WBPSC 2026 Syllabus, Check Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern
West Bengal Public Service Commission will conduct the West Bengal Civil Services 2026 exam to recruit candidates for Group A, B, C, and D posts under the Government of West Bengal. WBPSC selection process includes three stages: WBPSC Syllabus 2026 consists of Prelims and Mains. WBPSC Prelims Pattern consists of an objective-type paper covering General Studies. WBPSC Mains Pattern consists of compulsory papers and one optional subject. Final selection is based on marks obtained in the Mains Exam and the Personality Test conducted by WBPSC.
WBPSC Syllabus 2026 Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS) 2026 |
| Conducting Body | West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) |
| Exam Level | State Level |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, Personality Test |
| WBPSC Prelims Mode | Objective (MCQs) |
| WBPSC Prelims Subjects | General Studies (History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, Current Affairs, etc.) |
| WBPSC Mains Mode | Descriptive (Written) |
| WBPSC Mains Papers | 6 Compulsory Papers + 1 Optional Subject (2 Papers) |
| WBPSC Interview | Personality Test |
| WBPSC Official Website | psc.wb.gov.in |
WBPSC Syllabus 2026
West Bengal Public Service Commission 2026 syllabus includes General Studies subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, and Current Affairs. Final selection is based on the Mains and Personality Test performance.
| Phase | Paper / Section | Major Topics | Key Sub-Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBPSC Prelims | General Studies (Objective – 200 Marks) | History of India & National Movement |
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| Geography of India & WB |
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| Indian Polity & Economy |
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| General Science |
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| Environment & Ecology |
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| Current Affairs |
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| Reasoning & Arithmetic |
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| WBPSC Mains | Paper 1 | Bengali / Hindi / Urdu / Nepali / Santali |
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| Paper 2 | English |
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| Paper 3 | General Studies 1 |
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| Paper 4 | General Studies 2 |
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| Paper 5 | Constitution & Economy |
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| Paper 66 | Arithmetic & Reasoning |
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| Paper 7 & 8 | Optional Subject (Chosen by Candidate) |
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| Personality Test | Interview | Personality & Administrative Ability |
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WBPSC Exam Pattern 2026
The candidate can check WBPSC Exam Pattern 2026, which consists of Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test marks.
| Phase | Paper / Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (Prelims) | General Studies (Objective) | 200 | 200 | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
| Total (Prelims) | — | 200 | 200 | 150 Minutes |
| Phase 2 (Mains) | Paper 1 – Bengali / Hindi / Urdu / Nepali / Santali | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours |
| Paper 2 – English | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 3 – General Studies 1 | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 4 – General Studies 2 | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 5 – Constitution & Economy | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 6 – Arithmetic & Reasoning | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 7 – Optional Subject Paper 1 | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Paper 8 – Optional Subject Paper 2 | Descriptive | 200 | 3 Hours | |
| Total (Mains) | 1600 | |||
| Phase 3 | Personality Test (Interview) | 200* |
How to Prepare for WBPSC 2026 Exam
Preparing for WBCS 2026 requires a Prelims and Mains integrated strategy, strong conceptual clarity, and consistent answer-writing practice. Follow this structured plan:
1️. Understand the Syllabus & Exam Pattern: Carefully read the official syllabus for Prelims and Mains. Focus on overlapping subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, and Current Affairs.
2️. Build Strong Fundamentals: Follow NCERTs (Class 6–12) for History, Geography, Polity, and Science.
3️. Current Affairs Preparation: Read a reliable newspaper daily, and focus on West Bengal–specific schemes, reports, and policies.
4️. Prelims Strategy: Practice MCQs regularly.
5️. Mains Strategy: Start answering early, Practice 150–250-word structured answers.
6️. Language Papers Preparation: Work on essay writing, precis writing, grammar, and drafting skills.
7. Revision Plan: Revise every week.
8️. Interview Preparation: Stay updated with current affairs.
Best Books for WBPSC Exam 2026
For WBPSC posts, candidates can refer to Best Books For WBPSC Exam 2026 and Practice PYQs. Some of the widely used books by aspirants are mentioned below-
| Subject / Section | Recommended Book | Publisher / Author |
|---|---|---|
| History (Prelims & Mains) | A Brief History of Modern India | Spectrum Publications |
| Ancient & Medieval History | Old NCERT History (Class 11 & 12) | R.S. Sharma & Satish Chandra |
| Geography | Certificate Physical & Human Geography | G.C. Leong |
| Indian Polity | Indian Polity | M. Laxmikanth |
| Indian Economy | Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh |
| General Science | General Science for Civil Services | TMH Publication |
| Environment | Environment | Shankar IAS Academy |
| West Bengal Specific GK | West Bengal General Knowledge | Arihant Experts |
| Arithmetic & Reasoning | Quantitative Aptitude | R.S. Aggarwal |
| Optional Subject | Subject-Specific Standard Textbooks | As per Chosen Discipline |
| English (Mains) | Objective General English | S.P. Bakshi |
| Previous Year Papers | WBCS Previous Years’ Solved Papers | Arihant / Kiran Publications |
WBPSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
Ques: Are the Prelims marks considered for final merit?
Ans: No, the Prelims Exam is only qualifying in nature and serves as a screening test for the Mains, but final merit is determined solely by marks scored in the Mains and the Personality Test.
Ques: Are the optional papers mandatory for all WBPCS service groups 2026?
Ans: Optional subjects are not compulsory for every candidate. Only candidates applying for certain higher-level Group A services need to choose an optional subject.
Ques: How many attempts can a candidate take for WBPSC 2026?
Ans: There is no fixed national attempt limit, but eligibility depends on age limits and other category-specific conditions as per WBPSC notification.
Ques: Is there negative marking in WBPSC Exam 2026?
Ans: Yes, negative marking is applied in WBPSC Prelims Exam for incorrect answers.
Ques: Which subjects carry the most weightage in WBPSC Mains?
Ans: While all WBPSC Mains papers are equally weighted in terms of marks, papers like General Studies I & II and Constitution & Economy often require a deeper analytical understanding.
Ques: How important is West Bengal-specific knowledge?
Ans: Regional knowledge is particularly crucial for WBPSC. Topics like West Bengal’s geography, history, culture, governance, and development schemes appear frequently.
Ques: How should one prepare for the Personality Test?
Ans: WBPSC Personality Test evaluates communication skills, reasoning ability, general awareness, and administrative aptitude.
Ques: Can a candidate change their optional subject after submitting the application?
Ans: No, the choice of an optional subject is final at the time of application submission. Careful selection based on academic background, interest, and scoring potential is crucial.
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