CGPSC Selection Process 2023 - Prelims, Mains, Merit List, Final Selection List

CGPSC Selection Process 2023

CGPSC 2023 selection process is divided into three stages viz. Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test/ Interview. Candidates must clear all the stages of CGPSC 2023 to get selected as state civil servants. The candidates must note that a specific cutoff is specified by CGPSC for each stage separately and at the end, a final cutoff is also released, on the basis of which the candidates are shortlisted. To help the candidates understand better, the selection process of CGPSC 2023 is explained in a simple yet detailed manner here.

CGPSC Selection Process 2023: Overview

To introduce the general concept of the CGPSC Selection process, one needs to understand the different stages of the exam. CGPSC 2023 exam is divided into three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Personal Interviews. The overview of the CGPSC 2023 exam is as follows:

• The first stage of the CGPSC 2023 is the Prelims exam. The Preliminary exam is further divided into two parts: Paper I & Paper II. Paper I is the GS paper, which tests the general knowledge of the candidates. Paper II is known as the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT), which is a test of the logical aptitude of the candidate. 
• All those candidates who qualify for the CGPSC Prelims exam proceed to the next stage which is the CGPSC Mains Exam. CGPSC Mains are the main game. CGPSC Mains exam is divided into seven papers: Papers I to VII. These descriptive papers test the analytical and interpretative skills of the candidates. Candidates are required to write long answers as per their understanding of the subjects of Modern History, Chhattisgarh History, Geography, Economy, Polity, etc. Being the central part of the selection process, CGPSC Mains acquires a major weightage. The maximum marks for the mains exam are 1400. Candidates need to pass each paper to qualify for the next round.
• After the mains round comes the finale. All those candidates who qualify for the CGPSC Mains exam are called for the Interview cum Personality test. This Personality test is conducted on 150 Marks. This is also a mandatory part of the CGPSC Selection Process 2023. Candidates need to qualify for this round to get selected as respectable civil servants of the state.

CGPSC Selection Process: Prelims Exam (Stage 1)

As discussed above, the stage 1 of the CGPSC selection process is the Preliminary exam. Given below are the detailed insights regarding CGPSC Prelims exam.

CGPSC Prelims Exam

• CGPSC Prelims exam is the first stage of the Chhattisgarh State Service Exam and is divided in two parts: Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (CSAT).  Both the papers are computer based tests conducted in an online mode.
• Paper I is the General Studies test. It is conducted on 200 marks. There are a total of 100 questions, each of 2 marks. There is also a negative marking at a rate of 1/3. This means 0.67 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. 
• Paper II is known as Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT). It is also conducted on 200 marks. Like Paper I, there are also a total of 100 questions of 2 marks each and with the same rate of negative marking of 1/3. 
• Paper II is qualifying in nature. Only the marks of Paper I are considered while preparing the final merit list.
•  The minimum cutoff for Prelims exam is 33% for General Category and 23% for OBC and other Reserved classes.

CGPSC Selection Process: Mains Exam (Stage 2)

Stage 2 of the selection process for the CGPSC 2023 exam is the Mains exam. The detailed impressions of the CGPSC Mains Selection Procedure is given below:

CGPSC Mains Exam

• Candidates who successfully qualify the Stage 1 of the CGPSC SSE exam are eligible to appear for stage 2 i.e CGPSC Mains exam. 
• CGPSC Mains are the core of the whole selection process. There are a total of 7 papers in the CGPSC mains exam. Unlike CGPSC Prelims, these papers are descriptive in nature. Candidates are asked to write their views on topics related to Science, History, Geography, culture, International events, etc. 
• The first two papers are based on language. Papers III-VII are social studies-based papers. Apart from the knowledge of state affairs, national as well as International topics are also covered in these papers.
• Each paper is conducted on 200 marks.
• Candidates need to score passing marks on each paper to qualify for the next stage.
• The combined score of candidates in all the seven papers of CGPSC shall be considered for preparing the merit list for Personality Test or Interview.

CGPSC Stage 3 Selection Process (Interview/ Personality Test)

Stage 3 and the final stage of the selection process is the CGPSC Personality Test/ Interview. Based on the performance in the interview, the final selection list is prepared. Given below are some of the important points regarding CGPSC Interview Process.

• Only those candidates who qualify the CGPSC Mains exam are called for the interview.
• The Interview is conducted for 150 marks.
• The CGPSC interview is a personality test and it includes questioning on the academic and social background of the candidates, apart from some general knowledge questions.
• After the CGPSC interview, a provisional merit list is prepared. This list contains the name of all the candidates who successfully cleared each round of selection. 
• Candidates who feature in the final merit list of CGPSC are eligible for recruitment. The candidates will be selected for various posts as per the preferences he/ she filled while submitting the online application form.

CGPSC Last Year Final Cutoff

The table given below indicates the previous year's cutoff for CGPSC SSE exam: