Bihar Public Service Commission - Strategy

• 12 Apr 2023

Why do we need a Strategy?

• To ensure success in the examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission, it is essential to make a proper and dynamic strategy according to the nature of examination.
• This is the first step that ensures half of your success.
• This exam is generally conducted in three phases (Preliminary, Main and Interview) where it is necessary to clear the previous stage to reach the next stage.
• The nature of examination of these three stages is different from each other. Therefore, there is a need to make a different strategy to ensure success at each stage.

Strategy for Preliminary Exam

• First of all, study the syllabus of the preliminary examination and keep in mind all its aspects, while determining the order of preference according to your convenience and interest.
• Take a look at the questions asked in the Preliminary Examination in the last 5 to 10 years and pay more attention to the points and headings that have been the trend of asking questions in the previous years.
• Like other state public service commissions, the nature of questions in the preliminary examination of Bihar Public Service Commission is also objective (multiple choice) type, so it requires special attention to the facts. For example, who was the founder of the 'Mauryan dynasty'? Which river is known as 'Sorrow of Bihar'? ‘Rickets’ is a disease caused by the deficiency of which vitamin? And etc.
• A closer look at the syllabus of this exam and the nature of questions asked in previous years shows that deep conceptual and factual knowledge of some sections is essential.
• The easiest way to remember and solve these questions is to make short notes related to the factual information of the subject and revise it regularly.
• For example, a question was asked, which part of the Indian Constitution is related to the Panchayati Raj system? So you should prepare a list of the main headings of all the 22 parts of the Indian Constitution.
• The syllabus of General Studies for the Preliminary Examination includes the History, Geography, Polity, Economy, General Science, Mathematics, Bihar State Special and Current Affairs. Its detailed description is given under the ‘syllabus’ heading.
• Questions related to General Mental Ability can be practiced by categorizing the questions asked earlier into different sections.
• The book 'Quick Book on General Science and Technology' by Drishtiias can be helpful for solving science based questions.
• In state specific examinations, the number of questions asked from state specific and current events is high, so they should be studied regularly.
• In the context of Bihar, special attention should be paid to the historical events, the role of Bihar in the freedom struggle and the geography of India in general and Bihar in particular.
• Similarly, it is beneficial to study the entire syllabus of the preliminary examination with reference to the state of Bihar.
• Keeping in mind the nature and number of current affairs questions, you can regularly go through the current affairs available on Drishti’s website. Apart from this, it will be beneficial to study the standard monthly magazine 'Drishti Current Affairs Today' for the preparation of this section.
• Reading the short description of ‘India Year Book’ published by the Publication Division (GOI) for the questions related to various institutions etc. will also be very beneficial.
• It is generally beneficial to try to solve the practice papers and questions asked in the previous years in the preliminary examination within the prescribed time limit (generally two hours) before the preliminary examination.
• Solving these questions can help you to develop the understanding of the subject and it will become easy for you to solve the repetitive questions in the exam.

Strategy for Mains Exam

• Due to the descriptive nature of the Mains exam, its preparation strategy is different from that of the preliminary exam.
• While the preliminary examination is qualifying in nature, the marks obtained in the main examination are added to the final merit list. Hence, this stage of the examination is very important and crucial to a great extent.
• The question paper of ‘General Hindi’ is only qualifying (obligatory to obtain at least 30 marks) but it has an important role in this examination from the point of view of result, because the answer-sheet of the remaining papers of the unsuccessful candidates will not be evaluated.
• To get qualifying marks in General Hindi, understanding of Hindi grammar (prefixes, suffixes, antonyms, etc.), concise summary, unread passages, etc., is essential. For this, it will be beneficial to study the Hindi books written by Vasudev Nandan, Hardev Bahri in depth and to do continuous writing work on the above topics.
• The syllabus for the first paper of General Studies includes Modern History of India and Indian Culture, Current Events of National and International Importance, Statistical Analysis, Drawing and Illustration, etc.
• It is relevant to study the modern history of India and Indian culture and current developments of national and international importance in the context of Bihar. Because most of the questions are directly related to Bihar like- Describe the role of Bihar in the revolt of 1857? Questions related to the role of Bihar in Champaran Satyagraha, Santhal Rebellion, Munda Rebellion, Quit India Movement etc. have been asked frequently.
• To study the current developments of national and international importance, a detailed study of the strategy adopted for the preliminary examination related to this section will also be beneficial.
• It will be beneficial to practice the questions asked in previous years in statistical analysis, drawing and illustration. NCERT’s books can be helpful in this context.
• The syllabus for the second paper of General Studies covers Indian Polity, Indian Economy, Geography of India, Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the development of India.
• It is also important to study the entire syllabus of this paper with reference to Bihar in particular, because most of the questions are related to Bihar. Along with this, applied questions related to the utility of technology are also asked. For example, critically examine the utility of remote sensing satellites in the context of India. What is 4G, 5G technology? What is their use in daily life? And so on.
• The Essay Paper, worth 300 marks, is crucial for success in the Mains Examination. It requires a deep understanding of the given topic and a logical writing style. The introduction should be engaging and informative, stating the thesis statement,the body paragraphs should develop the main points of the argument and provide supporting evidence, and the conclusion should summarize the main points of the essay and restate the thesis statement.
• The best way to prepare for the essay paper is to read widely on a variety of topics as per previous year questions and to practice writing essays on a regular basis. You should also read “Drishti IAS Mains Select Essays” to get a sense of the style and tone that is expected.
• The Optional Paper is of 100 marks and is qualifying in nature. The questions will be MCQ based. These marks are not added to the merit list.
• So, for optional preparation a similar strategy like Prelims is needed.
• The answers of the descriptive nature papers have to be written in the answer-book, so while writing the answers to such questions, special attention should be paid to the writing style and accuracy as well as time management.
• The development of writing style and consistency comes from regular practice, for which a comprehensive understanding of the subject is essential.

The candidates selected in the main examination (generally 3 times the total number of vacancies mentioned in the notification) have to appear for an interview before the commission generally after one month.