Rajyaseva
Rajyaseva syllabus & pattern
The exam for Deputy Collector, DySP, Tahsildar and other officer posts. Here's the whole thing, step by step.
The three stages
- 1
Prelims
400 marks, multiple choice. Screening only.
- 2
Mains
9 written papers. This decides your rank.
- 3
Interview
275 marks.
- 4
Final list
Mains + interview marks.
Prelims
Two papers on the same day. Questions in Marathi and English.
Paper 1 · General Studies
In 2026 it had 100 questions of 2 marks each.
Paper 2 · CSAT
Qualifying only. Its marks don't count for the cut-off.
Marking rules
- Wrong answer: you lose ¼ of that question's marks.
- No answer: no penalty.
- Two answers marked: counted as wrong.
- No minus marks for the decision-making questions in CSAT.
Remember
- Write both papers, or you won't be evaluated.
- About 12 students per vacancy go to the Mains.
- Prelims marks don't count in the final list.
Prelims syllabus
Paper 1 · GS
- Current events: Maharashtra, India and the world
- History of India and the freedom movement, with some focus on Maharashtra
- Geography of Maharashtra, India and the world
- Polity and governance: Constitution, Panchayati Raj, rights
- Economic and social development
- Environment, biodiversity and climate change
- General science
Paper 2 · CSAT
- Reading comprehension
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Logical reasoning
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic maths and data interpretation (Class 10 level)
- Marathi and English comprehension (Class 10/12 level)
Mains: 9 written papers
Mains is now descriptive, like UPSC. Each paper is 3 hours. You can write in Marathi or English.
Marathi
Not counted for rank.
English
Not counted for rank.
Essay
GS 1 · History, culture, geography, society
GS 2 · Polity, governance, international relations
GS 3 · Economy, science, environment, security
GS 4 · Ethics, integrity, aptitude
Optional · Paper 1
Optional · Paper 2
Optional subjects
Pick one subject; it has two papers. You choose it in your Prelims form, and it can't be changed later.
Some optionals can be written only in English. The official syllabus for each subject says which.
Interview & final list
- About 3 students per post are called for interview.
- The cut-off uses only the 7 counted papers. The language papers don't count.
- You must write every Mains paper to be called.
- You also need a minimum percentile in the written exam: 35 (open), 30 (backward classes and orphans), 20 (divyang and sportspersons).
- Final list = Mains (1,750) + interview (275). Then you choose your posts in order of preference.
Quick answers
Is Rajyaseva Mains descriptive now?
Yes. From 2025 the Mains is written-answer style, with 9 papers: 2 qualifying language papers and 7 papers that count for rank.
How many marks is Rajyaseva?
Mains has 1,750 merit marks and the interview has 275, so 2,025 in total. Prelims is 400 marks but is only for screening.
Is CSAT qualifying?
Yes. You need 33% in Paper 2. The Mains cut-off is based on Paper 1.
What is the negative marking?
You lose ¼ of a question's marks for each wrong answer. There is no minus marking for the decision-making questions in CSAT.
How many optional subjects are there?
26. You pick one, and it has two papers of 250 marks each.
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Source: mpsc.gov.in · last checked 12 Nov 2026. If anything differs, the official MPSC notice is correct.