Bihar Police SI Syllabus 2026, BPSSC Exam Pattern and PET
The Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Services Commission has published the full syllabus and exam pattern for the Sub-Inspector and equivalent posts under the Bihar Police Manual 1978, as amended by the gazette notifications of 30 August 2017 and 7 August 2019. The selection runs through a Preliminary written exam, a Mains written exam and a Physical Eligibility Test, with category-wise qualifying marks fixed for the final merit list. Candidates preparing for the BPSSC Sub-Inspector exam should study the structure, qualifying cut-offs, PET measurements and tie-break rules below, because every cut-off and event is governed by the gazette.
Important Links
Apply or download directly from the official portal.
On this page11 sections
Quick Glance
Stages Prelims + Mains + PET · Prelims 100 Q, 200 marks · Mains papers 2 (Hindi qualifying, GS merit) · Negative marking 0.2 per wrong · Run cut-off (male) 6 min 30 sec for one mile
Overview
Recruiting Body - Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Services Commission (BPSSC)
Posts Covered - Sub-Inspector of Police (Armed and Unarmed), Reserve Sub-Inspector, Urdu-knowing Sub-Inspector, Sub-Inspector (Operator) and Sub-Inspector (Technical) of the Wireless Organisation
Recruitment Mode - Combined Competitive Examination (CCE)
Selection Stages - Preliminary Written, Main Written, Physical Eligibility Test (PET)
Direct vs Promotion Ratio - 1:1 (Urdu-knowing SI is filled only by direct recruitment)
Sports Reservation - 1% of direct-recruitment SI posts for national or international level sports persons
Educational Qualification - Graduate from a recognised university or equivalent
Governing Notifications - Bihar Gazette dated 30 August 2017 and 7 August 2019
Official Links - https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in/Syllabus.htm, https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in/Advts/Syllabus-SI-Eq-Posts.pdf, http://egazette.bih.nic.in
Important Links
Download Syllabus (PDF): https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in/Advts/Syllabus-SI-Eq-Posts.pdf
BPSSC Syllabus Page: https://bpssc.bihar.gov.in/Syllabus.htm
Bihar e-Gazette Portal: http://egazette.bih.nic.in
Preliminary Examination Pattern
The Preliminary stage is a screening test based on General Knowledge and Current Events.
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Paper | 1 |
Questions | 100 (Multiple Choice) |
Total Marks | 200 |
Duration | 2 hours |
Subjects | General Knowledge, Current Events |
Minimum to Pass | 30% |
Shortlisting | 20 times the existing vacancies, category-wise |
Negative Marking | 0.2 marks deducted per wrong answer |
If enough candidates do not clear the 20× cut-off, the commission can reduce the ratio. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit list.
Main Examination Pattern
The Main written stage has two papers. General Hindi is qualifying only; the General Studies paper builds the merit score.
Paper | Subjects | Questions | Marks | Duration | Counted in Merit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1 - General Hindi | General Hindi, minimum 30% to qualify | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | No |
Paper 2 - General Studies | General Studies, General Science, Civics, Indian History, Geography of India, Mathematics, Mental Ability | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Yes |
0.2 marks are deducted for every wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains. Answer sheets are prepared in two copies and one copy is preserved with the commission.
Minimum Qualifying Marks for Final Merit List
Per the 7 August 2019 Bihar Gazette amendment, the final merit list cut-offs are:
Category | Minimum Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|
Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Women | 32% |
Extremely Backward Class | 34% |
Backward Class | 36.5% |
General | 40% |
These cut-offs replaced the earlier 33.5% / 35% / 40% structure set in the 30 August 2017 gazette.
Physical Eligibility Test (PET)
After clearing the Mains, candidates equal to six times the existing vacancies in each category are called for the PET. The PET is qualifying only - it does not add to the merit score - and the entire procedure is videographed. Every candidate signs a Master Chart confirming their measurements on the same day; objections must be filed within three days, which the commission disposes on the day of hearing.
Running Test - Eligibility to Appear
Candidate | Test | Cut-off Time |
|---|---|---|
Male - Sub-Inspector and Reserve Sub-Inspector | One mile run | Within 6 minutes 30 seconds |
Female - Sub-Inspector and Reserve Sub-Inspector | One kilometre run | Within 6 minutes |
Candidates who exceed the cut-off time are declared unsuccessful and cannot appear in the rest of the PET. Only those clearing the run move to the field events.
Minimum Height and Chest - Male Candidates
Category | Height | Chest (without expansion) | Chest (with expansion) |
|---|---|---|---|
General / Backward / Extremely Backward | 165 cm | 81 cm | 86 cm |
Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe | 160 cm | 79 cm | 84 cm |
The chest must show a minimum expansion of 5 cm after inhalation.
Minimum Standards - Female Candidates
Category | Height | Weight | Chest |
|---|---|---|---|
General / Backward / Extremely Backward | 160 cm | 48 kg | Not measured |
Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe | 155 cm | 48 kg | Not measured |
The 155 cm height for SC / ST women was added by the 7 August 2019 amendment.
PET Field Events - Male
Event | Sub-Inspector | Reserve Sub-Inspector |
|---|---|---|
High Jump | Minimum 4 feet | Minimum 4 feet 6 inches |
Long Jump | Minimum 12 feet | Minimum 15 feet |
Shot Put (16 lbs) | Minimum 16 feet | Minimum 20 feet |
PET Field Events - Female
Event | Sub-Inspector | Reserve Sub-Inspector |
|---|---|---|
High Jump | Minimum 3 feet | Minimum 3 feet |
Long Jump | Minimum 9 feet | Minimum 9 feet |
Shot Put (12 lbs) | Minimum 10 feet | Minimum 10 feet |
Each event allows only three chances. Failing in three attempts means the PET is failed.
Selection Process
BPSSC advertises vacancies in newspapers and on the official website after receiving requisition from the Director General of Police, Bihar.
Candidates apply online through the BPSSC website as per the advertisement terms.
Prelims short-list 20× of vacancies for the Mains, category-wise.
Mains short-list 6× of vacancies for the PET, category-wise.
The final merit list is prepared on Mains Paper 2 marks for candidates who clear the PET; reservation category-wise list is sent to the Director General of Police, Bihar in descending order.
Tie-breaking sequence in the merit list: older date of birth ranks higher; if dates of birth match, higher educational qualification ranks higher; if all match, the English-alphabet order of the name on the Matriculation certificate decides.
Special Posts - SI (Operator) and SI (Technical) of Wireless
Filling pattern - 50% of wireless-organisation posts of SI (Operator) and SI (Technical) are filled through the same Combined Competitive Examination.
Educational qualification - B.Sc. with Physics, or B.Tech / B.E. in Radio, Telecommunication, Electrical, Electronics or Instrumentation Engineering.
Exam pattern - Same Prelims, Mains and PET standard as Sub-Inspector of Police.
Extra English paper - One additional paper of 100 questions and 200 marks, 2 hours duration, 30% qualifying. English marks are not counted in the merit.
Basic training - As per Bihar Police Manual Rule 1232 after direct recruitment.
What Changed in the 2019 Gazette Amendment
Qualifying marks for SC, ST and women candidates dropped from 33.5% to 32% in the final merit list.
Extremely Backward Class cut-off dropped from 35% to 34%, while the Backward Class cut-off was set at 36.5%.
One-mile run time for male candidates relaxed by 30 seconds - from "within 6 minutes" to "within 6 minutes 30 seconds".
Minimum height for women candidates of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was fixed at 155 cm, lowered from the earlier 160 cm uniform female standard.
Final Words
The Bihar Police SI exam rewards candidates who track the written syllabus and the physical standards from day one, because the PET cut-offs are binary - miss the run time or a field-event minimum and the application ends. For the latest updates, keep visiting SarkariWorld.org.