In the UPSC IAS Exam, candidates can choose English Literature as their optional subject. If they do, they’ll need to appear for two papers: English Optional Paper 1 and English Optional Paper 2. Each paper is worth 250 marks. To perform well and enhance their answer-writing skills, candidates should practice solving multiple UPSC English Optional Question Papers. We’ve compiled UPSC Optional English Literature Question Papers from the last 9 years. You can download these UPSC Previous Year Papers for English Optional and use them effectively in your preparation1.
UPSC English Literature Optional Question Papers – Download PDF
ou can find free PDFs of the last 10 years’ UPSC English Optional Question Papers or UPSC English Literature Question Papers. Just click the link below to download these previous year papers and start practicing for the upcoming IAS mains exam. Good luck!
| UPSC English Literature Optional Previous Year Papers | ||
| Year | Paper Type | PDF Link |
| 2023 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2022 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2021 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2020 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2019 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2018 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2017 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2016 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2015 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
| 2014 | English Optional Paper 1 | Download PDF |
| English Optional Paper 2 | Download PDF | |
UPSC English Literature Exam Pattern
Let’s break down the UPSC Mains Exam Pattern for English Literature as an optional subject. Here’s a simplified version:
- Total Papers: There are 9 papers in the mains exam.
- Qualifying Papers: These are 2 papers that you need to pass, but their marks don’t count for the final merit.
- Merit Calculation Papers: These are 7 papers that contribute to your overall score.
| UPSC English Optional Exam Pattern | ||
| IAS Mains Paper | Paper Name | Marks |
| Paper VI | English Literature Optional Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper VII | English Literature Optional Paper 2 | 250 |
| Total Marks | 500 | |
| Helpful Articles For UPSC English Literature Preparation | |
| English sample paper | Syllabus 2025 |
| UPSC English Literature Optional Course | English Literature Optional Coaching Online |