The premier administrative recruitment for Deputy Collectors and DSPs across Madhya Pradesh.
Mandatory educational background, age limits, pay scale, and service designations
The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) conducts the State Services Examination (SSE) to recruit gazetted administrative and executive officers in MP. Known for its heavy emphasis on Madhya Pradesh state geography, tribal culture, economy, and heritage, the examination follows a three-stage format with 6 descriptive papers in Mains and no negative marking in the Preliminary examination.
Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University (Final year appearing candidates eligible).
21 to 40 Years
SC/ST/OBC/Women/Govt Employees of MP: 5 years (up to 45) | Ex-Servicemen: As per MP rules
General / UR: No attempt limit (Up to 40 years for non-uniformed, 33 for uniformed)
OBC: No attempt limit (Up to 45 years)
SC / ST: No attempt limit (Up to 45 years)
Pay Level 10 (₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500) & Pay Level 9 (₹43,200) + DA, HRA & allowances
Annual Vacancies: Approx. 200 – 450 vacancies per annual cycle
Stage-wise breakdown, paper timing, question distribution, and negative marking rules
Negative Marking Rule: No negative marking in MPPSC Preliminary Examination.
Mode: Offline OMR for Prelims, Offline Pen & Paper Descriptive for Mains, In-Person Interview in Indore | Medium: Bilingual (Hindi / English); Papers 5 and 6 strictly in Hindi.
Two objective papers conducted on the same day. GS Paper 1 decides the cutoff for State Civil Services; Paper 2 (CSAT) is qualifying with 40% (30% for SC/ST/OBC). For State Forest Services, both papers are combined.
| Paper / Component | Format | Questions | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Studies Paper I History, Culture & Literature of MP, Geography of MP & India, Constitutional System & Economy of MP, Science & Technology, Current National & International Affairs, Information & Communication Tech (ICT) | Objective (MCQ) | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM) | Decides Mains cutoff for State Services |
General Aptitude Test Paper II (CSAT) Comprehension, Interpersonal Skills, Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy (Class X level), Hindi Language Comprehension Skills (Class X level) | Objective (MCQ) | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours (2:15 PM – 4:15 PM) | Qualifying for Civil Services (40% Gen, 30% Reserved) |
6 descriptive papers conducted over 6 continuous days at divisional headquarters across Madhya Pradesh. Total merit out of 1500 marks.
| Paper / Component | Format | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1: History & Geography Ancient to Modern MP History, Dynasties of MP (Gond, Holkar, Scindia, Chandela), Physical & Human Geography of MP | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit (Part A: History 150, Part B: Geography 150) |
Paper 2: Constitution, Governance, Political & Administrative Structure Indian Constitution, 73rd/74th Amendments in MP, Social Legislation, Education & Healthcare in MP | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit (Part A: Polity & Administration 150, Part B: Sociology & Economics 150) |
Paper 3: Science & Technology General Science, Health, Environment, Geology of MP, Energy and Biotechnology | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit (Physics, Chem, Bio, Computers, Math, AYUSH, Environment) |
Paper 4: Philosophy, Psychology & Public Administration (Ethics) Thinkers & Philosophers, Aptitude, Human Values, Emotional Intelligence, Case Studies | Descriptive (Written) | 300 | 3 Hours | Merit |
Paper 5: General Hindi & Grammar (Samanya Hindi evam Vyakaran) Sandhi, Samas, Alankar, Muhavare, Translation from Hindi to English & English to Hindi, Administrative Vocabulary | Descriptive (Written) | 200 | 3 Hours | Merit (Strictly Hindi Medium) |
Paper 6: Hindi Essay & Draft Writing (Hindi Nibandh evam Praroop Lekhan) First Essay (1000 words, 50 marks), Second Essay (500 words, 25 marks), Draft/Letter Writing (25 marks) | Descriptive (Written) | 100 | 2 Hours | Merit |
Board interview conducted at MPPSC office in Indore evaluating administrative personality, MP state affairs, tribal development schemes, and personal integrity.
| Paper / Component | Format | Marks | Duration | Negative Marking & Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personality Interview Personal Bio-data / DAF, Madhya Pradesh current initiatives (Ladli Behna, PESA Act implementation), Tribal communities (Bhil, Gond, Baiga) & welfare, Administrative problem scenarios | Interview | 185 | 25 – 35 Minutes | Added to Mains marks for 1685 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
MPPSC has no negative marking in Prelims, resulting in exceptionally high cutoffs (frequently 80%+ questions correct). Factual precision on MP-specific history, dynasties, geography, and tribal heritage is non-negotiable. For Mains, the strict word count format (3-markers, 5-markers, and 11-markers) requires rapid factual recall and bullet-point answer formatting.
Mukesh Maheshwari / Puneekar MP GK, NCERTs, Indian Polity & Geography
History, Geography, Polity, Science & Tech, Ethics
ICT (Unit 9), National/State Commissions (Unit 10), Current Affairs
Paper 5 Samanya Hindi, Paper 6 Essay, full 6-day simulation
Topper-validated standard reference books and chapter-wise question banks
Author: Mukesh Maheshwari / Puneekar Publications | Pub: McGraw Hill / Puneekar
The definitive source for MPPSC Prelims and Mains factual and conceptual state knowledge.
Author: Chanchal Jain / Dr. Vasudev Nandan Prasad | Pub: Aakar IAS / Bharti Bhawan
Targeted specifically to the 200-mark Hindi syllabus including administrative translation and idioms.
Author: Nirman IAS Editorial Board | Pub: Nirman IAS
Aligns unit-by-unit with the revamped syllabus for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, AYUSH, and Geology.
Author: Mahaveer Publications / Ghatna Chakra | Pub: Mahaveer Prakashan
Features thousands of authentic previous year questions from MPPSC across the last 20 years.
Official past category-wise cutoffs to benchmark your target mock scores
| Cycle / Tier / Service | General (UR) | OBC | EWS | SC | ST | Scope & Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Prelims GS-1 (Out of 200) | 162 Marks (81 Qs) | 158 Marks (79 Qs) | 158 Marks | 150 Marks | 142 Marks | Cutoff out of 200 marks (100 questions of 2 marks each); no negative marking. |
| 2022 Prelims GS-1 (Out of 200) | 160 Marks (80 Qs) | 154 Marks (77 Qs) | 154 Marks | 148 Marks | 138 Marks | State Civil Services cutoff list for Mains eligibility. |
| 2021 Final Merit (Out of 1575) | 932 Marks (Deputy Collector) | 898 Marks | 902 Marks | 846 Marks | 792 Marks | Grand total of Mains and Interview. |
From initial application to final cadre allocation and joining the training academy
Register on MP Rojgar portal and apply online on mppsc.mp.gov.in.
Appear for Paper 1 (GS) and Paper 2 (CSAT). Around 20 times the number of vacancies qualify for Mains.
Write 6 descriptive papers over 6 days in designated Indore/Bhopal centers (1500 Marks total).
Attend board interview at MPPSC headquarters in Indore (185 Marks).
Ranks announced based on 1685 marks combined; document check & cadre allotment.
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