| Conducting body | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | H.P. Administrative Service, Block Development Officer, District Controller (Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs), District Treasury Officer, Tehsildar |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university. Candidates waiting for their final-year result may apply, but must show proof of passing within two months of the exam starting. |
| Age limit | 21–35 years on 1 January 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: two objective papers, screening only → Main exam: six compulsory papers and two papers of one optional subject → Personality test → Final merit from main exam marks (excluding the English and Hindi papers) plus personality test marks |
| Latest notification | Advertisement No. 59/8-2026: H.P. Administrative Service Combined Competitive Examination-2026 · 22 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About HPAS
HPAS is the state's main civil services exam. HPPSC uses it to fill gazetted posts such as H.P. Administrative Service officer, Block Development Officer, Tehsildar and District Treasury Officer. The 2026 advertisement (No. 59/8-2026) lists 22 posts across five departments, and the Commission says the number can go up or down before selection.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–35 years, counted on 1 January 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 5 years
- 5 years for bonafide SC, ST and OBC candidates, persons with disabilities, and children or grandchildren of freedom fighters of Himachal Pradesh, only where a post is reserved for that category
- Serving H.P. government, High Court and state PSU employees with a bachelor's degree: up to 45 years for HPAS, Tehsildar, BDO and Treasury Officer, 42 years for H.P. Police Service and District Controller
- Ex-servicemen of Himachal Pradesh: as per the state's ex-servicemen rules named in the advertisement
Qualification
A bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university. Candidates waiting for their final-year result may apply, but must show proof of passing within two months of the exam starting.
Other conditions
- Reservation benefits apply only to bonafide residents of Himachal Pradesh; reserved-category candidates from other states are treated as General.
- Knowledge of the customs, manners and dialects of Himachal Pradesh is a desirable qualification.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: two objective papers, screening only
- Main exam: six compulsory papers and two papers of one optional subject
- Personality test
- Final merit from main exam marks (excluding the English and Hindi papers) plus personality test marks
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective MCQ, OMR · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: One third of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer; no penalty for a blank
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: General Studies (decides merit for the main exam) | 100 | 200 |
| Paper II: Aptitude Test (qualifying, 33% needed) | 100 | 200 |
Main exam
Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper I: English (qualifying, 40% needed) | 100 |
| Paper II: Hindi (qualifying, 40% needed) | 100 |
| Paper III: Essay | 100 |
| Paper IV: General Studies I | 200 |
| Paper V: General Studies II | 200 |
| Paper VI: General Studies III | 200 |
| Papers VII and VIII: Optional subject, two papers | 200 |
HPAS syllabus
Prelim Paper I: General Studies
- History, geography, polity, art, culture and socio-economic development of Himachal Pradesh
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and the Indian national movement
- Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world
- Indian polity and governance: Constitution, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
- Economic and social development: poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector schemes
- Environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change
- General science
Prelim Paper II: Aptitude Test
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy and data interpretation (Class X level)
- English language comprehension (Class X level)
Main exam
- English and Hindi at 10+2 level (qualifying)
- Essay
- General Studies I, II and III at graduate level
- One optional subject, two papers
- The detailed main syllabus is on the HPPSC website
What they ask
The prelim is two papers of 100 questions each, both for 200 marks and 2 hours. Only General Studies decides who reaches the main exam; the Aptitude Test just needs 33%, and a zero or negative score in General Studies disqualifies you. A wrong answer costs a third of the question's marks. The General Studies paper opens with Himachal's history, geography, polity, culture and economy before moving to national topics. In the main exam you need 40% in both English and Hindi and 45% in aggregate of the counted papers.
How to prepare
- Build Himachal Pradesh notes first: districts, rivers, passes, hydro projects, fairs, dialects and the state's political history. It is the first item in the Paper I syllabus and also comes up in the personality test.
- Do not ignore Paper II. It only needs 33%, but if you fail it your General Studies score is not even counted.
- Leave a question blank when you cannot cut the options to two, because each wrong answer costs a third of its marks.
- Write Hindi and English answers under a time limit every week. Both main exam language papers need 40% even though they do not count for rank.
- Use the topic-wise practice quizzes on the free Improvam app for a short daily round of polity, current affairs and Himachal GK.
Practise HPAS syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
How to apply
- Register on the HPPSC One Time Registration (OTR) portal
- Log in and apply for Advertisement No. 59/8-2026 from the live advertisements list
- Choose your optional subject for the main exam and upload the listed certificates
- Capture a live photograph during the application and pay the fee online
Documents checklist
- Matriculation certificate as age proof
- Bachelor's degree and marks sheets
- Category certificate on the H.P. proforma, if claiming reservation
- Bonafide Himachali certificate for reserved categories
- EWS income and asset certificate or BPL certificate, if applicable
- Ex-servicemen discharge certificate or service book, if applicable
Tick off your HPAS documents with the checklist tool
Previous papers and answer keys
HPAS FAQs
21 to 35 years on 1 January 2026. Bonafide SC, ST, OBC, WFF and PwD candidates of Himachal Pradesh get 5 more years, but only when a post is reserved for their category.
Sources
- HPPSC Advertisement No. 59/8-2026, HPAS Combined Competitive Examination-2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- HPPSC What's New notice board ↗ (official, checked )
- HPPSC syllabi and previous year question papers ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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