| Conducting body | Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Punjab Civil Service (Executive Branch), Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tehsildar, Excise and Taxation Officer, Food and Civil Supply Officer, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Assistant Registrar Co-operative Societies, Labour-cum-Conciliation Officer, Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Officer, Deputy Superintendent Jails Grade II / District Probation Officer |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institution. Final-year students can sit the prelim but must show the passed degree before the main exam. You also need matriculation with Punjabi as a compulsory or elective subject, or an equivalent Punjabi exam notified by the government. |
| Age limit | 21–37 years on 1 January 2025 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: two objective papers, used only for screening → Main exam: seven written papers → Physical test for candidates who opt for DSP or jails posts → Interview of 150 marks → Final merit from main exam written marks plus interview marks |
| Latest notification | Advt. No. 20251: Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2025 (listed under Closed Advertisements on ppsc.gov.in) · 331 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About Punjab PCS
PSCSCCE is the PPSC exam for the Punjab Civil Service (Executive Branch) and nine other gazetted posts, among them DSP, Tehsildar, Excise and Taxation Officer and BDPO. Advertisement No. 20251 of 3 January 2025 opened the 2025 cycle with 322 posts, and an addendum of 3 September 2025 took the total to 331. All posts share one prelim, one written main exam and an interview, and candidates who opt for DSP or jails posts also sit a physical test.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–37 years, counted on 1 January 2025.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- DSP and Deputy Superintendent Jails / District Probation Officer: 21 to 28 years, and up to 33 for SC and BC candidates of Punjab
- SC and BC candidates of Punjab: up to 42 for the other services
- Punjab, other state and central government employees: up to 45 (not for Punjab Police Service)
- Widows, divorced women and certain other categories of women: up to 42 (not for police and prisons posts)
- Persons with disabilities of Punjab: up to 47 (not for police and prisons posts)
- Ex-servicemen of Punjab domicile may deduct their armed forces service from their age
Qualification
A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institution. Final-year students can sit the prelim but must show the passed degree before the main exam. You also need matriculation with Punjabi as a compulsory or elective subject, or an equivalent Punjabi exam notified by the government.
Other conditions
- Reservation and category age relaxation apply only to candidates of Punjab.
- Attempts are capped at six for General, nine for Backward Classes and unlimited for Scheduled Castes. Appearing in the prelim counts as an attempt.
- Candidates who opt for DSP or jails posts must also pass a physical test.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: two objective papers, used only for screening
- Main exam: seven written papers
- Physical test for candidates who opt for DSP or jails posts
- Interview of 150 marks
- Final merit from main exam written marks plus interview marks
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective MCQ, question paper in English and Punjabi · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: None
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: General Studies | 100 | 200 |
| Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (qualifying, 40% needed) | 80 | 200 |
Main exam
Mode: Written (descriptive) · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Punjabi in Gurmukhi script (10+2 standard) | 100 |
| English (10+2 standard) | 100 |
| Essay | 150 |
| General Studies I: History, Geography and Society | 250 |
| General Studies II: Constitution, Polity, Governance and International Relations | 250 |
| General Studies III: Economy, Statistics and Security | 250 |
| General Studies IV: Science and Technology, Environment, Problem Solving and Decision Making | 250 |
Interview
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Personality test | 150 |
Punjab PCS syllabus
Everyday science and environment
- Matter, atoms, carbon compounds, acids, bases and salts
- Human body, nutrition, diseases and public health programmes
- Laws of motion, gravitation, energy, light, sound and electric current
- Computers and telecommunication
- Atmosphere, weather, water cycle and climate change
- Biodiversity, soils and pollution
Political theory, polity and international order
- Freedom, equality, rights and duties, citizenship and secularism
- Features, schedules and key amendments of the Constitution
- Panchayati Raj, elections and electoral reforms
- UN bodies, World Bank, IMF, WTO, G20 and BRICS
History of India and the world
- Indus valley, Vedic age, Jainism and Buddhism
- Maurya and Gupta periods, Sultanate and Mughals
- British rule, 1857 and the national movement
- Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, American, French and Russian revolutions, World Wars
Indian economy and geography
- Development from 1950 to 1991 and the five year plans
- Reforms since 1991: growth, deficits, trade and inflation
- Agriculture, food security, poverty and infrastructure
- Population, migration, resources, industries, transport and trade
Punjab
- Agro-climatic regions, rivers and sharing of waters
- Sufis, saints and Gurus, Sikh rulers, British period and the national movement in Punjab
- Punjabi literature, folklore and arts
- Agriculture, industry, public finance and cooperatives
Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test
- Punjabi and English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Logical reasoning and mental ability
- Basic numeracy
- Data from graphs, charts, tables and spreadsheets
Current events
- Events of national and international importance
What they ask
The prelim has two objective papers and no negative marking. Paper I carries 100 General Studies questions at two marks each and includes a Punjab block on geography, society, history and economy. Paper II (CSAT) has 80 questions, counts only as a 40% qualifier, and tests comprehension in Punjabi as well as English. The main exam is fully descriptive, and the commission's general information asks for extra weight on Punjab's history, culture, economy and geography in the GS papers.
How to prepare
- Attempt every prelim question. There is no negative marking in either paper, so a blank only loses marks.
- Keep separate Punjab notes on rivers and water sharing, the Sikh Gurus and Sikh rulers, Punjabi literature, and the state's farm economy and public finance. They feed Paper I and all four main exam GS papers.
- Do not leave CSAT to the last week. It needs 40%, and it tests Punjabi comprehension along with English.
- Practise 10+2 level Punjabi and English writing early. Both language papers count in your main exam total, and every paper needs at least 25% before you are called for interview.
Practise Punjab PCS syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Punjab PCS FAQs
Six for General category, nine for Backward Classes and no limit for Scheduled Castes. Sitting the prelim counts as an attempt.
Sources
- PPSC General Information for the Candidates, PSCSCCE-2025 (Advt. No. 20251 page, under Closed Advertisements on ppsc.gov.in) ↗ (official, checked )
- PPSC addendum of 3 September 2025 raising PSCSCCE-2025 posts from 322 to 331 (Advt. No. 20251 page) ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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