BJSC Written cheat sheet

Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary examination is a 200-mark MCQ screening test: 100 marks General Knowledge/Bangladesh Affairs, 100 marks Bangla, English, and General Science combined, with a 0.5-mark deduction for each wrong answer in the negative-marking version.

Preliminary pass mark is 50% (100 of 200) in most BCS circulars; candidates scoring below the cut-off are excluded from the written examination regardless of subject-wise strength.

Bangla section typically covers grammar (ব্যাকরণ), literature (সাহিত্য), and comprehension; English covers grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension passages.

General Science in the preliminary syllabus spans physics, chemistry, biology, and everyday science; mathematical reasoning is included in the general knowledge portion in several BCS cycles.

Negative marking means expected score = 0.5 × (number attempted) − 0.5 × (number wrong), so a random guess on a 4-option item has zero expected value; guess only when at least one option is eliminated.

Time management rule: 200 questions in 120 minutes implies an average of 36 seconds per question; allocate a first pass to easy items and return to flagged items.

Subject-wise cut-off rules vary by circular; always verify the current circular because BCS preliminary marks distribution and negative-marking rules have changed across cycles.

Current affairs in the preliminary paper are drawn from the roughly 12 months preceding the exam date, covering national, international, sports, and economic events.

Departmental examinations are internal promotion-qualification tests for government officers, conducted under the relevant ministry or department rules rather than the PSC circular.

Typical departmental examination structure includes a written paper on departmental rules and procedures plus a viva voce; the pass mark and paper count are set by the departmental service rules.

Departmental rules and financial rules questions test knowledge of the applicable service rules, delegation of financial powers, and office procedure manuals.

Eligibility usually requires a minimum number of years of service in the feeder post plus a satisfactory Annual Confidential Report (ACR) record.

The viva voce component assesses knowledge of departmental functions, current government policies, and the candidate's own service record.

Candidates should know the difference between departmental examination (promotion eligibility) and BCS written examination (entry-level recruitment) because the two are governed by different authorities and syllabi.

Examination results are typically valid for a defined period, and failure to pass within the permitted number of attempts can affect promotion eligibility under the relevant rules.