The HCS Exam is a combined competitive examination conducted by the Haryana Public Services Commission(HPSC) aimed at recruiting prospective candidates to various administrative portfolios and services at Chandigarh. The exam comprises of two phases followed by a Viva Voice which are i)The Preliminary and ii)The Mains, the former further comprises of two papers and the latter includes a written test.

Eligibility for the HCS Exam

-A bachelor degree in any discipline from a recognized university or equivalent is the minimum educational qualification for applying in HCS.
-The age of the candidate should be from a minimum 21 – maximum 35 years of age for the HCS examination although age relaxation is given in various categories. For more details on the eligibility criteria visit hpsc.gov.in
-The number of attempts for general candidates is three, however for ex-servicemen category candidates are allowed three more attempts.
-Only the candidates scoring 45% in aggregate or above in all subjects are eligible for interview.

HCS EXAM DETAILS

What makes us the best institute for HCS Coaching is the keeping the students abreast of the varying pattern of the examination and subsequent incorporation in the program. This method provides the student with the latest most comprehensive information in one place. We believe that the success in any exam begins with the understanding of the exam and its pattern. The exam is held in 3 stages mainly:

1.PRELIMS: The prelims stage comprises of two papers of 100 marks each. Preliminary Paper comprises of objective type questions. The first paper is of general studies covers the general civic aspects of the country like History, Geography, Economy, Polity, Sciences etc.Also included in the exam are questions centred on Current Affairs for HCS and the state-specific questions typically Haryana G K for HCS are also asked. The candidates are advised to answer all the questions as there is no negative marking. The second paper, an optional subject, the candidate can choose from various optional subjects. The key to the success of the student is dependent on being able to attempt as many questions with accuracy.

2.MAINS: The success in the preliminary exam qualifies a student for the mains exam. The exam comprises of General Studies paper and two optional subjects to be chosen from the list of provided by the commission, although there is a certain combination of options which are prohibited. There are also compulsory Hindi and compulsory English paper. An essay paper is also a part of the mains examination mix. Unlike the preliminary, all these papers are subjective in nature, and thus attention has to be paid to the answer writing skill of the student. A student desirous of scoring high in the Mains should focus on in-depth knowledge, an eye for detail and answer working skill.

3.INTERVIEWS : The last hurdle of the HCS exam is the interview. The interview comprises of Viva-voce questions asked by the panel of experts in various subjects. The exam also tests the personality of the candidate

HCS EXAMINATION PATTERN

STAGE ONE: Prelim examination

PAPERS SUBJECT MAXIMUM MARKS DURATION
Paper- I General Studies 100 2 hr.
Paper-II One Optional Subject to be Selected from a list of 19 Subjects 100 2 hr.

STAGE TWO: Mains Examination The Mains examination is divided into two, the Compulsory papers and the Optional papers.

Optional Papers: The candidates have to select any of the two optional subjects from the list of 23 subjects. The most popular, practical & scoring Humanities optional subjects have been; Psychology; Public Administration; Sociology; History; Political Science & Geography. But some combinations are not allowed, so before selecting the optional the students need to check the availability of the combinations.