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WB SET Exam Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

1575 topics across 139 subjects. Every question carries a written explanation.

The West Bengal State Eligibility Test (WB SET) decides who is eligible to be an Assistant Professor in West Bengal. The West Bengal College Service Commission (WBCSC) runs it as the UGC-accredited state agency. Qualifying makes you eligible; appointment follows West Bengal's recruitment rules.

The 27th SET (Advertisement 27/SET) was held on 14 December 2025 in 33 subjects, and its result came out on 5 March 2026. WBCSC has announced the 28th SET for 13 December 2026; its advertisement hadn't been posted on wbcsconline.in by mid-October 2026.

  • Two papers on OMR sheets, on one day, with no negative marking.
  • Only 6 per cent of those who sit both papers qualify.
  • A WB SET counts only in West Bengal. UGC-NET is the national one.

Last checked against the official notification on .

Previous year question papers

WB SET Exam Details

Exam Pattern
SessionPaperQuestionsMarksTime (27th SET)
FirstPaper I: general50, all compulsory50 × 2 = 1001 hour, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
SecondPaper II: your subject100, all compulsory100 × 2 = 2002 hours, 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
  • OMR based. Black ball point pen only; a pencil-marked sheet is rejected.
  • Two marks a question and no negative marking.
  • You can't change an answer once darkened, and eraser or whitener isn't allowed.
  • Qualifying is on the aggregate of both papers out of 300.

Paper I tests teaching and research aptitude: reasoning, comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness. You return the original OMR sheets and can take the test booklet and the duplicate OMR copy home.

Syllabus

WBCSC publishes its own syllabus for the general paper and every SET subject on its SET Syllabus page, and doesn't post copies. Paper I is the same for everyone. Paper II covers the whole of what used to be Paper II and Paper III in that subject, electives included, with no options. WBCSC doesn't say its syllabi are the UGC-NET ones, so work from its PDFs.

The 33 subjects (27th SET)

GroupSubjects
LanguagesEnglish, Bengali, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Santali, Nepali, Arabic
Humanities and social sciencesEconomics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Music
ProfessionalCommerce, Education, Library and Information Science, Physical Education, Mass Communication and Journalism, Law, Management
SciencesChemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Electronic Science, Computer Science, Home Science, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences

Sit the subject of your Master's. If it isn't on the list, the route is UGC-NET or the Joint CSIR-UGC test.

Eligibility Criteria

Degree and marks

  • A Master's degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognised university or institution.
  • 55 per cent for General and EWS; 50 per cent for OBC (non-creamy layer), SC, ST, PwD and transgender candidates. No rounding off.
  • Ph.D. holders who finished their Master's by 19 September 1991 get 5 per cent off (55 to 50).
  • PG diplomas and foreign degrees need equivalence from the Association of Indian Universities.
  • No upper age limit for the SET. Recruitment follows the relevant Government Order.

Result awaited

Students still in their Master's, or waiting for the result, can apply. You become eligible only after passing with 55 or 50 per cent within two years of the SET result; otherwise you're disqualified.

Other rules

  • Transgender candidates get the same fee and qualifying concessions as SC, ST and PwD, and their cut-off in each subject is the lowest of the SC, ST, PwD, OBC and EWS cut-offs.
  • If you've already qualified the SET in a subject, you can't sit it again in that subject.
  • Reservation follows Government of West Bengal policy; PwD reservation needs at least 40 per cent disability. Your employer verifies the category later.
  • You don't send any certificate. Ineligibility found at any stage cancels your candidature.

Who doesn't need the SET

Exemptions follow UGC regulations. UGC/CSIR JRF passed before 1989 is exempt. A SET cleared before 1 June 2002 counts anywhere in India; one cleared after that counts only in its own state.

Selection Process

The SET only decides eligibility. WBCSC's result procedure:

StepWhat happens
I. Slots6 per cent of candidates who sat both papers
II. CategoriesSlots split by Government of West Bengal reservation policy
III. MinimumSit both papers and get at least 40 per cent aggregate (General, EWS) or 35 per cent (SC, ST, OBC non-creamy layer, PwD, transgender)
IV. SubjectsEach category's slots are shared across subjects in proportion to the candidates who reached the minimum
Cut-offThe aggregate at which a subject's slots run out is its cut-off for that category

Marks for every candidate go up on the WBCSC site after the result. No mark sheet is issued, and there's no re-evaluation. Qualified candidates get a certificate.

Salary

The SET carries no pay. It makes you eligible for Assistant Professor posts in West Bengal; pay is set by whoever appoints you.

How to Apply

Apply online only, at wbcsconline.in. Hard copies aren't accepted.

CategoryFee (27th SET)
General₹1,400
OBC (non-creamy layer) and EWS₹700
SC, ST, PwD and transgender₹350
  • Pay by card or net banking; processing charges are extra. Fees aren't refunded.
  • Check that the payment status shows OK before printing the confirmation page.
  • Photo 4 to 40 KB and signature 4 to 30 KB, both JPG.
  • Email and mobile number can't be changed later. After the editing window, nothing else can be either.
Exam Centres

You choose two districts; WBCSC tries to place you in one of them. The 27th SET listed 23: Alipurduar, Bankura, Birbhum, Coochbehar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Hooghly, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Kalimpong, Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipore, Purba Bardhaman, Purba Medinipore, Purulia, South 24 Parganas and Uttar Dinajpur.

  • Report 1 hour 30 minutes before the exam for frisking. No entry after it starts, and no leaving before a session ends.
  • Bring the printed admit card and a photo ID.
  • No phones, calculators, bags, stationery, eatables or metal items.
  • Candidates with 40 per cent or more disability get 20 minutes extra in Paper I and 40 in Paper II, and can use a scribe. There are no Braille booklets.
Important Dates
Event27th SET
Applications1 to 31 August 2025
Editing window9 to 11 September 2025
Exam14 December 2025
Result and cut-offs5 March 2026

The 28th SET is proposed for 13 December 2026, 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Applications usually open in August with the advertisement.

Preparation Tips

Cover the whole subject

Paper II draws on the old Paper II and Paper III syllabi together, electives included, so there's no part to skip.

Answer everything

There's no negative marking. Fill every question, but mark carefully: an answer can't be changed once darkened.

Use the past papers

Nine SETs' papers and keys are on the WBCSC site. Time yourself: 72 seconds a question in both papers.

Sample Papers

WBCSC posts past question papers, answer keys and jumbling orders for the 19th to 27th SET on its Question Papers page.

Official Links
Frequently Asked Questions

Who conducts WB SET?

The West Bengal College Service Commission.

When is the 28th SET?

WBCSC has proposed 13 December 2026.

Is there negative marking?

No.

Is there an age limit?

No upper age limit to sit the SET.

Can I sit the SET again in a subject I've already qualified?

No.

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