This page lists IFS Mains previous year question papers for 7 years, 2019 to 2025, with 210 official PDFs (question papers and answer keys). IFS Mains (Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and covers General English, General Knowledge and Optional subjects. Pick a year below for the paper, answer key and a timed practice plan; confirm dates and pattern on upsc.gov.in.
Explore: Question papers by year · Syllabus & pattern · All exams · How to use PYQs
IFS Mains is the written Main examination of the Indian Forest Service, taken by candidates who clear the Civil Services Preliminary Examination and opt for IFS. This hub hosts every question paper UPSC has posted for the exam from 2019 to 2025, with a link to the original on upsc.gov.in.
Exam pattern at a glance
The IFS Main examination has six papers of 3 hours each. Paper I is General English and Paper II is General Knowledge, 300 marks each. Candidates then pick two optional subjects from a list of 14, each with two papers of 200 marks. That is 1,400 marks written, and a 300-mark interview takes the total to 1,700.
| Stage or paper | Subject | Marks and format |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General English | 300 marks, 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Knowledge | 300 marks, 3 hours |
| Optional subject 1 | Two papers | 200 marks each |
| Optional subject 2 | Two papers | 200 marks each |
| Interview | Personality Test | 300 marks |
Year-wise question papers
IFS Mains 2025
Thirty papers: English, GK and 14 optional subjects of two papers each.
IFS Mains 2024
The same 30-paper format; pick your two optionals.
IFS Mains 2023
Includes General English and General Knowledge plus all 14 optionals.
IFS Mains 2022
Full optional list for Mains answer practice.
IFS Mains 2021
Both compulsory papers and every optional subject.
IFS Mains 2020
Pandemic-year Mains on the usual six-paper format.
IFS Mains 2019
Oldest set here; check against newer syllabus.
What is hosted per year
| Year | Papers hosted | Total size |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | 57.7 MB |
| 2024 | 30 | 73.1 MB |
| 2023 | 30 | 79.6 MB |
| 2022 | 30 | 68.0 MB |
| 2021 | 30 | 82.2 MB |
| 2020 | 30 | 12.6 MB |
| 2019 | 30 | 83.2 MB |
UPSC’s previous-papers page lists question papers only for this exam. It carries no answer keys, so none are hosted here.
How to use these papers
- Pick the paper or papers your path needs from the pattern table above and ignore the rest.
- Sit one full paper at the real duration, then stop when the clock ends.
- Mark each miss as concept, calculation, time or misread, and revise only the logged items.
- Move to an older year only after the newest paper is reviewed.
IFS Mains syllabus & pattern →
FAQ
How many optional subjects do I take in IFS Mains?
Two, each with two papers of 200 marks.
Is IFS Prelims separate?
No. IFS uses the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, so only the Mains papers are listed on this hub.
Which papers are compulsory?
General English and General Knowledge, 300 marks each.
Where is the IFS 2026 paper?
IFS Mains 2026 is not yet on the UPSC listing, so no 2026 page is shown here.
Where do these papers come from?
Every PDF on this hub is UPSC’s own file from upsc.gov.in, with a link to UPSC’s original on each year page.