BPSC Exam Pattern 2023: Exam Pattern, Marking Scheme for Prelims, Mains and Interview

BPSC Exam Pattern 2023:  Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is responsible for releasing the BPSC exam pattern. The exam pattern is released on the official website in PDF form. The exam pattern is released along with the official notification. Hence, candidates are advised to check the official notification properly before starting to prepare for the exam. The exam pattern helps the candidate to understand the pattern of the examination such as the duration of the exam, the total number of questions, type of questions and other information. 

Candidates must know that the exam has three stages including the prelims, mains and interview and the exam pattern for all three stages are different compared to each other. Hence, candidates should only refer to the exam pattern for the stage they are appearing for. Apart from the exam pattern, candidates should refer to the BPSC syllabus which are also given on the official website. It goes without saying that in order to get the desired exam results, candidates should completely familiarise themselves with the BPSC exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme. 

BPSC is a recruitment examination which is conducted to recruit candidates for the civil service posts offered under the administration of the Bihar government. Such posts include District Sanapark Officer, Sub Divisional Officer, Rural Development Officer, and other PCS level Officers. The exam is a state-level exam and is conducted annually. 

BPSC Exam Pattern

Both BPSC prelims and mains are qualifying in nature and the exam will be conducted in offline mode. While the prelims exam type is objective in nature, the mains exam type is subjective in nature. Once the candidate has qualified all prelims and mains then he or she will be able to appear for the interview round. Candidates have to be physically present in order to give the interview. 

The BPSC prelims total marks is set as 150, whereas the main exam has three necessary subjects and 1 optional subject. This means that the exam pattern for both prelims and mains are different from one another. The exam pattern further sheds light on types of questions asked in the examination, the total marks of the examination and other information. 

BPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims 

The prelims is the first stage for candidates which is also known as the screening stage. Candidates have to first fill the application form to appear for the BPSC prelims stage. Since both prelims and mains are different, the exam pattern for both stages are different compared to one another. 

Aspirants can take a look at the following exam pattern prescribed by the BPSC for the prelims stage. 

• The prelims exam has a total of 150 questions from the syllabus. 
• The exam has negative marking which means that 0.25 marks will be deducted for each correct answer. On the other hand, 1 mark will be awarded for each correct 
• Negative marking will also be applicable if the candidate has chosen to tick more than one answer. There will be no negative or positive scoring for queries that are left unanswered.
• The prelim exam type will be objective and the duration of the exam will be 2 hours. 

BPSC Marking Scheme for Prelims 

BPSC prelims marking scheme is also important for candidates who are appearing for the examination. The marking scheme sheds light on topics such as the highest weightage topic and other information. 

Aspirants can take a look at the following marking scheme prescribed by the BPSC for the prelims stage. 

BPSC Exam Pattern for Mains

Candidates who will qualify the prelims stage will be eligible to appear for the mains stage. The mains. The BPSC mains is the second stage for candidates who will be appearing for the examination. Aspirants who will be entering the mains stage will have to fill the application form separately. 

Aspirants can take a look at the following exam pattern prescribed by the BPSC for mains stage. 

• The mains stage will also be held in offline mode 
• The mains exam type is subjective and has three necessary papers to attempt and one optional subject. 
• The mains exam has negative marking which means that 0.25 marks will be deducted and candidates will get 1 mark for each right answer. 
• While the general Hindi (qualifying) exam in the mains consists of 100 marks, the other two papers of general studies and one optional exam consist of 300 marks which make a total of 900 respectively. The entire total mark of the exam is 1000.
• The duration of the exam will be 3 hours for each exam.  

BPSC Marking Scheme for Mains 

The BPSC marking scheme for the mains exam is different compared to the mains paper. Candidates can take a look at the following marking scheme for the BPSC Mains exam. 

BPSC Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme for Interview 

After clearing prelims and mains, the candidate will be eligible to appear for the interview stage. The interview is the final stage of the examination, which means that after qualifying the interview stage, candidates can be recruited to the post for which they have applied for. 

For the BPSC interview stage, candidates have to be physically present at the test centre given by the exam conducting body. Further, the interview stage consists of 120 marks. However, the duration of the interview stage is yet to be determined by the BPSC. 

BPSC Syllabus 

Apart from exam pattern and marking scheme, candidates should also refer to the BPSC syllabus. The syllabus for both BPSC Prelims and Mains stage is prescribed by the BPSC on its official website. Hence, candidates should check the syllabus first before appearing for the examination. 

BPSC Syllabus for Prelims

BPSC Syllabus for Mains 

BPSC Syllabus for Interview

The candidate will be eligible to take part in the interview stage if they have cleared the prelims and mains examinations. The interview is the last round of the process when the candidates must show up for a one-on-one round. Candidates must study their graduation-level coursework in order to be prepared for this round. Also, candidates should have a high general knowledge and be well-versed in daily events. Candidates should also read newspapers and keep up with current events.