Official MPPSC exam plan and syllabus for the State Service (and State Forest Service) Exam 2026, revised on 21 January 2026. The Prelims has two 300-mark papers with negative marking, and the Mains has six papers for 1,500 marks plus a 185-mark interview.
The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) published the exam plan and syllabus for the State Service Exam 2026 on 5 January 2026. On 21 January 2026 it issued a revised version. The only change is a partial revision of Prelims Paper II (General Aptitude Test); the rest of the syllabus and scheme stays the same.
According to MPPSC’s revised exam programme dated 15 May 2026, the State Service and State Forest Service Prelims 2026 was held on 26 April 2026. The same programme proposed the State Service Mains 2026 for 7–12 September 2026.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Studies | 100 (3 marks each) | 300 | 2 hours |
| II | General Aptitude Test (qualifying) | 100 (3 marks each) | 300 | 2 hours |
| Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1. History of India | Ancient Indian knowledge tradition (Vedas, Upanishads, Shaddarshan and more); features of ancient and medieval India; cultural heritage; 19th and 20th century reform movements; freedom struggle; integration and reorganisation after independence |
| 2. History, Culture and Literature of MP | Major events and dynasties; MP’s role in the freedom movement; arts and sculpture; tribes and dialects; festivals, folk music and literature; literary figures; tourist and World Heritage sites; tribal personalities |
| 3. Geography of India | Physical features; El Niño, La Niña and western disturbances; natural resources; crops and food security; energy sources; natural disasters and cyclones; population and migration |
| 4. Geography of MP | Forests, rivers and plateaus; climate; soils and minerals; crops and irrigation projects; energy; industries; population and urbanisation |
| 5. Constitutional System of India and MP | Constituent Assembly; President and Parliament; Supreme Court; amendments; rights, duties and directive principles; commissions; Governor, Cabinet, Assembly and High Court of MP; three-tier Panchayati Raj; good governance in MP |
| 6. Economy of India and MP | MP in the Indian economy; human resources; SDG progress; agriculture, industry, MSME and infrastructure; Atmanirbhar MP and ODOP; IPR; RBI, banks, SEBI and NBFCs; foreign trade, G-20, SAARC and ASEAN |
| 7. Science, Environment and Health | Main branches of science; Indian research institutions; space technology; human body; nutrition; sickle cell anaemia; health policy and indicators; SDGs; biodiversity, pollution and disaster management |
| 8. Current Events | International, national and Madhya Pradesh current events |
| 9. Information and Communication Technology | Computer basics; electronics and ICT; robotics, AI and cyber security; e-governance; internet and social media |
| 10. Tribes of MP | Distribution and constitutional provisions; major tribes, PVTGs and welfare programmes; tribal culture, dialects and literature; tribal role in the freedom movement; tribal institutes and museums; MP folk culture |
| Paper | Part A | Part B | Marks | Time | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-I | History (150) | Geography (150) | 300 | 3 hours | Hindi or English |
| GS-II | Political Science (150) | Sociology (150) | 300 | 3 hours | Hindi or English |
| GS-III | Economics (150) | Science, Technology and Public Health (150) | 300 | 3 hours | Hindi or English |
| GS-IV | Philosophy, Psychology, Public Administration and Case Study (150) | Entrepreneurship, Management, Personality Development and Case Study (150) | 300 | 3 hours | Hindi or English |
| V | General Hindi and Grammar | — | 200 | 2 hours | Hindi only |
| VI | Hindi Essay and Draft Writing | — | 100 | 2:30 hours | Hindi only |
Written total: 1,500 marks. Interview: 185 marks. Grand total: 1,685 marks.
| Question type (per part, GS-I to GS-III) | Questions | Marks each | Word limit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very short answer | 15 | 2 | 20 | 30 |
| Short answer | 10 | 7 | 60 | 70 |
| Long answer | 5 | 10 | 200 | 50 |
| Question type (per part, GS-IV) | Questions | Marks each | Word limit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very short answer | 16 | 2 | 20 | 32 |
| Short answer | 8 | 7 | 60 | 56 |
| Long answer | 4 | 11 | 200 | 44 |
| Case study | 1 | 18 | As directed | 18 |
Paper VI has two essays (1,000 words for 50 marks and 500 words for 20 marks), a draft of 500 words (15 marks) and a report of 250 words (15 marks). In every Mains paper, unreserved candidates, including unreserved women, need at least 40%, and SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwD candidates need at least 30%. Three times the category-wise posts are called for interview.
Open MPPSC’s website
Go to mppsc.mp.gov.in → Syllabus and Scheme.
Find State Service Examination 2026
The row has two files: Exam Plan and Syllabus (5 January 2026) and Revised Exam Plan and Syllabus (21 January 2026).
Use the revised file
The 21 January 2026 file replaces the older one. It has the revised Paper II syllabus.
MPPSC’s notice dated 21 January 2026 says only the Prelims Paper II (General Aptitude Test) syllabus was partly revised. The rest of the syllabus and exam plan is unchanged.
Yes. Scoring is 3R − W: 3 marks for each right answer and 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer.
No. For the State Service exam, Paper II is qualifying only, but you must score the minimum marks in it.
1,500 marks across six papers, plus a 185-mark interview, for a total of 1,685.
MPPSC’s revised exam programme dated 15 May 2026 records that the State Service and State Forest Service Prelims 2026 was held on 26 April 2026.
