HCS Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Stage I: Preliminary examination

HCS Prelims Exam Pattern
The HCS Prelims is a screening test used to shortlist candidates for the Mains. It includes two objective-type papers.

	Paper-I	Paper-II
Number of Questions	100	100
Total marks	100 marks	100
Duration	2 hours	2 hours
Subjects covered	General Studies (GS)	Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)
Negative marking	0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer	0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer

Paper-II (CSAT) is a qualifying paper (minimum 33% required to qualify).
HCS Prelims syllabus

Topics	Details
General Science	Questions on General Science will cover general appreciation and understanding of science including matters of everyday observation and experience, as may be expected of a well educated person who has not made a special study of any particular scientific discipline.
Current events of national and international importance	In current events, knowledge of significant national and international events will be tested.
History of India and Indian National Movement.	In History of India, emphasis will be on broad general understanding of the subject in its social, economic and political aspects. Questions on the Indian National Movement will relate to the nature and character of the nineteenth century resurgence, growth of nationalism and attainment of Independence.
Indian and World Geography.	In Geography, emphasis will be on Geography of India. Questions on the Geography of India will relate to physical, social and economic Geography of the country, including the main features of Indian agricultural and natural resources.
Indian Culture, Indian Polity and Indian Economy.	Questions on Indian Polity and Economy will test knowledge on the country‘s political system and Constitution of India. Panchayati Raj, social systems and economic developments in India.
Haryana-specific General Knowledge	Haryana-Economy and people. Social, economic and culture institutions and language of Haryana

Paper II : CSAT

Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, order of magnitude, etc.-Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, date sufficiency etc. – Class X-level)

Stage II: Mains Examination

HCS Mains exam pattern

This stage of the recruitment process is crucial as marks obtained in the mains exam are considered for the final merit list.
It includes four subjective papers -

Papers	Subject	Total marks	Duration
Paper I	English	100	3 hours
Paper II	Hindi	100	3 hours
Paper III	General Studies	200	3 hours
Paper IV	Optional subject	200	3 hours

HCS Mains exam syllabus

Paper - I: English and Essay

English
- Precis Writing
- Comprehension of given passages
- Essay
- Usage and Vocabulary
- General Grammar/Composition
Essay
- An essay on a specific topic will be asked to write. The choice of subjects will be given.

Paper - II: Hindi and Essay (in Devanagari script)

Translation of an English passage into Hindi
Letter/Precis writing
Explanation of Hindi passage (prose and poetry) in the same language
Composition (idioms, correction etc.)
Essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given.

Paper - III: General Studies

S. No.	Subjects	Detailed syllabus
	Part - I
	History of Modern India and Indian Culture	History of the country from about the middle of the nineteenth century. Important personalities who shaped the freedom movement and social reforms All aspects of Indian culture from the ancient to modern times
	Geography of India	Physical, economic and social geography of India
	Indian Polity	Constitution of India, Political system and related matters.
	Current National issues and topics of social relevance.	Demography and Human Resources and related issues. Behavioural and social issues and social welfare problems, such as child labour, gender equality, adult literacy, rehabilitation of the handicapped and other deprived segments of the society, drug abuse, public health, etc. Law enforcement issues, human rights, corruption in public life, communal harmony, etc. Internal Security and related issues. Environmental issues, ecological preservation, conservation of natural resources, and national heritage. The role of national institutions, their relevance, and need for change.
	Part-II
	India and the World	India‘s relationship with the world in various spheres Foreign Affairs External Security and related matters Nuclear Policy Indian abroad.
	Indian Economy	Planning and economic development in India Economic and trade issues, foreign trade The role and functions of I.M.F. World Bank, W.T.O., etc
	International Affairs and Institutions	Important events in world affairs International institutions.
	Science and technology	Developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space.
	Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams	Draw common sense conclusions from information presented in statistical, graphical or diagrammatical form and to point out deficiencies, limitations, or inconsistencies therein.

Paper - IV: Optional subject

Any one Optional subject is to be chosen from the list given -
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology
Literature of any one of the following languages: Hindi, English, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Urdu.

Detailed syllabus of the optional subjects can be viewed in the HCS syllabus pdf - https://hpsc.gov.in/Portals/0/HCS_Syllabus_1.pdf

HCS Exam Pattern and Syllabus