BharatNotes BPSC 70th CCE interviews are done and final merit list is awaited; 71st CCE Mains just concluded in April 2026; 72nd CCE was freshly notified on 5 May 2026 with 1,186 vacancies.
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) runs one of India's most active state PCS recruitment cycles — three concurrent cycles are active as of May 2026, making it the single best-volume opportunity for aspirants seeking guaranteed entry into the administrative services.
Three Active Cycles — Summary
| Cycle | Vacancies | Current Status (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| BPSC 70th CCE | 2,035 posts | Interviews done; final merit list awaited |
| BPSC 71st CCE | ~1,264 posts | Mains held April 2026; result awaited |
| BPSC 72nd CCE | 1,186 posts | Applications open till 31 May 2026; Prelims 26 July 2026 |
BPSC 70th CCE (2024-25) — Detailed
- Vacancies: 2,035 posts (SDO, DSP, District Commandant, Revenue Officer, Labour Enforcement Officer)
- Prelims and Mains: Completed in 2024-25
- Interviews: Conducted through 28 February 2026 (~5,401 candidates appeared)
- Status (May 2026): Final merit list not yet released — monitor bpsc.bihar.gov.in
BPSC 71st CCE (2025-26) — Detailed
- Vacancies: ~1,264 posts
- Prelims: 13 September 2025; result declared 18 November 2025
- Mains: 25–30 April 2026 (admit card released 17 April 2026)
- Status (May 2026): Mains just concluded; result awaited
- Mains scheduled date per earlier reports: November 21–25, 2026 (72nd schedule may have shifted 71st timelines — verify at bpsc.bihar.gov.in)
BPSC 72nd CCE (2026) — Freshly Notified
- Notification released: 5 May 2026
- Vacancies: 1,186 posts (revised from initial 1,230; 44 Cane Officer posts removed)
- Key posts: Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO/Senior Deputy Collector), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sub-Registrar, Assistant Director, District Commandant
- Application window: 7 May – 31 May 2026
- Prelims date: 26 July 2026 (Sunday)
- Mains: November 2026 (tentative)
- Application fee: ₹600 (General/OBC/EWS); ₹150 (SC/ST and Bihar domicile females)
BPSC CCE Exam Pattern (All Cycles)
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Paper | Single paper, offline (pen & paper) |
| Questions | 150 MCQs |
| Total Marks | 150 marks |
| Negative Marking | 1/3 mark per wrong answer |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Medium | Hindi and English |
Prelims Syllabus: General Science, Current Events (national/international), History of India, Geography (India focus), Indian Polity and Economy, General Mental Ability — essentially UPSC GS Prelims Paper 1 with Bihar-specific additions.
Stage 2: Main Examination
| Paper | Marks | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| General Hindi | 100 | Qualifying (minimum 30 marks required) |
| General Studies Paper 1 | 300 | Merit-counting |
| General Studies Paper 2 | 300 | Merit-counting |
| Essay | 100 | Merit-counting |
| Optional Subject | 100 | Qualifying only — NOT counted in final merit |
Total merit marks: 700 (GS1 + GS2 + Essay) + Interview 120 = 820 marks.
Important change (2026): The Optional Subject paper now carries objective-type questions rather than descriptive questions, and its marks are NOT added to the final merit list — it is purely qualifying.
Stage 3: Interview / Personality Test — 120 marks
Optional Subjects List (34 Options)
BPSC offers 34 optional subjects: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Hindi Language & Literature, History, Law, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Sanskrit, Sociology, Statistics, Urdu, English Literature, Arabic, Persian, Pali, Maithili, Bangla, Labour & Social Welfare, Management, Geology, and Zoology.
Strategic note: Since the optional is now qualifying-only and objective, strategic optional selection matters less than before. Choose whichever subject you can clear with minimum preparation.
Posts Offered — BPSC 72nd CCE
| Post | Department |
|---|---|
| Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) / Senior Deputy Collector | Revenue & General Administration |
| Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) | Home / Police |
| Sub-Registrar | Registration |
| Block Panchayat Raj Officer | Panchayati Raj |
| Revenue Officer | Revenue |
| District Commandant | Home Guard |
| Assistant Director (Social Security) | Social Welfare |
| Supply Inspector | Food & Civil Supplies |
Salary (7th Pay Commission)
- Basic Pay: ₹56,100/month (Pay Level 10) for SDO/DSP posts
- DA (60%, effective Jan 2026): ₹33,660
- Gross approximate in-hand: ₹90,000 – ₹1,05,000/month
How BPSC Differs from UPSC in Difficulty
| Dimension | UPSC CSE | BPSC CCE |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims style | Analytical, NCERTs insufficient | More factual, standard preparation sufficient |
| Mains answer writing | Multi-dimensional, 7–10 angles | Crisp, fact-heavy, 3–5 angles |
| State GK weight | Low (national focus) | High — Bihar history, politics, schemes mandatory |
| Optional strategy | High stakes (2 papers, 500 marks) | Low stakes (qualifying only, 100 marks) |
| Competition intensity | ~13–14 lakh applicants | 5–7 lakh applicants (Bihar + migration) |
Mentor Tip
BPSC's greatest strategic advantage for UPSC aspirants is the absence of attempt limits and the high vacancy count per cycle. A well-prepared UPSC aspirant needs 4–6 weeks of Bihar-specific preparation (Maurya period in Magadha, Champaran Satyagraha, Bihar economy data, state schemes under Nitish Kumar government) to significantly outperform the average BPSC candidate. The Prelims is considerably easier than UPSC CSE Prelims.
