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Bihar · Government Exams
Bihar’s police sub-inspectors are recruited by the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission on a three-stage pattern: an objective preliminary of general knowledge and current affairs for 200 marks that admits twenty candidates per post, a mains of two 200-mark papers — general Hindi, qualifying at 30 per cent, and a general studies paper that alone makes the merit — and a physical efficiency test at six per post that qualifies and scores nothing. A fifth of a mark comes off for every wrong answer at both written stages, and the final list must clear category minimums of 40, 36.5, 34 and 32 per cent set by the police manual.
The 2025 round is the largest for years and is stuck at its last stage. Advertised on 23 September 2025 for 1,799 posts at a fee of ₹100 for every category, it examined 7,26,231 candidates in January 2026, shortlisted 35,857, held its mains on 27 May and published the mains result on 19 June with 10,759 through to the physical test. The commission then answered social-media claims of a leak by saying invigilators at two centres had photographed unused booklets and been charged, an economic offences inquiry followed, and on 28 August the home department postponed the physical test until further orders. The 2023 round of 1,275 posts, by contrast, ran from advertisement to final result in nine months.
Bihar Police Sub-Inspector · checked 19 September 2026
The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.
Checked 19 September 2026
Advt 05/2025, 23 September 2025 — 1,799 posts; prelims 18 and 21 January 2026; mains 27 May; 10,759 to PET
PET and verification postponed until further orders by the notice of 28 August 2026; final result pending
Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission, Patna
100 questions, 200 marks, two hours; 30 per cent to qualify; twenty per post; 0.2 off per wrong answer
Notification
Checked 11 September 2026. No sub-inspector window is open. The 2025 round stands between its mains result and a physical test with no date: the commission’s notice of 12 August 2026 had fixed the test and verification for September or October at Patna with admit cards from 8 September, and its notice of 28 August postponed both until further orders on the home department’s letter of 27 August, with a new date to be notified. The Special Branch sub-inspector round, Advt 09/2026 for 150 posts in the general closed cadre, took applications from 9 July to 9 August 2026 and has no examination date. Among the commission’s other cadres, the prohibition sub-inspector round of 78 posts published its preliminary result on 12 August after a single-shift paper on 12 July, the radio operation assistant sub-inspector round of 462 posts published its preliminary result the same day, the radio technical round’s preliminary of 5 August was postponed, the forest range officer round of 16 posts closed on 16 August, and the enforcement sub-inspector round of 33 posts closed with its final result on 10 March 2026.
| Event | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Advertisement 05/2025 | 23 September 2025 | 1,799 posts, level 6; sub-inspector only |
| Applications | 26 September to 26 October 2025 | ₹100 for all; rejected list 22 December |
| Preliminary | 18 and 21 January 2026, two shifts a day | 10,36,702 registered; 7,26,231 sat; 29,272 disqualified for sheet errors |
| Preliminary result | 16 March 2026 | 35,857 shortlisted at twenty per post |
| Mains | 27 May 2026 | Paper 1 10 to 12; Paper 2 2.30 to 4.30; 34,302 sat |
| Press note on the booklets | 3 June 2026 | Unused booklets photographed at two centres; cases registered |
| Mains result | 19 June 2026 | 33,726 qualified in Hindi; 32,645 reached the minimum in Paper 2; 10,759 to PET |
| PET notice | 12 August 2026 | September or October at Patna; admit cards from 8 September |
| PET postponed | 28 August 2026 | Until further orders, on the home department’s letter of 27 August |
| Event | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | 5 October to 5 November 2023 | ₹700; ₹400 for SC, ST, Bihar women and transgender |
| Preliminary | 17 December 2023 | 5,36,754 sat; 21,758 disqualified for sheet errors; twenty per post |
| Mains | 25 February 2024 | 25,405 shortlisted; 23,577 qualified in Hindi |
| PET and verification | 10 to 19 June 2024, Patna | 7,623 eligible; 6,788 appeared; 2,300 failed the race; 3,727 through |
| Final result | 9 July 2024 | On mains marks with the category minimums; marks of all candidates published 19 August |
Overview
The 2025 advertisement distributes its 1,799 level-6 posts as 850 unreserved, 180 EWS, 210 SC, 15 ST, 273 EBC, 222 BC, 42 BC women and 7 transgender, with 614 reserved horizontally for women and 36 for freedom fighters’ descendants. Graduation is required as on 1 August 2025, and the age rule is unusual: the minimum age is reckoned on 1 August 2025 and the maximum on 1 August 2024, so that candidates who were within the limit a year earlier could still apply. Applications ran from 26 September to 26 October 2025 at ₹100 for men, women and transgender candidates alike — the 2023 round had charged ₹700 and ₹400.
The preliminary of 18 and 21 January 2026 ran in two shifts each day, normalised by the equi-percentile method, and its result of 16 March 2026 evaluated 6,96,959 of 7,26,231 who sat after 29,272 were disqualified for errors on the answer sheet — a wrong roll number, a wrong booklet number, a missing signature or an unwritten declaration paragraph. Twenty per post, 35,857, went to the mains of 27 May: 33,726 of 33,888 cleared the Hindi paper at 30 per cent, 32,645 obtained the category minimum on the general studies paper, and six per post — 10,759 including the freedom fighters’ quota — were shortlisted for the physical test on 19 June.
The commission’s press note of 3 June 2026 states that the examination was clean, that at one centre each in two districts invigilators and staff illegally photographed an unused question booklet and posted it online, that criminal cases were registered in both matters and some persons jailed, and that any candidate found complicit would be disqualified. The mains result followed on 19 June. Press reports say the economic offences unit then formed a special team to investigate the photographs from centres at Gaya and Purnea. The commission’s notice of 12 August fixed the physical test and verification for September or October at Patna with admit cards from 8 September; its notice of 28 August, citing the home department’s letter of 27 August, postponed both until further orders. Candidates demanding a date protested in Patna in September.
Eligibility
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Graduation from a recognised university or a state-recognised equivalent. |
| Age | 20 to 37 for unreserved men; 20 to 40 for unreserved women and for BC and EBC men and women; 20 to 42 for SC and ST men and women and transgender candidates; five more for Bihar government servants with three years’ service; ex-servicemen three years plus service, to 57. |
| Reservation | For Bihar residents with certificates; 35 per cent horizontally for women; 2 per cent for freedom fighters’ descendants; transgender posts within the roster. |
| Fee | ₹100 for men, women and transgender candidates of every category, by card, net banking or UPI. The 2023 round charged ₹700, or ₹400 for SC, ST, Bihar women and transgender candidates. |
| Pay | Level 6. |
| Candidates | Height | Chest or weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unreserved and BC men | 165 cm | Chest 81 cm unexpanded, 86 expanded, at least 5 cm expansion |
| EBC, SC and ST men | 160 cm | Unreserved, BC and EBC 81 to 86; SC and ST 79 to 84 |
| Women, all categories | 155 cm | No chest; weight at least 48 kg |
| Transgender | As BC women | As women |
| Event | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Race | One mile in 6 minutes 30 seconds | One kilometre in 6 minutes |
| High jump | At least 4 feet | At least 3 feet |
| Long jump | At least 12 feet | At least 9 feet |
| Shot put | 16 lb to at least 16 feet | 12 lb to at least 10 feet |
Selection process
Each stage in order, and what it actually tests.
| Stage | Format | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Online, a month; ₹100 for every category in 2025 | Graduation and the age limits as on the two cut-off dates; the rejected-applications list published before the preliminary. The 2025 window ran from 26 September to 26 October 2025. |
| Preliminary examination | 100 questions, 200 marks, two hours, OMR, in shifts, normalised | General knowledge and current affairs. Below 30 per cent is a fail; twenty candidates per post in each category go to the mains; 0.2 off per wrong answer. An unwritten declaration paragraph or a wrong roll or booklet number on the sheet disqualifies — 29,272 in 2026. |
| Main examination | Two papers of 100 questions and 200 marks in one day | Paper 1, general Hindi, 10 to 12, qualifying at 30 per cent and not counted; Paper 2, general studies, general science, civics, Indian history and geography, mathematics and mental ability, 2.30 to 4.30, the merit. 0.2 off per wrong answer in both. Six per post to the physical test, within the category minimums. |
| Physical efficiency test, verification, appointment | Qualifying; merit on Paper 2 | Race, high jump, long jump and shot put at Patna, with document verification; measurement of height, chest and weight. The final list by Paper 2 marks and reservation; medical examination and character verification before the deputy inspector general appoints. |
Exam pattern
| Stage | Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary | General knowledge and current affairs | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | 30 per cent to qualify; twenty per post; normalised across shifts |
| Mains | Paper 1 — general Hindi | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying at 30 per cent; not counted |
| Mains | Paper 2 — general studies, general science, civics, Indian history, Indian geography, mathematics, mental ability | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | The merit; six per post to the PET |
| Negative marking | — | — | — | — | “In both stages of the examination 0.2 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer” |
| Final list | — | — | — | — | Paper 2 marks with category minimums — 40 per cent general, 36.5 BC, 34 EBC, 32 SC, ST and women |
The commission disqualified 29,272 candidates at the 2026 preliminary and 21,758 at the 2023 one for errors on the OMR sheet — a wrong roll number, a wrong booklet number, a missing signature, or the Hindi and English declaration paragraphs left unwritten — before any answer was marked. At the 2026 mains 414 were disqualified in Paper 1 and 998 in Paper 2 on the same grounds. The rules are in the admit-card notices; the sheet must be completed as instructed.
Sources
Checked 11 September 2026 against the commission’s advertisement 05/2025, its preliminary and mains results of 16 March and 19 June 2026, its press note of 3 June, its physical test notice of 12 August and postponement of 28 August, the 2023 advertisement and its preliminary, mains, final and marks notices, the Special Branch advertisement 09/2026, the gazette notifications of 2017 and 2019 the commission publishes as its syllabus document, and the notices of its other cadres. The commission publishes no question papers or answer keys. The economic offences inquiry and the September protests are from press reports.
Sub-inspector 2025 — advertisement 05/2025, 23 September 2025 Sub-inspector 2025 — preliminary result, 16 March 2026 Sub-inspector 2025 — mains result, 19 June 2026 Sub-inspector 2025 — press note on the mains, 3 June 2026 Sub-inspector 2025 — PET notice, 12 August 2026 Sub-inspector 2025 — PET postponement, 28 August 2026 Sub-inspector 2023 — advertisement 02/2023 Sub-inspector 2023 — preliminary result, 25 January 2024 Sub-inspector 2023 — mains result, 15 March 2024 Sub-inspector 2023 — final result, 9 July 2024 Sub-inspector 2023 — marks of all candidates, 19 August 2024 Police manual amendments of 2017 and 2019 — minimum percentages and PET Prohibition sub-inspector 2026 — preliminary result, 12 August 2026 Forest range officer — advertisement 10/2026 Enforcement sub-inspector — final result, 10 March 2026
Exam resources
Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.
Questions
It has no date. The commission’s notice of 12 August 2026 fixed the physical efficiency test and document verification for September or October at Patna with admit cards from 8 September; its notice of 28 August 2026, citing the home department’s letter of 27 August, postponed both until further orders, with a new date to be notified. 10,759 candidates were shortlisted for it by the mains result of 19 June.
A preliminary of 100 questions and 200 marks in two hours on general knowledge and current affairs, with 30 per cent to qualify and twenty candidates per post through; a mains of two papers of 100 questions and 200 marks in two hours — general Hindi, qualifying at 30 per cent and not counted, and general studies, general science, civics, Indian history and geography, mathematics and mental ability, the merit; 0.2 deducted per wrong answer at both stages; six per post to a physical efficiency test that qualifies; and a final list on the general studies marks with category minimums of 40, 36.5, 34 and 32 per cent.
Height 165 cm for unreserved and BC men, 160 for EBC, SC and ST men, 155 for women; chest 81 to 86 cm, or 79 to 84 for SC and ST, with 5 cm expansion; women at least 48 kg. The PET: one mile in six minutes thirty for men or one kilometre in six for women; high jump of 4 or 3 feet; long jump of 12 or 9 feet; shot put of 16 lb to 16 feet or 12 lb to 10 feet — each passed, three attempts at the jumps and the put, and no other event after a failed race.
Twenty to 37 for unreserved men, 20 to 40 for unreserved women and BC and EBC men and women, and 20 to 42 for SC, ST and transgender candidates — with the 2025 round reckoning the minimum on 1 August 2025 and the maximum on 1 August 2024. The fee in 2025 was ₹100 for every category; the 2023 round charged ₹700, or ₹400 for SC, ST, Bihar women and transgender candidates.
Yes. The advertisement states that in both stages of the examination 0.2 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer — a tenth of a two-mark question, in the preliminary and in both mains papers.
The commission’s press note of 3 June 2026 said the examination of 27 May was clean, but that invigilators and staff at one centre each in two districts had illegally photographed an unused question booklet and posted it online; criminal cases were registered and some persons jailed, and complicit candidates would be disqualified. The mains result followed on 19 June. Press reports say the economic offences unit formed a special team over the photographs from Gaya and Purnea, and the home department’s letter of 27 August led the commission to postpone the physical test.
1,799 posts — 850 unreserved, 180 EWS, 210 SC, 15 ST, 273 EBC, 222 BC, 42 BC women and 7 transgender, with 614 for women horizontally. 10,36,702 registered and 7,26,231 sat the preliminary; 35,857 went to the mains; 34,302 sat it; 10,759 were shortlisted for the physical test.
Not open at 11 September 2026. The Special Branch sub-inspector round of 150 posts closed on 9 August with no examination date; the prohibition sub-inspector round of 78 posts published its preliminary result on 12 August; the radio operation assistant sub-inspector round of 462 posts likewise; the forest range officer round of 16 posts closed on 16 August; and the enforcement sub-inspector round of 33 posts finished on 10 March 2026. No sergeant or assistant superintendent of jail posts have been advertised since 2020.
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