Overview
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) conducts the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) to recruit officers into the Bihar Administrative Service and allied state civil services — such as Deputy Superintendent of Police, State Tax Assistant Commissioner, Revenue Officer and Block-level officers — alongside a number of separate, smaller recruitment drives for specific posts (District Statistical Officer, Auditor, Lecturer and similar) that BPSC also runs. Per BPSC's own exam calendar, the 71st CCE notified 1,298 vacancies and the 72nd CCE (an integrated combined preliminary exam) notified 1,189 vacancies; a post-wise breakdown reported separately for the 72nd cycle lists 1,077 vacancies for Bihar Administrative Service and allied posts plus 153 for other specific posts such as Child Development Project Officer, Financial Administrative Officer and Sub-Divisional Protection Officer.
Who can apply
Applicants need a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from a recognised university for the 72nd CCE preliminary exam; specific posts such as Child Development Project Officer, Financial Administrative Officer, and Sub-Divisional Protection Officer carry their own subject requirements (for example, a degree in Commerce, Economics, Mathematics or Statistics for Financial Administrative Officer). Reported age limits for a recent CCE cycle: minimum age 20-22 years depending on the post, maximum 37 years for Unreserved-category male candidates, extending to 40 years for Unreserved women and Backward/Extremely Backward Class candidates, and 42 years for SC/ST candidates. Always confirm the exact age and qualification for your post against the specific advertisement, since these are set per cycle and post.
Exam pattern
Selection runs through three stages: Preliminary (objective, MCQ), Mains (written), and Interview (personality test).
Preliminary examination
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | General Studies, multiple-choice, objective |
| Marks | 150 |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Negative marking | 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer |
| Nature | Screening/qualifying only; does not count toward final merit |
Each question carries five options (A-E); candidates who don't want to answer must mark option E, since leaving all options blank is itself penalised as an unanswered question. Reported qualifying cut-offs for a recent cycle: 40% for General/Unreserved candidates, 36.5% for Backward Class, 34% for Extremely Backward Class, and 32% for SC/ST and other reserved categories. Roughly ten times the number of vacancies are called forward to Mains, based on the cut-off.
Main examination
| Paper | Marks | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| General Hindi | 100 | Qualifying (minimum 30%) |
| General Studies I | 300 | Counts to merit |
| General Studies II | 300 | Counts to merit |
| Essay | 300 | Counts to merit |
| Optional subject (candidate's choice) | — | Counts to merit |
| Total (mandatory papers) | 1,000 |
Candidates who qualify Prelims must separately register for Mains. Non-language optional papers can be answered in Hindi, English or Urdu only.
Interview
A personality test of 120 marks is conducted for candidates who qualify Mains; it is the final stage before the merit list. Candidates state their post/service preference at this stage, and it cannot be changed later. A medical examination follows, at a nominal fee reported at ₹16.
Fees
Application fee reported for a recent CCE cycle: ₹100 per examination category the candidate applies under, plus a ₹200 biometric fee for candidates who do not provide their Aadhaar number at registration. Confirm the fee for the current cycle against the live advertisement, since it can be revised.
Important dates
Per BPSC's exam calendar (updated 14 August 2026): the 71st CCE Preliminary exam was held on 13 September 2025, with Mains tentatively scheduled around November 2025 and results in progress through 2026. The 72nd CCE (Integrated), with 1,189 vacancies, had its Preliminary exam scheduled for 25 October 2026 on the official calendar (a separate secondary report placed registration in May 2026, so check the live calendar for the confirmed date). BPSC marks all dates on this calendar as tentative and subject to change; a scheduled 72nd CCE preliminary date had already been postponed once earlier in 2026, per BPSC's own notice board.
How to apply
Applications for BPSC exams are submitted online through the Commission's dedicated portal at bpsconline.bihar.gov.in, using the candidate login for the specific advertisement. A One Time Registration (OTR) is required before filling the application form.
Preparation tips
Because BPSC runs the CCE alongside many smaller, post-specific recruitment drives in parallel, always confirm which advertisement number and post you are tracking rather than assuming all BPSC news applies to the CCE. Since Prelims is purely a qualifying screen and only Mains and Interview marks decide the final merit, spend disproportionate preparation time on the Mains General Studies papers and your chosen optional subject rather than over-optimising the Prelims cut-off.
What is the BPSC CCE?
The Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) is BPSC's main recruitment exam for the Bihar Administrative Service and allied state civil services, run in Preliminary, Mains and Interview stages.
How many vacancies were notified for the 72nd BPSC CCE?
BPSC's exam calendar lists 1,189 vacancies for the 72nd CCE (Integrated), as of the calendar update dated 14 August 2026; a post-wise breakdown reported separately splits this into 1,077 for Bihar Administrative Service and allied posts and 153 for other specific posts.
Do BPSC Prelims marks count toward the final result?
No. The Preliminary exam is a qualifying screening stage only; the final merit is decided by Mains and Interview marks.
Is there negative marking in the BPSC Preliminary exam?
Yes, 1/3 mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and leaving a question fully blank (rather than marking option E for "no answer") is also treated as a penalised unanswered response, per reporting on a recent cycle's pattern.
Does BPSC only conduct the CCE?
No. Alongside the CCE, BPSC's exam calendar lists several separate, smaller recruitment drives for specific posts, each with its own advertisement number, vacancy count and schedule.
Where can I apply for BPSC exams?
Applications are submitted online through the Commission's own portal at bpsconline.bihar.gov.in.