UPSC Prelims · Topic-wise PYQs
Modern History UPSC Prelims PYQs
95 questions on Modern History asked in UPSC Prelims, sorted into 5 sub-topics. In the app you practise each sub-topic as a timed test with the UPSC marking (+2 / −0.66 per question), followed by a full analysis.
About Modern History in UPSC Prelims
Modern History is the 6th largest of the 13 topics in the UPSC bank: 95 of its 2,520 topic-wise PYQs (3.8%). The biggest sub-topics are National Movement (60), Social Reform, Education & Press (13), British Expansion & Colonial Rule (13).
Sub-topics and question counts
| Sub-topic | PYQs | Latest year |
|---|---|---|
| National Movement | 60 | 2026 |
| Social Reform, Education & Press | 13 | 2026 |
| British Expansion & Colonial Rule | 13 | 2026 |
| Constitutional Development | 6 | 2024 |
| Revolt of 1857 & Early Uprisings | 3 | 2026 |
| Total | 95 | 2026 |
Sub-topics with fewer than 20 questions are practised inside the Modern History tests in the app and have no page of their own.
Modern History PYQs by the latest year asked
Each question is counted once, under the latest year it was asked in the exam.
| Period | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 and later | 34 | |
| 2016–2020 | 41 | |
| 2011–2015 | 20 |
Sample Modern History questions from the free tests
Question text only. The options, the answer and the explanation open in the free test (free sign-in with your mobile number).
Asked in 2026
Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct ?
Attempt it in the free UPSC 2026 GS Paper IAsked in 2026
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939 ?
Attempt it in the free UPSC 2026 GS Paper I
1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
Select the answer using the code given below :Asked in 2026
The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons ?
Attempt it in the free UPSC 2026 GS Paper I
Questions students ask
How many Modern History questions has UPSC Prelims asked?
Sovereign IAS has 95 Modern History previous-year questions from UPSC Prelims in 5 sub-topics, the latest from 2026.
Which Modern History sub-topics come up most often?
National Movement (60 questions), Social Reform, Education & Press (13 questions), British Expansion & Colonial Rule (13 questions).
Can I practise UPSC Modern History PYQs for free?
Partly. 5 of these 95 questions are in the free UPSC tests (the latest papers and two topic-wise tests, free with a sign-in); the full set is part of the Destiny Pass.