04APSC CCE · STATE CIVIL SERVICES

Think deeper.
Serve wider.

The 33% CSAT gate, General Studies coverage and a Mains answer-writing log. Starts in Foundation mode before graduation.

APSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) · Assam Public Service Commission (APSC)

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01 · VERIFY

Who can apply

A bachelor’s degree from a recognised university (final-year students may apply only if the notice allows).
Recent notices used age 21–38 for the general category, with relaxations for reserved categories. Check the notice for the cut-off date.
Knowledge of Assamese or another state language and Assam residency conditions are specified in the notice.
Before graduation, joyjatra runs APSC in Foundation mode: NCERT reading, newspaper habit and Assam GK, without exam pressure.

joyjatra never decides eligibility. Read the official notification for your exact post, category and cut-off date.

02 · THE PAPER

Exam pattern, section by section

Preliminary examination (screening)

Negative marking is one-quarter of the question’s marks. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit list. About 30–35% of GS Paper I questions relate to Assam.

Section	Questions	Marks	Notes
Paper I · General Studies	100	200	2 hours · decides the Mains shortlist
Paper II · CSAT	80	200	2 hours · qualifying at 33% (66 marks)

Main examination (descriptive)

Answers in English or Assamese. No optional subject.

Section	Questions	Marks	Notes
Paper I · Essay	-	≈250	3 hours
Paper II · GS I	-	≈250	Heritage, history, geography, society
Paper III · GS II	-	≈250	Polity, governance, social justice, IR
Paper IV · GS III	-	≈250	Economy, environment, S&T, security, disasters
Paper V · GS IV	-	≈250	Ethics, integrity and aptitude
Paper VI · Assam paper	-	≈250	History, geography, economy and society of Assam
Total	-	1,500	Paper-wise split per the notice

Interview (personality test)

Section	Questions	Marks	Notes
Personality test	-	180	Added to Mains for the final merit list

03 · TIME & MARKS

Pace target and an honest guessing rule

PACE BUDGET

GS: 120 min ÷ 100 = 72 s per question. CSAT: 120 min ÷ 80 = 90 s; comprehension passages take longest.

ATTEMPT RULE

In GS, attempt when you can rule out two options. In CSAT, the aim is a safe 33%: secure comprehension and basic numeracy first.

THE ARITHMETIC

GS: +2 / −0.5 per question. A blind guess averages only +0.125, ruling out one option averages about +0.33 and ruling out two averages +0.75. Secure CSAT before chasing GS marks.

04 · WHAT TO STUDY

Detailed syllabus

8 sections · 50 topic groups. Open a section to see every unit.

01Prelims Paper I · General Studies100 MCQs · ≈30–35% Assam20 topics

Current events: State, national and international events of importance.
History of India and Indian national movement: Ancient, medieval and modern India, freedom struggle, social and religious reform.
Ancient Assam: Pragjyotisha and Kamarupa, the Varman, Mlechchha (Salastambha) and Pala dynasties, inscriptions, Xuanzang’s visit, archaeological sites.
Medieval polities: Chutia, Kachari (Dimasa), Koch, Kamata and Bhuyan rule; Naranarayan and Chilarai; Jitari and later kingdoms.
The Ahom kingdom: Sukaphaa (1228), expansion, major rulers, the Paik system, Buranjis, administration, society, economy and culture.
Ahom–Mughal conflicts and decline: Battle of Saraighat (1671) and Lachit Barphukan, Moamoria rebellion, Burmese invasions, Treaty of Yandabo (1826).
British Assam: Annexation, administration, tea plantations, peasant uprisings (Phulaguri 1861, Patharughat 1894), 1857 in Assam (Maniram Dewan).
Freedom movement: Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India in Assam; Gopinath Bordoloi, Kanaklata Barua, Kushal Konwar, Tarun Ram Phukan, Chandraprabha Saikia.
Literature, reform and language: Srimanta Sankardev and the Neo-Vaishnavite movement, Satras, Jonaki era, Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Asam Sahitya Sabha, language movements.
Modern Assam: Post-1947 reorganisation, Assam Movement and Assam Accord (1985), Bodoland accords, heritage sites.
Indian and world geography: Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.
Location and physiography: Extent, neighbouring states and countries, Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao hills.
Rivers and river islands: Brahmaputra and its north- and south-bank tributaries, the Barak system, Majuli, floods and erosion.
Climate, soils and forests: Monsoon seasons, rainfall pattern, soil types, forest types, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Resources and economy: Oil and natural gas (Digboi), coal, limestone, tea, agriculture, industries.
Districts and administration: Districts, divisions and headquarters, autonomous councils, Sixth Schedule areas.
Indian polity and governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues.
Economic and social development: Sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives.
Environment and ecology: Biodiversity, climate change, environmental issues (no subject specialisation required).
General science: Everyday science and technology.

02Prelims Paper II · CSATQualifying at 33%6 topics

Comprehension: Reading passages, inference, main idea.
Interpersonal and communication skills: Situational questions.
Logical reasoning and analytical ability: Statements, syllogisms, arrangements, puzzles.
Decision-making and problem-solving: Situational judgement.
General mental ability: Series, coding, directions, clocks and calendars.
Basic numeracy and data interpretation: Class 10 level arithmetic, charts, graphs, tables.

03Mains Paper I · Essay1 topics

Essay writing: Two or more essays on social, economic, political, philosophical and Assam themes: structure, balance, examples and a clear conclusion.

04Mains GS I · Heritage, history, geography, society5 topics

Indian heritage and culture: Art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.
Modern Indian history: From the mid-18th century; freedom struggle and its stages; post-independence consolidation.
World history: Industrial revolution, world wars, colonisation and decolonisation, political philosophies.
Indian society: Diversity, women and women’s organisations, population, urbanisation, globalisation, communalism, regionalism, secularism.
Geography: World physical geography, distribution of resources, location of industries, geophysical phenomena.

05Mains GS II · Polity, governance, social justice, IR5 topics

Constitution: Historical underpinnings, features, amendments, basic structure, federal issues, separation of powers.
Institutions: Parliament and state legislatures, executive and judiciary, constitutional and statutory bodies.
Governance: Government policies, development processes, transparency and accountability, e-governance, civil services.
Social justice: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections, health, education and human resources, poverty and hunger.
International relations: India and its neighbourhood, bilateral and regional groupings, Act East Policy and the North East.

06Mains GS III · Economy, environment, S&T, security5 topics

Indian economy: Planning, growth, inclusive development, budgeting, agriculture, food processing, land reforms, infrastructure, investment models.
Science and technology: Developments and applications, IT, space, biotechnology, intellectual property.
Environment: Conservation, pollution, environmental impact assessment.
Disaster management: Floods and erosion in Assam, earthquakes, preparedness.
Internal security: Border management, extremism, cyber security, security forces.

07Mains GS IV · Ethics, integrity and aptitude4 topics

Ethics and human interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of ethics; lessons from leaders and reformers.
Attitude and aptitude: Integrity, impartiality, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, emotional intelligence.
Probity in governance: Public service values, codes of ethics and conduct, citizen’s charters, work culture.
Case studies: Applying the above to administrative dilemmas.

08Mains GS V · Assam paper4 topics

History and culture of Assam: From Kamarupa to the present, freedom movement, reform and literary movements.
Geography of Assam: Physiography, rivers, floods and erosion, climate, resources, demography.
Economy of Assam: Agriculture, tea, oil, industries, infrastructure, state budget and schemes.
Society and current issues: Communities, autonomous councils, accords, border issues, current developments.

Syllabus summarised from the official scheme and NCERT / state textbooks for planning. The notification is the final word.

05 · DESIGN

Preparation plan

A 12–15 month plan for a graduate. If you are still studying, start with the Foundation phase only and keep it light.

PHASE 1
Foundation
Months 1–3 (or during college)2–3 h a day
- NCERT Class 6–12 history, geography, polity, economy and science.
- One newspaper a day; a short notes file per topic.
- Assam History and Geography bank sections: one a fortnight.
- Write one 150-word answer a day in the answer-writing log.
PHASE 2
Prelims build
Months 4–85–6 h a day
- Standard references for polity, modern history and economy.
- Assam paper reading alongside: every Assam bank section to 75%+ accuracy.
- CSAT twice a week from the start: it is qualifying, not optional.
- Sectional MCQ tests weekly; full mocks from month 7.
PHASE 3
Prelims sprint
8–10 weeks before Prelims6–7 h a day
- Two full GS mocks and one CSAT mock a week.
- Revise notes and recall cards; current affairs of the last 12 months.
- Stop new books.
PHASE 4
Mains and interview
After Prelims7–8 h a day
- Daily answer writing across GS I–V; one essay a week.
- Ethics case studies twice a week.
- Assam paper notes with data and examples.
- Mock interview practice after Mains: your DAF, Assam issues, current affairs.

A typical week

Mon	History + Assam History section
Tue	Polity + 2 answers
Wed	Geography + Assam Geography section
Thu	Economy + CSAT
Fri	Environment and S&T + 2 answers
Sat	Mock (MCQ) or essay
Sun	Current affairs revision, recall cards, rest

Habits that hold up

Assam is a third of Prelims and a full Mains paper: give it a daily slot.
Write early: answer-writing improves slowly and steadily.
Never take CSAT lightly; it is the gate.

Start with a 50–30–20 split of learn, practise and revise, then let your own diagnostic results reshape it. joyjatra plans effort; it never predicts rank, cut-off or selection.

06 · ACHIEVE

Practice and question banks

This exam tests Assam. Two topic-wise banks of 4,000 original MCQs are built into the Assam GK hub, section by section, with answers and instant feedback. Every attempt also updates your dashboard for every exam that tests Assam.

Assam History অসমৰ ইতিহাস

2,000 MCQs

Ancient Kamarupa to modern Assam in ten topic-wise sections.

Assam Geography অসমৰ ভূগোল

2,000 MCQs

Physiography, rivers, climate, soils, resources and districts in seven sections.

JEE Mathematics JEE গণিত

666 MCQs

666 MCQs across the 14 units of the NTA 2026 Mathematics syllabus.

JEE Physics JEE পদাৰ্থ বিজ্ঞান

667 MCQs

667 MCQs across the 20 units of the NTA 2026 Physics syllabus.

JEE Chemistry JEE ৰসায়ন বিজ্ঞান

667 MCQs

667 MCQs across the 20 units of the NTA 2026 Chemistry syllabus.

Draft status: questions are original practice items awaiting expert review. Report any error from the question screen; never treat a practice item as an official previous-year question.

07 · SOURCES

Where these figures come from

Reported pattern APSC CCE notification Advt. No. 01/2026 as summarised by published exam guides. Sources differ on Mains paper marks (six papers of 250 each, or Essay 200 + five GS papers of 260); every source gives a 1,500-mark Mains and a 180-mark interview. Confirm the scheme on apsc.nic.in.

Official site: https://apsc.nic.in/ · Last checked by joyjatra: 2026-10-30

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