PSC 2020 - State Public Service Commission (PSC) Exams In India

The Public Service Commissions (PSC) in India are constitutionally mandated (Articles 315 – 323) to assist the respective state governments in matters of recruitment, transfers and disciplinary actions.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the prestigious IAS Exam every year. The IAS Exam is the common entry point for 20-odd Group A and Group B services.

Similarly, the State Public Service Commissions conduct recruitment exams which act as an entry point for coveted services in the state administration.

In this article, aspirants can find consolidated information on PSC Exams in India. Every Public Service Commission has its own website, exam pattern, eligibility conditions and syllabus. However, broadly speaking, there is a significant overlap between PSC Exams and UPSC Exam.

The pragmatic approach for civil service aspirants is to prepare for state PSC exams and UPSC simultaneously.

In the table given below, we have listed the various Public Service Commissions along with their details for the exam year 2021-22 and also for 2019-20 where the exam process is still underway.

Public Service Commission (PSC)
PSC PSC Exam PSC Syllabus PSC Eligibility
Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) KAS Exam KAS Syllabus KAS Eligibility
Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) Kerala KAS Exam Kerala KAS Syllabus Kerala KAS Eligibility
Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) PCS Exam PCS Syllabus PCS Eligibility
Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) RAS Exam RAS Syllabus RAS Eligibility
Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) MPSC Exam MPSC Syllabus MPSC Eligibility
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) Group 1 Exam Group 1 Syllabus Group 1 Eligibility
Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Group 1 Exam Group 1 Syllabus Group 1 Eligibility
Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) BPSC Exam BPSC Syllabus BPSC Eligibility
Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) GPSC Exam GPSC Syllabus GPSC Eligibility
Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) MPPSC Exam MPPSC Syllabus MPPSC Eligibility
West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) WBPSC Exam WBCS Syllabus WBCS Eligibility
Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) JPSC Exam JPSC Syllabus JPSC Eligibility

Aspirants should bookmark this page and check it regularly as we will be updating and adding more PSC details of other states.

Calendar of PSC Exams

The State Civil Services Examinations are conducted by different states in different names.

Highlight on some of the State Public Service Commission Exams for the year 2020-21 is given below. Also, the status of the examination amid the Coronavirus Outbreak is mentioned:

PSC Exams 2021-2022
PSC Exam Name Conducting Body Important Dates Change in Dates due to Covid-19
Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) KAS Prelims: 24th August 2020 (KPSC KAS 2017-18)

KAS Mains: 13th – 16th February 2021

For further details, check- https://kpsc.kar.nic.in/

Earlier KAS Prelims Date – 17th May 2020
Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) PSC KAS Prelims 2019: 22nd February 2020

PSC KAS Mains: 20th – 21st November 2020

For further details, check- https://keralapsc.gov.in/

  • Kerala PSC Prelims Result was postponed.
  • Delay in Kerala PSC 2020 notification
Provincial Civil Services (PCS) Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) PCS Prelims (2021): 13th June 2021

PCS Mains (2021): 3rd October 2021 onwards

PCS Interview (2020): 1st April 2021 onwards

For further details, check-

https://uppsc.up.nic.in/

  • Earlier PCS Prelims Date – 21st June 2020
  • Earlier PCS Mains Date – 15th October 2020 onward
Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) RAS Prelims 2020-21: September 2021 (Tentative)

RAS Mains 2020-21: December 2021 (Tentative)

RAS Interview (2018): 22nd March 2021 – 7th May 2021

For further details, check-

https://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/

The RAS Notifications 2019 and 2020 are postponed
MPSC State Services Examination Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) MPSC Prelims 2020: 21st March 2021

MPSC Mains 2020: To be announced

  • MPSC Prelims was postponed four times.
  • Earlier MPSC Mains 2020 Date – 7th July 2020 onward
TNPSC Combined Civil Services Examination – I (Group-I Services) Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) TNPSC 2020 group 1 Prelims: 3rd January 2021

TNPSC 2020 Group 1 Mains: To be announced

For Further Details, check- https://tnpsc.gov.in/

Earlier, TNPSC Group 1 Prelims  2020 was scheduled on 5th April.
APPSC Group-I Services Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) APPSC Group 1 Prelims (2019): 26th May 2019

APPSC Group 1 Mains (2019): 14th December – 20th December 2020

For Further Details, Check-

https://psc.ap.gov.in/

  • APPSC Group 1 Notification 2020 postponed
  • Earlier APPSC Group 1 Mains 2020 – 4th February 2020 onward
BPSC Combined Competitive Exam Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 66th BPSC CCE Prelims: 27th December 2020

65th BPSC CCE Prelims: 15th October 2019

65th BPSC CCE Mains: 25th – 28th November 2020

For Further Details, Check-

https://bpsc.bih.nic.in/

Earlier date of BPSC 65th CCE Mains – 4th August 2020 onward
Gujarat Administrative Service (Class-1) Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) GPSC 2020 Prelims: 21st March 2021

For Further Details, Check-

https://gpsc.gujarat.gov.in/

–
MPPSC State Service Exam Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) MPPSC Prelims 2020: 11th April 2021

MPPSC Mains 2019: 21st March 2021 onwards

For Further Details, Check-

https://mppsc.nic.in/

MPPSC Exams for 2020 were postponed.
West Bengal Civil Service Exam/ West Bengal Civil Service (EXE.) etc. Exam West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) WBPSC Prelims 2021: 7th February 2021 [Postponed]

WBPSC Prelims 2020: 9th February 2020

WBPSC Mains 2020: 24th-28th April 2020

WBPSC Prelims 2019: 9th February 2019 

WBPSC Mains 2019: 25th-28th August 2019

For Further Details, Check-

https://pscwbonline.nic.in/

WBCS Prelims 2020 postponed
Combined Civil Services Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) JPSC 2017-18 Prelims: 2nd May 2021

JPSC 2017-18 Mains: September 2021

For Further Details, Check-

https://gpsc.gov.in/

Calendar awaited

Delay of Official Notification for JPSC 7,8,9

Daily News

PSC Online – From Application to Preparation

Gone are the days when candidates were at the mercy of physical coaching centres and printed study material alone. With the internet, not only are the Public Service Commissions changing their application process but also the candidates are using online preparation material. On the lines of the Union Public Service Commission, the state PSCs have made the registration and application process online. Also, the admit cards are issued online instead of postal dispatches.

In this light, BYJU’S aims to provide all PSC exams relevant information at the fingertips of aspirants.

In the articles linked above, candidates can find:

  1. PSC Exam Dates and 2020-21 Calendar
  2. Information about the respective Public Service Commission including official website and contact details
  3. Latest PSC Notification for the state civil service exam (Candidates can download PDFs for quick reference)
  4. Detailed Eligibility Criteria – Nationality, Age Limit, Number of Attempts, Educational Qualification, Physical Fitness
  5. List of Posts, Services and Salaries (Pay Scale)
  6. Updated and detailed PSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern for 2020 Exams (Also, candidates can download the syllabus PDFs)
  7. Preparation strategy and previous year question papers
  8. Study Material including daily Current Affairs from The Hindu, PIB, RSTV, Yojana, Comprehensive News Analysis etc
  9. List of best books for UPSC and PCS Exam preparation (including NCERT PDFs and Notes)
  10. PSC Online Application Process (login, registration and application fee)

PSC v/s UPSC

The IAS Exam which is conducted by the UPSC is widely considered to be the toughest exam in India. The comprehensive UPSC Syllabus and the sheer volume of aspirants competing for 900-1000 vacancies make it a very tough nut to crack. Adding to the burden of candidates, the three-stage exam process lasts for almost a year.

The PSC Exams are not so different. They are also highly competitive and their syllabus and pattern are quite similar to UPSC. However, the candidates who hail from the respective state can avail the benefits of reservation. Candidates should carefully go through the PSC recruitment notification to check all the details for the same.

In the case of PSC, most state governments have been lax when it comes to ensuring that the Public Service Commission is conducting exams regularly. In fact, it is not uncommon to see in the news that some PSC has landed in fresh controversy regarding delays, corruption, nepotism and cheating.

Often there is an uncomfortable time gap between the release of the PSC online application notification and the actual date of exam. As most exams have strict age limits, the delays endanger the careers of many bright young minds. In this regard, simultaneous preparation for other PSC and UPSC helps immensely.

As far as preparation is concerned, candidates have to keep the following 10 things in mind:

  1. Understanding the syllabus and exam pattern
  2. The importance of Current Affairs
  3. Preparing the state-specific topics and sections for PSC
  4. Starting with NCERTs and State Board books
  5. Standard reference books like Polity by Laxmikanth, History by Bipin Chandra etc are much more valuable resources than generic compilations for static parts of the syllabus
  6. The habit of reading and making notes from a newspaper (The Hindu/The Indian Express)
  7. Making time table with space for adequate study (and relaxation) and adhering to it without fail.
  8. Practising MCQs and doing answer writing practice
  9. Going through previous years’ question papers
  10. Ignoring the naysayers

Perhaps, the most important keys to success are perseverance and efficiency. If candidates study regularly from the right study material, then there is no reason why they can’t become IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS officers.

Here, you can find out about aspirants who cleared the IAS Exam in their very first attempt!!

Related Links:

NCERT Notes How to Read Textbooks for UPSC Exam Explained with Examples
Bipan Chandra Books for UPSC Key Tips to cover Bipan Chandra’s ‘India’s Struggle for Independence’

The exams like UPSC and PSC are also inclined towards current affairs. BYJU’S provide the Daily News Analysis for such exams. Candidates may check the linked article.

While preparing for UPSC/PSC exams, aspirants can track their preparation by referring to UPSC Quiz in the linked article.

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  1. I want to know the examination centre of upsc in ut of jammu and kashmir

  2. I want to know the exam center of mpsc and other details

    • Hi Sherin
      There are around 37 exam centres for MPSC prelims and four exam centres for MPSC Mains. You can refer to our MPSC page to get the detailed information about the MPSC exam 2020.

  3. How could I know about PSC’s notification from byjus without searching for it!!