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WEST BENGAL · POLICE

Kolkata Police Sub-Inspector and Sergeant Recruitment: syllabus and eligibility

Kolkata Police SI and Sergeant key facts
Conducting bodyWest Bengal Police Recruitment Board (WBPRB). Official website ↗
PostsSub-Inspector (Unarmed Branch), Kolkata Police, Sub-Inspectress (Unarmed Branch), Kolkata Police, Sub-Inspector (Armed Branch), Kolkata Police, Sergeant, Kolkata Police
QualificationA bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or equivalent.
Age limit20–27 years on 1 January 2023 (general category)
DomicileNot required
Selection stagesPreliminary exam (200 marks, screening only) → Physical Measurement Test → Physical Efficiency Test → Final Combined Competitive Examination (three descriptive papers, 200 marks) → Personality test (30 marks)
Latest notificationWBPRB Notice No. WBPRB/NOTICE-2023/29: Sub-Inspector/Sub-Inspectress (UB), Sub-Inspector (AB) and Sergeant in Kolkata Police - 2023 · 309 vacancies

Last checked . Sources

About Kolkata Police SI and Sergeant

This WBPRB drive fills Sub-Inspector, Sub-Inspectress and Sergeant posts in Kolkata Police. The 2023 drive lists 309 posts at Level 10 of the pay matrix. The exam follows the same shape as the WBP SI exam: a screening prelims, physical tests, three descriptive papers and a personality test.

Eligibility

Age limit

General category: 20–27 years, counted on 1 January 2023.

Age relaxation

  • SC: 5 years
  • ST: 5 years
  • OBC: 3 years
  • Transgender persons: 3 years (eligible for Sub-Inspector, Unarmed Branch only)
  • Departmental candidates of Kolkata Police: up to 35 years, with further SC/ST (5 years) and OBC (3 years) relaxation

Qualification

A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or equivalent.

Other conditions

  • You must be able to speak, read and write Bengali. This does not apply to permanent residents of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hill sub-divisions, who follow the West Bengal Official Language Act, 1961.
  • Sub-Inspector (Armed Branch) and Sergeant posts are for male applicants only.
  • In 2026 the state replaced the OBC-A/OBC-B lists with a single OBC list of 66 classes, and WBPRB re-issued this drive's vacancy table on that basis; check the latest notice for your category.

Selection process

  1. Preliminary exam (200 marks, screening only)
  2. Physical Measurement Test
  3. Physical Efficiency Test
  4. Final Combined Competitive Examination (three descriptive papers, 200 marks)
  5. Personality test (30 marks)

Exam pattern

Preliminary exam

Mode: OMR-based multiple choice · Duration: 90 minutes · Negative marking: One-fourth of the question's mark per wrong answer

SUBJECTQUESTIONSMARKS
General Studies50100
Logical and Analytical Reasoning2550
Arithmetic2550

Final Combined Competitive Examination

Mode: Conventional (written answers) · Duration: Paper I 2 hours; Papers II and III 1 hour each

SUBJECTMARKS
Paper I: General Studies (50), Logical and Analytical Reasoning (25), Arithmetic (25)100
Paper II: English50
Paper III: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu or Nepali50

Personality test

SUBJECTMARKS
Personality test30

Kolkata Police SI and Sergeant syllabus

Prelims and Final Paper I

  • General Studies: general knowledge in different spheres
  • Logical and analytical reasoning
  • Arithmetic on the Madhyamik syllabus of WBBSE

Final Paper II: English

  • Drafting a report from given points
  • Translation from Bengali, Hindi, Urdu or Nepali into English
  • Summary or precis of a prose passage
  • Correct usage, sentence correction, common phrases, synonyms and antonyms

Final Paper III: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu or Nepali

  • Drafting a report from given points
  • Translation (20 marks) from English or from Hindi/Urdu, depending on the language chosen

What they ask

The prelims has 100 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, and General Studies questions carry 2 marks each like the rest. It only screens you for the physical tests. The final exam is fully descriptive: GS, reasoning and arithmetic in Paper I, then English and a regional language paper built around report drafting, precis and translation. Paper I can be answered in English, Bengali or Nepali, but in one language throughout.

How to prepare

  • Use the same preparation as WBP SI, since the scheme and syllabus match; past WBP SI and KP SI papers are useful practice for each other.
  • Build a written-answer habit early: the final exam has no MCQs, and Paper I alone carries 100 marks.
  • Practise translation each week for Paper III, where translation is worth 20 marks.
  • Check the upper age limit carefully: it is 27 years for this drive, lower than the 30 years in the WBP SI 2024 drive.
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Sources

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

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