MP Police SI Exam Pattern 2026: Stages and Marks Guide

The MP Police SI exam pattern has five stages: a qualifying prelims, a mains of two General Studies papers, a Physical Proficiency Test, document verification with an interview, and a medical examination. The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB) runs the written stages for the 2026 Subedar and Sub Inspector cycle, with prelims scheduled from 28 October 2026.

The structure matters for how you spend time. Prelims has no negative marking and does not count in the final merit, while mains carries a one-third penalty and decides most of your rank. This page sets out each stage, the marking rules, how final merit is built and what that means for your preparation.

Table of Contents

• MP Police SI exam pattern at a glance

• Prelims exam pattern

• Mains exam pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Physical Proficiency Test and interview

• Final merit calculation

• Time management and exam-day strategy

MP Police SI Exam Pattern at a Glance

MP Police SI Prelims Exam Pattern

The whole prelims paper runs for 2 hours, with no separate time limit per subject. The 10-questions-per-subject split is as reported for the 2026 cycle; the rulebook is the final word. Prelims is held online in two shifts, reported as 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Candidates are shortlisted for mains at about 10 times the vacancies in each category, based on normalised scores.

MP Police SI Mains Exam Pattern

Paper I, Paper II and the technical paper are 2 hours each. Each paper is objective and all questions are compulsory. Papers are set in Hindi and English, and calculators are not allowed. The technical paper is reported to have 100 questions; reports for the General Studies papers also indicate 100 questions per paper.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

• Prelims: One mark per question and no negative marking.

• Mains and technical paper: One-third of the marks for a question are deducted for each wrong answer.

• Blank answers: Unanswered questions carry no penalty in any written stage.

• Normalisation: Multi-shift papers are normalised by MPESB, so your scorecard may show a decimal score rather than raw marks.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Use prelims to qualify, not to top: With no penalty, attempt every question, but keep most of your study time for mains-depth topics.

• Count the cost of a guess in mains: If a mains question carries 3 marks, a wrong answer costs 1 mark. Guess only when you can eliminate two options.

• Reasoning and DI is a full half-paper: Part B of Paper II is worth 150 marks, more than the whole prelims, so practise numeracy from day one.

• Technical candidates have more to prepare: The extra 300-mark paper is subject-heavy, so plan it alongside General Studies rather than after it.

Physical Proficiency Test and Interview

About 3 times the vacancies in each category are called for the physical test, based on mains marks. A physical measurement (height and chest) is taken at the same stage. Candidates are reported to need at least 30 PET marks for non-technical posts and 20 for technical posts to reach the interview. The category-wise scoring bands for each event are in the rulebook.

The interview carries 50 marks and follows document verification. A medical examination comes after selection, and it is qualifying only.

Final Merit Calculation

Final merit is based on mains marks, PET marks and interview marks. Prelims marks are not added. For a non-technical post, the reported maximums add up to 750 marks: 600 for mains, 100 for PET and 50 for the interview. For technical posts, the technical paper score is also taken into account, as set out in the rulebook.

Illustrative example (non-technical post): A candidate scores 390 in mains, 70 in PET and 32 in the interview. The merit score is 390 + 70 + 32 = 492 out of 750. This example is for illustration only; check the rulebook for the exact method, including normalisation and tie-break rules.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

• Prelims: Aim to finish a first pass in about 80 minutes, then use the rest to revisit marked questions.

• Paper I: Start with the part you are stronger in, since both parts carry 150 marks.

• Paper II: Do the current affairs and technology questions quickly, and leave a solid block of time for data interpretation.

• Reporting: Reach the centre within the reporting window shown on your admit card; late arrivals are not allowed in.

Older pages may still show the earlier single written test, so follow the official notification. Check the MPESB Subedar and SI rulebook 2026 for the final scheme.