Bihar Public Service Commission is abbreviated as BPSC. It is one of the most well-known state-level civil service examinations. The purpose of this test is to shortlist candidates for positions such as SDM, DSP, rural development officers, subdivisional officers, and so on.
The 68th BPSC syllabus has undergone minor revisions. BPSC Prelims syllabus only contains the general studies paper. Negative marking of 0.25 marks will be applied to the preliminary exam. The BPSC Mains syllabus includes Hindi, GS 1, GS 2, and an optional subject. The Bihar general awareness will play an important role in both stages in providing social, economic, political, as well as cultural references. This article contains the most recent BPSC syllabus so that you can prepare and excel in the exam.
The following shows the syllabus of the BPSC exam 2023.
Before we discuss about the subjects included in the BPSC Preliminary exam syllabus, you should look at other details of the examination.
| Exam level | Preliminary | Mains | Interview |
| Mode of examination | Offline | Offline | Offline |
| Types of questions | Objective (multiple choice) | Subjective | Detailed |
| Duration | 2 hours | 3 hours each | 25-30 minutes |
| Number of papers | 1 | 4 | No paper only face to face interaction |
| Maximum marks | 150 | 900 | – |
| Negative marking | Applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Subjects | General studies | General Hindi (qualifying) General studies 1 General studies 2 Optional paper | Anything from the syllabus of General Studies and Optional |
BPSC Preliminary syllabus
- General science
- Important national and international events
- History of India and Bihar
- Geography of India and Bihar
- Indian polity and economy
- Changes in Bihar’s economy – post independence
- Indian National movement and the role of Bihar
- General mental ability
BPSC Mains syllabus
| Name of the exam | Combined competitive exam (Mains) |
| Conducting body | BPSC |
| Number of papers | 4 exams General Hindi- qualifying paper General studies 1 General studies 2 Optional subject |
| Duration | 3 hours each |
General Hindi (secondary level)
Essay – 30 marks
Grammar – 30 marks
Syntax – 25 Marks
Summary – 15 marks
(Note: General Hindi paper is qualifying in nature and requires minimum 30 marks (out of 100) to qualify. Hindi marks will not be taken into consideration for the overall merit.)
General studies 2
· Indian culture, with a focus on Bihar since the nineteenth century
· Modern Indian history and Bihar’s role in the freedom struggle
· Various revolts such as the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar, Birsa Munda, Santhal uprising, Champaran Satyagraha, Quit India Movement etc.
· Knowledge of Mauryan and Pala features
· Questions based on prominent personalities such as Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore etc.
· Contemporary national and international events
· Statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs
General studies 2
- Political system of India and Bihar
- Indian economy, planning in India
- Geography of India and Bihar i.e. physical, economic and social geography.
- Role and impact of science and technology in the development of India and Bihar
- Role of science in Bihar and India
For the Mains optional exam
In BPSC Mains, applicants need to choose one discretionary subject out of 34 subjects. There will be just a single optional subject exam for 300 marks and the questions will be of honours Level (3-year course in Patna College).
The following are the subjects to be chosen as optional-
- History
- Geography
- Geology
- Economics
- Public administration
- Political science and international relations
- Labour and social welfare
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Physics
- Agriculture
- Statistics
- Botany
- Zoology
- Philosophy
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical engineering
- Law
- Civil engineering
- Commerce and accountancy
- Electrical engineering
- Animal husbandry and veterinary science
- Anthropology
- 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
- Bengali language and literature
- Sanskrit language and literature
Conclusion for BPSC Syllabus
After going through the syllabus and the study material you’ll understand main themes one need to prepare for BPSC. An aspirant should begin his/her preparation with a structured strategy and consistency. Taking a tailored approach can save you a lot of time and give you an insight into the examination. Aspirants need to keep their resources very limited and focus more on revision rather than reading more and more study material. To ace an exam, you must revise multiple times.
FAQs regarding BPSC Syllabus
Yes, there is 0.25 negative marking in BPSC.
Even though the exam is considered to be tough, you can still ace it in one go with an organized study plan. Every phase of the exam has its own level of difficulty.
It is mandatory to read NCERT books from 6-12th class. The majority of questions are taken from NCERT books.
There is no limit on attempts. In contrast, officials who have been working for almost 3 years will be allowed 3 attempts and a relaxation in the upper age limit (up to 5).
