BPSC Syllabus 2026: Prelims, Mains, Optional Subjects, Exam Pattern & PDF

The BPSC Syllabus explains the subjects, paper pattern, and marking scheme for every stage of the Bihar Public Service Commission Combined Competitive Examination. It covers the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test, along with the compulsory papers, optional subjects, qualifying criteria, and paper-wise marks.

Understanding the official syllabus helps candidates prepare for each stage in a structured manner and focus on the topics prescribed by the Commission.

Learn Spoken English with AI Practice Partner - Start Now

BPSC Syllabus 2026 Overview 

The BPSC Combined Competitive Examination is conducted in three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test. The official syllabus specifies the subjects, paper pattern, marks, and qualifying requirements for every stage. Candidates should understand this structure before beginning their preparation.  

BPSC Syllabus PDF

Candidates should download the official BPSC Syllabus PDF before starting their preparation. The official syllabus contains the complete exam pattern, paper-wise marks, Preliminary and Main Examination syllabus, optional subjects, and important instructions issued by the Bihar Public Service Commission. Referring to the official PDF helps candidates prepare according to the prescribed topics and avoid missing any part of the syllabus.

Download BPSC Syllabus PDF

BPSC Prelims Syllabus 

The BPSC Preliminary Examination includes one General Studies paper carrying 150 marks. The examination is conducted for two hours and consists of objective-type multiple-choice questions. It serves only as a screening stage, and the marks obtained are not considered while preparing the final merit list. 

Topics Covered in BPSC Prelims General Studies 

The General Studies paper under the BPSC Syllabus includes these topics:

• General Science, including everyday scientific observation and experience

• National and international current events

• History of India and the main features of Bihar history

• General Geography, with a focus on Bihar's physical divisions and major rivers

• Indian polity and economic system

• Changes in the Bihar economy after independence

• India's national movement and Bihar's role in it

• Questions to test general mental ability

BPSC Mains Syllabus 

The Main Examination consists of compulsory papers and one optional subject selected by the candidate. The compulsory papers are:

The General Hindi paper is qualifying in nature. Candidates must obtain 30% marks in this paper. However, these marks are not counted while preparing the merit list.

General Hindi Syllabus 

The General Hindi paper is qualifying in nature and is designed to assess a candidate's ability to write simple and clear Hindi. Candidates must score at least 30% to qualify. However, these marks are not included in the final merit list. The mark distribution is:

• Essay: 30 marks

• Grammar: 30 marks

• Sentence structure: 25 marks

• Précis writing: 15 marks

General Studies Paper I Syllabus 

This paper covers modern Indian history, Indian culture, and current events. It also has a section on statistical analysis and diagrams. The exact topics are:

Modern History of India and Indian Culture

General Studies Paper I focuses on modern Indian history, Indian culture, current affairs, and data interpretation. Candidates are expected to understand historical developments, cultural heritage, and to analyse statistical information presented through graphs and charts. 

Current Events of National and International Importance

Questions may be asked on important national and international developments. Candidates should remain aware of significant events and their relevance.

Statistical Analysis, Graphs and Diagrams

This section tests the ability to understand statistical information presented through graphs, charts, and diagrams.

Candidates should be able to analyse the given information and draw logical conclusions based on the available data.

General Studies Paper II Syllabus 

General Studies Paper II evaluates a candidate's understanding of the Indian Constitution, governance, economy, geography, and science & technology. Questions may also include Bihar-specific topics wherever applicable.

Indian Polity

This section covers the political system of India with reference to constitutional and administrative aspects. Questions are asked to assess the candidate's understanding of the Indian political framework. The syllabus also includes topics related to Bihar wherever applicable.

Indian Economy and Geography of India

The syllabus includes the Indian economy along with the geography of India and Bihar. Candidates should prepare topics related to economic planning, physical geography, economic geography, and social geography. Questions may also be asked on the important geographical features of Bihar.

Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the Development of India

This section evaluates the candidate's understanding of science and technology and their contribution to India's development. Candidates should also understand the importance and practical applications of science and technology in Bihar.

BPSC Optional Subjects List 

The BPSC Main Examination allows candidates to choose one optional subject carrying 300 marks. The Commission provides a list of optional subjects, each with a detailed syllabus divided into sections. 

BPSC Agriculture Syllabus

Section 1 focuses on ecology, crop production factors, Bihar's agro-climatic zones, cropping patterns, soil formation and classification, soil conservation, irrigation, farm management, and agricultural marketing. Section 2 covers plant breeding, genetics, seed technology, plant physiology, fruit and vegetable production, plant diseases and pest control, and food production trends in Bihar and India.

BPSC Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Syllabus

Section 1 covers animal nutrition, animal physiology, livestock production and management, dairy farming, and milk technology. Section 2 covers genetics and animal breeding, animal health and hygiene, milk product technology, meat hygiene, and extension education for farmers.

Check: Detailed Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Syllabus

BPSC  Anthropology Syllabus

This subject has three sections. Section 1 covers the meaning and branches of anthropology, marriage, kinship, economic and political anthropology, and the study of Indian tribes such as Oraon, Munda, Ho, Santhal, and Birhor. Section 2 offers a choice between physical anthropology topics like human evolution and fossil evidence, or theory-based topics like diffusionism and structuralism. Section 3 covers Indian anthropology, including the Indus civilization, caste, tribal problems, and tribal movements like the Tana Bhagat and Birsa movements.

Check: Anthropology Detailed Syllabus

BPSC Botany Syllabus

Section 1 covers microbiology, plant pathology, cryptogams, phanerogams, and plant morphogenesis. Section 2 covers cell biology, genetics and evolution, plant physiology and biochemistry, ecology, and economic botany.

Check: Detailed BPSC Botany Syllabus

BPSC Chemistry Syllabus

Section 1 covers atomic structure and chemical bonding, thermodynamics, solid state chemistry, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry, photochemistry, and the chemistry of d-block and f-block elements. Section 2 covers reaction mechanisms, pericyclic reactions, named organic reactions, polymer systems, and spectroscopy methods used in structure determination.

BPSC Civil Engineering Syllabus

Section 1 covers the theory and design of structures, structural steel, reinforced concrete, fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, foundation engineering, and computer programming basics. Section 2 lets candidates choose two out of four parts: building construction, transportation engineering, water resources and irrigation engineering, and environmental engineering.

BPSC Commerce and Accountancy Syllabus

Section 1 covers accounting, auditing, taxation, business finance, and financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian capital market. Section 2 covers organisation theory and industrial relations, including trade unions and collective bargaining in India.

BPSC Economics Syllabus

Section 1 covers the structure of the economy, consumer and producer behaviour, income and employment determination, banking, taxation, and international trade. Section 2 covers the Indian economy, agricultural and industrial production, Indian planning, and the Bihar economy, including poverty and unemployment in Bihar.

BPSC Electrical Engineering Syllabus

Section 1 covers network theory, electrostatics and magnetics, measurement methods, electronics, and electrical machines. Section 2 offers control systems and industrial electronics as compulsory topics, with a choice between heavy current topics like power systems and protection, or light current topics like communication systems and microwaves.

BPSC Geography Syllabus

Section 1 covers physical geography such as geomorphology, climatology, soils and vegetation, oceanography, and human and economic geography. Section 2 examines the geography of India, including physical aspects, tribal areas, resources, agriculture, industry, transport, settlements, and the geography of Bihar, covering its physical divisions, minerals, and industries.

BPSC Geology Syllabus

Section 1 examines general geology, geomorphology, structural geology, palaeontology, and stratigraphy. Section 2 covers crystallography, mineralogy, petrology, economic geology, and applied geology, including the groundwater regions of Bihar.

Check: Geology Detailed Syllabus

BPSC History Syllabus

Section 1 covers the history of India up to 1765 AD, including the Indus civilization, the Vedic age, the Maurya empire, the Gupta age, and the Delhi Sultanate. Section 2 covers modern India from 1757 to 1947, including the freedom struggle, and world history from 1500 to 1950.

BPSC Labour and Social Welfare Syllabus

Section 1 examines labour legislation such as the Factories Act, the Minimum Wages Act, and the Payment of Wages Act, along with labour administration in Bihar. Section 2 covers industrial relations, trade unions, social welfare, and social security programmes in Bihar.

Check: BPSC Detailed Labour and Social Welfare Syllabus

BPSC Law Syllabus

Section 1 covers the constitutional law of India and international law. Section 2 covers the law of crimes, the law of torts, and the law of contracts and mercantile law.

BPSC Management Syllabus

Section 1 covers organisational behaviour, organisational design, the economic environment, and quantitative methods like linear programming and statistical methods. Section 2 covers marketing management, production and materials management, financial management, and human resource management.

Check: BPSC Detailed Management Syllabus

BPSC Mathematics Syllabus

Section 1 examines linear algebra, calculus, analytic geometry, differential equations, vector and tensor analysis, and mechanics. Section 2 covers algebra, real and complex analysis, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, probability and statistics, and operational research.

BPSC Mechanical Engineering Syllabus

Section 1 covers statics, dynamics, theory of machines, mechanics of solids, manufacturing science, and production management. Section 2 covers thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, energy conversion, and environmental control such as refrigeration and air conditioning.

BPSC Philosophy Syllabus

Section 1 covers metaphysics and epistemology, including Western and Indian schools of thought. Section 2 covers social and political philosophy and the philosophy of religion, including Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism.

BPSC Physics Syllabus

Section 1 covers mechanics, thermal physics, and waves and oscillations. Section 2 covers electricity and magnetism, modern physics, and electronics.

Check: Detailed BPSC Physics Syllabus

BPSC Political Science and International Relations Syllabus

Section 1 covers political theory and government and politics with special reference to India, including the Indian Constitution and Bihar's panchayati raj system. Section 2 covers international politics, foreign policy, the cold war, and India's foreign policy and relations.

BPSC Psychology Syllabus

Section 1 covers the foundations of psychology, including perception, learning, memory, intelligence, motivation, and personality. Section 2 covers individual differences, psychological disorders, therapeutic approaches, and the application of psychology to organisational and social problems.

BPSC Public Administration Syllabus

Section 1 covers administrative theory, theories of organisation, personnel administration, and financial administration. Section 2 covers Indian administration, including the structure of central administration, centre-state relations, and district and local administration in Bihar.

BPSC Sociology Syllabus

Section 1 examines general sociology, including social structure, social stratification, family, marriage, and kinship. Section 2 focuses on Indian society, including the caste system, rural and urban social organisation, and tribal society in Bihar.

BPSC Statistics Syllabus

Section 1 focuses on probability, statistical inference, linear inference, and multivariate analysis. Section 2 introduces sampling theory, design of experiments, engineering statistics, operational research, quantitative economics, and demography.

BPSC Zoology Syllabus

Section 1 includes non-chordata, chordata, ecology, ethology, biostatistics, and economic zoology. Section 2 focuses on cell biology, genetics, evolution and systematics, biochemistry, physiology, and embryology.

Check: BPSC Detailed Zoology Syllabus

BPSC Language and Literature Subjects Syllabus

The BPSC Syllabus also lists language and literature subjects as options. These are Hindi, English, Urdu, Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Pali, and Maithili. Each of these subjects has a section on the history of the language and its literature. A second section requires first-hand reading of a fixed list of prescribed books.

For example, Hindi literature includes works of Kabir, Surdas, Tulsidas, Premchand, and Jayshankar Prasad. English literature includes works of Shakespeare, Milton, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.

BPSC Personality Test 

Candidates who qualify for the Main Examination appear for the Personality Test. The interview carries 120 marks and assesses the candidate's personality, communication skills, judgment, and suitability for public service. The final merit list is prepared by combining the Main Examination and Personality Test marks. 

Important Points for BPSC Syllabus

The official syllabus includes several instructions for candidates appearing in the examination.

• The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test.

• Preliminary Examination marks are not counted in the final merit list.

• General Hindi is a qualifying paper in the Main Examination.

• Candidates must obtain the prescribed qualifying marks in General Hindi.

• Every candidate must choose only one optional subject.

• The optional paper carries 300 marks.

• All Main Examination papers have a duration of three hours.

• The international form of Indian numerals should be used while writing answers.

• Calculators are not permitted in the Preliminary Examination.

• Candidates may use calculators in the Main Examination as permitted by the Commission.

The BPSC Syllabus provides a clear roadmap for every stage of the Combined Competitive Examination. From the General Studies paper in the Preliminary Examination to the compulsory papers, optional subjects, and Personality Test in the Main Examination process, each stage follows the official syllabus prescribed by the Commission. Candidates who prepare according to the syllabus can organise their studies more effectively and cover every important topic before the examination. 

Related Resources

• BPSC Selection Process 

• BPSC Eligibility Criteria 

• BPSC Previous Year Question Paper

• BPSC Exam Calendar

Enroll in  BPSC Online Coaching to boost your exam preparation. Our dedicated faculties are always here to support you in your journey. Our courses are designed to keep syllabus and exam pattern in mind from our educators.