The gateway to administrative leadership, DSP, and revenue officer posts in Bihar.
Mandatory educational background, age limits, pay scale, and service designations
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) conducts the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) for administrative appointments in the state of Bihar. Under recent administrative reforms, negative marking of 1/3rd has been standardized, Prelims options have been streamlined from 5 to 4 choices, and Mains optional subjects are now objective and qualifying in nature, with the Essay paper (300 marks) carrying decisive merit weightage.
Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University or equivalent qualification.
20 to 37 Years
BC / EBC (Male & Female) & General Female: 3 years (up to 40) | SC / ST (Male & Female): 5 years (up to 42)
General / UR: No attempt limit (Up to 37 years of age)
OBC: No attempt limit (Up to 40 years of age)
SC / ST: No attempt limit (Up to 42 years of age)
Pay Level 9 (₹53,100 basic + DA, HRA, Medical) & Pay Level 7
Annual Vacancies: Approx. 400 – 1,000+ vacancies per CCE cycle
Stage-wise breakdown, paper timing, question distribution, and negative marking rules
Negative Marking Rule: 1/3rd (0.33) marks deducted for incorrect answers in Prelims (4 options per question).
Mode: Offline OMR for Prelims, Descriptive Sheets for Mains, In-Person Interview in Patna | Medium: Bilingual (Hindi / English) for GS and Essay papers; General Hindi paper strictly in Hindi.
Single objective paper comprising 150 questions testing General Studies with special emphasis on Bihar history, geography, and economy. Negative marking is 1/3rd mark per incorrect answer; 4 options per question.
| Paper / Component | Format | Questions | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Studies General Science, Current Events of National & International Importance, History of India & Salient Features of History of Bihar, General Geography & Geographical Division of Bihar and Major River Systems, Indian Polity & Economy and Changes in Economy of Bihar Post-Independence, Indian National Movement & Part Played by Bihar in It, General Mental Ability | Objective (MCQ) | 150 | 150 | 2 Hours | Decides Mains qualification list (10x vacancies) |
5 papers conducted over 3 days in Patna. General Hindi (100 marks) is qualifying (minimum 30%). Optional Subject (100 marks MCQ) is qualifying. Final merit is determined by GS 1 (300), GS 2 (300), and Essay (300) totaling 900 marks.
| Paper / Component | Format | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General Hindi Essay (30 Marks), Grammar (30 Marks), Sentence Structure (25 Marks), Precis (15 Marks) | Descriptive (Written) | 100 | 3 Hours | Qualifying (Min 30% required, not counted in merit) |
General Studies Paper I Modern History of India & Indian Culture (with special reference to Bihar from 1857 to 1947), Current Events of National and International Importance, Statistical Analysis, Graphs and Diagrams (72 Marks practical data interpretation) | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit |
General Studies Paper II Indian Polity (political system in India and Bihar), Indian Economy and Geography of India (planning, physical, economic, and social geography of India and Bihar), Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the Development of India and Bihar | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit |
Essay Paper Section 1: General Socio-Economic / National Themes (100 Marks), Section 2: Administrative / Philosophical Themes (100 Marks), Section 3: Bihar Specific Culture, Proverbs, Dialects (Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi proverbs) & Rural Issues (100 Marks) | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit (Decisive Paper: 3 Sections, 100 Marks each) |
Optional Subject Choice of one optional discipline in MCQ format | Objective (MCQ) | 100 | 2 Hours | Qualifying (40% Gen, 36.5% BC, 34% EBC, 32% SC/ST, not counted in merit) |
Board interview conducted at BPSC headquarters at Beli Road, Patna evaluating leadership qualities, awareness of Bihar governance schemes, and personal integrity.
| Paper / Component | Format | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personality Interview Board Personal record & DAF, Bihar Saat Nischay Part 2 schemes, Caste-based survey data & social justice, Flood management in North Bihar (Kosi, Gandak) & drought in South Bihar | Interview | 120 | 20 – 30 Minutes | Added to Mains marks for 1020 Grand Total Merit |
Detailed curriculum modules categorized by standard foundations vs. high-yield scoring chapters
Phase-by-phase roadmap, daily study schedule, topper golden rules, and fatal pitfalls to avoid
Under the revamped BPSC pattern, Optional subject is now an objective qualifying paper, making the Essay Paper (300 marks) and GS-1 Statistics (72 marks) the twin engines of success. Candidates who master high-speed calculation for Statistics, write nuanced essays on Bihar regional proverbs, and retain accurate factual timelines for Bihar history dominate the merit list.
Imtiaz Ahmad / KBC Nano Bihar GK, NCERTs, Laxmikanth, Spectrum
Statistics & DI (72 marks in GS-1), 300-mark Essay Paper
General Science (30 Qs), Bihar Current Affairs (25 Qs), History (35 Qs)
Full mock exams across all 3 merit papers, interview polish
Topper-validated standard reference books and chapter-wise question banks
Author: Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad & Ghulam Husain | Pub: KBC Nano Publications
The definitive academic reference for Bihar ancient history, medieval dynasties, and freedom struggle movements.
Author: L.K. Pathak / Spectrum Editorial | Pub: Spectrum Books
Targeted specifically to the 72-mark practical data interpretation section in Mains GS Paper 1.
Author: Lucent Editorial Board | Pub: Lucent Publications
Directly accounts for 30 high-scoring questions in BPSC Prelims across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
Author: Eduteria / Speedy Editorial | Pub: Eduteria Publications
Comprehensive compilation of Bihar budget, economic survey, and state government schemes.
Official past category-wise cutoffs to benchmark your target mock scores
| Cycle / Tier / Service | General (UR) | OBC | EWS | SC | ST | Scope & Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69th BPSC Prelims (Out of 150 Marks) | 91.67 Marks | 88.67 Marks (EBC: 84.67) | 86.67 Marks | 79.67 Marks | 79.33 Marks | First exam with standardized 1/3rd negative marking and 4 options. |
| 68th BPSC Prelims (Out of 150 Marks) | 91.00 Marks | 87.75 Marks | 87.75 Marks | 79.25 Marks | 74.00 Marks | Cutoff post introduction of negative marking. |
| 67th BPSC Final Merit (Out of 1020 Marks) | 532.00 Marks (SDM) | 508.00 Marks | 515.00 Marks | 472.00 Marks | 468.00 Marks | Final aggregate out of 1020 (Mains 900 + Interview 120). |
From initial application to final cadre allocation and joining the training academy
Apply online at bpsc.bih.nic.in with post preferences.
Appear for single 150-question paper (150 marks) with 1/3rd negative marking (top 10x qualify for Mains).
Write 3 merit descriptive papers (GS1, GS2, Essay = 900 marks) + 2 qualifying papers (Hindi & Optional MCQ).
Attend board interview in Patna (120 Marks).
Merit ranking out of 1020 determines allocation to Bihar Administrative Service, DSP, or Revenue Officer posts followed by training at BIPARD Gaya/Patna.
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