Bihar Vidhan Sabha ASO Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

Two stages: an OMR preliminary exam, then a descriptive main exam. Prelim marks only decide who gets into the main exam.

100 questions, 400 marks, two hours. 4 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark off for a wrong one. Hindi and English; English wins if they differ.

To stay in, you need 40 per cent if unreserved, 36.5 per cent for BC, 34 per cent for EBC, and 32 per cent for SC, ST, women and candidates with disability. The main exam syllabus was posted on the Secretariat site with the advertisement.

General Studies

Current events and awards, sports, scientific developments. History of India, Bihar and neighbouring countries, culture, geography, economy, agriculture, natural resources, the Constitution, Panchayati Raj, community development, Five Year Plans, the freedom movement and Bihar's part in it.

General Science and Mathematics

Matric-level physics, chemistry and biology. Number system, whole numbers, decimals and fractions, basic operations, percentage, ratio, average, interest, profit and loss.

Mental Ability and Reasoning

Verbal and non-verbal: similarity and difference, spatial visualisation, problem solving, analysis, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationships, number series, coding and decoding.

• Education: graduation from a university recognised by the state or central government, any subject.
• Age on 01.08.2023: 21 minimum. Maximum 37 for unreserved men; 40 for unreserved women, BC and EBC; 42 for SC and ST. Government servants with 3 years of service get 5 years extra, candidates with disability get 10, and ex-servicemen get their service plus 3 years, capped at 53.
• Indian citizen. Reservation applies only to Bihar domicile holders.

Preliminary exam, then the main exam. The final merit list for each category comes from the main exam marks.

ASO: Level 7, Rs 44,900 to 1,42,400. Assistant Caretaker: Level 4, Rs 25,500 to 81,100.

Online application on the Secretariat portal. Fee ₹600 for unreserved, BC, EBC and EWS men from Bihar and everyone from outside Bihar; ₹150 for Bihar SC, ST, women and candidates with 40 per cent or more disability. One fee covers both posts; tick the post boxes in the form to be considered for each.

No prelim date or result has been posted for 01/2024 on the notice page.

No cut-off has been published for Advertisement 01/2024. The 24 October 2025 cut-off notice covers the other 2023 and 2024 advertisements and leaves this one out.

The prelim is a Class 10 level paper with a strong Bihar slant, so Bihar history, geography and the economy deserve steady time. Practise Class 10 arithmetic with a clock, since the 1-mark negative on a 4-mark question punishes guessing. Start the descriptive writing practice early.

• Recruitment Advertisement page
• Recruitment Notice page
• Advertisement 01/2024 (PDF)
• Bihar Vidhan Sabha home page

How many ASO posts were there?

50 in Advertisement 01/2024, with 17 earmarked for women.

What is the pay of an ASO?

Level 7, Rs 44,900 to 1,42,400.

Can I apply with a diploma?

No. A graduate degree from a recognised university is needed.

Is there negative marking in the prelim?

Yes. 1 mark is cut for each wrong answer; each right answer gets 4.