BPSC Combined Competitive Examination

Every topic matched to the official PDF Official notice, bpsc.bihar.gov.in

21 topics, each explained 6 units

Official syllabus page bpsc.bihar.gov.in

The BPSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) is conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission in three stages — a Preliminary screening paper, a descriptive Mains examination, and finally an Interview/Personality Test. Prelims marks are not counted in the final result, they only decide who sits the Mains, so most of your preparation effort should go into the Mains General Studies papers and the Essay, which together carry the most weight before the Interview is added at the end.

Exam Pattern

Three stages: Preliminary (screening) -> Mains (written descriptive) -> Interview/Personality Test.

STAGE 1 — PRELIMINARY (objective, screening only; marks NOT counted in final merit):

Single paper: General Studies.
150 objective (MCQ) questions, 150 marks, duration 2 hours.
Negative marking: 1/3 (0.33) mark deducted for each wrong answer. CONFIRMED — introduced in the 71st CCE (2025); older CCEs had no negative marking.
NEW RULE (71st CCE onward, also carried into 72nd) — mandatory "Option E (Not Attempted)": each OMR row must be filled. If you don't know the answer you must darken Option E to register a non-attempt (E = zero marks, NO penalty). Leaving a question COMPLETELY blank (none of A/B/C/D/E marked) now attracts the same 1/3 negative mark. So mark Option E for anything you skip — a blank row now costs the same 1/3 as a wrong answer.
Prelims is only qualifying to sit the Mains.

STAGE 2 — MAINS (descriptive), current 71st-CCE pattern:

General Hindi — 100 marks — QUALIFYING (min 30%; not added to merit).
General Studies Paper I — 300 marks — counts in merit.
General Studies Paper II — 300 marks — counts in merit.
Essay Paper — 300 marks — counts in merit.
Optional Subject (1 chosen from BPSC's list) — 100 marks — QUALIFYING only; it is OBJECTIVE/MCQ-based (approx 2 hours), not descriptive. (The other papers are descriptive, 3 hours each.)
Mains merit total = GS-I 300 + GS-II 300 + Essay 300 = 900 marks.

STAGE 3 — INTERVIEW / Personality Test: 120 marks (counts in final merit).

FINAL MERIT = 900 (Mains merit papers) + 120 (Interview) = 1020 marks.

Caution: BPSC revises paper-wise structure between CCE cycles; always confirm against the specific CCE notification (e.g., 72nd CCE for the current cycle) on bpsc.bihar.gov.in.

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Full Syllabus

1 PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
General Science — everyday observation and experience of science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology basics)	Basic physics, chemistry and biology as we encounter them in daily life — read one NCERT science chapter a day rather than chasing advanced theory.
Current events of national and international importance	News and developments from India and abroad — build a daily habit of one newspaper plus a monthly current-affairs digest so nothing slips through.
History of India, with special reference to the freedom/national movement of India	India's history with a strong focus on the freedom struggle — build a year-wise timeline of movements and leaders instead of memorising isolated facts.
History of Bihar and its role in the national movement, plus social and cultural developments	Bihar's own history — its part in the freedom movement plus its social and cultural changes — a topic most all-India books skip, so lean on Bihar-specific material.
Geography of India and of Bihar (physical, social and economic geography)	Physical, social and economic geography of both India and Bihar — practise with an atlas beside you so rivers, soils and crop belts stick as pictures, not sentences.
Indian Polity and Governance — Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj	How India is governed — the Constitution, the political system and Panchayati Raj — read the bare constitutional articles first, then add the Bihar Panchayati Raj structure on top.
Indian and Bihar Economy — economic development, planning	Economic development and planning, both for India as a whole and for Bihar specifically — pair every national scheme with what it means for Bihar's own economy.
General Mental Ability / reasoning	Logical reasoning and mental ability questions — practise a small set of puzzles, series and analogy questions daily so speed builds up naturally.

2 MAINS — General Hindi (100 marks, QUALIFYING, min 30%)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Essay	Writing a structured Hindi essay on a given theme — practise finishing one essay within a set time so length and flow become natural, not rushed.
grammar	Hindi grammar rules — sandhi, samas, vibhakti and correct word forms — drill a short grammar exercise daily rather than reading the rules only once.
syntax	Correct sentence construction in Hindi — spotting and fixing faulty sentence order — practise by rewriting a few wrongly-built sentences correctly each day.
precis/summary writing	Condensing a longer Hindi passage into its core meaning in far fewer words — practise by summarising a newspaper editorial into a third of its length.
comprehension in Hindi	Reading a Hindi passage and answering questions on it accurately — practise on unseen passages so you learn to answer from the text, not from memory.

3 MAINS — General Studies Paper I (300, merit)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
(i) Modern history of India and Indian culture	Modern Indian history alongside Indian culture — link each historical event to the cultural change happening alongside it, so the two reinforce each other in memory.
(ii) current events of national and international importance	Current national and international events, this time to be written about in descriptive answers, not just recognised among options — keep short written notes on major events, not only headlines.
(iii) statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs	Reading and interpreting statistical data through diagrams and graphs — practise drawing a simple bar or line graph from raw numbers so presenting data in the answer sheet feels natural.

4 MAINS — General Studies Paper II (300, merit)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
(i) Indian Polity	Indian Polity here means writing descriptive answers on the Constitution and political institutions — practise explaining an article or institution in your own words within a few lines, not just recalling its name.
(ii) Indian Economy and Geography of India	Indian economy paired with the geography of India — study them together, since economic activity in any region is shaped directly by its geography.
(iii) role and impact of science and technology in the development of India (with Bihar context)	How science and technology drive India's development, viewed also through Bihar's own context — note one Bihar-specific example for each major national science-and-technology initiative you read.

5 MAINS — Essay Paper (300, merit)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
descriptive essays (candidates write essays, typically one from each section, on social, political, economic, ethical and current themes)	Full descriptive essays across social, political, economic, ethical and current themes, usually one chosen from each section — keep a folder of practised essays across all five themes so no section catches you unprepared.

6 MAINS — Optional Subject (100, QUALIFYING, OBJECTIVE/MCQ type)

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
one subject chosen from BPSC's official optional-subjects list (e.g. History, Political Science & International Relations, Geography, Public Administration, Sociology, Hindi, and various science/arts subjects)	You pick one optional subject from BPSC's official list and answer it in MCQ form, unlike the other descriptive papers — choose the subject you already know best, since this paper only needs you to qualify, not to top the merit list.

Not covered in this pack — where to find it

Vacancy count	Not stated in this pack — check the current CCE notification.
Exam / admit-card dates	Not stated in this pack — check the official BPSC notification.
Age limit	Not stated in this pack.
Application fee	Not stated in this pack.
Minimum educational qualification / eligibility	Not stated in this pack.

Free practice — 21 questions

Work out the answer yourself first, then tap “Show answer”. Every answer shows the method, not just the letter.

In the BPSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) Preliminary exam, how many total objective (MCQ) questions are there in the single General Studies paper?
- A 150
- B 120
- C 100
- D 200
Show answer

A — 150

The official notification states: '150 objective (MCQ) questions, 150 marks, duration 2 hours' for the single General Studies paper in Prelims.

PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)
What is the total duration of the BPSC Prelims examination?
- A 3 hours
- B 2 hours
- C 1 hour
- D 2.5 hours
Show answer

B — 2 hours

The official notification states the Prelims General Studies paper has a duration of 2 hours.

PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)
How many marks are deducted for each wrong answer in BPSC Prelims (negative marking)?
- A 1/4 mark
- B 1/2 mark
- C 1/3 mark
- D 1 full mark
Show answer

C — 1/3 mark

The pack confirms negative marking of 1/3 (0.33) mark per wrong answer, introduced from the 71st CCE (2025) onward.

PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)
In BPSC Prelims, what happens if a candidate marks Option E ("Not Attempted") for a question they don't know?
- A 1/3 mark deducted
- B Full mark awarded
- C Question cancelled
- D Zero marks, no penalty
Show answer

D — Zero marks, no penalty

The official notification states Option E scores zero marks with NO penalty — it registers a non-attempt without any negative marking.

PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)
In BPSC Prelims, if a candidate leaves an OMR row COMPLETELY blank (no option, not even E, marked), what is the consequence?
- A 1/3 negative mark, same as a wrong answer
- B Zero marks, no penalty
- C A warning only, no marks lost
- D Double negative mark (2/3)
Show answer

A — 1/3 negative mark, same as a wrong answer

The pack explicitly states a completely blank row now attracts the same 1/3 negative mark as a wrong answer, since the 71st CCE onward.

PRELIMS — General Studies (single paper, 150 marks)
How many marks is the BPSC Mains General Studies Paper I worth?
- A 200
- B 300
- C 100
- D 150
Show answer

B — 300

The official notification states General Studies Paper I is 300 marks and counts in merit.

MAINS — General Studies Paper I (300, merit)
What is the minimum qualifying percentage required in the BPSC Mains General Hindi paper?
- A 25%
- B 40%
- C 30%
- D 33%
Show answer

C — 30%

The official notification states General Hindi is qualifying with a minimum of 30%, and is not added to the merit total.

MAINS — General Hindi (100 marks, QUALIFYING, min 30%)
How many marks is the BPSC Interview / Personality Test worth?
- A 100
- B 150
- C 200
- D 120
Show answer

D — 120

The official notification states the Interview/Personality Test carries 120 marks and counts in the final merit.

Interview / Personality Test
What is the final merit total in BPSC CCE, combining the Mains merit papers and the Interview?
- A 1020
- B 900
- C 1050
- D 1120
Show answer

A — 1020

The official notification states final merit = 900 (Mains merit papers: GS-I 300 + GS-II 300 + Essay 300) + 120 (Interview) = 1020 marks.

Final Merit (Mains + Interview)
Among BPSC Mains papers, which one is OBJECTIVE/MCQ type rather than descriptive?
- A Essay Paper
- B Optional Subject
- C General Studies Paper I
- D General Studies Paper II
Show answer

B — Optional Subject

The official notification states the Optional Subject paper is objective/MCQ-based (about 2 hours), while Essay, GS-I and GS-II are all descriptive, 3 hours each.

MAINS — Optional Subject (100, QUALIFYING, OBJECTIVE/MCQ type)
Find the next number in the series: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, ?
- A 120
- B 150
- C 160
- D 200
Show answer

C — 160

Each number is double the previous one (×2): 5→10→20→40→80→160.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
If in a certain code CAT is written as DBU, how is DOG written in the same code?
- A EOH
- B DPH
- C EPI
- D EPH
Show answer

D — EPH

Each letter is shifted forward by 1 in the alphabet (C→D, A→B, T→U). Applying the same shift to DOG: D→E, O→P, G→H, giving EPH.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
Pointing to a man, Rita said, 'His mother is the only daughter of my mother.' How is the man related to Rita?
- A Son
- B Brother
- C Father
- D Nephew
Show answer

A — Son

'The only daughter of my mother' is Rita herself. So the man's mother is Rita, which makes the man Rita's son.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
A person walks 5 km North, then turns right and walks 3 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. How far is he from his starting point?
- A 5 km
- B 3 km
- C 8 km
- D 13 km
Show answer

B — 3 km

Plotting the path: North 5 km to (0,5); right turn = East, 3 km to (3,5); right turn again = South, 5 km to (3,0). Distance from start (0,0) to (3,0) is 3 km.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
Choose the odd one out: Triangle, Square, Circle, Rectangle
- A Triangle
- B Square
- C Circle
- D Rectangle
Show answer

C — Circle

Triangle, Square and Rectangle are all straight-sided polygons with vertices; Circle has no straight sides or vertices, making it the odd one out.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
In a class of 80 students, 60% are boys. How many girls are there in the class?
- A 48
- B 40
- C 36
- D 32
Show answer

D — 32

60% of 80 = 48 boys. Girls = 80 − 48 = 32.

(iii) statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs
The average of five numbers is 24. If one number is excluded, the average of the remaining four numbers becomes 22. What is the excluded number?
- A 32
- B 30
- C 28
- D 26
Show answer

A — 32

Sum of 5 numbers = 24×5 = 120. Sum of remaining 4 numbers = 22×4 = 88. Excluded number = 120 − 88 = 32.

(iii) statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs
The ratio of two numbers is 3:5 and their sum is 96. What is the larger number?
- A 36
- B 60
- C 48
- D 72
Show answer

B — 60

3 parts + 5 parts = 8 parts = 96, so 1 part = 12. The larger number (5 parts) = 5×12 = 60.

(iii) statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs
A sum of ₹8,000 is lent at 5% simple interest per annum. What will be the interest after 3 years?
- A 1000
- B 1500
- C 1200
- D 800
Show answer

C — 1200

Simple Interest = (Principal × Rate × Time)/100 = (8000×5×3)/100 = ₹1,200.

(iii) statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs
Statements: All pens are books. All books are tables. Conclusion: All pens are tables. Is the conclusion valid?
- A Cannot be determined
- B Definitely false
- C Only sometimes true
- D Definitely true
Show answer

D — Definitely true

If all A are B, and all B are C, then all A are C by transitivity — so 'All pens are tables' definitely follows from the two given statements.

PRELIMS — General Mental Ability / reasoning
In Hindi grammar, what is the plural (बहुवचन) form of the word 'लड़का' (boy)?
- A लड़कों
- B लड़के
- C लड़का
- D लड़कियाँ
Show answer

B — लड़के

'लड़का' is a masculine noun ending in आ; its standalone plural form changes आ to ए, giving 'लड़के'. ('लड़कों' is the oblique plural used before a postposition, e.g. लड़कों को; 'लड़कियाँ' means girls.)

grammar

These questions are built from the official pattern and syllabus on this page. Every answer was independently re-solved before it was published.

This exam recruits at these levels: Graduate

Note — Always confirm the syllabus and pattern against that year's official notification — changes are possible.

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Official source: https://bpsc.bihar.gov.in