Nagaland revamps NPSC exam pattern with UPSC-style structure, negative marking, revised syllabus and dedicated General Studies-Nagaland paper introduced
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KOHIMA — Nagaland government has amended the Nagaland Public Service Commission (State Civil & Other Services) Recruitment Rules, 2008, introducing a major overhaul of examination pattern and syllabus for Nagaland Civil Service (NCS), Nagaland Police Service (NPS), Nagaland Secretariat Service (NSS) and Allied Services examinations.
According to a notification issued by the Personnel & Administrative Reforms department (Personnel B Branch) on June 4, the amendments, titled the Nagaland Public Service Commission (State Civil & Other Services) Recruitment (11th Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force prospectively from the next recruitment cycle or advertisement.
The revised rules bring the examination structure broadly in line with that of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination while incorporating Nagaland-specific components.
Under the amended Rule 14(1), the Preliminary Examination will consist of a single objective-type paper carrying 200 marks with 100 multiple-choice questions.
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Negative marking has been introduced, with one-third of the marks allotted to a question deducted for every incorrect answer. The examination will be of two hours' duration.
The preliminary examination syllabus covers General Science; History of India and Nagaland; Geography; Indian Polity and Economy; the Indian National Movement; General Mental Ability; and Current Events.
The Main Examination has been restructured into six papers carrying a total of 1,200 marks: General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society); General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations); General Studies-III (Economic Development, Technology, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management); General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude); General Studies–Nagaland; and English Comprehension and Essay.
The newly introduced General Studies–Nagaland paper will focus on the state's history, culture, geography, economy, polity and governance, society, and current affairs.
The notification also provides detailed syllabi for each paper, covering subjects such as governance, constitutional provisions, economic development, science and technology, disaster management, ethics in public administration, and Nagaland-specific issues.
The English paper will comprise objective-type comprehension and grammar questions carrying 100 marks, along with two essay questions worth 50 marks each. Each essay will have a maximum word limit of 1,200 words.
Rule 14 further stipulates that each descriptive paper will contain 20 questions, of which candidates must answer 10 questions carrying 10 marks each and five questions carrying 20 marks each. Responses will be limited to 200 words for 10-mark questions and 400 words for 20-mark questions.