The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has outlined the syllabus and exam pattern for the Assistant Engineer (AE) exam. Candidates must familiarize themselves with the subjects, marking scheme, and question format to prepare effectively. Below are the key details:
Exam Overview:
- The selection process includes a single-stage written exam.
- There will be 6 papers in total:
- 4 compulsory papers common to all candidates.
- 2 optional papers based on the candidate’s graduation stream.
- The first two papers (General English and General Hindi) are qualifying in nature.
- All questions are objective (multiple-choice), and each paper is worth 100 marks with a duration of 1 hour.
Syllabus for Compulsory Papers
1. General Studies
Topics to focus on:
- Indian Polity
- Economy
- Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology)
- History, Art, and Culture of Bihar
- Sports, Important Days, and Current Events
- Static GK (e.g., Awards, Books and Authors, Personalities)
- Geography and Indian History
Preparation Tip: Read newspapers regularly to stay updated on current affairs.
2. General English
Key topics include:
- Error Detection
- Sentence Rearrangement and Improvement
- Active and Passive Voice
- Direct and Indirect Speech
- Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks
- Reading Comprehension
- Jumbled Sentences
- One-Word Substitution
3. General Hindi
Topics covered:
- Basics of the Hindi language (vowel and consonant structures)
- Word Formation (prefixes, suffixes, sandhi, and samas)
- Grammar (pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs)
- Idioms, Proverbs, and Sentence Correction
- Sentence Structure and Vocabulary
4. General Engineering Science
This paper assesses basic engineering aptitude as per a candidate’s undergraduate studies. Topics include:
- Engineering Mechanics: Motion, energy, and equilibrium principles.
- Surveying & Measurements: Measuring distances, angles, and slopes.
- Electrical Workshop: Working principles of devices like voltmeters, ammeters, and transformers.
- Mechanical Workshop: Tools for measuring linear/angular dimensions and material properties.
- Transport Phenomena: Heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
- Environmental Engineering: Water and air pollution, purification methods, and ecological balance.
Syllabus for Optional Papers
Candidates must choose two optional papers from their graduation stream. Below is an overview of topics for key disciplines:
1. Civil Engineering (Paper 5 and 6)
- Structural Analysis: Stability, forces, elastic beams, and frames.
- Design of Structures: RCC, steel design, earthquake-resistant structures.
- Soil Mechanics: Soil properties, foundation designs, and slope stability.
- Hydrology & Irrigation: Surface/groundwater management, crop water requirements.
- Transportation Engineering: Highway design and bridge engineering.
- Public Health Engineering: Water supply, drainage, and sanitation systems.
2. Mechanical Engineering (Paper 5 and 6)
- Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer: Laws of thermodynamics, energy cycles, refrigeration, and air conditioning.
- Material Science: Properties and testing of metals, non-metals, and alloys.
- Machine Design: Shafts, gears, clutches, and mechanical joints.
- Production Engineering: Machining processes, casting, and welding.
- Industrial Engineering: Work study, plant layout, and operations research.
3. Electrical Engineering (Paper 5 and 6)
- Electrical Circuits and Measurements: Network theory, circuit laws, and measuring instruments.
- Electromagnetic Theory: Static and time-varying fields, transmission lines.
- Machines and Power Systems: DC/AC machines, transformers, and power generation.
- Electronics and Communication: Logic circuits, signal transmission, modulation techniques.
Exam Pattern
Each paper is for 100 marks, with a time limit of 1 hour. General category candidates need to score a minimum of 40% to pass, while the cutoff is 32% for SC/ST candidates. The exam structure is as follows:
| Paper | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| General English | 100 | 1 Hour |
| General Hindi | 100 | 1 Hour |
| General Studies | 100 | 1 Hour |
| General Engineering Science | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Optional Paper I | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Optional Paper II | 100 | 1 Hour |
This concise breakdown covers all the key aspects of the BPSC AE 2024 syllabus and exam pattern to help candidates plan their preparation.