BPSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) — Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Quick facts

• Prelims: 150 Qs · 150 marks · 2 hours
• Neg. Marking: None in Prelims
• Mains: Descriptive — GS I, II, III + Optional + Hindi
• Interview: 120 marks
• Age: 20–37 years (General); relaxations for SC/ST/OBC/Women
• Vacancies: 200–600 per CCE cycle

About BPSC CCE

The BPSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) recruits officers for Bihar state services including the Bihar Administrative Service (BAS), Bihar Police Service (BPS), Bihar Finance Service, Bihar Education Service, and several other Group A, B, and C cadres. It is Bihar's equivalent of the UPSC Civil Services and is conducted in three stages.

The BPSC Prelims is an objective-type test of 150 General Studies questions with no negative marking — a significant advantage over UPSC and SSC. Questions cover History with strong emphasis on Bihar's history, Indian Geography, Polity, Economy, General Science, and Current Affairs including Bihar-specific events.

The 70th BPSC CCE Prelims (2024) had 150 questions with notable emphasis on Bihar History (Nalanda, Vikramshila, Champaran Satyagraha), Indian Independence Movement, and recent Bihar government initiatives. The full solved paper is on Ministry of Papers.

Previous year papers

• BPSC 70th CCE Prelims 2024 — General Studies 2024 - 150 questions

History — Indian & Bihar

• Ancient Bihar — Magadha Empire, Pataliputra, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Bodh Gaya
• Medieval Bihar — Bhakti Movement (Kabir, Guru Nanak), Mughals in Bihar
• Modern India — 1857, British policy, Economic drain, Partition of Bengal
• Freedom Movement — Champaran Satyagraha (1917), Non-Cooperation, Quit India
• Bihar-specific leaders — Rajendra Prasad, JP Narayan, Loknayak Jai Prakash
• Post-independence — States reorganisation, Emergency (1975), Bihar floods

Indian & Bihar Geography

• Physical Geography — Himalayan ranges, Indo-Gangetic Plain, Deccan Plateau
• Bihar Geography — Rivers (Ganga, Son, Kosi, Gandak), districts, flood-prone areas
• Climate, soils, natural vegetation of Bihar
• Agriculture — Major crops of Bihar (paddy, wheat, maize, litchi)
• Minerals and industries in Bihar & Jharkhand

Indian Polity & Constitution

• Constitution — Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
• Parliament and State Legislature
• Federalism, Centre-State relations, Governor role in Bihar
• Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies in Bihar
• Important constitutional amendments

Indian Economy & Bihar Development

• National income, GDP, Five-Year Plans, NITI Aayog
• Bihar Economy — Agriculture, MSMEs, infrastructure projects (NH, bridges)
• Bihar government schemes — Mukhyamantri Bal Sahayata Yojana, Har Ghar Bijli
• Banking and financial inclusion in Bihar
• Poverty, MGNREGS, Jan Dhan, Direct Benefit Transfer

General Science

• Physics — Motion, Force, Optics, Electricity (Class 10 level)
• Chemistry — Acids, Bases, Salts, Metals & Non-metals, Carbon compounds
• Biology — Cell, Life processes, Reproduction, Heredity, Human diseases
• Science & Technology — ISRO missions, nuclear energy, health technology

Current Affairs (Bihar, National, International)

• Bihar — State Cabinet decisions, new schemes, appointments, Bihar Budget
• National — Union Budget, government flagship schemes, science missions
• International — Bilateral relations, UN, major summits, conflict zones
• Sports, awards, important days, personality in news