State PSC

📌 Overview

Every Indian State and several Union Territories have a Public Service Commission (or an equivalent recruiting body). These commissions conduct State Civil Services examinations to fill administrative, police, revenue, finance, block development and other Group A / Group B posts of that state — Deputy Collector / SDM, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Block Development Officer, Tehsildar, Treasury Officer, and many allied services.

State PSC exams are the closest cousin of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Most follow the same three-stage design: Preliminary Examination (objective screening) → Main Examination (written, usually descriptive) → Interview / Personality Test. Prelims marks are almost never added to the final rank. Language papers, state-specific General Studies, domicile rules and age limits differ from state to state.

For many aspirants, State PCS is a parallel or backup pathway to UPSC. Syllabus overlap with UPSC GS is high. Success probability is generally better than UPSC for a candidate who has domicile of that state and is willing to master the regional language and state-specific papers.

🎯 What Posts Do State PSCs Fill?

Names differ, but the career is comparable to a state-cadre version of IAS / IPS / IFS at the entry level:

• Administrative: Deputy Collector, SDM, Assistant Commissioner, RAS / PCS / KAS / BAS officer
• Police: Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP / DSP)
• Revenue & Development: Tehsildar, BDO, Assistant Director (various departments)
• Accounts / Finance / Treasury and other specialised state services notified each cycle

Training is at the State Administrative Academy. Posting is within the state (much fewer all-India transfers than IAS). Promotion can take an officer to Secretary / Head of Department level in the state government.

📋 Common Eligibility Rules

• Nationality: Indian citizen. Some notifications also list Nepal / Bhutan subjects as in UPSC-style rules.
• Education: Graduation from a recognised university. A few technical / specialised posts need a specific degree.
• Age: Minimum is usually 19 or 21. Upper age for Unreserved candidates commonly sits between 35 and 40 (Bihar General male is among the lowest at 37; Telangana is among the highest). Women often receive extra years in states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. OBC / SC / ST / PwBD relaxations follow that state’s government rules — and usually require domicile of that state.
• Domicile: Other-state candidates can often apply only in the Unreserved category, without caste reservation, age relaxation or fee concession. Always read the domicile paragraph of the notice.
• Language: Marathi (MPSC), Kannada (KPSC), Tamil (TNPSC), Bengali (WBCS), Gujarati (GPSC) and similar papers / proficiency tests are compulsory or qualifying in several states.
• Attempts: Most State PSCs have no attempt cap until the candidate crosses the upper age limit. Maharashtra Rajyaseva is a notable exception with a fixed attempt limit in recent rules.
• Final-year students: Allowed in some commissions (e.g. UPPSC in many cycles), not in others (e.g. BPSC often requires the degree before applying). Check the year’s PDF.

Indicative age bands (Unreserved, latest widely cited notifications — verify PDF)

• UPPSC PCS: 21–40 years (age often counted on 1 July of the year)
• BPSC CCE: 21–37 (General male); women / OBC / SC-ST higher as notified (reference date e.g. 1 August)
• MPSC Rajyaseva: about 19–38 years
• RPSC RAS: 21–40 (women and reserved categories higher)
• MPPSC SSE: 21–40 (women / reserved higher)
• TNPSC Group 1: 21 to post-wise upper limit (often early-to-mid 30s for UR on some posts)
• KPSC KAS: around 21–35 UR in typical cycles

📝 Typical Exam Pattern

No two State PSCs are identical. Use this only as a map, then open that state’s notification.

Stage 1 – Prelims (screening)

• Two-paper model (UPSC-like): GS Paper I (merit for cut-off) + CSAT / Aptitude Paper II (qualifying, often 33%). Used by UPPSC, MPSC, MPPSC, KPSC and several others.
• Single-paper model: One GS paper of 150–200 marks. Used by BPSC and RPSC RAS in recent cycles (no separate CSAT in BPSC 71st-style papers).
• Negative marking is common (1/3rd or 1/4th). Mode is usually offline OMR; a few commissions have moved selected exams online.

Stage 2 – Mains (decides most of the merit)

• Descriptive papers of 3 hours each, handwritten.
• Almost every state has a qualifying language paper (Hindi / Marathi / Tamil / Kannada / English).
• Essay + 3 to 6 General Studies papers. Several states have added dedicated “State Special” GS papers (Uttar Pradesh GS-V and GS-VI are the best-known example after optionals were removed).
• Optional subject: still used by BPSC and restored in MPSC Rajyaseva (choose 1 from a list). UPPSC PCS has removed the optional for the general stream and replaced it with UP-specific papers.

Stage 3 – Interview

Usually 50–120 marks (UPPSC 100, RPSC RAS 100, BPSC around 120, KPSC often 50). Final merit = Mains + Interview. Document verification and medical exam follow.

🏛️ Major State PSCs — Pattern Snapshot (2025–26 cycles)

1. UPPSC PCS (Uttar Pradesh) — uppsc.up.nic.in

• Prelims: Paper I GS – 150 Q, 200 marks, 2 hrs. Paper II CSAT – 100 Q, 200 marks, qualifying at 33%. Negative marking 1/3rd. Same day.
• Mains: 8 compulsory papers. General Hindi (150, qualifying) + Essay (150) + GS I–IV (200 each) + GS V & GS VI Uttar Pradesh Special (200 each). Optionals removed.
• Interview: 100 marks. Merit roughly 1,350 (Mains counted papers) + 100.
• 2026 cycle notes: Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services notification activity around mid-2026 with a few hundred vacancies reported in public coverage (use only the official vacancy table). Hindi is the primary writing medium; English is allowed if chosen consistently.

2. BPSC CCE (Bihar) — bpsc.bih.nic.in

• Prelims: Single GS paper, 150 MCQs / 150 marks, 2 hours, 1/3 negative marking. No CSAT in the widely used 71st CCE pattern.
• Mains: General Hindi (qualifying) + Essay + GS I + GS II + Optional Paper I & II (merit papers; totals vary by notice, commonly cited around 900 marks for counted papers).
• Interview: Yes (about 120 marks in recent cycles).
• Notes: 71st CCE (notified 2025) carried a large vacancy list (about 1,250 posts in public reports) with Mains discussed for April 2026. General-male upper age is relatively strict. Degree usually required at application time.

3. MPSC Rajyaseva / Gazetted Civil Services (Maharashtra) — mpsc.gov.in

• Prelims: GS 100 Q / 200 marks + CSAT 80 Q / 200 marks (33% qualifying). Negative marking 1/4th. Offline OMR.
• Mains (from 2025 reform): UPSC-style nine descriptive papers — Marathi & English qualifying (300 each) + Essay + GS papers + optional (1 subject, 2 papers) for 1,750 merit marks in the restored-optional design.
• Language: Marathi read / write / speak is effectively mandatory for most posts.
• Attempts: Capped for UR in recent rules (often cited as 6). Confirm the live advertisement.

4. RPSC RAS / RTS (Rajasthan) — rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in

• Prelims: One GS paper, 200 marks, qualifying for Mains, 1/3 negative marking.
• Mains: Four descriptive papers × 200 = 800 marks — GS-I, GS-II, GS-III and General Hindi & General English (structure updated periodically; 2026 notices kept four papers / 800 marks + 100 interview in public explainers).
• Interview: 100 marks. Final out of 900.
• Heavy weight on Rajasthan history, geography, economy, schemes and current affairs.

5. MPPSC State Service Exam (Madhya Pradesh) — mppsc.mp.gov.in

• Prelims: two papers (GS + CSAT-style aptitude), then Mains descriptive papers + interview.
• Age band for UR often 21–40 with higher limits for women and reserved categories. No attempt cap till age limit in typical rules.

6. TNPSC Group 1 (Tamil Nadu) — tnpsc.gov.in

• 2026 cycle (public notices): Application window June–July 2026; Prelims slated 6 September 2026 in that advertisement cycle.
• Prelims: 200 MCQs, 300 marks (1.5 mark each), 3 hours.
• Mains: Paper I Tamil eligibility (qualifying at SSLC standard). Papers II–IV General Studies at degree standard, 250 marks each — evaluated only if Tamil paper is cleared.
• Interview: 100 marks.
• One-Time Registration on tnpsc.gov.in is required before applying.

7. KPSC KAS (Karnataka) — kpsc.kar.nic.in

• Prelims: two papers × 200 marks, 0.25 negative marking typical.
• Mains: nine papers, 1,750-mark UPSC-like design; Kannada and English qualifying (often 150 marks, 2 hours). Interview about 50 marks.
• Kannada language proficiency is central.

8. Other important commissions

• WBPSC WBCS — wbpsc.gov.in — Group A/B/C/D; Bengali language matters for higher groups.
• GPSC — gpsc.gujarat.gov.in — Class 1 / 2; Gujarati.
• APPSC / TGPSC — psc.ap.gov.in / tspsc.gov.in — Group 1; Telugu / Urdu as notified. Telangana UR upper age is among the highest in India.
• OPSC OAS — opsc.gov.in — Odisha.
• HPSC / HPPSC / PPSC / JKPSC / CGPSC / JPSC / UKPSC / APSC — each has its own Group A/B calendar.

📅 How the Annual Calendar Usually Looks

• Notification: different months in different states (UPPSC often first half of the year; BPSC and RPSC calendars slip frequently).
• Prelims: commonly May–September.
• Mains: 3–8 months after Prelims.
• Interview + final result: can stretch 12–18 months from notification. Delays are normal. Always follow only the commission website and the employment gazette of that state.

💻 How to Apply

1. Open the official PSC website of that state (list below). Do not use third-party “apply” links.
2. Complete One-Time Registration where the state uses OTR (TNPSC, several others).
3. Fill the Combined State Services / RAS / Group 1 form. Upload photo, signature and documents in the exact pixel / KB size.
4. Pay the fee (reserved categories with domicile are often concessional or exempt).
5. Download the confirmation page. Watch the site for admit card, exam city and any change of date.

🔗 Official Websites (bookmark these)

• UPPSC – Uttar Pradesh
• BPSC – Bihar
• MPSC – Maharashtra
• RPSC – Rajasthan
• MPPSC – Madhya Pradesh
• TNPSC – Tamil Nadu
• KPSC – Karnataka
• WBPSC – West Bengal
• GPSC – Gujarat
• APPSC – Andhra Pradesh
• TGPSC – Telangana
• OPSC – Odisha
• HPSC – Haryana
• HPPSC – Himachal Pradesh
• PPSC – Punjab
• JKPSC – Jammu & Kashmir
• CGPSC – Chhattisgarh
• JPSC – Jharkhand
• UKPSC – Uttarakhand
• APSC – Assam

Some states use additional boards for subordinate services (for example UPSSSC in Uttar Pradesh, RSMSSB in Rajasthan). Those are not the same as the State Civil Services / PCS exam.

💼 Salary & Career

Entry pay is usually Level 7 to Level 10 of the state pay matrix (roughly comparable to central Group B / entry Group A after allowances). In-hand pay varies with HRA of the posting city and current DA. Perks include official accommodation or HRA, vehicle / travel on certain posts, and a defined promotion ladder inside the state cadre.

Compared with UPSC IAS: fewer all-India transfers, work in one’s home state, slightly lower public prestige at the start, but a much larger number of seats per cycle in some states and no UPSC-style attempt cap in most commissions.

💡 Preparation Strategy

• Build a UPSC-quality GS core first (NCERTs + one standard book per subject + newspaper). That core travels across UPPSC, BPSC, RPSC and UPSC.
• Add a State Special module: history, geography, economy, schemes, budget, tribes, art and current affairs of that state. This is where State PCS ranks are won.
• Language paper is not optional in practice. If the state requires Marathi, Tamil, Kannada or Hindi descriptive answers, start writing practice in that language from month one.
• CSAT / aptitude: Do not ignore it in two-paper states. Qualifying papers eliminate otherwise strong GS candidates every year.
• Answer writing: Mains is descriptive. Practise 150–250 word answers with introductions, state examples and diagrams.
• Optional: Only if your target state still has one (BPSC, MPSC). Pick a subject you can write in the allowed medium.
• Apply to one or two states you can realistically serve, not five calendars at once. Domicile + language + travel for Mains/interview matter.
• Download that commission’s last official syllabus PDF and previous papers from the official site only.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I write a State PSC without being a resident of that state? Often yes, but only as Unreserved, with no reservation or age relaxation. Some posts are domicile-only.
• Is State PCS easier than UPSC? The paper style is similar; competition per vacancy is still intense. Language and state GS are extra work. Success rate is usually higher than UPSC but still well below 1% in large states.
• Can I prepare UPSC and State PCS together? Yes. Share GS, current affairs and CSAT. Add state papers and language in the last 3–4 months before that state’s Mains.
• Do Prelims marks count? Almost never in the final rank list.
• Which State PSC should I choose? Prefer your home state (reservation, language, posting). If you are open to another state, pick one whose language you can write and whose upper age / attempt rules still fit you.

🗂️ How to build your personal syllabus sheet

1. Download the official syllabus / information handout PDF tonight.
2. Copy every heading into a notebook page or spreadsheet.
3. Against each heading write: Book chapter / NCERT unit / YouTube playlist name / last PYQ year you solved.
4. Mark High / Medium / Low after you solve 3 years of PYQs — not before.
5. Revise High topics four times, Medium twice, Low once, all with PYQs.

Current affairs — one method for every exam on this site

• Read (do not only watch): one newspaper or PIB daily digest.
• Make 5–10 lines per important scheme, report, judgment, RBI decision or science mission.
• Revise a 30-day file every Sunday and a 6-month file before Prelims / Mains.
• Link every CA note to a static syllabus heading (polity, economy, environment, banking, defence).

PYQ rule

• If a topic has not appeared in 8–10 years and is tiny in the official syllabus, keep it low priority.
• If a topic appears every year (polity articles, percentage, RC, banking rates, NCERT biology lines), it is High regardless of coaching “new pattern” videos.

📊 Exam Trend & Highest-Weightage Areas

Commissions do not publish an official chapter-wise weightage table. The points below come from public previous-year papers and widely used coaching analyses. Use them to decide revision order, not to skip a listed syllabus topic.

State PSC trends

• GS core overlaps UPSC. State special papers (UP GS-V/VI, Rajasthan GS, Bihar GS) decide ranks among equally prepared UPSC aspirants.
• Language papers (Hindi / Marathi / Tamil / Kannada / Bengali) are qualifying but eliminate careless candidates.
• Prelims may be one paper (BPSC, RAS) or two papers with CSAT (UPPSC, MPSC, KPSC).
• No attempt cap in most states till upper age — planning can span several years.

📚 What Content You Should Actually Follow

1. Official syllabus PDF of the current year — print it and tick topics.
2. Official previous year papers (last 8–10 years) from the commission / NTA / IBPS / SSC website.
3. One primary book per subject (listed below). Do not collect 10 PDFs of the same chapter.
4. NCERT Class 6–12 where the exam is GS / science / maths based — free on ncert.nic.in.
5. Current affairs only from a newspaper + one monthly compilation + the official PIB / ministry sites.
6. Mocks that copy the live interface (sectional timer, NAT, descriptive box).

📖 Standard Books (widely used by serious aspirants)

• Polity: Indian Polity — M. Laxmikanth; NCERT Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work
• Modern History: Spectrum (Rajiv Ahir); NCERT Themes in Indian History Part III
• Geography: NCERT Class 11–12; Certificate Physical and Human Geography — G.C. Leong (selective)
• Economy: NCERT Class 11–12; Indian Economy — Ramesh Singh or Sanjiv Verma (selective); Economic Survey highlights; Union Budget summary
• Environment: NCERT biology ecology units; Shankar IAS Environment (selective)
• Science (SSC / RRB / GD): Lucent GK science + NCERT 6–10
• Quant / Maths (SSC): SSC previous papers + Rakesh Yadav / Kiran PYQ or equivalent type-wise book; NCERT 8–10 for basics
• Quant (Bank / CAT): Arun Sharma or Sarvesh Verma selectively; daily DI sets
• English grammar: Wren & Martin (selective) + Neetu Singh (KD Campus) Plinth to Paramount / SP Bakshi Objective General English
• Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal (foundation) + exam-specific PYQ book (Kiran / Adda / Oliveboard)
• Static GK: Lucent General Knowledge; one atlas (Oxford / Orient Blackswan)
• JEE / NEET Physics: H.C. Verma; D.C. Pandey or Physics Galaxy; NCERT exemplar
• JEE / NEET Chemistry: NCERT first; N. Awasthi / M.S. Chauhan / V.K. Jaiswal as level demands
• JEE Maths: Cengage or Arihant series + previous JEE Main / Advanced papers
• NEET Biology: NCERT Class 11–12 line by line; MTG / All-in-one only after NCERT
• CAT VARC: past CAT RCs; a good newspaper editorial habit
• GATE: standard UG textbooks of the branch + made-easy / ACE previous paper books + official GATE papers on the organising IIT site

Buy the latest edition. Second-hand previous-year paper books are enough for practice. Coaching photocopies are optional.

🌐 Official & Open / Free Content (use these first)

• NCERT textbooks (free PDF)
• ePathshala
• NPTEL — free engineering / science lectures by IIT faculty
• DIKSHA
• Press Information Bureau — authentic government news
• Union Budget & Economic Survey
• RBI — monetary policy, bulletin (banking / RBI / NABARD / SEBI)
• UPSC previous papers and cut-offs
• SSC notices and some paper archives
• IBPS information handouts
• NTA — JEE, NEET, CUET, UGC NET, CSIR NET mocks and keys
• SWAYAM — free university courses
• Khan Academy (free world-class maths / science videos mapped to school level)
• Official mock / practice portals of NTA, IBPS (when opened) and JoSAA / MCC counselling brochures

Prefer a government PDF over a random Telegram file. Fake “memory-based papers” with wrong keys waste months.

▶️ YouTube Channels & Teachers (free classes — pick ONE per subject)

These are well-known public education channels. They are not official partners of this website. Watch playlists, not 10 live classes a day. Pause and solve; do not only listen.

School / JEE / NEET foundation

• Physics Wallah (Alakh Pandey) — Physics and complete JEE / NEET boards-to-entrance path; also Defence / SSC verticals under PW
• Khan Academy India — calm concept videos for Maths and Science
• ExamFear / LearnoHub — chapter-wise school Science and Maths
• Physics Galaxy (Ashish Arora) — JEE Physics depth
• Mohit Tyagi — JEE Mathematics (long but thorough playlists)
• Unacademy JEE / NEET and Vedantu JEE — free live plus recorded batches

UPSC / State PSC

• Mrunal Patel — Economy, Budget, Economic Survey (also useful for RBI / NABARD)
• Drishti IAS — Hindi + English current affairs and GS
• StudyIQ IAS — daily CA and subject crash courses
• Vision IAS — current affairs and strategy videos
• ForumIAS / OnlyIAS / Sleepy Classes — optional and GS answer writing samples
• Unacademy UPSC — free editorial and GS sessions

SSC / Railway

• Gagan Pratap Maths — type-wise SSC Maths
• Rankers Gurukul (Aditya Ranjan) — arithmetic for beginners
• English with Rani Ma’am and KD Live (Neetu Singh Ma’am) — SSC English
• Parmar SSC — exam-oriented GA / GS
• Adda247 SSC, Wifistudy, Testbook SSC — live practice

Banking / Insurance / RBI / SEBI / NABARD

• Adda247 Bankers — full IBPS / SBI path, daily CA
• Banking Wallah (Physics Wallah) — puzzles and bank syllabus classes
• Oliveboard and Guidely — mock discussion and mains DI / puzzles
• AffairsCloud / BankersAdda written CA — monthly PDFs (website + YT recap)
• Mrunal again for RBI Grade B ESI / economy

CAT / Management

• Rodha — CAT Quant
• 2IIM CAT — VARC and strategy
• Anastasis Academy / Elites Grid — DILR sets (use free videos + official CAT papers)

GATE / ESE / CSIR

• NPTEL — first choice (IIT faculty, free)
• GATE Academy / Made Easy / ACE YouTube — previous paper discussions
• Unacademy GATE — free plus structured batches

Law / CUET / NET

• LegalEdge / LawSikho free CLAT sets and consortium sample papers
• CUET Adda / PW CUET — domain NCERT walk-throughs
• Let’s Crack UGC NET / Unacademy NTA-UGC — Paper 1 playlists

How to watch: one teacher per subject, 1.25× speed, notebook open, 30-minute video + 30-minute self-practice. Unfollow extra channels.

🗓️ A Simple Content Routine (works for almost every exam on this site)

• Morning (60–90 min): newspaper or PIB + 10 MCQs of yesterday’s CA
• Mid-day (2–3 hrs): one static / core subject from the official syllabus with a standard book
• Evening (90 min): PYQs of that chapter + error log
• Night (45 min): weak-area drill (CSAT / English / formulae)
• Weekly: one full mock in exam conditions + 2-hour analysis
• Monthly: revise the error log, not the whole bookshelf

✅ Open-source & low-cost practice platforms

• Official PYQ PDFs (UPSC, NTA keys, IBPS memory-based after official handout)
• NTA Abhyas / practice tests when the exam window opens
• Free weekly mocks: Oliveboard, Testbook, Adda247, Gradeup/BYJU’S Exam Prep (limited free tier)
• Anki / any free flashcard app for formulae and polity articles
• Google Arts & Culture / Survey of India maps for geography outline practice

⚠️ How to treat coaching names on this page

Book names and YouTube teachers are listed because lakhs of students already use them in public. This site does not sell their courses and does not guarantee a rank if you watch them. Always cross-check facts with the official syllabus and previous papers. If a video contradicts the official notification, trust the notification.

⚠️ Disclaimer

Each State PSC publishes its own advertisement, rules, syllabus annexure and vacancy table. Patterns quoted here summarise 2025–26 public notifications and can change in the next gazette. Before you apply, open the latest PDF on the official commission website listed above. This page is an educational overview, not a substitute for the notice.