Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) Exam Pattern | 09 Jan 2025

Introduction

The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) is responsible for organising various subordinate services, including posts related to state-specific administration.

The MPPSC primarily manages recruitment for state government, semi-government, judicial, state forest services, and other subordinate services within Madhya Pradesh.

The 'Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination (SSE)' is commonly referred to as 'MPPSC'.

MPPSC Exam Pattern Overview

The MPPSC examination comprises three distinct stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
- Each stage is designed with a unique pattern to test the candidates' aptitude, knowledge, and personality comprehensively.
Below is the detailed structure of the MPPSC exam:

Stage	Key Features	Number of Papers	Marks	Details
Prelims	Objective in Nature	2	Paper 1: 300 marks Paper 2: 300 marks (consists of 100 questions in papers 1 and 2 respectively)	Assesses general awareness, reasoning ability, and analytical skills
Mains	Descriptive examination for candidates qualifying for the Prelims	6	1400	Evaluates in-depth knowledge across various subjects, including general studies, essay writing, and optional subjects
Interview	Final stage to assess candidates' suitability for public service	-	185	Evaluates personality, communication skills, confidence, and understanding of administrative roles

Selection and Recruitment:
- Candidates who qualify in the Prelims and Mains are shortlisted for the Interview.
- Those who clear the Interview round are eligible for recruitment to the posts they have applied for.

Prelims Exam Pattern

The exam pattern for MPPSC prelims is different compared to the mains round.

Subject	Total Questions	Total Marks	Exam Duration
Paper 1: General Studies	100	300	2 Hours
Paper 2: General Aptitude Test (Also known as CSAT)	100	300	2 Hours

MPPSC Prelims Exam Pattern Details

Negative Marking: The MPPSC Prelims exam now includes negative marking. For every incorrect answer, one-third of the marks assigned to the question will be deducted.
Qualification Criteria: Candidates will qualify for the MPPSC Prelims and proceed to the Mains exam only if they pass both papers (GS and CSAT paper) and meet the cutoff scores set by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission.
- The marks obtained in Prelims are not added in the final score which contains the marks of the Mains (written) exam or interview.
Language: The MPPSC Prelims question paper is available in both Hindi and English languages.

Note: Since 2017, a common Preliminary Examination has been conducted for both 'Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination' and the 'Madhya Pradesh State Forest Service Examination,' while the Mains Examination continues to be held separately as before.

Mains Exam Pattern

As per the MPPSC Mains marks division, papers 1, 2 and 3 are 300 marks each, whereas papers 4 and 5 are 200 marks each and finally paper 6 is 100 marks.
Candidates who qualify for the MPPSC Mains Exam by meeting the specified cut-off will be eligible to appear for the MPPSC interview.

Subject Names	Total Marks	Exam Duration
Paper 1: General Studies - I	300	3 Hours
Paper 2: General Studies - II	300	3 Hours
Paper 3: General Studies - III	300	3 Hours
Paper 4: General Studies - IV	300	3 Hours
Paper 5: General Hindi	200	2 Hours
Paper 6: Hindi Essay	100	2.5 Hours

General Studies - First Paper, Second Paper, and Third Paper

For both Sections 'A' and 'B,' candidates can write their answers only in Hindi or English. In all three papers, the distribution of marks and word limits for each section ('A' and 'B') will be as follows:

Nature of Questions	Number of Questions	Marks (Per Question)	Maximum Word Limit Per Question	Total Marks
01. Very Short Answer Questions	15	02	20 words	30
02. Short Answer Questions	10	07	60 words	70
03. Long Answer Questions	05	10	20 words	50

Total: 30 Questions, Maximum Marks: 150

General Studies - Fourth Paper

For both Sections 'A' and 'B,' candidates can write their answers only in Hindi or English. The distribution of marks and word limits for each section ('A' and 'B') in the question paper will be as follows:

Nature of Questions	Number of Questions	Marks (Per Question)	Maximum Word Limit Per Question	Total Marks
01. Very Short Answer Questions	16	02	20 words	32
02. Short Answer Questions	08	07	60 words	56
03. Long Answer Questions	04	11	200 words	44
04. Case Study	01	18	As directed	18

Total: 29 Questions, Maximum Marks: 150

General Hindi

The fifth paper focuses on General Hindi and Hindi Grammar and will be conducted only in Hindi medium. The paper carries a total of 200 marks. Details regarding marks allocation are included in the syllabus. The duration of the paper will be 2 hours.

Hindi Essay

This paper will be conducted only in Hindi medium. The detailed structure of the paper is as follows:

Type of Question	Number of Questions	Maximum Word Limit Per Question	Marks	Duration
First Essay	01	1000 words	50	2.5 Hours
Second Essay	01	500 words	20
Draft Writing	01	500 words	15
Report Writing	01	250 words	15

Total Marks: 100

Note:

Depending on the requirement, any question can also have sub-questions. To ensure clarity and brevity in answers, candidates must adhere to the word limit specified for each question in the examination.
- In each question paper of the Main Examination (including parts ‘A’ and ‘B’), it is mandatory for candidates of unreserved (UR) category (including women candidates of UR category) to secure a minimum of 40% marks.
- For candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and those from the Divyang category, it is mandatory to secure a minimum of 30% marks.

Interview

MPPSC interview is the last stage for candidates appearing in the examination. Only those candidates who qualify for MPPSC prelims and mains will be eligible to appear for the interview round.
In the year 2024, a total of 185 marks were fixed for the interview in this exam of MPPSC (earlier it was 175 marks).
The Merit list is prepared on the basis of the aggregate of marks obtained in the mains examination and interview.