Planning to appear for the BPSSC SI exam? Knowing the exact syllabus and exam pattern is half the battle won. Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission conducts the Sub Inspector exam in two written stages — Prelims (screening) and Mains (merit-based). This guide covers the complete BPSSC SI syllabus 2026 with topic-wise breakdown for every subject.
BPSSC SI Selection Process – Complete Overview
| Stage |
Type |
Nature |
| Stage 1 | Preliminary Exam (Written) | Screening — marks NOT counted for final merit |
| Stage 2 | Mains Exam (Written) | Merit-based — final ranking prepared from this |
| Stage 3 | Physical Efficiency Test (PET) | Qualifying — pass/fail only |
| Stage 4 | Document Verification | Original documents checked |
| Stage 5 | Medical Examination | Physical fitness & eyesight check |
BPSSC SI Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
| Detail |
Information |
| Subject | General Knowledge (GK) |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 200 (2 marks per question) |
| Duration | 2 Hours |
| Question Type | Objective (MCQ) |
| Negative Marking | Yes — 0.2 marks deducted per wrong answer |
| Language | Hindi & English |
| Shortlisting Ratio | 10x the total vacancies |
Important: Prelims is ONLY a screening test. Your Prelims marks are NOT added to the final merit. You just need to clear the cut off to qualify for Mains. So focus on scoring above the cut off, not topping Prelims.
BPSSC SI Prelims Syllabus – Topic-wise Breakdown
The Prelims paper covers General Knowledge broadly. Here are the specific topics:
1. General Knowledge & Current Affairs (35-40 questions)
- Current events — national and international (last 6 months)
- Awards and honours — Padma Awards, Nobel Prize, sports awards
- Books and authors
- National and international organisations (UN, WHO, IMF, World Bank)
- Sports — recent tournaments, winners, venues
- Important days and dates
- Bihar-specific current affairs — government schemes, new policies, CM announcements
2. Indian History (10-15 questions)
- Ancient India — Indus Valley, Vedic period, Maurya, Gupta dynasty
- Medieval India — Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Bhakti movement
- Modern India — British Rule, freedom struggle, important leaders and movements
- Bihar history — Champaran movement, Quit India, Patna's role in freedom struggle
3. Indian Geography (8-12 questions)
- Physical geography — mountains, rivers, plateaus, climate
- Indian rivers and drainage system
- Natural resources and minerals
- Bihar geography — rivers (Ganga, Sone, Kosi, Gandak), districts, natural resources
- Population and census data
4. Indian Polity & Constitution (8-10 questions)
- Fundamental Rights, Duties, Directive Principles
- Parliament — Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, legislative process
- President, Prime Minister, Governor, Chief Minister — powers and functions
- Judiciary — Supreme Court, High Court
- Local governance — Panchayati Raj, Municipalities
- Bihar state administration
5. General Science (10-12 questions)
- Physics — mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity basics
- Chemistry — elements, compounds, acids-bases, everyday chemistry
- Biology — human body, diseases, nutrition, cell biology
- Environment and ecology
- Science & technology in news
6. Mathematics (10-12 questions)
- Number system — HCF, LCM, simplification
- Percentage, Profit & Loss, Simple and Compound Interest
- Ratio & Proportion, Average
- Time & Work, Time & Distance, Speed
- Area, Volume, Mensuration basics
- Data Interpretation — tables, bar graphs, pie charts
7. Reasoning & Mental Ability (10-15 questions)
- Analogy, Classification, Series completion
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relations
- Direction sense
- Venn Diagrams
- Syllogisms
- Non-verbal reasoning — mirror image, pattern completion
BPSSC SI Mains Exam Pattern 2026
| Paper |
Subject |
Questions |
Marks |
Duration |
| Paper 1 | General Hindi | 100 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Paper 2 | General Studies + Maths + Reasoning | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Total | 200 | 300 | |
Key points:
- Both papers are objective (MCQ) type
- Negative marking applies (0.2 marks per wrong answer in Paper 2)
- Final merit is prepared based on Mains marks ONLY
- Candidates equal to 3x vacancies are called for Physical Test
BPSSC SI Mains Syllabus – Paper 1 (General Hindi)
- Hindi Grammar: Sandhi, Samas, Upsarg, Pratyay, Ling, Vachan, Karak
- Vocabulary: Paryayvachi (synonyms), Vilom (antonyms), One-word substitution, Muhavare (idioms)
- Comprehension: Unseen passage with questions
- Letter Writing: Formal and informal letters, applications
- Essay: Short essay on given topics
- Translation: English to Hindi passage translation
- Error correction: Sentence correction, spelling errors
BPSSC SI Mains Syllabus – Paper 2 (GS + Maths + Reasoning)
Paper 2 is the most important paper — 200 marks and it decides your rank. Topics include:
- General Studies: Same as Prelims but more in-depth — History, Geography, Polity, Science, Current Affairs, Bihar-specific topics
- Mathematics: Same topics as Prelims but slightly higher difficulty level
- Reasoning & Mental Ability: Same pattern but more complex problems
- Current Affairs: Greater focus on last 12 months events, both national and Bihar-specific
BPSSC SI Physical Efficiency Test (PET)
| Test |
Male |
Female |
| Running | 1.6 km in 6 min 30 sec | 1 km in 6 min |
| Long Jump | 12 feet | 9 feet |
| High Jump | 4 feet | 3 feet |
| Shot Put (16 lbs) | 16 feet | 10 feet (12 lbs) |
Physical Standards
| Standard |
Male (Gen/OBC) |
Male (SC/ST) |
Female |
| Height | 165 cm | 160 cm | 155 cm |
| Chest | 81-86 cm | 79-84 cm | N/A |
BPSSC SI Preparation Strategy
- Start with Current Affairs: 35-40% of Prelims is GK/Current Affairs. Read daily newspapers and monthly magazines. Focus on Bihar-specific news.
- Master Hindi for Mains: Paper 1 (Hindi) is 100 marks — many candidates neglect this. Good Hindi can give you an edge of 15-20 marks.
- Practice Maths daily: Speed matters in MCQ exams. Practice 50 questions daily from each topic.
- Bihar focus: BPSSC always asks 10-15 questions on Bihar — history, geography, current affairs, government schemes.
- Previous year papers: Solve last 5 years BPSSC SI papers. The pattern and difficulty level remain consistent.
- Physical preparation: Start PET preparation alongside written exam prep. Running 1.6 km in 6:30 needs regular practice.
BPSSC SI Syllabus – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the exam pattern for BPSSC SI Prelims?
BPSSC SI Prelims has 100 MCQ questions worth 200 marks (2 marks each) on General Knowledge. Duration is 2 hours. Negative marking of 0.2 marks per wrong answer applies. It is a screening test only — marks are not counted for final merit.
What is the syllabus for BPSSC SI Mains?
BPSSC SI Mains has 2 papers: Paper 1 is General Hindi (100 marks) covering grammar, comprehension and essay. Paper 2 is General Studies + Maths + Reasoning (200 marks). Total 300 marks. Final merit is based on Mains marks only.
Is there negative marking in BPSSC SI exam?
Yes. In Prelims, 0.2 marks are deducted for each wrong answer (each question is worth 2 marks). In Mains Paper 2, negative marking of 0.2 marks also applies. Avoid random guessing — only attempt questions you are reasonably sure about.
How many candidates are shortlisted from BPSSC SI Prelims?
Candidates equal to 10 times the total vacancies are shortlisted from Prelims for the Mains exam. For example, if there are 1,000 vacancies, approximately 10,000 candidates will be called for Mains.
What are the physical standards for BPSSC SI?
Male candidates (Gen/OBC) need minimum 165 cm height and must run 1.6 km in 6 minutes 30 seconds. Female candidates need 155 cm height and must run 1 km in 6 minutes. Long jump, high jump and shot put tests also apply.
Which subjects are most important for BPSSC SI?
Current Affairs and General Knowledge carry the highest weightage (35-40% of Prelims). For Mains, Hindi (Paper 1) and General Studies in Paper 2 are crucial. Bihar-specific topics appear in both Prelims and Mains — never skip Bihar GK.
How to prepare for BPSSC SI Bihar GK?
Focus on Bihar history (Champaran, Quit India, Patliputra), Bihar geography (rivers, districts, natural resources), Bihar government schemes, and recent state-level news. Read Bihar Darshan or similar books for comprehensive preparation. 10-15 questions are always from Bihar.
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