Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) FAQs | 08 Aug 2021

Question 1: In what sequence should the questions be solved during the preliminary examination of JPSC? Does a particular sequence benefit?

Answer: It can not be one fits all. If you are comfortable in all the subjects of 'General Studies' and 'General Knowledge of Jharkhand' and your speed is also satisfactory then you can crack the exam successfully by solving questions in any order. In such a situation, it is better to solve the questions in the same order they come up. But if your position is not so secure then you should consider the sequence of questions. In such a situation, first of all, solve those questions which take the least time.

If you have a good knowledge of the Jharkhand state then you should solve 10 questions related to it in the first paper first, because it will take less time and the chances of getting the answers right will be more. After solving these 10 questions, your position will be very strong. Thereafter, you can solve those questions that you are comfortable with and skip those which are beyond your comprehension. Leave a mark for those questions in respect of which you feel that they can be done if you get enough time.

The same pattern can be followed in the General Knowledge paper of Jharkhand as well. That is, those questions should be solved first in which the required time is less and the chances of getting the answer correct are more.

One more thing you can do is avoid solving the same type of questions continuously. If you are comfortable, then solve some questions from other sections of the question paper and then go for other questions. Since there is no provision of any kind of negative marking in this exam, do not leave any question unanswered and at the end try to solve the remaining questions based on common sense and analytical guess.

Question 2: Time management becomes the biggest challenge in the JPSC exams. What should be done for that?

Answer: Follow the suggestions given in the response to the previous question. Apart from that, attend mock test series before the exam and observe in which section of each paper the questions are covered in how much time. If you identify the more time-consuming questions in advance, then the time won't be wasted in the exam and with practice, the speed can be satisfactory.

Question 3: What is 'cut-off'? How is it calculated?

Answer: Cut-off' means the minimum marks by which a candidate has been selected in the examination. In JPSC, every year the 'cut-off' is decided for the preliminary, mains and interview test. The candidates who score the 'cut-off' or more are declared successful and the rest are unsuccessful. Due to the applicable reservation system, this cut-off varies for different categories of candidates.

The cut-off in the preliminary examination is determined on the basis of the sum of the marks obtained in the first paper, that is 'General Studies' and the second paper, 'General Knowledge of Jharkhand'.

The cut-off is not fixed, it varies every year. It is calculated on the basis of factors like the number of seats, difficulty level of question papers and number as well as quality of candidates.

The score of the successful candidates, whoever has the minimum marks, will be called the 'cut-off'. It is natural that if the question papers will be easy or if the number and quality of candidates are high, the cut-off will increase and vice versa.

Question 4: What is the 'Minimum Qualifying Marks' (Qualifying Marks)? How is it determined in the preliminary examination of JPSC?

Answer: 'Minimum qualifying marks' means the minimum marks without which no candidate can be successful in the examination. In the preliminary and mains examination of JPSC, it will be mandatory to get a minimum of 40%, 34%, 36.5% and 32% qualifying marks for unreserved category, backward class-1, backward class-2 and SC/ST as well as women candidates.

It will be mandatory for all categories of candidates to obtain a minimum of 30 marks in the first paper (General Hindi and General English) of the mains examination. The 'cut-off' is determined for the candidates who obtain the 'minimum qualifying marks'. The candidates who obtain the cut-off or above marks are declared successful and the remaining unsuccessful.

Question 5: How many questions are asked in the preliminary examination of JPSC, related to 'Jharkhand State Special'? How to prepare for these questions?

Answer: There are two papers in JPSC preliminary examination. In paper-l, 'General Studies', generally 10 questions are from 'Jharkhand State Special' section and in the second paper 'General Knowledge of Jharkhand', all the 100 questions (200 marks) are from 'Jharkhand State Special' section. In JPSC preliminary examination, 220 marks out of 400 marks are being asked from this section, which clearly shows its importance.

From 'Jharkhand State Special' section, questions are asked mainly under the following topics:

Jharkhand's history, movement, unique identity, literature, dance, culture, place, educational institution, sports, law, rules, management etc.

It will be fruitful to note down the information of events, plans, appointments and programs related to the state in a daily newspaper along with 'General Knowledge of Jharkhand' and Jharkhand Publication Department's book and another standard book for Jharkhand State.

Question 6: Whether the answers to all the questions should be filled at once on a given OMR sheet or should be filled along with each question?

Answer: It would be better to answer 4-5 questions and fill them on the OMR sheet. With each question, it takes more time to fill on the sheet. On the other hand, sometimes it also happens that many candidates try to fill the OMR sheet at once but due to lack of time can not fill it properly. To avoid this type of mistake the right way is to fill the OMR sheet after solving 4-5 questions.

Question 7: Is there any advantage of the 'Mock Test' in this JPSC preliminary exam? If yes, then what?

Answer: Giving mock tests proved to be very useful for preliminary examinations. By giving mock tests, on one side you learn time management and on another hand, you learn to control the tension arising during the examination. This allows you to experiment with different tests to see which order of the questions gives you the best results. Based on these experiments, you can decide your exam strategy. This gives you an idea of your competitiveness level in comparison to your competitors. Keep in mind that if you have chosen the mock test series carefully then only you will get these advantages of mock tests.

Question 8: I feel uncomfortable with Hindi grammar from the very beginning. Will I be successful in the mains examination of JPSC?

Answer: Yes, you can be successful. In the mains examination of JPSC, the first paper is related to linguistic knowledge, in which a total of 50 marks questions are asked from the 'General Hindi' section, whose answer is to be written in the answer sheet provided by the commission. Its syllabus mainly consists of Essay (15 Marks), Grammar (15 Marks), Syntax (10 Marks) and Summary (10 Marks).

These questions of Hindi grammar are very easy and even a normal student can get average marks by practising it regularly. For this, you can read any standard book of Hindi grammar available in the market.

Question 9: I feel uncomfortable with English grammar from the very beginning. Will I be successful in the mains examination of JPSC?

Answer: Yes, you can be successful. In the mains examination of JPSC, the first paper is related to linguistic knowledge, in which a total of 50 marks questions are asked from the 'General English', whose answer is to be written in the answer-book provided by the commission. Its syllabus mainly consists of Essay (15 Marks), Grammar (15 Marks), Comprehension (10 Marks) and Precise Writing (10 Marks).

These questions of English grammar are very easy and even a normal student can get average marks by practising it regularly. For this, you can read any standard book of English grammar available in the market.

Question 10: What is the role of an essay in the JPSC mains exam? What strategy should be adopted to get good marks in it?

Answer: The first question paper in JPSC mains examination is related to linguistic knowledge. Hindi essay of 15 marks and English essay of 15 marks have been included in its syllabus. The originality and personality of a person is tested through essay writing, in fact essay writing is an art, which can be developed by continuous practice under proper guidance. In the past, there was a lack of study material for Hindi essays as there was no standard book available in the market. But recently the book published by Drishti Publications has fulfilled the gap. The language-style and approach of each essay written in this book is standard. Similarly you can study any standard book available in the market for English essay.

Question 11: What strategy should be adopted to get good marks in this mains exam conducted by JPSC?

Answer: To get good marks in 'JPSC mains examination. look for the 'Strategy for Main Examination' under JPSC Strategy .

Question 12: What is the role of interview in the JPSC exam? How should we prepare for it?

Answer: A total of 100 marks have been fixed for the interview in this examination. Since the final merit list is prepared on the basis of the sum of the marks obtained in the mains examination and interview, therefore the interview plays an important role in the final selection and post determination in this examination. During the interview of JPSC, the personality of the candidates is tested in which questions are asked by the members of the commission at the designated place in the commission, to which the candidate has to answer. You can easily score 40-70 marks in the interview under normal circumstances.Although the interview is the last stage of this exam, it is beneficial to start preparing for it from the very beginning. In fact, the personality development of any candidate is a continuous process.