Bihar Police ASI Operations Syllabus, Exam Pattern

A written exam in two stages, Preliminary and Mains, all objective, then a physical test.

• 0.2 marks off per wrong answer in every paper. Five wrong answers cancel one right one; a blank costs nothing.
• The Preliminary sends 20 times the vacancies to the Mains, and Paper II sends up to five times to the physical test, category-wise. The Commission can lower either ratio.
• Multi-shift papers are normalised by the Equi-Percentile Method.
• The answer sheet has two copies; the Commission keeps one.

Physical Efficiency Test (qualifying, no marks)

Three attempts at the jumps and shot put. Fail any one event and you're out.

The advertisement gives no topic list, only subject and level:

• Physics: graduate science level in the Preliminary (60 questions) and a graduate Physics paper in the Mains (100 questions). Your B.Sc. Physics syllabus is the guide. Across the written stages, 160 of the 200 objective questions are Physics.
• General knowledge and current affairs: 40 Preliminary questions, no sub-topics given.
• General Hindi and General English: 50 marks each, Intermediate level, in Mains Paper I.

Education

B.Sc. with Physics from a recognised university, 50 per cent (45 per cent for SC and ST), held by 1 August 2025.

Age on 1 August 2025

Age comes from your matriculation certificate. That's far wider than the state's constable recruitments, which close at 25 to 30.

• Bihar government servants with three years' regular service moving to a higher pay scale: 5 more years (GAD resolution 2374 of 16 July 2007).
• Ex-servicemen: 3 years plus defence service, as long as actual age doesn't exceed 57.

Physical standards

Men need at least 5 cm chest expansion. Women need at least 48 kg.

Reservation

• Vertical: Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services Act, 1991 (Bihar Act 3 of 1992), as amended.
• Women: 35 per cent horizontal, by roster (GAD resolution of 7 January 2016).
• Grandchildren of freedom fighters: 2 per cent (resolution 13185 of 3 September 2015; roster by letter 2526 of 18 February 2016).
• Transgender candidates: category set by the District Magistrate's Form-3 identity certificate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act (Gazette 483 of 25 September 2020).

1. Preliminary: 30 per cent minimum; 20 times the vacancies go through.
2. Mains Paper I (language): 30 marks minimum, not counted.
3. Mains Paper II (Physics): 33 per cent minimum; this is your rank. Up to five times the vacancies go to the PET.
4. Physical Efficiency Test: four events, each passed separately, no marks.

The final merit list is drawn category-wise from those who pass the PET, on Paper II marks. The Commission then sends it to the appointing authority.

Ties go to the older candidate, then the higher qualification, then marks in the qualifying exam, then alphabetical order of the name on the Class 10 certificate.

Pay Matrix Level 5. The advertisement gives nothing more; allowances follow Bihar Government rules for the post and place of posting.

The same 2021 cadre rules cover the Constable (Operator) post, which CSBC recruits separately:

With a B.Sc. in Physics you can apply for both.

Apply online through links on bpssc.bihar.gov.in, 4 February to 4 March 2026. Only one application per candidate.

Have ready

• Matriculation certificate (for date of birth).
• B.Sc. with Physics, 50 or 45 per cent, held by 1 August 2025.
• Caste and permanent residence certificates for reserved categories; EWS certificate under the state's rules.
• Freedom fighter grandchild certificate, if claimed.
• District Magistrate's Form-3 certificate for transgender candidates.
• Proof of three years' regular service (serving state employees) or defence service record (ex-servicemen).

Disability provisions

Candidates with a benchmark disability under section 2(r) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 can have a scribe and 20 minutes extra per hour, up to 60 minutes, scribe or not. Shorter papers get proportional time, never less than 5 minutes and in multiples of 5. Scribe details go through a separate link, and candidates claiming exemption for complete blindness must submit a disability certificate.

After applications close, BPSSC publishes invalid applications with reasons and a re-upload link for photo or signature problems.

• BPSSC runs the exams and physical test, makes the merit list and recommends.
• Bihar Police Radio (Wireless), Bihar, Patna is where the posts are.
• Police Headquarters (Communication Division) and the Home Department (Police Branch) sent the requisition; the Home Department also made the 2021 cadre rules.
• General Administration Department sets reservation and age relaxation policy.
• The appointing authority appoints on BPSSC's recommendation.

BPSSC's other recruitments this season (01/2024 Steno ASI, 04/2025 Assistant Superintendent, 05/2025 Police SI, 07/2026 ASI (Technical), 09/2026 Special Branch SI) have different papers and rules. BPSSC has also published a notice about the change of address of its website.

The Preliminary is held at centres across Bihar; BPSSC publishes a centre list by roll number and corrects addresses by notice. The Mains uses fewer centres for the shortlisted candidates. The physical test is at grounds notified separately, where height, chest and weight are also measured.

The qualification date is six months before applications opened, so a degree finished after 1 August 2025 doesn't count. Exam, Mains and PET dates are announced by notice on bpssc.bihar.gov.in, and can move: BPSSC postponed its companion 07/2026 exam the same season.

BPSSC issues a separate e-admit card for the Preliminary, the Mains and the PET, through links announced on bpssc.bihar.gov.in, with a centre list by roll number. If yours doesn't appear, check the invalid applications list and the photo and signature re-upload notice.

BPSSC publishes the Preliminary result (for this advertisement, 12 August 2026), the Mains result calling candidates to the PET, and the final merit list, on bpssc.bihar.gov.in. For past recruitments (Steno ASI, 01/2024; Police SI, 02/2023) it has also published a link where every candidate can see their own marks.

The fixed minimums are 30 per cent in the Preliminary, 30 marks in Mains Paper I and 33 per cent in Mains Paper II. With 0.2 per wrong answer, 33 right and 20 wrong nets 29, which fails.

BPSSC doesn't publish cut-offs in advance. The real line is the Paper II mark where the posts run out in each category, from a field of about 9,240 at the Mains (20 times 462) and about 2,310 at the PET (five times). Stage results appear on bpssc.bihar.gov.in.

• Put your effort into graduate Physics. Use your B.Sc. syllabus, not school or general competition books.
• Don't ignore the 40 GK questions in the Preliminary; you still need 30 per cent overall to reach the Mains.
• Clear the language paper comfortably, then move on. It can't help your rank.
• Guess only when you've narrowed it to two. At 0.2 per wrong answer that pays; a blind guess among four doesn't. Practice sets that deduct 0.25 aren't built for this exam.
• Train for all four events. Missing one ends it.
• Check your age even if you think you're too old for police jobs. The limit runs to 37, 40 or 42.

BPSSC doesn't publish past papers or model papers for this post.

It does publish stage results on bpssc.bihar.gov.in, and for some past recruitments a link to view individual marks. For Physics, your B.Sc. course texts are the closest match, since the deciding paper is set at graduate level.

• Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission: advertisements, applications, admit cards, results and marks
• Advertisement No. 04/2026, ASI (Operation) (PDF)

What decides my rank?

Mains Paper II, graduate Physics, 100 marks. Nothing else.

Is there negative marking?

Yes, 0.2 per wrong answer in every paper.

What qualification do I need?

B.Sc. with Physics, 50 per cent (45 for SC and ST), by 1 August 2025.

What's the age limit?

21 to 37 for General men, 40 for General women and BC/EBC, 42 for SC and ST, on 1 August 2025.

How many vacancies?

462, with 157 for women, 9 for freedom fighters' grandchildren and 1 for a transgender candidate.

Does the PET carry marks?

No, but you must pass all four events.

Is BPSSC the same as CSBC?

No. BPSSC recruits officer ranks below gazetted level; CSBC recruits constables.