BPSC CCE syllabus

Bihar's combined examination for state civil services: one objective General Studies paper of 150 marks in two hours, then a written Main Examination and an interview. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit.

Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination

General Studies

150 questions, 150 marks · 2 hours

1 mark for a right answer. A wrong answer takes away one-third of a mark. Five bubbles: A to D are the answers and E means not attempted. A question with none of A to E darkened also loses one-third of a mark. Set in Hindi and English. These marks only decide who is called for the Main Examination.

  • General science
  • Events of national and international importance
  • History of India and the main features of the history of Bihar
  • General geography, the main geographical divisions of Bihar and its important rivers
  • Indian polity and economy
  • Principal changes in Bihar's economy since independence
  • The Indian national movement and Bihar's contribution
  • General mental ability

Main (written) examination and personality test

General Hindi (qualifying)

100 marks · 3 hours

Subject code 01. 30% is required. Not counted for merit. The 2017 syllabus, still posted by the Commission, sets this paper at secondary level: essay 30, grammar 30, syntax 25, precis 15.

  • Essay
  • Grammar
  • Syntax
  • Precis

General Studies, Paper I

300 marks · 3 hours

Subject code 02. Counts for merit.

  • Modern history of India and Indian culture, with special reference to Bihar
  • Current events of national and international importance
  • Statistical analysis, diagrams and graphs

General Studies, Paper II

300 marks · 3 hours

Subject code 03. Counts for merit.

  • Indian polity, including Bihar
  • Indian economy and the geography of India and Bihar
  • The role and impact of science and technology in the development of India

Essay

300 marks · 3 hours

Subject code 38. Counts for merit on the 72nd combined competition. The 2017 syllabus PDF does not list this paper.

  • An essay paper

Optional subject (qualifying, objective)

100 questions, 100 marks · 2 hours

100 objective questions. A minimum fixed by the state government is required. Not counted for merit on the 72nd combined competition. The advertisement does not state a negative mark for this paper.

  • One subject chosen from the list in the advertisement (codes 04 to 37), from agriculture, the sciences, engineering, commerce, economics, geography, history, law, management, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, sociology, statistics and the language-and-literature papers through Maithili

Personality test

120 marks · A board interview, not a written paper

Counts for merit. About two and a half times the requisitioned vacancies are called, and everyone at the same category cut-off is included. A candidate who does not attend is not placed on the final list.

  • A personality test of candidates who qualify the written Main Examination