The Law optional in one place
Law has a loyal following among Civil Services candidates with a legal background, and its papers reward those who can mix doctrine with case-law. This resource lists twenty-nine Law optional question papers from the Main examination and attaches nine archived PDF files. The papers are printed in both English and Hindi, and the source states that answers are not provided.
Coverage by year
| Exam year | What is listed |
|---|---|
| 2025 to 2016 | Both papers, ten years in a row |
| 2015 | Both papers |
| 2014 | Paper I only |
| 2013, 2012, 2011 | Both papers each |
If you are looking for the second paper of 2014, it is not part of this series, so do not expect to find it among the attachments.
About the attached files
The nine PDFs differ a lot in size. Two of them weigh two megabytes or more, which suggests scanned images, while the rest are small. Two files show a page count of twelve, and others show four or five. The listing does not tell which year each file belongs to, so make a habit of recording the year and paper number once you open a file.
Using Law papers well
- Split questions into the two syllabus halves: Paper I with constitutional and administrative law, international law and related areas, and Paper II with the law of contract, torts, crimes and specialised laws.
- Maintain a list of landmark cases next to each recurring topic.
- Practise writing answers that state the rule, apply it to the facts and mention an authority.
- Revisit judgments from the last two years, since questions often reflect recent legal developments.
Preparation stage
The first reading of these papers should come early, to understand the format and the depth demanded. The second and more important use is in the final three months, when you attempt papers under timed conditions and have a senior or a mentor review them.
Note on the format
Open the files on a large screen where possible. Scanned pages can be hard to read on a phone, and you will want to annotate the questions as you solve them.
Combine with printed resources
As the files hold no model answers, supplement them with notes and standard law texts. Competer carries printed UPSC previous year collections and optional-subject material that can help.
