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CGPSC guidance: how the paper is cracked, from your own numbers

Chhattisgarh State Service Examination. Conducted by Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC). Vikram knows this paper from the site's own pattern pages — and reads your scores, your mocks and what you haven't touched before saying a word.

Talk to Vikram about CGPSC How it's decided
Reads your profile first Ends in a plan
Stages
3
First paper
400 marks
Marking
Wrong answers cost marks
Your guide
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How it's decided

CGPSC, stage by stage

Annual in intent. The 2025-26 cycle was notified on 26 November 2025 for about 238 posts, with the Prelims held on 22 February 2026 and the Mains on 6 to 9 June 2026, and Mains results reported after that. CGPSC has typically notified in late November. Confirm the live calendar on the Commission's site.. Prelims: OMR-based objective, two papers of 100 questions, 200 marks and 2 hours each. Mains: pen-and-paper descriptive, seven papers of 3 hours each; every paper except Language can be written in Hindi or English. Interview: in-person personality and viva test..

Prelims — two objective papers, 400 marksScreening gate

Paper I (General Studies, in two parts: national subjects and Chhattisgarh general knowledge) ranks candidates for Mains. Paper II (Aptitude Test, covering reasoning, numeracy, decision-making and Hindi and Chhattisgarhi language knowledge) is qualifying, with a 33 per cent pass mark (23 per cent for reserved categories and persons with disabilities). Wrong answers carry a deduction of one-third of the marks.

Mains — 7 written papers, 1,400 marksThe real scoring stage

Language (200), Essay (200) and General Studies I to V (200 each). All seven count toward merit.

Personality Test (Interview)Final 150 marks

A board interview on administrative aptitude, knowledge of Chhattisgarh and general personality. Final merit is Mains 1,400 plus Interview 150, or 1,550 marks, as reported. Confirm on the rules.

The papers

4 papers, and how each is marked

Prelims — General Studies and Aptitude Test
400 marks2 hours per paperNegative marking

Screening — Paper I ranks for Mains; Paper II is qualifying

Marking: −1/3 of the marks for each wrong answer in both papers.

History & CultureGeography of IndiaPolity & GovernanceEconomyEnvironment & EcologyScience & TechnologyHistory of ChhattisgarhGeography of ChhattisgarhPolity & Administration of ChhattisgarhEconomy of ChhattisgarhSociety, Culture & Tribes of ChhattisgarhDecision-making & Interpersonal SkillsLogical Reasoning & Mental AbilityBasic Numeracy & Data InterpretationChhattisgarhi Language Knowledge

Paper I has two parts, General Studies (history and the national movement, geography, polity, economy, science, philosophy, art and culture, environment, current affairs and sports) and General Knowledge of Chhattisgarh (history, geography, tribes and culture, economy, administration, industry and resources, and state current affairs).

Mains — General Studies I to V
1000 marks3 hours per paper

Merit — 1,000 of your 1,400 Mains marks

GS Paper I — History, Constitution & Public Administration, Chhattisgarh History200 marks · 180 minGS Paper II — General Science, Aptitude & Reasoning, Applied Science200 marks · 180 minGS Paper III — Economy, Indian Geography, Chhattisgarh Geography200 marks · 180 minGS Paper IV — Philosophy, Sociology, Chhattisgarh Social Aspects200 marks · 180 minGS Paper V — Welfare Laws & Schemes, International Organisations & Sports, Education200 marks · 180 min

Each paper has three parts. GS I: Indian history, the Constitution and public administration, and Chhattisgarh history. GS II: general science, aptitude and reasoning, and applied science. GS III: the Indian and Chhattisgarh economy, Indian geography, and Chhattisgarh geography.

Mains — Paper II: Essay
200 marks3 hours

Merit — 200 marks, all counting

Part 1 — National and international issues (2 of 4 essays)100 marks · 90 minPart 2 — Chhattisgarh issues (2 of 4 essays)100 marks · 90 min

Two parts. In each part you write two essays from four topics, of about 750 words and 50 marks each. Part 1 covers national and international issues and Part 2 covers Chhattisgarh issues. The paper expects each essay to set out the causes, the present position with data, and solutions.

Mains — Paper I: Language (Hindi, English & Chhattisgarhi)
200 marks3 hours

Language paper — 200 marks, all counting toward merit

General Hindi (not modelled here)General English (not modelled here)Chhattisgarhi Language

Three parts: General Hindi, General English and Chhattisgarhi language. Hindi and English are language-skill parts (comprehension, précis, letters, grammar and translation), outside this hub's chapter format.

Where the marks come from

Where your CGPSC score comes from

Prelims has two objective papers of 200 marks each. Paper I (General Studies) ranks candidates for Mains, and Paper II (Aptitude Test) is qualifying, so it needs a pass mark but adds nothing to your rank. Mains is the scoring stage: seven descriptive papers of 200 marks and three hours each, all counting toward merit, followed by a 150-mark interview.

General Studies I-V1000 marks · 64.5%

Nearly two-thirds of the total. Each paper has a named Chhattisgarh part or a state-specific strand, and this hub's 17 state chapters carry the most weight here, alongside philosophy, sociology, science and welfare laws that UPSC treats differently.

Essay200 marks · 12.9%

Half of the paper is about Chhattisgarh, so dated state facts and a neutral tone on sensitive themes make the difference.

Language paper200 marks · 12.9%

Hindi, English and Chhattisgarhi language skills count fully toward merit. They are outside this hub's chapter format, except for the Chhattisgarhi knowledge chapter.

Interview150 marks · 9.7%

A board assessing administrative aptitude and knowledge of Chhattisgarh, which draws directly on the state chapters here.

What changed this cycle

Things last year's advice gets wrong

  • CGPSC opened a public consultation on revising the Mains syllabus in July 2026, inviting suggestions online within a month. The Commission said the revised syllabus would apply to future exams and not the current cycle, so this hub follows the syllabus now in force. Check the next notification for changes.
  • The 2025-26 cycle held its Prelims on 22 February 2026 and its Mains on 6 to 9 June 2026. Prelims Paper II is qualifying, and Paper I ranks candidates for Mains.
  • Chhattisgarh's district map changed in September 2022, when five new districts took the total from 28 to 33. Always quote the number with its year.
  • Policy schemes and office-holders change, so this hub teaches Chhattisgarh's institutions, statutes and dated programmes and names no sitting Governor or Chief Minister. Confirm current names independently before the exam.
The chapters that carry the marks

Where a plan for CGPSC usually starts

The highest-weight chapters in each subject, linked to their notes. Weights are estimates from previous papers where the conducting body publishes none. Your guide weighs these against your own scores.

Optional — Public AdministrationAll chapters
GS I Part 2 (part of ~67 of 200 marks)
General Intelligence & ReasoningAll chapters
GS II Part 2 (part of ~67 marks) and Prelims Paper II
Quantitative AptitudeAll chapters
GS II Part 2 (part of ~67 marks) and Prelims Paper II
Computer KnowledgeAll chapters
GS II Part 3 (part of ~67 of 200 marks)
Optional — SociologyAll chapters
GS IV Part 2 (part of ~67 of 200 marks)
History & CultureAll chapters
Prelims Paper I (100 questions, 200 marks)
Polity & GovernanceAll chapters
Prelims Paper I (100 questions, 200 marks)
EconomyAll chapters
Prelims Paper I (100 questions, 200 marks)
Alongside guidance

The rest of your CGPSC preparation

Questions

About CGPSC, and guidance for it

What are the stages of CGPSC?
1. Prelims — two objective papers, 400 marks — Screening gate. 2. Mains — 7 written papers, 1,400 marks — The real scoring stage. 3. Personality Test (Interview) — Final 150 marks.
How is the CGPSC paper marked?
Prelims — General Studies and Aptitude Test: 400 marks, 2 hours per paper. Marking: −1/3 of the marks for each wrong answer in both papers.
Is there negative marking in CGPSC?
Yes. −1/3 of the marks for each wrong answer in both papers.
What decides the final merit in CGPSC?
Prelims has two objective papers of 200 marks each. Paper I (General Studies) ranks candidates for Mains, and Paper II (Aptitude Test) is qualifying, so it needs a pass mark but adds nothing to your rank. Mains is the scoring stage: seven descriptive papers of 200 marks and three hours each, all counting toward merit, followed by a 150-mark interview. Paper I is Language (Hindi, English and Chhattisgarhi), Paper II is the Essay, and Papers III to VII are General Studies I to V.
What has changed in CGPSC recently?
CGPSC opened a public consultation on revising the Mains syllabus in July 2026, inviting suggestions online within a month. The Commission said the revised syllabus would apply to future exams and not the current cycle, so this hub follows the syllabus now in force. Check the next notification for changes.
What does the CGPSC guide know about me?
Only what you have done on the site: your scores by subject and chapter for CGPSC, what you have never been tested on, the kinds of mistake you make across topics, your mocks, your projected score, your error book, your last two weeks and your goals. You can open the exact page Vikram reads before you start.
Is it free?
Talking to Vikram, the AI guide, is free — up to four talks a day. Real guides who have cleared or teach CGPSC set their own prices, and many offer a free call or a short demo.

Every fact on this page comes from the exam's blueprint on this site. How the guide uses it: how Guidance works.

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