State PSC · Updated Oct 2026
Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (Punjab): syllabus, topic-wise weightage and study plan
Every topic of the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (Punjab) syllabus with its weightage and a first-pass study time, so preparation follows where the marks are.
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Exam pattern at a glance
- Prelims: Papers
- 2
- Prelims: Gs Questions
- 100
- Prelims: Gs Marks
- 200
- Prelims: Gs Duration hours
- 2
- Prelims: Csat Questions
- 80
- Prelims: Csat Marks
- 200
- Prelims: Csat Duration hours
- 2
- Prelims: Csat Qualifying pct
- 40
- Prelims: Marking
- sources disagree: Drishti/Anantam/O2 say no negative marking, StudyIQ says 1/3; check the advertisement
- Prelims: Qualifying papers
- Paper II (CSAT), 40%
- Prelims: Mains shortlist
- about 12-13x vacancies on Paper I marks
- Prelims: Counts for final merit
- No
- Prelims: Typical exam month
- irregular (PSCSCCE-2025 prelims Dec 2025)
- Mains: Papers
- 7
- Mains: Format
- descriptive, 3 hours each; answers in English or Punjabi (except language papers)
- Mains: Papers marks Punjabi
- 100
- Mains: Papers marks English
- 100
- Mains: Papers marks Essay
- 150
- Mains: Papers marks Gs1
- 250
- Mains: Papers marks Gs2
- 250
- Mains: Papers marks Gs3
- 250
- Mains: Papers marks Gs4
- 250
- Mains: Written total
- 1350
- Mains: Interview marks
- 150
- Mains: Grand total
- 1500
- Mains: Interview eligibility
- minimum 25% in each paper and 45% aggregate (40% SC/ST), per Anantam IAS
- Mains: Marking
- descriptive; no negative marking
Check the latest notification before the exam. Official syllabus ↗
Chapter-wise weightage and study hours
Weightage is the chapter's share of past-paper questions, normalised within its subject; hours are a first pass without revision.
No reliable weightage exists for this exam's topics yet, so weights follow the official syllabus structure. Treat them as a planning aid.
Headings follow the PPSC Paper I syllabus as reproduced by Drishti (Everyday Science, Environment, Political Theory & International Order, Polity, History incl. World, Economy, Geography, Current Events, Punjab, Mental Ability). PPSC's own site is a notice-list CMS from which the syllabus PDF could not be extracted. Shares and splits are our estimates (*).
No optional subject (abolished in the 2020 revision). Whether Punjabi/English count for merit is reported inconsistently (O2: qualifying; Drishti/Anantam: counted in the 1350/1500 totals); we treat them as counted because the official totals include them. Punjab-specific content is listed explicitly. Equal weights within each paper (*).
* Estimated weight: no reliable past-paper figure exists for this chapter, so the number is our estimate from the paper structure.
Prelims: Punjab (Geography, Society and Culture, History, Economy) 88 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geography of Punjab: Regions, Rivers, Water Sharing, Demography* | 20% | 16 |
| 2 | History of Punjab: Sufis, Sikh Gurus, Banda Bahadur, Misls, Ranjit Singh* | 20% | 24 |
| 3 | Punjab under the British, Anglo-Sikh Wars and Freedom Movement (Ghadar, Akali, Babbar Akali)* | 20% | 16 |
| 4 | People, Society, Culture, Religious Movements, Literature and Arts of Punjab* | 20% | 16 |
| 5 | Economy of Punjab: Agriculture, Green Revolution, Industry, Public Finance* | 20% | 16 |
| Total | 88 |
Prelims: Everyday Science 35 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matter, Acids, Bases, Salts; Motion, Light, Sound, Electricity* | 33% | 16 |
| 2 | Evolution, Human Health, Diseases and Public Health* | 33% | 13 |
| 3 | Computers and Telecommunication* | 33% | 6 |
| Total | 35 |
Prelims: Environmental Studies 26 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atmosphere, Climate, Water Cycle, Climate Change* | 50% | 13 |
| 2 | Biodiversity, Soil and Pollution* | 50% | 13 |
| Total | 26 |
Prelims: Political Theory and International Order 18 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Core Political Concepts: Liberty, Equality, Secularism, Nationalism* | 50% | 9 |
| 2 | UN and International Bodies: IMF, World Bank, WTO, EU, G20, BRICS* | 50% | 9 |
| Total | 18 |
Prelims: Indian Polity 41 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitution, Amendments and Institutions* | 50% | 28 |
| 2 | Panchayati Raj, Electoral Reforms, Regionalism, Coalition Politics* | 50% | 13 |
| Total | 41 |
Prelims: History of India and the World 68 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient and Medieval India incl. Mughals* | 33% | 28 |
| 2 | British Rule, 1857 and Freedom Movement (1857-1947)* | 33% | 24 |
| 3 | World History: Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, American/French/Russian Revolutions, World Wars* | 33% | 16 |
| Total | 68 |
Prelims: Indian Economy 32 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planning, Pre- and Post-1991 Reforms* | 50% | 16 |
| 2 | Growth, Fiscal Indicators and Challenges* | 50% | 16 |
| Total | 32 |
Prelims: Geography (India and World) 35 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Geography* | 50% | 16 |
| 2 | Population, Settlements, Resources, Agriculture, Industry, Transport, Trade* | 50% | 19 |
| Total | 35 |
Prelims: Current Events and Mental Ability 74 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab Current Affairs* | 33% | 16 |
| 2 | National and International Current Affairs* | 33% | 39 |
| 3 | Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability* | 33% | 19 |
| Total | 74 |
Prelims: CSAT (Paper II, qualifying) Qualifying · 86 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Comprehension (English and Punjabi), Grammar, Synonyms/Antonyms* | 25% | 24 |
| 2 | Communication and Interpersonal Skills* | 25% | 6 |
| 3 | Logical, Analytical and Mental Ability* | 25% | 24 |
| 4 | Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation* | 25% | 32 |
| Total | 86 |
Mains: Punjabi (Gurmukhi) 14 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essay and Letter Writing* | 33% | 5 |
| 2 | Translation English to Punjabi and Punjabi to English* | 33% | 4 |
| 3 | Punjabi Grammar and Usage* | 33% | 5 |
| Total | 14 |
Mains: English 11 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comprehension, Precis, Letter Writing, Essay, Translation (Section A) | 50% | 6 |
| 2 | Grammar (Section B) | 50% | 5 |
| Total | 11 |
Mains: Essay 42 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essay structure, examples and Punjab content bank* | 50% | 12 |
| 2 | Three short essays (English or Punjabi): weekly practice* | 50% | 30 |
| Total | 42 |
Mains: GS Paper I (History, Geography, Society) 110 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World History from 18th Century* | 11% | 12 |
| 2 | Indian Art, Literature and Architecture* | 11% | 12 |
| 3 | Modern Indian History and Socio-religious Reform (Punjab focus)* | 11% | 15 |
| 4 | Freedom Struggle (Punjab focus)* | 11% | 12 |
| 5 | Punjab History: Ranjit Singh, Anglo-Sikh Wars, Annexation* | 11% | 12 |
| 6 | World Physical Geography, Resources and Geophysical Hazards* | 11% | 15 |
| 7 | Geography of Punjab: Physiography, Border Location, Crops, Groundwater Depletion* | 11% | 10 |
| 8 | Indian Society, Women, Urbanisation, Globalisation, Communalism* | 11% | 12 |
| 9 | Vulnerable Sections, Welfare Schemes and Social Sector* | 11% | 10 |
| Total | 110 |
Mains: GS Paper II (Polity, Governance, International Relations) 69 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitution, Federalism, Separation of Powers, Comparative Systems* | 17% | 15 |
| 2 | Legislatures, Executive, Judiciary; RPA; Constitutional Bodies* | 17% | 15 |
| 3 | Local Government (incl. Punjab)* | 17% | 6 |
| 4 | Statutory and Quasi-judicial Bodies; Policy Design; e-Governance; RTI; Citizen Charters* | 17% | 12 |
| 5 | Ethics and Probity in Governance* | 17% | 6 |
| 6 | International Relations: Neighbourhood, Groupings, Diaspora, Institutions* | 17% | 15 |
| Total | 69 |
Mains: GS Paper III (Economy, Statistics, Security) 79 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planning, Resource Mobilisation, Inclusive Growth, Budgeting* | 17% | 15 |
| 2 | Agriculture, MSP, PDS, Food Processing* | 17% | 12 |
| 3 | Infrastructure, Human Capital and Unemployment* | 17% | 10 |
| 4 | Economy of Punjab: Agrarian Crisis, Industry, Fiscal Position* | 17% | 12 |
| 5 | Statistics: Data, Graphs and Diagrams* | 17% | 15 |
| 6 | Internal Security: Extremism, Cyber Security, Money Laundering, Border Management (Punjab border, drugs)* | 17% | 15 |
| Total | 79 |
Mains: GS Paper IV (S&T, Environment, Problem Solving) 68 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applied Science, Indigenous Technology, IT, Space, Robotics, Nanotech, IPR* | 20% | 15 |
| 2 | Agricultural Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Disease and Immunity* | 20% | 10 |
| 3 | Environment: Conservation, Pollution, Climate Change, EIA, Water Management (stubble burning)* | 20% | 12 |
| 4 | Disasters and Mitigation* | 20% | 6 |
| 5 | Problem Solving and Decision Making: Case Scenarios* | 20% | 25 |
| Total | 68 |
A sample first week
A first week at 6 hours a day, built from the weightage above: each subject gets sessions in proportion to its marks, starting with its heaviest chapters, mixed so no day is one subject only. Your real plan in the app fits your own hours and exam date.
| Day | Session 1 (2 h) | Session 2 (2 h) | Session 3 (2 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Prelims: PunjabGeography of Punjab: Regions, Rivers, Water Sharing, Demography | Prelims: Everyday ScienceComputers and Telecommunication | Prelims: Environmental StudiesAtmosphere, Climate, Water Cycle, Climate Change |
| Tue | Prelims: Indian PolityPanchayati Raj, Electoral Reforms, Regionalism, Coalition Politics | Prelims: History of India and the WorldWorld History: Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, American/French/Russian Revolutions, World Wars | Prelims: Indian EconomyPlanning, Pre- and Post-1991 Reforms |
| Wed | Prelims: GeographyPhysical Geography | Prelims: Current Events and Mental AbilityPunjab Current Affairs | Mains: PunjabiTranslation English to Punjabi and Punjabi to English |
| Thu | Mains: EnglishGrammar (Section B) | Mains: EssayEssay structure, examples and Punjab content bank | Mains: GS Paper IGeography of Punjab: Physiography, Border Location, Crops, Groundwater Depletion |
| Fri | Mains: GS Paper IILocal Government (incl. Punjab) | Mains: GS Paper IIIInfrastructure, Human Capital and Unemployment | Mains: GS Paper IVDisasters and Mitigation |
| Sat | Mains: GS Paper IGeography of Punjab: Physiography, Border Location, Crops, Groundwater Depletion (contd.) | Mains: GS Paper IILocal Government (incl. Punjab) (contd.) | Mains: GS Paper IIIInfrastructure, Human Capital and Unemployment (contd.) |
| Sun | Revise this week's chapters, take one timed mock or sectional test, and log the score. | ||
How Daily Tayyari plans your day
Pick your exam and date
Choose the exam (and GATE paper or UPSC optional) and your exam date. The full official syllabus loads with every chapter listed above.
Tell it your daily hours
Say how many hours you can study on weekdays and weekends. The plan only ever fills that time.
Get today's tasks
Each morning you see a short list of tasks: new chapters weighted by marks, plus practice and revision, sized to fit your day.
Spaced revision, automatically
Finished chapters come back after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, and sooner if a chapter felt hard.
Green, yellow, red status
See whether you are on track, slightly behind or behind, and when the syllabus will be finished at your real pace.
Mock test tracking
Log scores from any test series. Chapters that went badly are marked weak and revised sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Which chapters carry the most weight in PPSC?
Going by our compiled weightage, the heaviest chapters are Punjab Current Affairs, National and International Current Affairs, Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability, Ancient and Medieval India incl. Mughals, British Rule, 1857 and Freedom Movement (1857-1947). They are worth starting early, but past papers vary from year to year, so plan to cover the whole syllabus.
Is this PPSC weightage official?
No. Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) publishes the syllabus, not chapter weightage. These numbers come from analyses of previous years' papers, so treat them as a guide to priority, not a promise of what will be asked.
How many hours does the PPSC syllabus take?
Our first-pass estimate adds up to about 900 hours of study, before revision and mock tests. At 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, that is roughly 5.7 months. Daily Tayyari replaces these defaults with your actual pace after the first week or two.
Is Daily Tayyari free, and does it work in Hindi?
Yes. It is free with no ads and no payment; you sign in with Google only so your plan is saved. You can switch between Hindi and English at any time, and chapter names are shown in both.