JKSSB SI Exam Pattern 2026: Written Test, Marking Scheme, PST and PET

The JKSSB SI exam pattern decides how the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) tests and ranks candidates for Sub Inspector posts in J&K Police (Home Department). Under Advertisement Notification No. 02 of 2024 for 669 posts, selection runs through a written test, a Physical Standard Test (PST), a Physical Endurance Test (PET), document verification and a medical examination. The written test is scheduled for 29 November 2026.

This page explains each stage, the marking scheme and what the numbers mean for how you spend your 120 minutes. The pattern was reset by the syllabus notice of 26 December 2024, so older summaries showing a different number of questions should not guide your preparation.

Table of Contents

JKSSB SI Exam Pattern at a Glance

Written Test Pattern

The written test has 100 objective multiple-choice questions across six sections. The paper is set in English, and each question carries 2 marks.

JKSSB's advance notice of 1 August 2026 lists the Sub Inspector test as an OMR-based examination. There is no separate sectional time limit, so you can move between sections freely.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

The deduction is a quarter of the marks for the question. Blank questions are not penalised. A question with more than one bubble filled on the OMR sheet is normally treated as wrong, so mark only one option and check your admit card instructions for the exact rule.

A note on the negative marking figure

Most reports of the syllabus notice give the deduction as 0.50 marks per wrong answer, and this page uses that figure. A few summaries reproduce it as 0.25 marks. Confirm the figure printed on your admit card or question booklet. The table shows how much the two readings change a score:

Under either reading, careful attempts matter more than volume. Preparing at 0.50 is the safer assumption, because a strategy that works at the higher penalty also works at the lower one.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Each question is worth 2 marks: One extra correct answer moves you 2 marks, which can mean many ranks in a competitive category list.

• A wrong guess costs a quarter of a right answer: Four wrong answers cancel one correct answer. This is a mild penalty compared with exams that deduct a third.

• Educated guesses pay: If you can rule out two options and choose between the remaining two, the expected gain is positive. Pure blind guessing on many questions is still risky because errors add up quickly.

• Reasoning and General Awareness decide rank: Together they carry 80 of 200 marks. Weakness in either is hard to make up elsewhere.

• Maths carries 60 marks across two sections: Class 10 level questions are scoring if you have revised school formulas.

Score Scenarios: Attempts Versus Accuracy

The table below shows how attempts and accuracy combine under this marking scheme. The figures are worked examples, not predictions of any cut-off.

The lesson is simple: once your correct answers stop rising, extra attempts only add penalties. Raise attempts in mocks only while accuracy holds at about 85% or above.

Section-wise Time Plan

You have 120 minutes for 100 questions, or 1.2 minutes per question on average. A plan like the one below keeps time for maths and a final check. Adjust it after your first few mocks.

This is a suggested plan, not an official rule. If maths is your strength, start with it and push General Awareness later.

Section-wise Approach

General Intelligence and Reasoning

Solve coding-decoding, series and analogy questions first, as they take under a minute each. Leave long puzzles and figure-based items for a second look if they slow you down.

General Awareness

Answer in one quick pass. If a fact does not come to you within a few seconds, mark it and move on; spending longer rarely helps in a recall-based section.

Quantitative Aptitude

Use approximation where the options are far apart, and pick questions from familiar topics such as percentage, ratio and time and work first.

English Comprehension

Read the comprehension questions before the passage so you know what to look for. Grammar and vocabulary items can be done quickly at the end if time is short.

Mathematical Abilities

Mensuration and statistics questions are often direct formula applications. Geometry and trigonometry may need a rough figure, so give them the time saved elsewhere.

Computer Proficiency

This section is mostly direct facts on hardware, MS Office, internet and security. Aim to finish it with high accuracy in about 10 minutes.

Physical Standard Test

The PST checks that you meet the minimum physical standards for the post. It is qualifying only.

A 2-inch height relaxation is reported for candidates of the Gorkha community and Bot tribe. Check the notification for exactly who it covers.

Physical Endurance Test

Candidates who meet the PST go on to the PET. It is also qualifying, so there is no extra credit for finishing faster than the limit.

Standards for general candidates

Standards for ex-servicemen

The ex-servicemen standards are as summarised from the notification. Confirm them in the official advertisement before you plan training around them.

How the PST and PET day usually runs

1. Reporting and identity check: Candidates report with the call letter and identity proof named in JKSSB's PST/PET notice, which also fixes the date, venue and batch.

2. Measurement: Height is measured for all candidates and chest for men. A candidate below the standard does not move on to the endurance events.

3. Race: The timed race is run on a measured track or ground. Pace yourself; a fast start often costs more time on the final lap.

4. Strength event: Men do push-ups and women attempt the shot put, with three throws allowed.

The exact order and arrangements are set in the Board's PST/PET notice for each cycle, so read it fully when it is released.

Preparing for the PET

A 1600-metre run in 6 minutes 30 seconds needs a steady pace of a little over 4 minutes per kilometre. Build up with three or four runs a week, and add push-up sets on alternate days. Women should practise the shot put technique, since throwing form matters as much as strength.

Shortlisting, NCC Weightage and Final Merit

Who is called for PST and PET

In the previous SI cycle (Advertisement 06 of 2021), JKSSB called candidates up to six times the vacancies in each category for PST and PET, based on written test merit. The Board has not yet announced the ratio for the current cycle, so treat six times as a reference, not a rule.

NCC weightage

NCC certificate holders get additional weightage. The figures reported for this cycle are a percentage of the maximum written marks:

Check the notification for whether only the highest certificate counts and when it must be held.

How final merit works

Final selection is by category-wise merit of the written test, with NCC weightage where it applies, among candidates who qualify the PST, PET, document verification and medical examination. For example, a candidate scoring 140 in the written test with an NCC B certificate would be placed at an effective 146, assuming the reported weightage applies.

Exam-day Strategy for the OMR Test

1. First pass for easy marks: Answer every question you are sure of and mark doubtful ones in the question booklet.

2. Bubble as you go: Fill the OMR sheet section by section rather than leaving it all to the last 10 minutes.

3. Second pass for educated guesses: Return to marked questions where you can eliminate two options.

4. Final check: Confirm your roll number, booklet series and that no question has two bubbles.

OMR sheet habits

• Use the pen specified: Fill bubbles only with the pen type named in the instructions, and darken each one completely.

• Do not overwrite: A bubble cannot usually be erased or changed once filled, so decide before you mark.

• Watch the row: Skipping a question in the booklet but not on the sheet shifts every answer after it. Check the question number every few bubbles.

Admit card and reporting checklist

• Admit card: Download it from the JKSSB website when released, usually about a week before the exam, and check your name, photo, centre and reporting time.

• Photo identity proof: Carry the original ID named in the admit card instructions.

• Reach early: Plan your route to the centre a day before and arrive well before the reporting time.

Exam-day Timeline

The timings follow the suggested section plan above; shift them to match the order that works best in your mocks.

Key Changes and Older Pages

• Question count and marks: The current test has 100 questions for 200 marks. Older pages may still show 120 questions, 120 marks or 150 marks from earlier summaries.

• Six sections: Mathematical Abilities and Computer Proficiency are separate sections now.

• Mode: The previous cycle's re-test in December 2022 was computer-based. The current cycle's written test is listed as OMR-based.

Older pages may still show the earlier pattern, so follow the syllabus notice and your admit card. Official JKSSB website: https://jkssb.nic.in/