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BPSC Syllabus 2026: 72nd CCE Prelims

The 72nd prelims pattern and marking, sourced to BPSC’s own notices, with the points they leave unstated labelled as our reading; how many past questions each subject drew across 9 papers; and every chapter of the syllabus with how often it was asked.

72nd BPSC Prelims at a glance

Marks
150 marks, from a single General Studies paper Source
Duration
2 hours Source
Questions
150 questions in every recent paper (65th to 71st), each of equal marks Source Inferred: BPSC’s advertisement states the total of 150 marks but not the number of questions. Every paper from the 65th to the 71st that we hold has 150 questions of equal marks, so we read the 72nd the same way.
Correct answer
+1 for each correct answer (150 marks over 150 equal questions) Source Inferred: BPSC’s advertisement states 150 marks in total but not the mark for one correct answer. With 150 questions of equal marks, we read +1 for each correct answer.
Languages
Hindi and English Source
Role of the prelims
A screening test only: prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list, which is built from Mains (900 marks) and Interview (120 marks) Source
Minimum marks to qualify
40% for General, 36.5% for Backward Class, 34% for Extremely Backward Class, and 32% for SC/ST, women and persons with disabilities Source
Wrong answer
One-third negative marking for each wrong answer Source
Option E
Option E means “Not Attempted”, and marking E is the required way to skip a question Source
Marks for option E
A question marked E scores 0: no mark added or deducted Source Inferred: BPSC’s notices do not state a mark for E; they deduct one-third only for a wrong or a fully blank answer, so we read E as 0.
Fully blank question
A question with none of A to E marked loses one-third of a mark Source
Exam date
Postponed by BPSC’s notice of 12 October 2026. The exam was due on 25 October 2026, and BPSC says the new date will be announced later. Source

Checked against BPSC notices on 2026-11-06

After the exam: where the 72nd answer key stands, and a score calculator for the 72nd marking.

BPSC prelims PYQ weightage by subject

How many questions each subject drew in each of the 9 prelims papers from the 65th to the 71st. Select a subject to jump to its chapters.

PYQs per subject in each prelims paper, 65th to 71st
Subject65th (2019)66th (2020)67th, first sitting (2022)67th re-exam (Sep 2022)68th (2023)69th (2023)70th (Dec 2024)70th re-exam (Jan 2025)71st (2025)TotalShare
History39373633363734393132223.9%
Geography22202323202524281720215.0%
Polity127171310131415141158.5%
Economy89119161111109947.0%
Science27273030292021272723817.7%
Environment and Ecology430144222221.6%
Mathematics and Mental Ability10101010101010910896.6%
Static General Knowledge200023222131.0%
Current Affairs26372331232632183525118.6%
All subjects1501501501501501491501501471,346—

How we counted

  • 9 papers from 7 exams, the 65th to the 71st, with two papers each from the 67th (its first sitting and the re-exam) and the 70th (the December paper and the January re-exam).
  • Each question is counted once, in the chapter it tests.
  • The 17 questions BPSC later deleted are included: they were set and printed.
  • Of the 1,350 questions, 3 could not be mapped to a chapter and 1 is not yet placed in one, so the table counts the other 1,346.
  • The option format changed over the years, from the papers themselves:
    • 65th to 67th, including both 67th sittings: options A to E; E is “None of the above/More than one of the above”
    • 68th: options A to E; D is “More than one of the above”; E is “None of the above”
    • 69th to 71st, including the 70th (December) and the 70th re-exam (January): options A to D
    • 72nd onward: options A to E; E is “Not Attempted”
  • The dates, option formats and deleted questions of the papers in this table, and BPSC’s own files where they exist, are on BPSC question papers.
  • The PYQ library counts published chapters only, so its totals are lower than these.
  • Every figure here comes from our own classification of the papers: these are Preptez’s counts, not an official BPSC weighting.

The official BPSC prelims syllabus

The prelims is one General Studies paper. BPSC’s syllabus PDF (the 2017 Gazette, p.55) lists seven heads, paraphrased here:

  1. General science
  2. Current events of national and international importance
  3. History of India and the salient features of Bihar’s history
  4. General geography and the geography of Bihar
  5. Indian polity and economy, and Bihar’s economy since Independence
  6. The national movement and Bihar’s part in it
  7. General mental ability

Preptez arranges the seven official heads into nine study subjects.

BPSC History syllabus (Prelims)

Ancient History

Medieval History

Modern Indian History

Bihar History

BPSC Geography syllabus (Prelims)

World Geography

Indian Geography

Bihar Geography

BPSC Polity syllabus (Prelims)

Indian Polity

Bihar Polity

BPSC Economy syllabus (Prelims)

Indian Economy

Bihar Economy

BPSC Science syllabus (Prelims)

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

BPSC Environment and Ecology syllabus (Prelims)

Environment

BPSC Mathematics and Mental Ability syllabus (Prelims)

Maths and Mental Ability

BPSC Static General Knowledge syllabus (Prelims)

Static GK

BPSC Current Affairs syllabus (Prelims)

National and International Current Affairs

Bihar Current Affairs

After the prelims: BPSC Mains

General Hindi 100 marks (qualifying); General Studies I 300; General Studies II 300; Essay 300; one optional subject of 100 MCQ marks (qualifying); Interview 120. The Mains part of the syllabus PDF is out of date. The 2017 Gazette predates the Essay paper. Sources: the 72nd advertisement (the Mains table, pp.7 to 9) for the current structure, and the official syllabus PDF.

BPSC prelims syllabus: frequently asked questions

Is there negative marking in the 72nd BPSC prelims?

Yes. One-third negative marking for each wrong answer. A question with none of A to E marked loses one-third of a mark. A question marked E scores 0: no mark added or deducted. BPSC’s notices do not state a mark for E; they deduct one-third only for a wrong or a fully blank answer, so we read E as 0.

What is option E in the BPSC prelims?

Option E means “Not Attempted”, and marking E is the required way to skip a question. A question with none of A to E marked loses one-third of a mark. A question marked E scores 0: no mark added or deducted. BPSC’s notices do not state a mark for E; they deduct one-third only for a wrong or a fully blank answer, so we read E as 0.

What is the syllabus of the 72nd BPSC prelims?

The prelims is one General Studies paper. BPSC’s syllabus lists these heads: General science; current events of national and international importance; history of India and the salient features of Bihar’s history; general geography and the geography of Bihar; Indian polity and economy, and Bihar’s economy since Independence; the national movement and Bihar’s part in it; general mental ability.

How many questions and marks are there in the BPSC prelims?

Marks: 150 marks, from a single General Studies paper. Duration: 2 hours. Questions: 150 questions in every recent paper (65th to 71st), each of equal marks. BPSC’s advertisement states the total of 150 marks but not the number of questions. Every paper from the 65th to the 71st that we hold has 150 questions of equal marks, so we read the 72nd the same way. Format: Objective multiple-choice questions with options A to E, one answer per question.

Are the prelims marks counted in the final merit list?

No. A screening test only: prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list, which is built from Mains (900 marks) and Interview (120 marks). Minimum marks to qualify: 40% for General, 36.5% for Backward Class, 34% for Extremely Backward Class, and 32% for SC/ST, women and persons with disabilities.

Where is the official BPSC syllabus and advertisement PDF?

The official documents are on bpsc.bihar.gov.in: the Integrated 72nd CCE (Preliminary) advertisement dated 05-05-2026 is among its notices, and the syllabus PDF is listed on its syllabus page (https://bpsc.bihar.gov.in/syllabus/). We link BPSC’s own files and do not re-host them.

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