BPSC Syllabus 2025 & Detailed Exam Pattern (Prelims & Mains)

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) is a highly prestigious state-level civil services exam for recruitment to various administrative posts in the Bihar government. To succeed in this challenging exam, a thorough understanding of the revised syllabus and the latest exam pattern for all three stages—Preliminary, Main, and Interview—is the first and most crucial step.

This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the BPSC CCE syllabus and the detailed exam structure for the Prelims and Mains to help you create a winning preparation strategy for 2025.

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BPSC 2025: Exam Overview & Pattern

The BPSC selection process is a three-stage journey. The final merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained in the Main (Written) Exam and the Interview.

Preliminary Exam Pattern (Qualifying)

Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
General Studies	150	150	2 Hours

Marking Scheme for Prelims:

Correct Answer: +1 mark.
Negative Marking: Yes, there is a negative marking of 1/3rd of a mark for each incorrect answer.
Nature of Exam: Objective type (MCQs), qualifying in nature.

Main Exam Pattern (Merit Deciding)

The Main Exam consists of five papers, all of which are subjective (descriptive) in nature.

Paper	Subject	Max Marks	Duration
Paper 1	General Hindi (Qualifying)	100	3 Hours
Paper 2	General Studies-I	300	3 Hours
Paper 3	General Studies-II	300	3 Hours
Paper 4	Essay	300	3 Hours
Paper 5	Optional Paper (Qualifying, MCQ-based)	100	2 Hours

Key Points for Mains:

General Hindi: This paper is qualifying in nature. Candidates must secure at least 30 marks to be eligible for the evaluation of other papers.
Optional Paper: This is a qualifying paper with objective-type questions (MCQs). Its marks are not added to the final merit list.
Merit Calculation: The final merit is calculated based on the marks from GS-I (300), GS-II (300), and Essay (300), totaling 900 marks, plus the marks from the Interview.

Interview Stage

Candidates who qualify the Main exam are called for the final stage, the Personal Interview. The interview carries 120 marks.

Syllabus for other exams: BSSC CGL Syllabus BSSC Inter Level Syllabus

BPSC Syllabus 2025: In-Depth Topic Breakdown

Success in the BPSC exams depends on a deep understanding of every topic. The syllabus is vast and requires comprehensive coverage.

Detailed Topic-wise Syllabus

Subject	In-Depth Topics & Chapters
Preliminary Exam (General Studies)	The syllabus is comprehensive, with a special focus on Bihar. History of India and Bihar: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern history with a focus on the social, economic, and political aspects of Bihar's history and the Indian National Movement. Geography (India and Bihar): Physical, social, and economic geography of India and the main rivers of Bihar. Indian Polity: Indian Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, and Rights Issues. Indian Economy: Post-independence economy, major changes in the economy of Bihar. General Science: General appreciation and understanding of science, including matters of everyday observation and experience (Physics, Chemistry, Biology). General Mental Ability: Questions on logical reasoning and analytical ability. Current Events: National and international importance.
Mains: General Studies-I	This paper is descriptive and focuses on Modern History, Culture, and Statistics. Modern History of India and Indian Culture: Mid-nineteenth century onwards, introduction and expansion of western education, role of Bihar in the Indian Freedom Struggle (Santhal Uprising, 1857 War, Champaran Satyagraha, Quit India Movement). Mauryan and Pal Art, Patna Qalam Paintings. Current Events of National and International Importance. Statistical Analysis, Diagrams and Graphs: This section tests the ability to interpret data from statistical diagrams like bar graphs, pie charts, and line graphs and draw conclusions.
Mains: General Studies-II	This paper is descriptive and covers Polity, Economy, Geography, and Science & Technology. Indian Polity: Political system in India, including Bihar. Indian Economy and Geography of India: Planning in India, physical, economic, and social geography of India and Bihar. The Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the development of India and Bihar.
Mains: Essay	The essay paper is divided into three sections. Candidates must write one essay from each section. Section 1: Topics can be philosophical or abstract. Section 2: Topics related to current affairs, social or political issues. Section 3: Topics related to Bihar-specific issues, often based on local proverbs, dialects, or socio-economic matters.

Related Resources: Bihar Home Guard Syllabus Bihar Police SI Syllabus

Download BPSC Syllabus 2025 PDF

(Candidates are advised to download the official syllabus PDF for complete details.)

FAQs: BPSC Syllabus 2025

Q1: Has the BPSC exam pattern changed recently?

Ans: Yes, the BPSC has introduced significant changes. The most notable are the introduction of negative marking in the Preliminary exam, and the replacement of the earlier optional paper with a qualifying, MCQ-based optional paper and a full-fledged Essay paper in the Mains.

Q2: Are the marks of the Preliminary exam counted for the final merit list?

Ans: No, the Preliminary exam is only qualifying in nature. Its purpose is to screen and shortlist candidates for the Main examination. The final merit list is based on the marks from the Mains (900 marks) and the Interview (120 marks).

Q3: Is the optional paper still a part of the BPSC Mains exam?

Ans: Yes, but its role has changed. The optional paper is now a 100-mark, MCQ-based paper that is qualifying in nature. The marks obtained in this paper are not added to the final merit total.

Q4: What is the weightage of the Interview in the final selection?

Ans: The final merit list is prepared out of a total of 1020 marks (900 for Mains + 120 for Interview). Therefore, the interview carries a significant weightage of approximately 11.7% in the final selection.