129 × 7^307 is
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?
How many three-digit numbers can be expressed as an integral power of 2?
How many times does 5 appear in all two-digit positive integers?
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 ho…
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 m…
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
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?
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 s…
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?
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…
A is a 2-digit number with different digits. B is also a 2-digit number, which 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?
There are three types of rectangular tiles : 3' × 3', 3' × 7' and 3' × 11'. An area of rectangular shape of dimensions 3' × 100' is to be covered using these tiles without breaking them. If x and y are the maximum and minimum numbers of…
A train has to complete a journey of 800 km. If it meets a minor accident, its speed becomes half of the existing speed. If there is a mechanical defect, the speed becomes one-fourth of the existing speed. On its way, the train meets wit…
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 i…
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…
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 remov…
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 ea…
Directions: The question is followed by two statements. Mark your answer using the codes below. Question: X receives three coins of different denominations from 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20. If the total amount received by X is m, does X receive a…
Directions: The question is followed by two statements. Mark your answer using the codes below. Question: For two distinct real numbers x and y, which of them is bigger? Statement I: x² < y < 1 Statement II: y < √x < 1
Directions: The question is followed by two statements. Mark your answer using the codes below. Question: If x and y are integers, then is x even? Statement I: x²y² is even. Statement II: 1 + x² + y² is odd.
Directions: The question is followed by two statements. Mark your answer using the codes below. 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…
Directions: The question is followed by two statements. Mark your answer using the codes below. 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
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?
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.
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…
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 backw…
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…
If 10^m × 1000 × n = 75^25 × 25^32 × 32^75, where n is not divisible by 10, then the value of m is
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 doe…
When SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in 2019, it was a truly novel virus for the world. At that time, no one in the world had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or had specific immunity against it. In contrast, people across the world have been ex…
[Passage: Same as Q6] Which of the following reflect the intent of the writer in the above passage? 1. To evolve methodologies for objective analysis of the two viruses 2. To establish the epidemiological similarities and differences bet…
[Passage: Same as Q6] Which of the following statements reflect the logical and rational inferences that can be drawn from the passage? 1. HMPV has, historically, had longer documentation of studies when compared with SARS-CoV-2. 2. The…
India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest detection and control, and crop yield optimisation. However, penetration is limited to a small subset of tech-savvy farmers. In the US and in Europe,…
[Passage: Same as Q11] Which of the following statements is/are not correct? 1. Tech-savvy farmers will drive the AgTech companies of the future. 2. The development of advisory services by the government programmes for the use of AI tool…
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, or the JJ Act, 2015 allows for the possibility for trying adolescents above 16 as adults if they are accused of committing a heinous offence. A heinous offence is one with a min…
[Passage: Same as Q19] 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 the…
The key source of the battle for clean skies and clear lungs is the fuel we burn—from household Chulhas to the thermal power plants. In most cases, it is biomass or coal. The Supreme Court banned the use of pet coke—the dirtiest of such…
[Passage: Same as Q26] 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…
Previous waves of customer-service technology, including email and those pesky voice menus, stoked concerns of job losses, only for them to fail to materialise. AI could yet prove different. And if it does, its effects may be salutary. H…
[Passage: Same as Q32] 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…
Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori took several deep breaths and thought of sitting down for a while, since he'd be dying of heat in the scorching 'lo…
[Passage: Same as Q34] 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 ascerta…
Was it the sun-dappled ambience, the strawberries and cream, the frustration of Flavio Cobolli's unforced errors against Serbian Novak Djokovic on Centre Court or simply the crushing weight of being a 64-year-old man in the third act of…
[Passage: Same as Q41] Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Hugh Grant was watching, from the Royal Box, the men's semifinal match on Centre Court between Flavio Cobolli and Novak Djokovic. 2. The phrase 'unexpected ace'…
The process by which countries close their labour-productivity gap with the technology leader is based on convergence theory. The convergence model divides economic eras into three phases : the breakaway, the catch-up, and the fine-tunin…
[Passage: Same as Q43] Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The convergence model divides nations into three phases of economic progress. 2. At the heart of the convergence theory is the closing of the gap between labour…
'Kalagram', the cultural village set up at the Maha Kumbh Mela, unfolded as a mosaic of India's diverse regions, each represented by seven meticulously crafted 'Sanskriti Angans'—stepping through the grand portal was like entering anothe…
[Passage: Same as Q66] Which one of the following statements is not correct?
Sport is not just about winning medals or getting jobs through a sports quota. Today's generation is struggling with issues like depression and anxiety. Parents often say that their children are inactive and rarely leave the house. Sport…
[Passage: Same as Q71] 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 w…
How is deflation done? Most countries use a method called 'double deflation', where input and output prices are deflated separately. Consider a manufacturer importing oil for use in production. If oil prices fall, output prices do not an…
[Passage: Same as Q76] 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…
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 ran…
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) wher…
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 th…
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 corre…
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?
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…
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, a…
If ZERO is encoded as ADSN, then how do you encode STOP?
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 a…
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 adja…
A pattern formed by two characters a and b is repeated more than once in the following string (□ marks an unknown position): □ b □ a □ a □ □ a □ a □ b a b What is □□ in the 7th and 8th positions from the left in the above string?
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…
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 in…
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 mar…
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 t…
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…
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 le…
The answers shown are the UnlockIAS expert key for CSAT Paper 2 (Set D), prepared by our faculty and cross-verified by re-deriving every numeric and logical item. They are not the official UPSC key — per PIB Delhi Release 2262441 (18 May 2026), the official provisional answer key will be released “soon after Exam” and will be published here when out.