| Conducting body | Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Stenographer (Ashulipik), BPSC office, Patna, Level 4 |
| Qualification | Intermediate (10+2) or equivalent from a recognised board. A Maulvi certificate, a two-year ITI (NCVT/SCVT) or a three-year polytechnic diploma is accepted as equivalent. You also need Hindi and English shorthand, computer typing and basic word processing. |
| Age limit | 18–37 years on 1 August 2025 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Written exam (objective) → Skill test of shorthand and computer typing in Hindi and English (qualifying; five times the vacancies called) → Merit list from written exam marks plus contract-service weightage |
| Latest notification | Advertisement 01/2026: Stenographer in Bihar Public Service Commission · 15 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About BPSC Stenographer
BPSC recruits stenographers for its own office in Patna. Advertisement 01/2026 was issued for 15 posts in pay level 4. Selection is by an objective written test followed by a practical shorthand and typing test.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–37 years, counted on 1 August 2025.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Upper age limit: unreserved men 37, BC and EBC (men and women) 40, unreserved women 40, SC and ST (men and women) 42.
- Persons with disability get 10 more years.
- Contract workers on the same post get relaxation equal to their period of work, subject to a ceiling of age 60 on 1 August 2025.
- Regular Bihar government employees get 5 years, within a total of five BPSC attempts.
- Ex-servicemen get 3 years plus defence service, provided actual age is not above 57.
Qualification
Intermediate (10+2) or equivalent from a recognised board. A Maulvi certificate, a two-year ITI (NCVT/SCVT) or a three-year polytechnic diploma is accepted as equivalent. You also need Hindi and English shorthand, computer typing and basic word processing.
Other conditions
- Contract workers on the same post get a weightage of 5 marks per year of service, up to 25 marks, in the merit list.
Selection process
- Written exam (objective)
- Skill test of shorthand and computer typing in Hindi and English (qualifying; five times the vacancies called)
- Merit list from written exam marks plus contract-service weightage
Exam pattern
Written exam
Mode: Objective, one General Knowledge paper · Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes · Negative marking: 4 marks for each correct answer, 1 mark cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS |
|---|---|
| General Studies | 50 |
| General Science and Mathematics | 50 |
| Mental Ability | 50 |
Skill test
Mode: Shorthand in a notebook, transcription and typing on computer
| SUBJECT |
|---|
| Shorthand: Hindi and English dictation at 80 words a minute for 4 minutes, then 20 minutes to type the transcript (up to 10% mistakes allowed) |
| Typing: Hindi (Mangal, Remington Gail layout) and English at 30 words a minute for 10 minutes (up to 1.5% mistakes allowed) |
BPSC Stenographer syllabus
General Studies
- Current affairs: science, national and international awards, Indian languages, books, scripts, capitals, currencies, sports
- India and neighbouring countries: history, culture, geography, economy, freedom movement, agriculture, constitution, panchayati raj, five-year plans, Bihar's role in the national movement
General Science and Mathematics (Matric level)
- Physics, chemistry, biology, geography
- Basic computer and word processing
- Number system, decimals and fractions, percentage, ratio, average, interest, profit and loss
Mental Ability
- Analogy, similarity and difference, spatial visualisation
- Problem solving, analysis, visual memory, observation
- Arithmetic reasoning, number series, coding and decoding
What they ask
The written test has 150 objective questions split equally across general studies, science with maths, and mental ability. Each right answer gets 4 marks and each wrong one loses 1 mark. Science questions include basic computer and word processing, which fits the job. About five times the vacancies then take a skill test: 80 words a minute of shorthand dictation and 30 words a minute of typing, in both Hindi and English.
How to prepare
- Build shorthand speed to 80 words a minute and typing to 30 words a minute in both Hindi and English; the skill test allows only 10% mistakes in shorthand and 1.5% in typing.
- Revise basic computer and word-processing terms, since they are listed under general science.
- Reach the qualifying mark first: 40% for unreserved, 36.5% for BC, 34% for EBC and 32% for SC, ST, women and PwD candidates.
- Practise mental ability sets daily; with 50 questions it is the easiest section to push your score up.
BPSC Stenographer is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appSources
- BPSC Advertisement 01/2026: Stenographer in BPSC ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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