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NAGALAND · CIVIL SERVICES

NPSC Combined Technical Services Examination: syllabus and eligibility

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NPSC CTSE key facts
Conducting bodyNagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). Official website ↗
PostsJunior Engineer (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and other branches), SDO (Civil and Electrical Engineering), Medical Officer and Regimental Medical Officer, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Economics & Statistics Officer and Inspector of Statistics, Assistant Public Prosecutor, Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Inspector, Fishery Inspector, Pharmacist, Junior Dental Surgeon
QualificationDepends on the post. It ranges from Class 10 with an ITI or diploma certificate (welding and electrical items) and a 3-year engineering diploma (Junior Engineer posts, recognised by AICTE) to a degree in engineering, agriculture, veterinary science or science, a law degree with two years at the Bar (Assistant Public Prosecutor), and MBBS or BDS (medical posts). The qualification must be in hand when you apply.
Age limit21–32 years on 1 January 2026 (general category)
DomicileSee the notification
Selection stagesWritten examination of four papers, 500 marks in all: General English and General Knowledge, a technical MCQ paper and two technical descriptive papers → Interview by the Commission, where original documents must be produced → Physical test and physical standards for posts that need them, such as Assistant Conservator of Forests
Latest notificationAdvertisement No. NPSC-2/CTSE-2026 (NO.NPSC/ADVT-1/04(VOL-1)), 25 June 2026

Last checked . Sources

About NPSC CTSE

The Combined Technical Services Examination is how NPSC fills technical and professional posts across Nagaland government departments: engineers, doctors, veterinary surgeons, forest officers, statisticians, agriculture officers, pharmacists and more. The 2026 advertisement (No. NPSC-2/CTSE-2026, 25 June 2026) listed 49 items, and addenda of 10 and 15 July 2026 added more, including Junior Dental Surgeon, Pharmacist Grade-II and Sericulture Extension Officer posts. Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Works & Housing Department alone had 20 posts. You write the technical papers in the subject that matches your degree or diploma.

Eligibility

Age limit

General category: 21–32 years, counted on 1 January 2026.

Age relaxation

  • SC: 5 years
  • ST: 5 years
  • SC and ST candidates get 5 more years on the upper limit.
  • Serving government employees get relaxation equal to their years of service, up to 5 years.

Qualification

Depends on the post. It ranges from Class 10 with an ITI or diploma certificate (welding and electrical items) and a 3-year engineering diploma (Junior Engineer posts, recognised by AICTE) to a degree in engineering, agriculture, veterinary science or science, a law degree with two years at the Bar (Assistant Public Prosecutor), and MBBS or BDS (medical posts). The qualification must be in hand when you apply.

Other conditions

  • 80% of the vacancies are reserved for Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland from any Naga tribe or the Kuki, Kachari, Garo and Mikir communities, with further item-wise reservation for backward tribes.
  • One-time registration on the NPSC portal is compulsory before you fill the CTSE form.
  • Assistant Conservator of Forests candidates who clear the exam and interview must also meet height and chest standards and pass a walking test: 25 km in 4 hours for men and 16 km in 4 hours for women.

Selection process

  1. Written examination of four papers, 500 marks in all: General English and General Knowledge, a technical MCQ paper and two technical descriptive papers
  2. Interview by the Commission, where original documents must be produced
  3. Physical test and physical standards for posts that need them, such as Assistant Conservator of Forests

Exam pattern

General English and General Knowledge (combined paper)

Mode: Written; the GK part mixes objective and short descriptive answers · Duration: 3 hours

SUBJECTMARKS
General English: essay (20), precis (10), amplification (10), sentence construction and grammar (10)50
General Knowledge: current events, general science, mental ability, Indian history, polity, economy and geography50

Technical subject: MCQ paper

Mode: Objective, multiple choice · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One third of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer

SUBJECTQUESTIONSMARKS
Chosen technical subject100200

Technical subject: descriptive papers

Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 3 hours for each paper

SUBJECTMARKS
Descriptive Paper I100
Descriptive Paper II100

Interview

SUBJECT
Interview by NPSC

NPSC CTSE syllabus

General English and General Knowledge

  • Essay
  • Precis writing
  • Amplification
  • Construction of sentences and grammar
  • Current events and general science
  • Mental ability
  • Indian history, polity, economy and geography

Civil Engineering (Diploma), Paper I (for Junior Engineer Civil)

  • Building materials: brick, concrete, timber, paints and varnishes
  • Building construction: bearing capacity of soil, foundations, staircases, roofs, doors and windows
  • Surveying: chain, compass, levelling, contouring and plane table, with numerical problems
  • PWD accounts: classification of works, contracts, measurement book and muster roll
  • Road engineering: alignment, IRC classification, pavements, hill road drainage, traffic control, bridges and culverts
  • Hydraulics: hydrostatics, Bernoulli's theorem, flow measurement, pipe flow, turbines and pumps

Civil Engineering (Diploma), Paper II (for Junior Engineer Civil)

  • Theory of structures
  • Irrigation and hydraulic structures, including dams and lift irrigation
  • Design of RCC members and simple steel structures
  • Estimating and rate analysis
  • Soil mechanics: classification, soil tests and permeability
  • Railway engineering: alignment, permanent way, joints, sleepers and signalling
  • Water supply and sanitation

Other technical subjects

  • NPSC posts a separate syllabus for each subject, from Agriculture Science and Veterinary Science to Electrical, Mechanical and Computer Science Engineering, with separate degree and diploma versions

What they ask

Everyone writes the same combined paper: 50 marks of written English (essay, precis, amplification and grammar) and 50 marks of general knowledge in objective and short-answer form. The other three papers are in your technical subject: a 100-question MCQ paper worth 200 marks with a one-third penalty for wrong answers, and two descriptive papers of 100 marks each. For a civil engineering diploma, the syllabus covers building materials, surveying, PWD accounts, road engineering, hydraulics, structures, RCC design, estimating, soil mechanics and water supply, and many topics are marked for numerical problems.

How to prepare

  • The two descriptive technical papers carry 200 of the 500 marks. Practise writing full solutions to numerical problems in surveying, hydraulics and RCC design, since the Civil (Diploma) syllabus marks many of these topics for numericals.
  • Do not leave General English for the last week. Essay, precis and amplification are writing tasks, and together with grammar they are worth 50 marks.
  • In the technical MCQ paper a wrong answer costs a third of its 2 marks, so leave out wild guesses.
  • Download the syllabus for your exact subject from the NPSC syllabus page. Degree and diploma versions of the same branch are separate documents.
  • Work through the CTSE 2025 question papers in the NPSC question bank to see the level of the technical papers.
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How to apply

  1. Complete one-time registration (OTR) on the NPSC portal; it is free.
  2. Fill the CTSE application on npsc.nagaland.gov.in and choose the item and technical subject you are qualified for.
  3. Pay the Rs 300 exam fee, the Rs 25 convenience fee and the payment gateway charges.
  4. Government employees upload a No Objection Certificate signed by the Head of Department.

Previous papers and answer keys

NPSC CTSE FAQs

Yes, in the technical MCQ paper: one third of the question's marks is cut for each wrong answer. The pattern document does not mention a penalty for the descriptive papers.

Sources

Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.

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