The Public Service Commission, West Bengal or PSCWB is the state agency authorized to conduct the Civil Services Examination for entry-level appointments to the various Civil Services of state of West Bengal in India.

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Examination Pattern and details

To appear for the West Bengal civil service examination one should have all these important eligibility criteria. A candidate should verify the notified rules that he/she is eligible for admission to the examination. Keep in mind that the conditions prescribed cannot be relaxed.

• A degree from a recognized University.

• Ability to read, write and speak in Bengali (not required for those candidates whose mother tongue is Nepali).

• Not below 21 years but not more than 32 years on the 1st January of the year of examination for services and posts.

• For the West Bengal Police Service only (i.e. Group “B” Service) age not below 20 years but not more than 32 years on the 1st January of the year of examination.

• The candidate must have good health and character and suitability in all respects for appointment to Government service.

• Concession in age:– The upper age relaxation for S.C., S.T. candidates of West Bengal is of 5 years and by 3 years for O.B.C. candidates. In the case of Persons with Disabilities (PWD), the age relaxation is up to 45 years. Do keep in mind that the S.C./S.T./O.B.C. candidates of other States shall be treated as general candidates.

• The candidate must be

Nationality:

• Citizen of India, or

• A subject of Nepal, or a subject of Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or

• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

WBCS 2020 Exam Pattern

The West Bengal Civil Service (Exe.) etc Examination will be held in some successive stages, viz., Preliminary examination, Main Examination, Personality Test and Medical Fitness.

The W.B.C.S. (Executive) Examination will be held in two successive stages, viz.,

(i) Preliminary Examination (Objective Type) and

(ii) Main Examination (Conventional Type-Written) and

(iii) Personality Test.

A number of candidates to be selected on the results of the Preliminary Examination will be allowed admission to the Main Examination and a number of candidates to be selected on the results of the Main Examination (Written) will be called to appear at the Personality Test.

(A) Preliminary examination (Objective Type):

The Preliminary Examination will consist of only one paper, viz., a paper on General Studies. The paper will be of an objective type consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions, each carrying one mark. The total time duration will be 2½ hours. The standard of the paper will be of the level of knowledge as expected of a graduate of any faculty of a recognized University. The paper will include questions covering the following fields of knowledge.

(B) Main Examination (Conventional Type-Written):

The Main Examination will consist of six compulsory papers and one optional subject to be chosen by the candidates from the list of optional subjects given below. There will be two papers of the optional subject of 200 marks each. Each paper, Compulsory or Optional, will carry 200 marks and will be of 3 hours duration.

Six compulsory papers

(C) Personality Test:

Candidates on the basis of their results in the Preliminary Examination will be allowed admission to the Main Examination and based on the marks you scored in Main Exam, you will be allowed to the personality test. Every year a number of candidates selected in order of merit on the results of the Main Examination for all the services and posts included in Groups A, B, C and D will have to appear for a Personality Test.

Each candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the test will be to assess the candidate‘s personal qualities e.g., alertness of mind, the power of clear and logical exposition, intellectual and moral integrity, leadership and also the candidate‘s range of interests.

SCHEME AND SYLLABUS

The scheme and syllabus of the examination shall be as detailed in the Schedule below :-

1. Scheme of the Preliminary Examination : The Preliminary Examination will consist of only one paper, viz., a paper on “General Studies”. The paper will be of an objective type consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions. The paper will carry 200 marks and will be of 2½ hours duration. The standard of the paper will be of the level of knowledge as expected of a graduate of any faculty of a recognized University. The paper will include questions covering the following fields of knowledge: 

(i) English Composition 25 Marks 

(ii) General Science 25 Marks 

(iii) Current events of National & International Importance 25 Marks 

(iv) History of India 25 Marks 

(v) Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal 25 Marks

(vi) Indian Polity and Economy 25 Marks 

(vii) Indian National Movement 25 Marks 

(viii) General Mental Ability 25 Marks

An outline of the syllabi is given in :

The Preliminary Examination is meant to serve as a Screening Test only for the purpose of selection of candidates for the Main Examination. The marks obtained in this examination by the candidates will not be considered for final selection. Only those candidates who will be declared qualified at the Preliminary Examination in a year will be eligible for admission to the W.B.C.S. (Exe.) etc.(Main) Examination of that year.

2. Scheme of the Main Examination : The Main Examination will consist of five Compulsory papers and two optional subjects (one optional subject for candidates applying only for group C and / or D) to be chosen by the candidates from the list of optional subjects given below. If a candidate offers two optional subjects and intends to compete for only Group – ‘C’ and/or ‘D’, he/she will be allowed the Optional Subject mentioned first. There will be two papers on each optional subject. Every paper – Compulsory or Optional – will carry 100 marks and will be of 3 hours’ duration.

Compulsory Papers :

Paper I : Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali Essay, Précis Writing, Composition and Translation from English into 
Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali (Marks 40+20+20+20). 

Paper II : English Essay, Précis Writing, Composition and Translation from Bengali/Hindi/ Urdu/Nepali into English (Marks 40+20+20+20). 

Paper III : General Knowledge and Current Affairs (Excluding questions on the Constitution of India and the Five-year Plans (Marks 50+50). 

Paper IV : The Constitution of India and the Five-year Plans (Marks 50+50). 

Paper V : Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning (Marks 50+50).

3. List of Optional Subjects : (Vide restriction on choice in Item No.-4 below and syllabi in Appendix-I)

1. Bengali

2. Hindi

3. Sanskrit

4. English

5. Pali 

6. Arabic

7. Persian

8. French

9. Urdu

10. Comparative Literature

11. Agriculture

12. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

13. Anthropology

14. Botany

15. Chemistry 

16. Civil Engineering

17. Commerce and Accountancy

18. Computer Science

19. Economics

20. Electrical Engineering

21. Geography

22. Geology

23. History

24. Law

25. Mathematics

26. Management

27. Mechanical Engineering

28. Medical Science

29. Philosophy

30. Physiology

31. Physics

32. Political Science

33. Psychology

34. Sociology

35. Statistics

36. Zoology

4. Restriction on choice of Optional Subjects : Candidates will be allowed to offer optional subjects mentioned below in the following restricted manner.

i) Bengali/Hindi/Sanskrit/English/Pali/Arabic/Persian/French/Urdu/Comparative Literature (candidates will 
have the option to choose if they so intend, only one of those subjects as an optional paper).
ii) Commerce and Accountancy or Management 
iii) Sociology or Political Science or Anthropology 
iv) Mathematics or Statistics 
v) Agriculture or Botany 
vi) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science or Medical Science or Physiology or Zoology 
vii) Civil Engineering or Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering or Computer Science 
viii) Geography or Geology 
ix) Philosophy or Psychology

5. The standard of Arithmetic part of Compulsory Paper – V – Arithmetic & Test of Reasoning will be similar to that of the Compulsory Mathematics paper at the Madhyamik Examination of the Board of Secondary Education, West Bengal. Test of Reasoning will cover Analytical Reasoning – Data Sufficiency; Logical Reasoning – (1) Logical Deduction, (2) Forcefulness of the Arguments, (3) Implication of sentences, (4) Inferring from diagrams; Series – (1) Letter series, (2) Number series; Inferring from Data; analogy tests; Symbol Interpretation; Mathematical puzzles; Odd man out; Perception test; Non-verbal reasoning; Selecting the correct sequence.

The standard of other compulsory papers will be of the level of learning expected of a graduate of any faculty of a recognized University.

The standard of the examination in optional subjects will be approximately that of an Honours Degree Examination as prescribed by the recognized Indian Universities except Law, Medical Science and Engineering subjects. For Law, Medical Science and Engineering subjects those specified for the LLB course theoretical papers for MBBS and BE or equivalent courses respectively of recognized Indian University / Institution.

6. Answers in all the paper – Compulsory and Optional – except the language papers may be written either in English or in Bengali (unless otherwise directed in these rules or in the question papers). Answers in the following compulsory and optional papers may also be written in Nepali :

Compulsory : (1) General Knowledge & Current Affairs.

(2) The Constitution of India & the Five-Year Plans.

Optional : (1) Political Science

(2) Botany

Note : Candidates should write their answers to all the questions in only one and the same language in any particular paper.

Candidates may use the Devanagari or Bengali Script in the answer papers on Sanskrit; the Devanagari Script in the answer papers on Hindi or Nepali; and the Bengali, Arabic, Persian and Urdu Scripts respectively in the answer papers on Bengali, Arabic, Persian & Urdu.

7. A summary of the group-wise papers in the Main Examination : Group ‘A’ & ‘B’ Services & Posts : All 5 compulsory papers and two optional subjects of two papers each. Page 3 of 32
Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ Services & Posts : All 5 compulsory papers and one optional subject of two papers. 
In case of a candidate competing for Group ‘A’ and / or ‘B’ along with Group ‘C’ and / or ‘D’ and offering two optional subjects the particular optional subject in which higher marks have been secured will be taken into account in calculating his / her aggregate in Group ‘C’ and / or ‘D’.

8. Personality Test : A number of candidates selected in order of merit on the results of the Main Examination (Written) for all the services and posts included in Groups A. B, C and D will have to appear for the Personality Test. Each candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the test will be to assess the candidate’s personal qualities, e.g., alertness of mind, power of clear and logical exposition, intellectual and moral integrity, leadership and also the candidates’ range of interests. 
Candidates for Group ‘B’ Service (West Bengal Police Service) will be specially tested at the interviews with regard to their suitability for the service.

Marks for the Personality Test 
(i) Group ‘A’, ‘B’ & ‘C’ 200 Marks 
(ii) Group ‘D’ 100 Marks

9. Deduction of marks : In all the answer papers under examination due credit will be given for proper economy of words combined with clarity, precision and effectiveness of expression and originality of approach. 
A deduction of 10% of full marks may be made from the total marks secured by a candidate in a particular paper if he / she discloses his / her identity by writing his / her name, roll number or by putting any identifying marks inside the answer script of that paper.

10. Discretion of the Commission : The Commission has discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the papers / subjects and in the aggregate. 
If a candidate fails to secure qualifying marks in any paper / subject, the marks in that paper / subject will not be considered in calculating his / her aggregate.