WBCS Syllabus 2025 (Revised), New Exam Pattern and Syllabus PDF
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- WBCS Syllabus 2025
The West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) examination is a prestigious competitive examination conducted by the WBPSC to recruit eligible candidates for various Group A and B posts. The examination is held in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Personality Test (Interview). The West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBCS) has revised the WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern for the WBCS exam. As per the revised syllabus, the WBCS prelims exam now consists of two separate papers, GS Paper I and GS Paper II, instead of the earlier single GS paper. In addition, the Main Examination includes a total of 10 papers, with 2 new papers added compared to the earlier structure of 8 papers. Knowing the WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025 is important for candidates to build an effective plan for the exam and increase their chances of exam success.
WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025
Knowledge of the WBCS Syllabus 2025 for each subject will acquaint candidates with what to expect from the exam and kickstart their preparation in the right direction. To assist candidates in their preparation, here we have covered the revised WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025 for the prelims and mains exams.
| WBCS Syllabus 2025- Key Points | |
| Recruitment Body | West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBCS) |
| Exam Name | WBCS 2025 |
| Category | Syllabus |
| Exam Level | State |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Negative Marking | Yes |
| Duration | Prelims- 4 hour (2 hour each paper) Mains- 03 hour (Each Paper) |
| Selection Process | Prelims- Mains- Interview |
| Official Website | https://psc.wb.gov.in/ |
WBCS Selection Process 2025
West Bengal Public Service Commission is the body that is responsible for conducting the WBCS 2025. 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.
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination- As per the Revised WBCS Syllabus, the WBCS Prelims exam consists of two papers i.e. General Studies Paper – I and General Studies Paper-II, instead of. one paper only i.e., GS. Paper II is qualifying in nature, and candidates have to score a minimum of 33% to qualify for the exam. There is no Aptitude Test, unlike various other state Public Service Commission Exams.
2. Stage 2: Mains Examination- The WBCS Mains Exam has been revised by officials. Now the total no. of papers in the mains exam is 10. Papers A and B are qualifying in nature. Six compulsory papers and one optional subject, consisting of two papers. Out of 6 compulsory papers, 4 papers are of the MCQ Type.
- English Essay
- Tradition and Culture of Bengali
- General Studies – Paper I
- General Studies-Paper II
- General Studies-III
- General Studies-IV
- The Mains Exam (Conventional/ Essay) is allowed to be taken only in Bengali/ English.
- 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 2025
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. The 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 the WBCS Exam Pattern:
| WBCS Exam Pattern 2025 | ||||
| Tier | Name of the exam | Type of the exam | Number of question papers | Marks |
| I | Preliminary Exam | Objective | General Studies Paper - I | 200 |
| General Studies Paper - II | 200 | |||
| II | Mains | Objective+Conventional | Ten Papers
| Paper A and B - 300 (each) Paper I to VIII - 250 (each) |
| III | Personality Test | Interview | Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ | 200 |
| Group ‘C’ | 150 | |||
| Group ‘D’ | 100 | |||
WBCS Prelims Exam Pattern 2025
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.
WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025 for GS Paper - I
| Subjects Name | Marks | Questions | Duration |
| English Composition | 20 | 20 | 2 hours/ 120 minutes |
| General Science | 20 | 20 | |
| Current events of National & International Importance | 20 | 20 | |
| History of India | 20 | 20 | |
| Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal | 20 | 20 | |
| Indian Polity and Economy | 40 | 40 | |
| Indian National Movement | 20 | 20 | |
| General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-Diversity and Climate Change- that do not require subject specialization | 40 | 40 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
WBCS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025 for GS Paper - II
| Subjects Name | Marks | Questions | Duration |
| Comprehension | 60 | 60 | 2 hours/ 120 minutes |
| Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills | 10 | 10 | |
| Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability | 35 | 35 | |
| Decision Making and Problem Solving | 30 | 30 | |
| General Mental Ability | 30 | 30 | |
| Basic Numeracy (Numbers and their relations, Orders of Magnitude, etc.), Data Interpretation (Charts, Graphs, Tables, Data Sufficiency) | 35 | 35 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
WBCS Syllabus 2025 for Prelims
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 exam consists of 2 papers. GS Paper I and GS Paper II. Each paper consists of 200 marks for 2 hours each. The Prelims are only a screening test, and their 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 the WBCS Prelims Syllabus are:
WBCS Syllabus for English Composition
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Idioms and Phrases
- Vocabulary Test
- Phrasal Verbs
- Homophones
- Fill in the qualifying words
WBCS Syllabus for General Science
- General appreciation
- Understanding of science
- Matters of everyday observation
- Experience as expected from an educated person not having made special studies of scientific disciplines
WBCS Syllabus for Current Events of National and International Importance
Significant events affecting India and its relations with the world
WBCS Syllabus for History of India
- Ancient
- Medieval
- Modern
WBCS Syllabus for Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal
- Physical Geography
- Social Geography
- Economic Geography
WBCS Syllabus for Indian Polity and Economy
- Indian Constitution
- Panchayati Raj
- Constitutional Bodies, etc.
WBCS Syllabus for Indian National Movement
- Nature and character of Nineteenth-Century Resurgence
- Growth of Nationalism
- Attainment of Independence
WBCS Syllabus for General Mental Ability
- Logical Reasoning
- Common Aptitude
WBCS Mains Exam Pattern 2025
- WBCS Mains consists of a total of 10 papers.
- Papers A and B are qualifying in nature, and each paper consists of 300 marks.
- The time duration for the main exam is 03 hours for each paper.
- Each compulsory and Optional Paper shall carry 250 marks each.
- 1 optional subject comprises two papers 2.
- Candidates opting for Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’ Services & Posts need not appear in Papers VII and VIII.
| WBCS Mains Exam Pattern 2025 | ||||
| Papers | Marks | |||
| Group ‘A’ | Group ‘B’ | Group ‘C’ | Group ‘D’ | |
| Paper A Bengali/Nepali | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Paper B English | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| English Essay | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Tradition and Culture of Bengali | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| General Studies – Paper I | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| General Studies-Paper II | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| General Studies-III | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| General Studies-IV | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Optional Subject Paper-I | 250 | 250 | -- | -- |
| Optional Subject Paper-II | 250 | 250 | -- | -- |
| Personality Test | 250 | 250 | 150 | 100 |
| Total Marks | 2200 | 2200 | 1650 | 1600 |
WBCS Syllabus 2025 for Mains
The WBCS Mains syllabus 2025 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.
| Papers | Subjects | Topics |
| Paper A | Bengali/Nepali |
|
| Paper B | English |
|
| Paper 1 | English Essay |
|
| Paper 2 | Tradition and Culture of Bengal |
|
| Paper 3 | General Studies - I |
|
| Paper 4 | General Studies-II |
|
| Paper 4 | General Studies-III |
|
| Paper 4 | General Studies-IV |
|
| Paper 7 | Optional Papers | In accordance with the subject selected |
| Paper 8 | In accordance with the subject opted by candidates |
Download WBCS Syllabus PDF for Prelims & 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.
| Subject | Code |
| Bengali | 1 |
| Hindi | 2 |
| Sanskrit | 3 |
| English | 4 |
| Pali | 5 |
| Arabic | 6 |
| Persian | 7 |
| French | 8 |
| Urdu | 9 |
| Santali | 10 |
| Comparative Literature | 11 |
| Agriculture | 12 |
| Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science | 13 |
| Anthropology | 14 |
| Botany | 15 |
| Chemistry | 16 |
| Civil Engineering | 17 |
| Commerce and Accountancy | 18 |
| Computer Science | 19 |
| Economics | 20 |
| Electrical Engineering | 21 |
| Geography | 22 |
| Geology | 23 |
| History | 24 |
| Law | 25 |
| Mathematics | 26 |
| Management | 27 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 28 |
| Medical Science | 29 |
| Philosophy | 30 |
| Physiology | 31 |
| Physics | 32 |
| Political Science | 33 |
| Psychology | 34 |
| Sociology | 35 |
| Statistics | 36 |
| Zoology | 37 |
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.
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