Published: 3:06 pm | 8 May 2026
Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), one of the most prestigious state-level civil services bodies in India, has officially released its 72nd Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) Notification 2026.
This is a landmark opportunity for graduates from Bihar and across India to join the state government in prestigious administrative, revenue, police, and development roles. A total of 1186 vacancies have been announced across 22+ posts and departments. Online applications open on 07 May 2026 and close on 31 May 2026. Read this article carefully to understand everything about eligibility, vacancies, salary, exam pattern, and how to apply.
Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC)
BPSC 72nd CCE Recruitment 2026 — Apply Online for 1,421 Posts
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Important Dates⇒ Application Start Date: 07 May 2026 ⇒ Last Date to Apply: 31 May 2026 ⇒ Age Limit Reference Date: 01 August 2026 ⇒ Note: Candidates are advised to regularly check the official website https://bpsc.bihar.gov.in for all updates and schedule changes. | Application Fee⇒ General / OBC / EWS Candidates: ₹100/- ⇒ SC / ST (Bihar domicile): ₹100/- ⇒ All Categories (per exam): ₹100/- (One Hundred Rupees) ⇒ Biometric Fee (without Aadhaar): ₹200/- additional per exam ⇒ Payment Mode: Online (as per BPSC portal) ⇒ Note: Fee applies separately for each exam (72nd CCE / Bal Vikas / FAO / Sub-Divisional Sanrakshan) |
Age Limit (As on 01 August 2026)⇒ Minimum Age (General): 20 years ⇒ Maximum Age (Unreserved Male): 37 years ⇒ Maximum Age (Unreserved Female / BC / EBC): 40 years ⇒ Maximum Age (SC / ST Male & Female): 42 years ⇒ PwBD Candidates: Additional 10 years relaxation over prescribed limit ⇒ Ex-Servicemen: 3 years relaxation + reserve duty period ⇒ Note: Age limits vary post-wise (refer post-wise table below). The Commission recognizes the date of birth as recorded in Matriculation/equivalent certificate. | Total Posts & Selection Process⇒ Total Vacancies (Recorrect): 1186 Posts ⇒ Table-I (72nd CCE): 1,077 Posts ⇒ Table-II (Other Posts): 344 Posts ⇒ Selection Process:
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Total Vacancies — Table-I (72nd CCE Posts)
A total of 1,077 vacancies are announced under Table-I across major administrative and government departments. The category-wise summary is as follows:
| Category | Unreserved (UR) | EWS | SC | ST | EBC | BC | BCL | Total |
| Table-I Posts | 466 | 105 | 162 | 9 | 180 | 124 | 31 | 1,077 |
| Women Reserved (within above) | 158 | 34 | 52 | 0 | 59 | 41 | — | 344 |
Note: 35% horizontal reservation for women of Bihar domicile (reserved and unreserved) applies as per state government order. PwBD (Divyang): VI-10, DD-11, OH-10, MD-10 posts reserved. Ex-Serviceman quota: 22 posts.
Post-wise Vacancy Breakdown — Table-I (72nd CCE)
The following table lists all posts, their pay level, total vacancies, and minimum age requirements:
| Sr. No. | Post Name / Department | Pay Level | Total Vacancies | Min. Age |
| 1 | Sub-Divisional Officer / Senior Deputy Collector, Bihar Administrative Service | Level-9 | 100 + 34 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 2 | Police Deputy Superintendent, Home Dept. (Police Branch) | Level-9 | 22 + 06 (Women) | 20 yrs |
| 3 | State Tax Asst. Commissioner (Bihar Finance Service), Commercial Tax Dept. | Level-9 | 76 + 23 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 4 | Assistant Election Officer, Election Dept. | Level-9 | 07 + 00 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 5 | Asst. Sub-Inspector / Joint Asst. Sub-Inspector, Excise & Prohibition Dept. | Level-9 | 03 + 01 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 6 | Labour Superintendent, Labour Resource Dept. | Level-9 | 10 + 03 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 7 | Asst. Registrar, Cooperative Societies & Panchayat, Cooperation Dept. | Level-9 | 10 + 01 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 8 | District Audit Officer, Cooperation Dept. | Level-9 | 02 + 00 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 9 | Bihar Education Service (Administrative Sub-Cadre), Education Dept. | Level-9 | 09 + 00 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 10 | District Minority Welfare Officer, Minority Welfare Dept. | Level-9 | 01 + 00 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 11 | Sugarcane Officer, Sugar Industry Dept. | Level-9 | 44 + 14 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| 12 | Probation Officer, Home Dept. (Jail) | Level-9 | 04 + 00 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 13 | Asst. Planning Officer / Asst. Director, Planning & Development Dept. | Level-9 | 10 + 01 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 14 | Municipal Executive Officer, Urban Development & Housing Dept. | Level-7 | 54 + 18 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 15 | Rural Development Officer (Bihar Rural Development Service), Rural Dev. Dept. | Level-7 | 65 + 22 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 16 | Revenue Officer & Equivalent (Bihar Revenue Service), Revenue & Land Reform Dept. | Level-7 | 365 + 123 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 17 | Block Panchayat Raj Officer (Bihar Panchayat Service), Panchayati Raj Dept. | Level-7 | 70 + 22 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 18 | Cooperative Extension Officer, Cooperation Dept. | Level-7 | 130 + 47 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 19 | Labour Enforcement Officer, Labour Resource & Migrant Labour Welfare Dept. | Level-7 | 56 + 19 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 20 | Supply Inspector (Bihar Supply Service), Food & Consumer Protection Dept. | Level-7 | 31 + 10 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 21 | Block SC/ST Welfare Officer (Bihar SC & ST Welfare Cadre), SC & ST Welfare Dept. | Level-7 | 05 + 00 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 22 | Block Minority Welfare Officer, Minority Welfare Dept. | Level-6 | 03 + 00 (Women) | 22 yrs |
| Table-I Grand Total | 1,077 + 344 (Women) | — | ||
Total Vacancies — Table-II (Other Posts)
An additional 344 vacancies are available under Table-II for 3 specialized posts:
| Sr. No. | Post Name / Department | Pay Level | Total Vacancies | Min. Age |
| 01 | Child Development Project Officer, Social Welfare Dept. | Level-9 | 20 + 06 (Women) | 21 yrs |
| 02 | Financial Administrative Officer & Equivalent (Bihar Financial Administrative Service), Finance Dept. | Level-9 | 32 + 09 (Women) | 22 yrs (Advance vacancy 02 also) |
| 03 | Sub-Divisional Sanrakshan Padhaadhikari, Social Welfare Dept. (Women Only) | Level-9 | 101 + 153 (Women breakup) | 21 yrs |
| Table-II Grand Total | 153 + 15 (Women) | — | ||
Note: Post No. 03 under Table-II is exclusively reserved for women candidates (only women may apply).
Eligibility Criteria — BPSC 72nd CCE 2026
⇒ Nationality: Indian Citizen
⇒ Educational Qualification (Post-wise):
| Post | Required Qualification |
| 72nd Combined Competitive Exam (all Table-I posts) | Bachelor’s degree (graduation) from a recognized university or equivalent |
| Child Development Project Officer | Graduate from recognized university with any one optional subject: Home Science, Psychology, Sociology, Labour & Social Welfare (one subject to be chosen for Main exam) |
| Financial Administrative Officer & Equivalent | Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Economics, Mathematics, or Statistics from a recognized university or affiliated institution |
| Sub-Divisional Sanrakshan Padhaadhikari | Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or Law from a recognized university; one subject (Psychology or Law) to be chosen for the Main exam |
⇒ Important Notes on Eligibility:
- Candidates must provide complete information about their graduation qualification while filling the online application form.
- For posts with special educational qualifications and optional subjects, candidates must select the post and subject at the time of online application — failure to do so will result in rejection of candidature for that post.
- Candidates applying for optional subject posts must choose their optional subject during the online application; this choice cannot be changed later.
Selection Process — Exam Pattern Details
Phase I: Preliminary Examination (Part-1)
| Subject | Total Marks | Duration | Type |
| General Studies (History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science, Current Affairs, Bihar Special, Mental Ability) | 150 | 2 Hours | Objective / MCQ |
- Each question has 5 options (A, B, C, D, E); option E must be selected if no answer is attempted.
- Negative Marking: 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer. No penalty for unattempted questions.
- Preliminary exam is a screening test only — marks are NOT counted toward the final merit list.
- Candidates shortlisted for Mains = 10 times the total vacancies (category-wise cut-off applies).
- Minimum qualifying marks: General — 40%, BC/EBC — 36.5%, EBC — 34%, SC/ST/Women/PwBD — 32%.
Phase II: Main (Written) Examination (Part-2)
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
| Paper I (Compulsory) | General Hindi (Code 01) — 30% passing marks compulsory; not counted in merit | 100 | 3 Hours |
| Paper II (Compulsory) | General Studies — First Paper (Code 02) | 300 | 3 Hours |
| Paper III (Compulsory) | General Studies — Second Paper (Code 03) | 300 | 3 Hours |
| Paper IV (Compulsory) | Essay (Code 38) | 300 | 3 Hours |
| Optional Paper (1 from list) | One subject chosen from 37 optional subjects (100 marks MCQ / 300 marks subject-based as per post) | 100 / 300 | 2 / 3 Hours |
- 37 optional subjects available for the 72nd CCE main exam (Agriculture, Animal Science, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Labour & Social Welfare, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science & International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology, Hindi Literature, English Literature, Urdu Literature, Bengali Literature, Sanskrit Literature, Persian Literature, Arabic Literature, Pali Literature, Maithili Literature, and more).
- All answers must be in Hindi (Devanagari script) or English. Urdu script is also acceptable. No other language is permitted.
- Question papers are bilingual (Hindi and English).
- Minimum qualifying marks for Main exam: General — 40%, BC/EBC — 36.5%, EBC — 34%, SC/ST/Women/PwBD — 32%.
Phase III: Personality Test / Interview (Part-3)
- Personality Test carries 120 marks.
- Candidates called for Interview = 2.5 times the number of advertised vacancies (category-wise).
- Attendance at the Personality Test is mandatory; absentees will not be included in the final merit list.
Tie-Breaking Rules
- If two candidates score equally in the Main exam, the one with higher Main exam marks is ranked higher.
- If still tied, the candidate with higher marks in the optional subject is ranked higher.
- Further tie is resolved by age (older candidate preferred), then alphabetical order of name in Devanagari.
Salary / Pay Scale Details
| Pay Level | Posts Covered | Pay Band (7th Pay Commission) |
| Level-9 | SDO, Police DSP, State Tax AC, Labour Superintendent, Asst. Registrar, Sugarcane Officer, etc. | As per Bihar Government 7th Pay Commission norms (Level-9 corresponds to approx. ₹53,100 – ₹1,67,800) |
| Level-7 | Municipal Executive Officer, Rural Dev. Officer, Revenue Officer, Block Panchayat Raj Officer, etc. | As per Bihar Government 7th Pay Commission norms (Level-7 corresponds to approx. ₹44,900 – ₹1,42,400) |
| Level-6 | Block Minority Welfare Officer | As per Bihar Government 7th Pay Commission norms (Level-6 corresponds to approx. ₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400) |
Note: In addition to basic pay, selected candidates are entitled to standard allowances including Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and other applicable government benefits as per Bihar Government rules. Exact pay details are governed by the relevant service rules of the respective department.
Documents Required — For Online Application & Interview
Note: Married women claiming reservation must submit caste/creamy layer certificate in their father’s name (not husband’s). All documents must be uploaded in PDF format (max 100 KB each) during online application. Originals must be produced at interview/document verification. |
How to Apply — Step-by-Step Guide
| Step 1: One Time Registration (OTR) Visit the official BPSC online portal at https://bpsconline.bihar.gov.in and complete OTR by clicking “New User Registration.” Provide your personal details, caste, sports records, NCC, ex-serviceman status, etc. OTR is mandatory for all BPSC exams going forward. Step 2: DigiLocker Account Linking Step 3: Complete Profile Creation (6 Steps) Step 4: Select the Advertisement & Post Step 5: Pay Application Fee Step 6: Fill & Submit Application Form Step 7: Download & Print Application Step 8: Important Cautions |
Important Links
| Apply Online (BPSC Portal) | Click Here |
| Corrigendum Notice | Click Here |
| Download Official Notification PDF | Click Here |
| BPSC Official Website | Click Here |
BPSC 72nd CCE Recruitment 2026 — FAQs
| Q1. What is the last date to apply for BPSC 72nd CCE 2026? ⇒ The last date for submitting the online application is 31 May 2026. Q2. What is the total number of vacancies? Q3. Is there negative marking in the Preliminary Examination? Q4. What is the application fee for BPSC 72nd CCE 2026? Q5. Can candidates from outside Bihar apply for reservation benefits? Q6. What is the minimum age to apply? Q7. Is the Preliminary Exam score counted in the final merit list? Q8. Can I change my optional subject or post preference after submitting the application? Q9. Is Post No. 3 (Sub-Divisional Sanrakshan Officer) open to male candidates? Q10. What is the selection process for Bihar government employees applying through this exam? Q11. Where can I find the detailed syllabus for BPSC 72nd CCE? |
BPSC 72nd CCE Recruitment 2026 — Conclusion
The BPSC 72nd Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination 2026 is a career-defining opportunity for graduates aspiring to join Bihar’s prestigious state civil services. With 1186 vacancies across 22+ posts in key departments — from Bihar Administrative Service and Police to Revenue, Rural Development, and Cooperation — this recruitment offers diverse career pathways with attractive government pay scales (Level-6 to Level-9), job security, and excellent growth prospects.Eligible candidates must not miss this chance and should apply online at https://bpsconline.bihar.gov.in before 31 May 2026.