NPSC · Exam Pattern (Updated 2026)
NPSC Exam Pattern — 11th Amendment Rules 2026
The Government of Nagaland has completely revised the NPSC exam pattern through the 11th Amendment Rules 2026. These rules apply to all future NPSC exams starting from the next recruitment cycle.
Source: NO.PAR-B/5/2008 (PART), Government of Nagaland, Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department.
Negative marking in Prelims
Negative marking in Prelims is 1/3 of question marks (-0.66 per wrong answer, since each question = 2 marks). Unattempted questions get 0 — do not guess unless you can eliminate at least one option.
Prelims — What Changed
Total Questions
100
Marks per Question
2
Total Marks
200
Duration
2 hours
- Negative marking: 1/3 of question marks deducted per wrong answer (-0.66, since each question = 2 marks).
- Style: UPSC-style conceptual questions (not fact-based).
- Basic Science level: Class 10 only.
New Prelims Subject Weightage
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| General Science | 30 |
| History | 20 |
| Nagaland (political, economic, social, cultural & heritage) | 30 |
| Geography | 20 |
| Indian Polity and Economy | 50 |
| Indian National Movement | 14 |
| General Mental Ability Test | 26 |
| Current Events | 10 |
| Total | 200 |
Mains — Completely Restructured (6 Papers, 1200 Marks)
Old Mains had 3 papers totalling 600 marks. New Mains has 6 papers totalling 1200 marks across 18 hours.
| Paper | Title | Coverage | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies 1 | Indian Heritage and Culture; History and Geography of the World and Society | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Paper II | General Studies 2 | Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Paper III | General Studies 3 | Economic Development, Technology, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Paper IV | General Studies 4 | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Paper V | General Studies — Nagaland | Nagaland in all aspects: History, Art & Culture, Geography, Economy, Polity & Governance, Society and Current Affairs | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Paper VI | General English | Comprehension & Grammar (objective, 100 marks) + Essay: 2 × 50 marks (max 1200 words each) | 200 | 3 hrs |
| Total | 1200 | 18 hrs | ||
Descriptive Answer Format (Rule 14.8)
20 descriptive questions per paper.
- 10-mark questions: maximum 200 words.
- 20-mark questions: maximum 400 words.
What This Means For Students
- ⚠️ Negative marking: 1/3 of question marks deducted (-0.66) for each wrong answer — do not guess.
- ⚠️ Mains now has 6 papers instead of 3.
- ⚠️ Ethics paper added (UPSC-style).
- ⚠️ Total Mains marks jumped from 600 to 1200.
- ⚠️ Prelims questions are now concept-based, not fact-based.
Good news
Paper V is purely Nagaland focused — a clear home advantage for local students who know the state's history, culture, polity and economy in depth.
Effective From
The next NPSC recruitment cycle and advertisement.