BPSC Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

The Bihar Combined Competitive Examination follows the same three-stage shape as the UPSC and other state commissions: a single 150-mark objective Prelims paper, a four-paper descriptive Mains, and an interview. What sets it apart is how much of the syllabus is explicitly about Bihar — the history, geography, economy and freedom-movement sections all name the state separately from India.

6 papers 78 topics listed Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) BPSC previous year papers

BPSC exam at a glance

Conducting body	Bihar Public Service Commission
Stages	Prelims → Mains → Interview
Prelims	1 paper · General Studies · 150 marks · 2 hours
Mains	4 papers — General Hindi (qualifying) + 2 GS + 1 Optional
Mains merit marks	900 (3 papers × 300)
Interview	120 marks
Mode	Offline (pen and paper)
Optional subjects	34 to choose from
Official website	bpsc.bihar.gov.in

BPSC selection process

Each phase has to be cleared before the next one opens.

1
Phase 1
Preliminary Examination (objective, qualifying)
2
Phase 2
Main Examination (descriptive)
3
Phase 3
Personal Interview

BPSC Preliminary Examination syllabus

A single objective General Studies paper designed to test basic general knowledge. It is qualifying only — performance in the Prelims is not carried into the final evaluation.

General Studies

Papers: 1
Marks: 150
Duration: 2 hours
Mode: Offline, objective

Current Affairs

Current affairs of national significance
Current affairs of international significance

General Science

Assesses general scientific understanding of the sort expected of an educated person with no specific scientific background, including everyday observations and experiences.

Everyday science
Observations and experiences from daily life explained scientifically

History

History of India and its salient features
History of Bihar — social, economic and political dimensions

Geography

Geography of India — physical, social and economic geography
Key characteristics of Indian agriculture and natural resources
Geography of Bihar — geographical divisions of the state
Major river systems of Bihar

Indian Polity

Panchayati Raj
Community development
Planning in India and in Bihar

Indian Economy

Major changes in Bihar's economy in the post-independence period

Indian National Movement

Assesses the nature and character of the nineteenth-century revival, the growth of nationalism and the achievement of independence — with Bihar's role treated as a distinct strand.

Revolt of 1857
Partition of Bengal
Champaran Satyagraha
Non-Cooperation Movement
Civil Disobedience Movement
Quit India Movement
Role of Bihar in the Indian freedom movement

BPSC Main Examination syllabus

Open only to candidates who clear the Prelims cut-off. General Hindi is compulsory and qualifying; the two General Studies papers and one optional paper of 300 marks each build the merit.

General Hindi (qualifying)

A compulsory, qualifying, descriptive paper pitched at the standard set by the Bihar School Education Board (BSEB).

Marks: 100
Duration: 3 hours
Nature: Qualifying

Paper components

निबंध (Essay)
व्याकरण (Grammar) — synonyms (पर्यायवाची), figures of speech (अलंकार), antonyms (विलोम), spelling (वर्तनी), Sanskrit-derived Hindi words (तत्सम एवं तद्भव), gender (लिंग), cases (कारक) and related topics
वाक्य विन्यास (Syntax)
संक्षेपण (Summarisation)

General Studies Paper 1

Indian history and culture, with a sustained focus on Bihar.

Marks: 300
Duration: 3 hours

Modern History and Indian Culture

Modern history of India and Indian culture, with special focus on the history of India (including Bihar) from the mid-nineteenth century
Introduction and growth of Western education, including technical education, in Bihar's modern history
Bihar's contribution to India's freedom struggle
Santhal Uprising, Revolt of 1857 in Bihar, Birsa Movement, Champaran Satyagraha, Quit India Movement 1942
Chief features of Mauryan and Pal art, including Patna Qulam painting
Prominent figures — Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore and Nehru

Statistical Analysis

Exercises in statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams
Drawing reasonable inferences from data
Identifying limitations or contradictions in data

General Studies Paper 2

Indian polity, economy, geography and science and technology, again with Bihar treated separately.

Marks: 300
Duration: 3 hours

Indian Polity

The political system in India
The political system in Bihar

Indian Economy

Planning in India

Geography of India

Economic geography of India, with a focus on Bihar
Physical geography of India, with a focus on Bihar
Social geography of India, with a focus on Bihar

Science and Technology

Impact and contribution of science and technology to the development of India and Bihar
Emphasis on applied aspects

Essay

Twelve essay questions in three sections. Candidates answer three — one from each section — in roughly 700 to 800 words each.

Marks: 300 (3 × 100)
Questions offered: 12
Questions to answer: 3 (one per section)
Length: 700–800 words per essay

What is assessed

Ability to communicate effectively and coherently in writing
Ability to express thoughts and ideas with structure

Optional Paper

One optional subject chosen at the time of application, from a list of 34. It carries 300 marks and plays a decisive role in the Mains score.

Marks: 300
Duration: 3 hours
Subjects offered: 34

Optional subjects offered

Agriculture
Anthropology
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Botany
Chemistry
Commerce and Accountancy
Civil Engineering
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Labour and Social Welfare
Mechanical Engineering
Mathematics
Management
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
English Language and Literature
Urdu Language and Literature
Hindi Language and Literature
Persian Language and Literature
Arabic Language and Literature
Pali Language and Literature
Maithili Language and Literature
Bangla Language and Literature
Sanskrit Language and Literature

BPSC Interview syllabus

A personal interview worth 120 marks, conducted in person. No fixed duration is prescribed.

Practise the BPSC syllabus, section by section

Reading the syllabus tells you what is examinable; previous year papers tell you how it is actually asked. Every BPSC paper on AI Test Planet runs in a real exam interface with worked solutions and a topic-wise breakdown of where you lost marks.

BPSC previous year papers Browse all exams NCERT source books

BPSC syllabus — frequently asked questions

Do BPSC Prelims marks count towards the final result?+

No. The Preliminary examination is qualifying in nature — its marks are not considered in the final evaluation. Clearing the cut-off only makes you eligible for the Mains.

Is the General Hindi paper counted in the merit?+

No. General Hindi is compulsory and qualifying. The merit comes from the two General Studies papers and the optional paper, 300 marks each.

How much of the BPSC syllabus is about Bihar specifically?+

A large part of it. The Prelims syllabus separately names Bihar's history, geography, economy, Panchayati Raj and role in the freedom movement, and both Mains General Studies papers repeat that pattern for polity, geography and science and technology.

How is the BPSC essay paper structured?+

Twelve questions across three sections. You answer three — one from each section — in roughly 700 to 800 words each, for 100 marks per essay.

Syllabus of exams BPSC aspirants also write

UPSC Syllabus

The national exam most PCS aspirants attempt in parallel.

View syllabus

SSC CGL Syllabus

A shorter-cycle central government track from the same GS base.

View syllabus

Where this syllabus comes from

Bihar Public Service Commission, Combined Competitive Examination syllabus and exam pattern (Preliminary and Mains).

Last verified on 13 August 2026.Commissions revise patterns between cycles — confirm anything decisive against the current notification on bpsc.bihar.gov.in.