Bihar CGL Exam Pattern 2026

The Bihar Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (BSSC CGL) prelims is a single-stage objective examination designed to shortlist candidates for various graduate-level posts in Bihar government departments. Understanding the exact pattern before you attempt any mock test or daily quiz is essential, because time management and section-wise strategy directly affect your score.

The prelims paper carries 150 multiple-choice questions divided into three sections: General Studies (50 questions), General Science & Mathematics (50 questions), and Comprehension / Logical Reasoning / Mental Ability (50 questions). Each correct answer awards one mark. There is negative marking — typically one-third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer — so accuracy matters as much as speed.

Candidates get 135 minutes (2 hours 15 minutes) to complete the entire paper. There is no separate sectional time limit in the standard BSSC CGL prelims format, which means you must plan how many minutes to spend on GK, science/math, and reasoning within the overall window. Most successful candidates allocate roughly 45 minutes per section and reserve the last 10–15 minutes for review.

General Studies (50 questions): Covers history, polity, geography, economics, and current affairs. No sub-sectional time limit — you manage time across all 150 questions. Most toppers complete GS in 40–50 minutes.

General Science & Mathematics (50 questions): A mix of science (physics, chemistry, biology) and mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, geometry) questions interleaved without clear sub-section boundaries. Allocate 40–50 minutes for this section.

Comprehension / Logical Reasoning / Mental Ability (50 questions): Includes reading comprehension passages, series, analogies, coding-decoding, puzzles, and direction sense. This section rewards practice — speed improves significantly with regular solving.

Each correct answer awards +1 mark. Each wrong answer deducts 1/3 mark (0.33). Unattempted questions receive zero — no penalty. This means a blind guess on 4 questions that are all wrong costs you more than 1 correct answer is worth.

The optimal strategy: attempt questions you are confident about first, mark uncertain ones for review, and skip questions where you cannot eliminate any option. Most successful candidates attempt 120–135 questions with 75–85% accuracy rather than attempting all 150 with low accuracy.

BSSC CGL cutoff varies by category and cycle. General category cutoffs for prelims typically range from 70–90 marks out of 150, depending on paper difficulty and number of vacancies. Aim for 100+ raw marks to be safe.