Introduction To GPSC Exam
GPSC (Gujarat Public Service Commission) is the Gujarat state government body formed by the Indian constitution, which organizes recruitment exams for the applicants who are interested in serving Gujarat state administration. The exam comprises 3 phases, written exams; prelims, and mains and interview. The successful candidates are recruited in various Gujarat state government departments such as civil services, police, revenue, education, engineering services, forest, urban and rural development, etc.
GPSC appoints the candidates as demanded by the state government. It calls for the exam by giving public notification. GPSC receives nearly 2-3 lakhs applications from job seekers. Aspirants will first appear for the prelims exam, then qualified candidates will write the mains exam. The candidates who are successful in the written exam will be called for the interview. After selecting the right candidates, they are posted to the required departments.
Preparation for the GPSC exam is quite similar to the UPSC exam. Candidates are required to be thorough with all academic subjects, current events of state, national and international things, general knowledge, aptitudes, etc. The GPSC exam is the toughest Gujarat state level exam and hence well prepared by revising academics, updating with authenticated news, revising previous question papers and aptitudes, etc., will help in cracking this exam.
Key Takeaways
- GPSC exam consists of 3 phases, prelims, mains, and final interview. Prelims exam is for screening purposes only. The exam mainly consists of general studies which are generally related to the Indian constitution, history, geography, current affairs, and basic language knowledge.
- Candidates must have completed a degree, meet age limit criteria, and must be a citizen of India or equivalent.
- Maintaining discipline, referring to proper books, solving previous year question papers are some of the important tips for cracking the exam.
GPSC Exam Pattern
Given below shows GPSC Exam Pattern:
1. Prelims
Prelims exam is conducted for screening purposes only. The marks scored in this round is not considered for the final merit list. The exam is an objective type question (multiple choice question) i.e., each question has multiple options out of which one will be the correct answer. The question paper will be in English and Gujarati
| Paper Name | Time (Hours) | Marks |
| General Studies – 1 | 2 | 200 |
| General Studies – 2 | 2 | 200 |
| Total | 400 | |
2. Mains Exam
Candidates qualifying prelims will be eligible to take the mains exam. Unlike prelims, the mains exam is descriptive-type questions. The marks scored will be considered for the final merit list.
| Paper Name | Time (Hours) | Marks |
| Gujarati | 3 | 300 |
| English | 3 | 300 |
| Essay | 3 | 300 |
| General Studies – 1 | 3 | 300 |
| General Studies – 2 | 3 | 300 |
| General Studies – 3 | 3 | 300 |
| Total | 900 | |
3. Interview
Candidates qualifying for the mains exam will have to give an interview. The interview will evaluate the candidate’s character, decision-making skills, basic attitude, etc. Based on the performance, marks will be provided.
Personality test = 100 Marks
Total marks, Mains Personality test = 1000 Marks
The final merit list will be generated based on the marks scored by the candidates and will be recruited for their specific posts.
Eligibility Criteria
Given below shows the eligibility criteria:
1. Age limit: The age limit for GPSC will be generally 20 years to 35 years. With some reservations, the limit will extend to some more areas.
2. Educational qualifications: A candidate applying for any GPSC post should have completed any degree or equivalent from a recognized university and be approved by the government.
3. Nationality: The candidate should be:
- Citizen of India
- The subject of Nepal/ Bhutan
- Tibetan refugee
- The person from Indian origin migrated from other countries like Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, etc.
Exam Preparation
- Know the subjects: The exam has a vast syllabus thus proper understanding of topics and syllabus is essential.
- Know the post you are applying to: The syllabus and subjects may vary based on the post candidate applying for.
- Refer proper books: Since many subjects are generic, lots of books will be available. But candidates need to refer which is required for the GPSC exam only.
- Know the exam: Candidates need to be aware of exam pattern, timings, and recent cut-off score. More the candidate studies this point and executes to counter their weaknesses, chances are high of cracking the exam.
- Solve previous year question papers: Solving papers will give confidence in giving the main exam and candidates will be acquainted with the question pattern and time required to solve the question.
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