Punjab Police SI Syllabus 2026: Paper-wise Topics and Study Plan

The Punjab Police SI syllabus covers six sections spread across two merit papers, plus a separate qualifying test of Punjabi. Paper I tests General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and Punjabi Language Skills. Paper II tests Logical and Analytical Reasoning with Data Interpretation, Digital Literacy and Computer Awareness, and English Language Skills. The last Sub-Inspector recruitment by Punjab Police (Advertisement No. 1/2023) followed this structure.

This guide breaks each section into topics, shows which ones to start with, and explains how much each section is worth. The section names, question counts and broad topic areas come from the 2023 notification. The finer topic lists are built from that notification and from the type of questions asked in Punjab Police exams, so use them as a working checklist and confirm against the next official notification.

Table of Contents

Punjab Police SI Syllabus

Paper I and Paper II are two hours each, and the time is shared across their sections, so you decide how long to spend on each one. Paper III is one hour.

For marking rules and paper-wise strategy, read the Punjab Police SI exam pattern guide.

Key Things to Know Before You Start

• Punjabi is tested twice: 20 questions in Paper I count for merit, and Paper III is a separate qualifying test that needed at least 50% in the last cycle. Failing Paper III ends your candidature regardless of your other scores.

• Translation appears in both language sections: The Punjabi section includes English to Punjabi translation, and the English section includes Punjabi to English translation. Practise both directions.

• Negative marking applies to Papers I and II: In the 2023 cycle, each wrong answer reportedly cost one-fourth of the question's 4 marks. Accuracy matters as much as coverage.

• Punjab content carries weight: General Awareness specifically lists the history and culture of Punjab. Expect state-focused questions alongside national topics.

• The next cycle may come at ASI level: In 2026 Punjab notified new rules for direct ASI recruitment with similar eligibility. No new SI notification has been issued since 2023, but this syllabus is the best available base for either route. Older pages that show "2024" or "2025" SI notifications as released are not accurate.

Paper I Syllabus

Paper I has 100 questions worth 400 marks in two hours. General Awareness alone accounts for half of it, so it decides your Paper I score more than any other section.

General Awareness (50 Questions)

Recent Punjab Police recruitment notices have also listed legal developments, ethics and issues of vulnerable sections under general awareness. Read a short note on each, since they fit naturally with polity and current affairs.

Quantitative Aptitude and Numerical Skills (30 Questions)

The level is close to matriculation arithmetic, but the time is tight. Percentage and ratio feed into profit and loss, interest and data interpretation, so they give the best return on early effort.

Punjabi Language Skills (20 Questions)

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and proverbs.

• Grammar: Sentence completion, sentence structure, error detection, fill in the blanks.

• Translation: English to Punjabi translation of words and sentences.

• Reading: Comprehension passages and precis-based questions.

Paper II Syllabus

Paper II also has 100 questions worth 400 marks in two hours. Reasoning and Data Interpretation make up half the paper and need the most practice time.

Logical and Analytical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (50 Questions)

Recent Punjab Police notices have also mentioned basic legal reasoning and data from spreadsheets. Practise a few sets of each so the format does not surprise you.

Digital Literacy and Computer Awareness (30 Questions)

This section is largely factual. A compact list of terms, abbreviations and shortcuts, revised weekly, is enough to score well here.

English Language Skills (20 Questions)

• Grammar: Sentence completion, sentence structure, error detection, fill in the blanks.

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms.

• Translation: Punjabi to English translation.

• Reading: Comprehension passages and precis-based questions.

Paper III: Qualifying Punjabi Test

Paper III is a mandatory one-hour test of 50 questions worth 50 marks, set at matriculation standard. In the last cycle candidates needed at least 50% to qualify, and the marks were not added to the merit score. The notification does not publish a separate topic list, so prepare it from the Punjabi grammar and vocabulary covered in Class 9 and 10.

• Grammar: Parts of speech, gender and number, tenses, correct spellings and sentence correction.

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, idioms, proverbs and one-word substitution.

• Reading: Short comprehension passages in Gurmukhi script.

Where Your Marks Come From

Half your merit score comes from General Awareness and Reasoning. Digital Literacy carries the same weight as Quantitative Aptitude but usually needs less preparation time, so do not leave it for the last week.

Overlap Between Sections

Suggested Time Split Inside Each Paper

Because each paper gives one block of 120 minutes for three sections, a planned time split stops one difficult section from eating into the others. The split below is a starting point; adjust it after your first few full-length mocks.

Keep the last 5 to 10 minutes of each paper for reviewing marked questions. With negative marking in play, change an answer only when you have a clear reason, not a hunch.

Common Syllabus Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating Punjabi as an easy pass: Many aspirants lose the selection at Paper III. Practise it as seriously as any merit section.

• Skipping Punjab-specific topics: National-level preparation alone leaves gaps in state history, geography and current affairs.

• Learning digital literacy only from memory lists: Use MS Office and the internet hands-on, so questions on features and shortcuts make sense.

Is There a Syllabus for the Physical Test?

No. The Physical Measurement Test and Physical Screening Test have standards, not a syllabus. In the 2023 cycle the minimum height was 5 feet 7 inches for men and 5 feet 2 inches for women. The PST, as reported, included a 1600-metre run in 7 minutes for men and an 800-metre run in 5 minutes for women, along with long jump and high jump. Both stages are qualifying, so start running practice early instead of leaving it until after the written result. Full details are on the Punjab Police SI exam overview.

How to Cover the Punjab Police SI Syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 6, build concepts: Cover polity, history and Punjab topics in General Awareness, arithmetic basics and the main reasoning topics. Start a daily habit of 30 minutes of current affairs and 20 minutes of Punjabi reading.

2. Weeks 7 to 10, finish the syllabus: Complete geography, economy, science, Digital Literacy and Data Interpretation. Begin topic-wise tests and timed 20-question sectional tests.

3. Weeks 11 to 14, build speed: Practise mixed sectional tests, translation sets in both languages and a weekly full-length Paper I and Paper II.

4. Final phase, mock and revise: Take full-length mocks in the exact format, analyse every wrong and skipped question the same day, and revise from your error log and short notes.

For timed practice once you start testing yourself, you can attempt Punjab Police SI mock tests on Testkart, which help you see section-wise where marks are being lost. Topic-wise and sectional tests on Testkart are also useful in the second phase, when you want to check one section at a time. Add Punjab Police previous year papers to understand how questions are framed.

Study Resources That Match the Syllabus

• NCERT textbooks (Classes 6 to 10): A solid base for history, geography, polity and science in General Awareness.

• PSEB textbooks: Punjab School Education Board books for Punjabi grammar and for Punjab history and geography.

• A standard arithmetic and reasoning book: Any well-known practice book for competitive exams that covers the topics listed above.

• Monthly current affairs: A monthly compilation plus a daily newspaper, with separate notes for Punjab news.

• Official notification: Always cross-check the final syllabus with the notification on the official Punjab Police website when the next recruitment is announced.

If you are also considering the direct ASI route, the Punjab Police ASI exam page will track that notification once it is released.