WBCS Syllabus 2024: West Bengal Public Service Commission every year conducts the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) Exam 2024 to recruit eligible candidates for various posts. Candidates who are planning to apply for the West Bengal Civil Service Exam can check out the WBCS Syllabus on this page. Find all the details here and download the WBCS Syllabus. Get to know of the upcoming events. Check all the details related to the WBCS Syllabus 2024 on this page to help you prepare well for the WBCS Exam.

WBCS Syllabus 2024

The candidates who are targeting the WBCS 2024 exam should know the WBCS Syllabus, exam pattern, selection process, and other importa details to secure good marks in the examination. Candidates can bookmark our page to plan their preparation according to the WBCS Syllabus 2024 and Exam Pattern. Go through the below table for overview details for WBCS Syllabus 2024.

WBCS Syllabus 2024
Recruitment BodyWest Bengal Public Service Commission
Exam NameWBCS 2024
CategorySyllabus
Exam DateTo be notified
Exam LevelState
Mode of ExamOffline
Negative MarkingYes
DurationPrelims- 2.5 hour
Mains- 03 hour (Each Paper)
Selection ProcessPrelims- Mains- Interview
Official Websitehttps://licindia.in/

WBCS Selection Process 2024

West Bengal Public Service Commission is the body that is responsible for conducting the WBCS 2024. WBCS Exam is conducted in three stages namely Preliminary, Mains and Interview. Candidates have to qualify at all stages of the selection process to clear the WBCS examination. 

1. Stage 1: Preliminary Examination- The WBCS Prelims consist of one paper only i.e., General Studies. There is no Aptitude Test, unlike various other state Public Service Commission Exams.

2. Stage 2: Mains Examination- The WBCS Mains Exam has six compulsory papers and one optional subject consisting of two papers. Out of 6 compulsory papers, 4 papers are of MCQ Type:

  1. General Studies I
  2. General Studies II
  3. The Constitution of India and Indian Economy including role and functions of Reserve Bank of India
  4. Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning
  • The Mains Exam (Conventional/ Essay) is allowed to be taken only in Bengali/ English language.
  •  There is a deduction of 10% of the total marks secured by the candidate if he/she discloses his/her identity by writing his/her roll number/name.
  • Optional Subjects are meant to be taken by candidates opting for Group A and Group B services.

3. Stage 3: Interview Exam- Qualified candidates in the WBCS Mains Exam will be called to appear for the Interview examination to analyze the candidate's mental and analytical ability.

WBCS Exam Pattern 2024

Candidates appearing for the WBCS exam must be aware of the syllabus for all the stages. The complete syllabus of WBCS has been provided in the tables below to help the candidates with a comprehensive list of the same. WBCS syllabus will aid candidates in knowing all topics required for the exam which in turn will guide them to prepare better for WBCS.

Candidates may check the table below to know about WBCS Exam Pattern:

WBCS Exam Pattern 2024
TierName of the examType of the examNumber of question papersMarks
IPreliminary ExamObjectiveGeneral Studies200
IIMainsObjective+Conventional

Eight; 

  • Paper-I (Conventional Type)
  • Paper-II (Conventional)
  • Paper-III (Objective)
  • Paper-IV (Objective)
  • Paper-V (Objective)
  • Paper-VI ()
  • Paper-VII & VIII (Optionals)
200 (each) for Paper I to VI 400 for Paper VII and VIII
IIIPersonality TestInterview200

WBCS Syllabus 2024- Prelims Exam Pattern

Candidates can check the WBCS Prelims Exam Pattern from the table provided below. The WBCS Prelims Exam Pattern consists of English Composition, General Science, Current events of National & International Importance, History of India, etc. The exam duration for the WBCS prelims exam is 2 hours.

Subject NameMarksQuestionsDuration 
English Composition25252.5 Hours
General Science2525
Current events of National & International Importance2525
History of India2525
Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal2525
Indian Polity and Economy2525
Indian National Movement2525
General Mental Ability2525
Total2002002.5 Hours

WBCS Syllabus 2024 for Prelims Exam

The WBPCS Prelims Exam takes place at various centers in the districts of West Bengal. Darjeeling as a center is allowed to be chosen only by the Scheduled Tribes of the Darjeeling district and by candidates from three hill divisions: Darjeeling Sadar, Mirik and Kurseong.

The WBCS Prelims syllabus 2024 includes sections on General Studies topics like Indian Polity, Economy, History, and Geography. It comprises of eight subjects/ topics. There are 200 (MCQ). Each topic is assigned 25 marks. The duration of the exam is 2.5 hours. The Prelims is only a screening test, and its marks are not considered for final selection. The commission has clearly stated in its notification that the Prelims Exam tests the level of knowledge as that of a graduate of any faculty from any recognized university.

The eight topics given in WBCS Prelims Syllabus are:

1. English Composition

  1. Synonyms and Antonyms
  2. Idioms and Phrases
  3. Vocabulary Test
  4. Phrasal Verbs
  5. Homophones
  6. Fill in the qualifying words

2. General Science

  1. General appreciation
  2. Understanding of science
  3. Matters of everyday observation
  4. Experience as expected from an educated person not having made special studies of scientific disciplines

3. Current Events of National and International Importance

Significant events affecting India and its relations with the world

4. History of India

  1. Ancient
  2. Medieval
  3. Modern

5. Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal

  1. Physical Geography
  2. Social Geography
  3. Economic Geography

6. Indian Polity and Economy

  1. Indian Constitution
  2. Panchayati Raj
  3. Constitutional Bodies, etc.

7. Indian National Movement

  1. Nature and character of Nineteenth-Century Resurgence
  2. Growth of Nationalism
  3. Attainment of Independence

8. General Mental Ability

  1. Logical Reasoning
  2. Common Aptitude

Download WBCS Syllabus PDF for Prelims Exam

WBCS Syllabus 2024- Mains Exam Pattern

WBCS Mains consist of a total of 08 papers from which 1 optional subject comprises two papers 2. The time duration for the main exam is 03 hours for each paper. WBCS Mains Exam Pattern 2024 includes the topics from Language Paper, General Studies, Constitution of India, Indian Economy, Arithmetic, and Reasoning, Optional Subject. Candidates can check the WBCS Mains Exam Pattern from the below table.

PapersMarks
Group ‘A’Group ‘B’Group ‘C’Group ‘D’
Language Paper (Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali)200200200200
English Paper200200200200
General Studies – Paper I200200200200
General Studies-Paper II200200200200
Constitution of India and Indian Economy200200200200
Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning200200200200
Optional Subject – (One subject: Two papers of 200 marks each)400400NANA
Personality Test200200150100
Total Marks1800180013501300

WBCS Syllabus 2024 for Mains Exam

The WBCS Mains syllabus 2024 includes sections on Language papaer, English, General Studies, Arithmetic, Reasoning, the Constitution of India and the Indian Economy, and Optional Subjects. Candidates will be selected for the WBCS Mains exam based on their performance in Prelims. The Mains exam will contain six compulsory papers and one optional subject comprising two papers. Each of these papers will consist of 200 marks. Candidates will be allotted 3 hours time to complete each paper.

PapersSubjectsTopics
Paper 1Bengali/ Hindi/ Urdu/ Nepali/ Santali
  1. Letter writing (within 150 words)
  2. Drafting of Report (within 200 words)
  3. Precis Writing
  4. Composition
  5. Translation from English to Bengali/ Hindi/ Urdu/ Nepali/ Santali
Paper 2English
  1. Letter writing (within 150 words)
  2. Drafting of Report (within 200 words)
  3. Precis Writing
  4. Composition
  5. Translation from Bengali/ Hindi/ Urdu/ Nepali/ Santali to English
Paper 3General Studies - I
  1. Indian History with an emphasis on National Movement
  2. Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal
Paper 4General Studies-II
  1. Science and Scientific & Technological advancement
  2. Environment
  3. General Knowledge
  4. Current Affairs
Paper 5The Constitution of India and Indian Economy
  1. Role of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
  2. Functions of RBI
Paper 6ArithmeticSimilar to Mathematics paper at the Madhyamik Examination of the Board of Secondary Education, West Bengal.
Test of Reasoning

Analytical Reasoning: Data Sufficiency Logical Reasoning: 

  1. Logical Deduction
  2. Forcefulness of the Arguments
  3. Implication of sentences
  4. Inferring from diagrams

Series: 

  1. Letter series
  2. Number series
  3. Inferring from Data
  4. Analogy tests
  5. Symbol Interpretation
  6. Mathematical puzzles
  7. Odd man out
  8. Perception test
  9. Non-verbal reasoning
  10. Selecting correct sequence
Paper 7Optional PapersIn accordance with the subject selected
Paper 8In accordance with the subject opted by candidates

Download WBCS Syllabus PDF for Mains Exam

WBCS Syllabus- Optional Subject for Mains Exam

The Mains exam will consist of eight papers of which candidates will have to choose from a list of 37 subjects for the last two papers. Candidates will be able to select one optional subject as both the optional papers will constitute questions from the subject opted by candidates. The list of all the optional subjects has been provided below.

WBCS Syllabus- List of Optional Subject For Manis

The Mains exam will consist of eight papers of which candidates will have to choose from a list of 37 subjects for the last two papers. Candidates will be able to select one optional subject as both the optional papers will constitute questions from the subject opted by candidates. The list of all the optional subjects has been provided below.

SubjectCode
Bengali1
Hindi2
Sanskrit3
English4
Pali5
Arabic6
Persian7
French8
Urdu9
Santali10
Comparative Literature11
Agriculture12
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science13
Anthropology14
Botany15
Chemistry16
Civil Engineering17
Commerce and Accountancy18
Computer Science19
Economics20
Electrical Engineering21
Geography22
Geology23
History24
Law25
Mathematics26
Management27
Mechanical Engineering28
Medical Science29
Philosophy30
Physiology31
Physics32
Political Science33
Psychology34
Sociology35
Statistics36
Zoology37

Click Here for WBCS Optional Subject Syllabus PDF

WBCS Interview

Candidates who qualify the WBCS Mains Exam are called for the ‘Interview’ Round. Candidates are interviewed by a Board appointed by the WBCS. The mains fields checked by the interviewer given below.

1. The candidate will be interviewed by a board who will have a record of the candidate's career and interests filled by the candidate in the Application Form.

2. The objective of the interview is to test the personal suitability of the candidate for the career in the state services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.

3. Apart from their academic study, candidates must be aware of the latest current affairs happening both within and outside their state.

4. The purpose of the interview is to explore the mental and analytical ability of the candidate.

WBCS Syllabus 2024: FAQs

Ans. WBCS Syllabus 2024 covers the English Composition, General Science, Current events, etc for prelims exam and Language Paper, General Studies, Arithmetic, and Reasoning, Optional subject etc for mains. Detailed WBCS Syllabus mentioned in the article.

Ans. No,there is a CSAT examination in UPSC and WBCS  State services no CSAT (Paper II) examination.

Ans. No, Knowledge of any of the given languages is Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali and Santali .

Ans. Yes, There are conventional papers also in mains examination.

Ans. Yes, There is an interview round in WBCS.

Important Links