Overview
The BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) examination is how the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) recruits for the 26 BCS cadres. It follows the BCS (Age, Qualification and Direct Recruitment Examination) Rules 2014 and has three tiers: a preliminary test, a written test and a viva.
The 26 cadres are split into two groups. General cadres include Administration, Police, Foreign Affairs, Taxation, Customs and Excise, Audit and Accounts, Ansar, Cooperative, Family Planning, Postal, and parts of Food, Information, Livestock, Railway Transport and Commercial, and Trade. Technical or professional cadres include Agriculture, Fisheries, Forest, General Education, Health, Public Health Engineering, Public Works, Railway Engineering, Roads and Highways, Statistics and Technical Education. The Economic cadre was merged into the Administration cadre by a 2018 gazette.
Age limits, educational requirements and dates are set in each circular, and this page does not list them.
Exam pattern
Tier 1: Preliminary (MCQ, 200 marks, 2 hours)
The test has been 200 marks since the 35th BCS; earlier exams used 100 marks.
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| Bangla language and literature | 35 |
| English language and literature | 35 |
| Bangladesh affairs | 30 |
| International affairs | 20 |
| Geography (Bangladesh and world), environment and disaster management | 10 |
| General science | 15 |
| Computer and information technology | 15 |
| Mathematical reasoning | 15 |
| Mental ability | 15 |
| Ethics, values and good governance | 10 |
Tier 2: Written (900 marks)
Candidates who qualify in the preliminary sit the written exam, with an average pass mark of 50 percent. The papers depend on the cadre group.
| Subject | General cadres | Technical or professional cadres |
|---|---|---|
| Bangla | 200 | 100 |
| English | 200 | 200 |
| Bangladesh affairs | 200 | 200 |
| International affairs | 100 | 100 |
| Mathematical reasoning and mental ability | 100 | 100 |
| General science and technology | 100 | Not included |
| Post-related subject | Not included | 200 |
A candidate who lists preferences in both groups takes the general papers (900 marks) plus an extra 200-mark paper on the subject related to the technical post.
Tier 3: Viva (200 marks)
Candidates who pass the written exam must attend a viva of 200 marks, with a pass mark of 50 percent. The board is chaired by a BPSC chairman or member and includes an officer of joint secretary rank or above nominated by the government, and a subject expert nominated by the commission.
Preparation tips
Cover all ten preliminary subjects; Bangla and English together carry 70 of the 200 marks.
The written exam weights Bangladesh affairs heavily at 200 marks, so build depth there.
Check the current circular for dates, age limits and educational requirements before you plan.
How many tiers does BCS have?
Three: a 200-mark MCQ preliminary, a 900-mark written exam and a 200-mark viva.