BSSC CGL Syllabus 2026: Prelims and Mains Topic-wise Guide
The BSSC CGL syllabus covers three common areas for the preliminary exam and Main exam Paper 2: General Studies, General Science and Mathematics, and Reasoning or Mental Ability. Main exam Paper 1 adds a Hindi language test that you must clear before Paper 2 is evaluated. This page follows the scheme of the 4th Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination under Advertisement No. 05/25.
The Bihar Staff Selection Commission describes each section in broad terms in its advertisement rather than as a detailed chapter list. The topic lists below are built from the advertisement and from questions asked in earlier graduate level papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and check the advertisement on the commission's website if anything changes.
Table of Contents
BSSC CGL Syllabus
Stage | Paper or section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Prelims | General Studies | 50 | 200 | 2 hours 15 minutes for the full paper |
Prelims | General Science and Mathematics | 50 | 200 | Shared |
Prelims | Comprehension, Logic, Reasoning and Mental Ability | 50 | 200 | Shared |
Mains | Paper 1: Hindi Language (qualifying) | 100 | 400 | 2 hours 15 minutes |
Mains | Paper 2: General Studies, General Science and Mathematics, Reasoning Ability | 150 | 600 | 2 hours 15 minutes |
Key Points to Know Before You Start
One syllabus, two stages: Prelims and Mains Paper 2 test the same three areas with 50 questions each. Whatever you prepare for prelims is reused in the Main exam.
Hindi is a gate, not a bonus: Paper 1 is qualifying at 30%. It does not add to merit, but if you fall short, Paper 2 is not checked.
Mathematics shares a section with science: In both stages, General Science and Mathematics sit in one 50-question section, so neither can be skipped.
Bihar is part of General Studies: Bihar history, geography, economy and current affairs form a regular share of the GS section.
Older syllabus pages can be misleading: Some pages online still carry topic lists copied from other state exams. Stick to the subject areas named in Advertisement No. 05/25.
BSSC CGL Prelims Syllabus
The preliminary exam is a screening test of 150 questions. Its marks are used to shortlist candidates for the Main exam and do not count in final merit. Still, the topics here are the same ones that decide your rank in Mains Paper 2, so prepare them in depth.
General Studies
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Current affairs | National and international events, awards, sports, important reports and indices, appointments, Bihar news and schemes | The last 12 months of national and Bihar news |
Indian history | Ancient, medieval and modern India, social and religious reform movements, the freedom struggle, integration after independence | Modern India and the national movement |
Geography | Physical geography of India, rivers, climate, soils, agriculture, minerals, population, Bihar geography | Indian rivers and Bihar's physical features |
Indian polity | Constitution, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Parliament, President, judiciary, panchayati raj, constitutional and statutory bodies | Constitutional bodies and key articles |
Economy | Basic concepts, planning, budget, banking, government schemes, Bihar economy | Major central and Bihar government schemes |
Static GK | Books and authors, important days, headquarters of organisations, first in India, national symbols | Headquarters and important days |
General Science and Mathematics
Science questions are mostly at Class 9 and 10 level with an applied, everyday angle. Mathematics is arithmetic-heavy.
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Physics | Motion, force, work and energy, gravitation, sound, light (reflection and refraction), electricity, magnetism, units | Light and electricity |
Chemistry | Matter, atoms and molecules, chemical reactions, acids, bases and salts, metals and non-metals, carbon compounds, periodic table | Acids, bases and salts |
Biology | Cell, human body systems, nutrition and diseases, heredity, plant and animal kingdom, reproduction | Human body and diseases |
Applied science | Environment and ecology, pollution, disaster management, space and research institutions, inventions and discoveries | Environment and pollution |
Arithmetic | Number system, HCF and LCM, simplification, percentage, ratio and proportion, average, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance, ages | Percentage, then profit and loss |
Mensuration and data | Area and perimeter, volume, bar graphs, pie charts and pictorial graphs | Area of basic figures and pie charts |
Comprehension, Logic, Reasoning and Mental Ability
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Verbal reasoning | Analogy, classification, number and letter series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, ranking and order | Series and coding-decoding |
Logical reasoning | Syllogism, statement and conclusion, statement and assumption, Venn diagrams, inequalities | Syllogism and Venn diagrams |
Non-verbal reasoning | Mirror and water images, figure series, embedded figures, paper folding and cutting, counting of figures | Mirror images and figure series |
Mental ability | Seating arrangement, puzzles, calendar and clock, decision-making, basic numeracy | Calendar, clock and simple puzzles |
Comprehension | Reading a short passage and answering questions on facts, inference and meaning | Short passages with a time limit |
Questions in all three prelims sections are usually short and fact-based. Speed matters, but accuracy matters more because each wrong answer costs 1 mark.
BSSC CGL Mains Paper 1: Hindi Syllabus
Paper 1 has 100 objective questions for 400 marks. You need at least 30% for Paper 2 to be evaluated. The paper tests standard Hindi grammar and usage at roughly secondary school level.
Area | Topics to cover |
|---|---|
Word formation | Sandhi, samas, upsarg and pratyay |
Vocabulary | Paryayvachi (synonyms), vilom (antonyms), anekarthi shabd, one-word substitution, tatsam and tadbhav words |
Grammar | Sangya, sarvanam, visheshan, kriya, karak, ling, vachan, kaal |
Usage | Muhavare and lokoktiyan (idioms and proverbs), vartani (spelling), sentence correction, error spotting |
Literary basics | Alankar, ras, chhand at a basic level |
Comprehension | Reading an unseen passage and answering questions on it |
If your schooling was in Hindi, two or three focused sessions a week will usually keep you well above 30%. If you studied in English, start Hindi grammar early and practise it every week until the exam.
BSSC CGL Mains Paper 2 Syllabus
Paper 2 carries 600 marks and decides the merit list. It has three sections of 50 questions each, and the subject areas match the prelims. The difference is depth: expect more analytical questions in reasoning and mathematics, and broader factual coverage in General Studies.
Section A: General Studies
History and the freedom movement: Ancient, medieval and modern India, with extra weight on the national movement and Bihar's role in it.
Geography and resources: Physical and economic geography of India and Bihar, agriculture, natural resources and industries.
Polity and governance: Constitution, government structure, local self-government, constitutional and statutory bodies.
Economy and development: Five-year plans and planning in India, community development, budget, banking, government schemes.
Static GK: Books and authors, awards and honours, headquarters of organisations and their founding years, sports.
Current affairs: National, international and Bihar events of the year before the exam.
Section B: General Science and Mathematics
Biology: Cell, life processes, heredity and evolution, plant and animal kingdom, reproduction, nutrition and health.
Physics: Motion, gravitation, energy, sound, light and the human eye, electricity and magnetism.
Chemistry: Matter, atoms and molecules, chemical reactions, acids, bases and salts, periodic classification.
Science and technology: Inventions and discoveries, applied science in daily life, space and defence technology basics.
Mathematics: All prelims arithmetic topics plus more multi-step questions on percentage, ratio, interest, time and work, speed, and data interpretation.
Section C: Reasoning Ability
Series and analogies: Number, letter and figure series, analogy and classification.
Logical reasoning: Syllogism, statement and conclusion, inequalities, Venn diagrams, coding-decoding.
Arrangement and puzzles: Linear and circular seating arrangement, floor and box puzzles, ranking.
Non-verbal and visual reasoning: Figure series, mirror images, embedded figures and visual memory.
Problem-solving: Arithmetical reasoning and data sufficiency style questions.
Bihar-specific Topics to Cover
Bihar GK appears in both prelims and Mains General Studies. Candidates who leave it for the last week often lose easy marks, so give it a dedicated slot from the start.
Area | What to study |
|---|---|
History | Magadh and the Maurya and Gupta empires, Nalanda and Vikramshila, Bihar in the 1857 revolt, Champaran Satyagraha, Quit India Movement in Bihar |
Geography | Rivers of Bihar, flood-prone districts, soils, crops, minerals, divisions and districts |
Culture | Festivals such as Chhath, folk dances and songs, Madhubani painting, languages and dialects, major religious and tourist sites |
Economy | Key figures from the Bihar Economic Survey, agriculture, industry, major state schemes |
Polity and administration | Bihar Legislative Assembly and Council, state commissions, panchayati raj in Bihar |
Current affairs | New state schemes, appointments, awards and events from Bihar in the past year |
Overlap Between Prelims and Mains
Area | Prelims | Mains | How to plan |
|---|---|---|---|
General Studies | 50 questions | 50 questions in Paper 2 | Prepare once; add more depth on Bihar and polity for Mains |
General Science and Mathematics | 50 questions | 50 questions in Paper 2 | Same chapters; practise harder multi-step maths for Mains |
Reasoning and Mental Ability | 50 questions | 50 questions in Paper 2 | Same types; add puzzles and arrangements for Mains |
Hindi Language | Not tested | Paper 1 (qualifying) | Start early with weekly grammar practice, even before prelims |
Because the overlap is so large, the gap between prelims and Mains is best used for Hindi, harder maths and reasoning sets, and current affairs revision rather than learning new subjects.
Topics to Start With
When the syllabus feels large, start with the chapters that are asked most often and that support other topics.
Mathematics: Percentage first, because profit and loss, interest and data interpretation all depend on it. Then ratio, average and time and work.
Reasoning: Series, coding-decoding and blood relations give quick marks. Move to syllogism and arrangements once these feel easy.
Science: Human body, acids and bases, light and electricity. These chapters come up repeatedly and are short to revise.
General Studies: Modern Indian history, polity basics and Bihar GK, plus a daily current affairs habit.
Hindi: Sandhi, samas, synonyms, antonyms and idioms carry a large share of the paper and are quick to learn.
How to Cover the BSSC CGL Syllabus
Since the prelims date for this cycle has not been announced, a phased plan lets you cover the full syllabus without rushing once the exam notice comes out.
Weeks 1 to 8 (foundation): Cover core arithmetic, Class 9 and 10 science and basic reasoning types. Start a 30 to 40 minute daily current affairs habit with monthly notes.
Weeks 3 to 10 (General Studies): Work through history, polity, geography and economy alongside Bihar GK. Keep one notebook for Bihar facts.
From week 4 (Hindi): Two or three Hindi grammar sessions a week, with one short practice set at the end of each week.
From week 6 (topic tests): Take short topic-wise tests after each chapter and 20-minute sectional tests to build speed.
Final phase (full mocks): Attempt full-length prelims mocks in 2 hours 15 minutes, analyse them the same day and revise from your error log.
For dates, vacancies and eligibility, see the BSSC CGL exam overview.The section names and scheme on this page follow Advertisement No. 05/25. Any change to the syllabus or scheme will be announced on the official BSSC notice board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to practice? Explore BSSC CGL mock tests from top educators.
Browse BSSC CGL Mock Tests