DU Hindi Previous Year Question Papers

Preparing for your BA (Hons.) Hindi exams at Delhi University? This page brings together semester-wise previous year question papers for the Hindi Honours programme — covering poetry (काव्य), prose (गद्य), fiction (कथा-साहित्य), and language/linguistics (भाषा विज्ञान) papers across all six semesters.

Each semester section below is filterable by academic year. Note: these collections are added as we’re able to source them from students, colleges, and libraries — so not every paper, course, or year will necessarily be available for every semester. We keep adding papers as we find them.

Why Hindi PYQs Are Especially Important

Hindi Honours papers at DU are largely essay-based (निबंधात्मक), asking students to critically discuss (आलोचनात्मक विवेचन) a poet, era, or literary movement, alongside shorter व्याख्या (explanation) questions on specific extracts. Reviewing PYQs helps you:

Identify which कवि/लेखक (poets and authors) and युग/आंदोलन (eras and movements) get asked most often as full essay questions
Spot recurring व्याख्या (extract-explanation) passages examiners return to across years
Practise the expected answer structure for आलोचनात्मक (critical) vs. वर्णनात्मक (descriptive) questions
Build a shortlist of महत्वपूर्ण उद्धरण (important quotations) that strengthen answers across multiple papers

How to Revise Hindi Using These Papers

Finish a unit from your DU Hindi syllabus notes first, then attempt that unit’s PYQs immediately.
For निबंधात्मक (essay) questions, practise outlining your answer (भूमिका → मुख्य तर्क → उदाहरण → निष्कर्ष) before writing in full.
Note which कवि/रचनाएँ (poets/works) have appeared more than once in the last 3 years — these deserve deeper preparation.
Cross-check the paper name/code against your own DSC/DSE/GE combination, since Hindi has a substantial elective pool (especially single-author DSE papers) from Semester 3 onward.

Semester 1

Semester 1’s DSC papers are हिंदी कविता : आदिकाल एवं निर्गुण भक्तिकाव्य (Hindi Poetry: Adikal & Nirgun Bhakti Poetry), हिंदी साहित्य का इतिहास (आदिकाल एवं मध्यकाल) (History of Hindi Literature: Adikal & Medieval Period), and हिंदी कहानी (Hindi Short Story). Question papers below are listed as we’ve been able to source them, so availability may vary.

Semester 2

Semester 2 covers हिंदी कविता : सगुण भक्तिकाव्य एवं रीतिकालीन काव्य (Saguna Bhakti & Ritikal Poetry), हिंदी साहित्य का इतिहास (आधुनिक काल) (History of Hindi Literature: Modern Period), and हिंदी निबंध एवं अन्य गद्य विधाएँ (Hindi Essay and Other Prose Forms).

Semester 3

Semester 3’s core papers are भारतीय साहित्य (Indian Literature), हिंदी नाटक एवं एकांकी (Hindi Drama and One-Act Plays), and सामान्य भाषा विज्ञान (General Linguistics), alongside DSE options like हिंदी की मौखिक और लोक-साहित्य परंपरा (Oral and Folk Literature Tradition) and रचनात्मक लेखन (Creative Writing). Whichever papers are available below, prioritise the ones matching your own elective choice.

Semester 4

Semester 4 covers भारतीय काव्यशास्त्र (Indian Poetics), आधुनिक हिन्दी कविता (छायावाद तक) (Modern Hindi Poetry up to Chhayavad), and हिन्दी उपन्यास (Hindi Novel), with DSE options such as हिंदी लोकनाट्य (Hindi Folk Theatre) and पर्यावरण और हिंदी साहित्य (Environment and Hindi Literature).

Semester 5

Semester 5’s DSC papers are पाश्चात्य काव्यशास्त्र (Western Poetics), आधुनिक हिंदी कविता (छायावादोत्तर) (Modern Hindi Poetry post-Chhayavad), and हिंदी आलोचना (Hindi Criticism), alongside DSE options like भारतीय और पाश्चात्य रंगमंच (Indian and Western Theatre) and हिंदी सिनेमा (Hindi Cinema). Check the paper name/code on each PDF below against your own DSC/DSE combination before relying on it.

Semester 6

Semester 6, your final core semester, has हिंदी भाषा : स्वरूप, संरचना एवं इतिहास (Hindi Language: Form, Structure and History), अस्मितामूलक हिंदी साहित्य (दलित विमर्श, स्त्री विमर्श एवं आदिवासी विमर्श) (Identity-based Hindi Literature: Dalit, Feminist & Adivasi Discourse), and कथेतर गद्य साहित्य (Non-Fiction Prose Literature), alongside DSE options like हिंदी भाषा का व्यावहारिक व्याकरण (Applied Hindi Grammar) and शोध-प्रविधि (Research Methodology). These are your most recent-pattern PYQs, so prioritise the last 2-3 years’ papers here, subject to availability.

Semester-Wise DSC Paper Reference

Semester	DSC Papers
Semester 1	हिंदी कविता : आदिकाल एवं निर्गुण भक्तिकाव्य · हिंदी साहित्य का इतिहास (आदिकाल एवं मध्यकाल) · हिंदी कहानी
Semester 2	हिंदी कविता : सगुण भक्तिकाव्य एवं रीतिकालीन काव्य · हिंदी साहित्य का इतिहास (आधुनिक काल) · हिंदी निबंध एवं अन्य गद्य विधाएँ
Semester 3	भारतीय साहित्य · हिंदी नाटक एवं एकांकी · सामान्य भाषा विज्ञान
Semester 4	भारतीय काव्यशास्त्र · आधुनिक हिन्दी कविता (छायावाद तक) · हिन्दी उपन्यास
Semester 5	पाश्चात्य काव्यशास्त्र · आधुनिक हिंदी कविता (छायावादोत्तर) · हिंदी आलोचना
Semester 6	हिंदी भाषा : स्वरूप, संरचना एवं इतिहास · अस्मितामूलक हिंदी साहित्य · कथेतर गद्य साहित्य

Source: University of Delhi, Office of Academic Affairs – Department of Hindi programme structure. DSE (elective) papers run alongside DSC from Semester 3 onward

Frequently Asked Questions

Are DU Hindi PYQs enough to clear the exam?

PYQs are a strong revision tool but work best alongside complete unit-wise notes — essay-based papers reward depth on the actual texts and poets, not just pattern-spotting.

Does the Hindi syllabus differ from BA Hons Hindi Patrakarita evam Jansanchar (Journalism)?

Yes — these are two separate honours programmes under the Department of Hindi with entirely different DSC papers (literature/language vs. media/journalism). Make sure you’re downloading papers for the correct programme.

How many years of PYQs should I revise?

Ideally the last 3-4 academic years, since that window best reflects the current examiner’s pattern while still showing you which questions and कवि/लेखक repeat.

Why is a particular paper or year missing from a semester?

We add question papers as we’re able to source them from students, college archives, and libraries — so coverage isn’t guaranteed to be complete for every course or every academic year. If you have a paper we’re missing, you’re welcome to share it with us.