The Bihar CGL syllabus rests on three subjects found in both the prelims and the mains, namely GS, science plus maths, and reasoning, while the mains adds a Hindi language paper you must pass at 30% before anything else is evaluated. Bihar CGL is the common name for the graduate level combined competitive exam that BSSC holds, whose vacancies include Assistant Section Officer, Auditor and Planning Assistant.
Here you get the Bihar CGL exam pattern with marks and timing, what the marking rule means for your attempt strategy, which degree each post needs, and the topics to cover subject by subject. For a ready week by week timetable and a Hindi summary, our BSSC CGL syllabus page goes deeper.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
Bihar Staff Selection CommissionAlso called
BSSC CGL, graduate level combined competitive examPrelims
150 MCQs, 600 marks, 2 hours 15 minutesMains
Paper 1 Hindi (qualifying at 30%) and Paper 2 (merit), each 2 hours 15 minutesMarking
+4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong oneAge (general male)
21 to 37 years, higher limits for women and reserved groupsOfficial website
Posts filled and the degree each one needs
The latest advertisement, the fourth graduate level round, announced 1,481 posts. Most are Assistant Section Officer seats, so a plain graduate degree is enough for the majority of applicants. A few posts need specific subjects:
| Post | Degree required |
|---|---|
| Assistant Section Officer | Graduation in any subject |
| Planning Assistant | Graduation in any subject |
| Junior Statistical Assistant | Graduation with maths, economics, commerce or statistics |
| Data Entry Operator | Graduation plus PGDCA, BCA, BSc (IT) or equivalent |
| Auditor | Bachelor's in commerce, economics, statistics or maths |
| Auditor (Cooperative Societies) | Graduate with maths, or BCom |
The written syllabus is the same for all these posts. Your degree only decides which posts you may opt for.
Bihar CGL exam pattern in numbers
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| GS (general studies) | 50 | 200 |
| Science plus maths | 50 | 200 |
| Mental ability, logic, reasoning, comprehension | 50 | 200 |
| All three together | 150 | 600 (2 hours 15 minutes) |
| Paper | What it tests | Questions and marks | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Hindi language | 100 questions, 400 marks | Pass at 30% or Paper 2 is not checked |
| Paper 2 | GS, science with maths, and reasoning ability, 50 questions apiece | 150 questions, 600 marks | Decides your merit rank |
Both mains papers last 2 hours 15 minutes. Prelims marks only decide who is called to the mains; none of them reach the final list.
What the 4 plus, 1 minus rule means for you
Bihar CGL awards 4 marks for a right option and deducts 1 for a wrong one. Do the arithmetic: a pure blind guess among four options gives an average of only a quarter mark per question, which hardly justifies the time. Rule out two options first, though, and the average gain jumps to one and a half marks, so an informed guess is clearly worth taking.
Reports on the mains state that the same deduction applies there. Your admit card instructions will settle it for your sitting.
Bihar CGL syllabus subject by subject
General studies
- Indian history, culture and the national movement, with Bihar's place in it
- Land, rivers, farming and resources of the country and of Bihar: rivers, soils, crops, minerals, industries
- Polity: the Constitution, Parliament, Panchayati Raj
- Economy, planning and current state and central schemes
- Current events, awards, sports, books, science news
- Bihar special: art forms, festivals, heritage sites, state economy
General science and mathematics
- Matric standard physics, chemistry and biology
- Arithmetic: percentage and ratio work, mean values, gain and loss, simple plus compound interest, work rate problems, number system, simplification
- Mains extends to geometry, mensuration and basic trigonometry
Reasoning and mental ability
- Analogies, classification, letter and number series, coding
- Relations within a family tree, which way someone is facing, order and rank, syllogism, statement and conclusion
- Non verbal items such as mirror images and figure completion
- Prelims includes comprehension passages; mains adds puzzles and data reading
The Hindi paper: easy marks, real risk
Paper 1 is set around school level Hindi: word pairs of similar and opposite meaning, idioms and proverbs, joining and compounding words (sandhi, samas), upsarg and pratyay, sentence correction and a passage to read. Because 30% is enough, the paper looks harmless, yet it is the only part of the exam that can cancel a strong Paper 2 outright. Two or three focused sessions a week from the start of your preparation are usually enough to stay safely above the line.
Age limits and minimum qualifying marks
| Category | Maximum age |
|---|---|
| Unreserved, male | 37 |
| Unreserved, female | 40 |
| BC and EBC (male and female) | 40 |
| SC and ST (male and female) | 42 |
The minimum age is 21 for everyone. Candidates with disabilities get further relaxation under state rules.
| Category | Minimum |
|---|---|
| General | 40% |
| BC | 36.5% |
| EBC | 34% |
| SC, ST, women, persons with disabilities | 32% |
Fitting preparation around the pattern
Since the three subjects are identical across stages, prepare once for both. Build the mains depth (geometry, puzzles, Bihar schemes) into your prelims study instead of waiting for the result. Solve the Commission's past papers to see how much Bihar specific GK appears and how science questions are framed. School textbooks from NCERT and the Bihar board are enough for science and history, and a state GK book covers the Bihar section.
Bihar CGL overlaps with other state exams. Your GS notes can also serve the BPSC syllabus for civil services and the 12th pass BSSC inter level exam, so compare them before you plan. More Bihar and other state papers are gathered in our state exams section.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bihar CGL and BSSC CGL the same exam?
Yes. Bihar CGL is the everyday name for the graduate level combined competitive exam run by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission.
Once I pass the prelims, is that score used again?
No. Think of it purely as a filter. Your rank comes from Paper 2 of the mains, provided you clear the 30% Hindi requirement in Paper 1.
Is the Bihar CGL exam pattern the same for every post?
Yes, all posts in the advertisement share one written exam. Posts differ only in the degree they require and in the vacancies on offer.
What level is the maths in Bihar CGL?
Prelims maths is mostly arithmetic at matric level. The mains goes a little further with geometry, mensuration and basic trigonometry from class 10.
Can final year students apply?
As reported from the latest advertisement, the degree has to be complete on or before the closing day of applications. The wording of your own advertisement is final on this point.
How much Bihar GK should I study?
Enough to answer confidently on Bihar's history, geography, economy, culture and current schemes. It forms a large share of the GS section in both stages, and past papers show how often it is asked.