Preliminary Examination – Objective (General Studies)
What the stage tests
The Preliminary Examination – Objective (General Studies) is the screening stage of MPSC Rajyaseva. It has two MCQ papers set in Marathi and English: Paper I General Studies and Paper II CSAT. Paper I carries 100 questions for 200 marks in two hours; Paper II is an aptitude paper of 80 questions for 200 marks and is qualifying at 33% in the current pattern. Wrong answers attract a one-fourth penalty, so blind guessing is costly.
Core content
- Paper I: Maharashtra and Indian history, geography, polity, economy, science and technology, environment, social issues, and current affairs of roughly the last year.
- Paper II: comprehension, logical reasoning, basic numeracy, data interpretation, and decision-making.
- Maharashtra-specific material matters: state schemes, budget terms, administrative units, and culture are asked directly.
- The OMR sheet is machine-read; Marathi and English versions can differ in nuance, so check both when a term is unfamiliar.
Worked example
Question: Which of the following is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra? (A) Ajanta Caves (B) Ellora Caves (C) Elephanta Caves (D) Bibi Ka Maqbara. Answer: D. Ajanta, Ellora, and Elephanta are UNESCO sites; Bibi Ka Maqbara in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is a Mughal-era tomb, not a World Heritage Site. The reasoning uses static culture plus elimination: three options are famous cave sites, so the outlier tomb is the answer. Do not choose an option merely because it is in Maharashtra.
Traps
- Ignoring CSAT because it is qualifying; a low score can still disqualify.
- Guessing under negative marking.
- Mixing national schemes with Maharashtra schemes.
- Reading only one language version.
- Missing current affairs linked to state government decisions.