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PUNJAB · STAFF SELECTION

PSSSB Group D Recruitment (Common Cadre): syllabus and eligibility

Punjab Group D key facts
Conducting bodySubordinate Services Selection Board, Punjab (PSSSB). Official website ↗
PostsSewadar, Chowkidar, Safai Sewak, Sweeper-cum-Chowkidar, Mali, Water carrier-cum-Sweeper, Cattle, sheep and other animal attendants
QualificationMatriculation with Punjabi as one of the subjects from a recognised institution, as set out in Advertisement No. 04 of 2026. You must also score at least 50% in the matriculation-standard Punjabi test that forms Part A of the exam.
Age limit18–37 years on 1 January 2026 (general category)
DomicileSee the notification
Selection stagesWritten test: Part A Punjabi (qualifying) and Part B (merit) → Counselling and document verification → Merit list from Part B marks
Latest notificationAdvertisement No. 04 of 2026: Group D posts (corrigendum of 17 September 2026) · 2,098 vacancies

Last checked . Sources

About Punjab Group D

PSSSB fills common-cadre Group D posts such as sewadar, chowkidar, safai sewak, mali and animal attendants for many departments and deputy commissioner offices through one exam. Advertisement No. 04 of 2026 came out in February 2026, and a corrigendum of 17 September 2026 raised the total to 2,098 posts and pushed the last date to apply to 21 September 2026.

Eligibility

Age limit

General category: 18–37 years, counted on 1 January 2026.

Age relaxation

  • OBC: 5 years
  • SC: 5 years
  • PwBD: 10 years
  • SC and BC residents of Punjab: up to 42
  • State and central government employees: up to 45
  • Persons with disabilities resident in Punjab: up to 47
  • Widows, divorcees and certain other categories of married women: up to 40
  • Ex-servicemen of Punjab may deduct their armed forces service under the Punjab Recruitment of Ex-Servicemen Rules, 1982

Qualification

Matriculation with Punjabi as one of the subjects from a recognised institution, as set out in Advertisement No. 04 of 2026. You must also score at least 50% in the matriculation-standard Punjabi test that forms Part A of the exam.

Other conditions

  • Under the Group D service rules quoted in the advertisement, the education condition does not apply to blind persons, riot or terrorism affected persons, or persons appointed as sweepers.
  • Reservation benefits need a Punjab domicile certificate.

Selection process

  1. Written test: Part A Punjabi (qualifying) and Part B (merit)
  2. Counselling and document verification
  3. Merit list from Part B marks

Exam pattern

Written test (Advt. No. 04 of 2026)

Mode: Objective MCQ on OMR sheet · Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes · Negative marking: Part B only: 0.25 mark cut per wrong answer

SUBJECTQUESTIONSMARKS
Part A: Punjabi, matriculation level (qualifying, 50% needed)5050
Part B: GK and current affairs, Punjab history and culture, reasoning, Punjabi, English and ICT100100

Punjab Group D syllabus

Part A: Punjabi, matriculation level (qualifying)

  • Lives and writings of the Sikh Gurus
  • Synonyms, antonyms, idioms and proverbs
  • Parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes, gender and number changes
  • Punctuation, and correcting words and sentences
  • Correct Punjabi forms of English words, numbers, months and days
  • Questions on the Punjabi language, Punjab history and Punjab culture

General knowledge and current affairs (about 25 marks)

  • Polity, environment, economy, science and technology
  • Indian history with focus on the freedom struggle
  • Geography, sports, cinema and literature

Punjab history and culture (about 17 marks)

  • Physical features and ancient history of Punjab
  • Social, religious and economic life
  • Language, literature and arts
  • Afghan and Mughal period, Bhakti movement and Sufism
  • Sikh Gurus, Adi Granth, Sikh rulers and freedom movements in Punjab

Logical reasoning and mental ability (about 25 marks)

  • Logical and analytical reasoning
  • Numbers, magnitudes, percentages and numerical relations
  • Data from charts, tables and spreadsheets

Punjabi (about 13 marks)

  • Spelling and correct usage
  • Nouns, pronouns and verbs, gender and number
  • Idioms, proverbs, one-word substitution and English to Punjabi translation

English (about 12 marks)

  • Grammar: subject-verb, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions
  • Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and spelling
  • Direct and indirect speech, active and passive voice
  • Sentence correction and fill in the blanks

ICT (about 8 marks)

  • Computer basics, networks and the internet
  • Word, Excel and PowerPoint

What they ask

Group D candidates sit the same two-part paper as PSSSB clerks. Part A is 50 matriculation-level Punjabi questions with no negative marking, and you need 25 of them before Part B is checked. Part B has 100 questions: roughly 25 marks for general knowledge, 25 for reasoning and basic numeracy, 17 for Punjab history and culture, 13 for Punjabi, 12 for English and 8 for computers. A wrong answer in Part B costs a quarter mark.

How to prepare

  • Start with Part A. Punjabi idioms, proverbs, gender and number changes and the lives of the Sikh Gurus are all listed, and you need 25 correct answers before Part B counts.
  • Give reasoning and basic numeracy time every day. Together they carry about 25 of the 100 Part B marks, as much as general knowledge.
  • Revise Punjab history and culture from your school textbooks: Sufism and the Bhakti movement, the Sikh Gurus and Sikh rulers, and the freedom movements in Punjab.
  • Learn basic Word, Excel and PowerPoint functions. ICT is worth about 8 marks and needs little study time.
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Punjab Group D FAQs

Advertisement No. 04 of 2026 asks for matriculation with Punjabi as a subject. You must also clear the Punjabi part of the written test with at least 50%.

Sources

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

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