The GPSC Class 1 & 2 Exam 2026 is Gujarat's premier civil services examination conducted by the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) to recruit officers for prestigious posts such as Deputy Collector, DSP, Mamlatdar, Assistant Commissioner (State Tax), and Block Development Officer. The 2026 notification announced 71 vacancies, while the Prelims exam was held on 7 June 2026.
The selection process consists of Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The Prelims is qualifying in nature, while the final merit is based on Mains (900 marks) and Interview (50 marks). The Mains includes Essay, General Studies I–IV, an Optional Subject, and qualifying Gujarati and English language papers.
Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree and meet the prescribed age criteria. The exam places significant emphasis on Gujarat-specific history, geography, economy, culture, and current affairs, along with national-level General Studies topics.
For effective preparation, aspirants should strengthen their General Studies foundation, dedicate separate time to Gujarat-specific topics, practice descriptive answer writing, solve previous year papers, and prepare thoroughly for the optional subject and interview to improve their final merit ranking.
If you're from Gujarat, or simply drawn to the idea of administering one of India's most industrially advanced and economically significant states, the GPSC exam is almost certainly the single most discussed government exam in your circle right now. Conducted by the Gujarat Public Service Commission, this is the state's flagship civil services examination - the gateway into prestigious administrative, police, and allied services posts across Gujarat's state government.
What makes GPSC genuinely compelling for so many aspirants is the sheer prestige of the posts it opens up through its most popular examination - the GPSC Class 1 and Class 2 (Combined Competitive) Examination. Through this single exam, candidates can be recruited as Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mamlatdar, Assistant Commissioner (State Tax), Block Development Officer (BDO), and several other senior administrative roles. The current 2026 cycle's GPSC Class 1 & 2 notification was released on 2nd April 2026, announcing 71 vacancies, with the Preliminary Examination already conducted on 7th June 2026 - making this a genuinely live, active cycle worth understanding in complete detail right now.
Beyond the flagship Class 1 & 2 exam, GPSC also conducts numerous other recruitment exams throughout the year - for posts like Assistant Engineer, State Tax Inspector, Administrative Officer, and various Class 3 technical and clerical roles - all tracked through a single, consolidated GPSC Exam Calendar released annually. Like its counterparts in other states, GPSC is often treated as a strong parallel target alongside UPSC preparation, given the substantial syllabus overlap, while retaining its own genuinely distinctive emphasis on Gujarat-specific history, geography, and current affairs throughout.
The Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) is the constitutional body responsible for conducting recruitment examinations for administrative, police, and various technical and clerical posts under the Government of Gujarat. Its flagship examination is the Gujarat Administrative Service, Gujarat Civil Service, and Gujarat Municipal Chief Officer Service (Class 1 and Class 2) Combined Competitive Examination, commonly referred to simply as GPSC Class 1 & 2.
GPSC follows a three-stage selection process for its Class 1 & 2 exam - Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview (Personality Test) - broadly mirroring the structure of UPSC and other state PSC exams, while retaining a genuinely substantial emphasis on Gujarat-specific content throughout both the Prelims and Mains stages. Beyond Class 1 & 2, GPSC also conducts a wide range of other examinations annually for Class 3 (lower subordinate) posts and specialised technical roles, all coordinated through the Commission's annual exam calendar.
Here's exactly where the GPSC exam 2026 cycle currently stands, since there's genuinely a lot of concrete, live detail worth knowing across multiple parallel GPSC recruitment processes.
The GPSC Exam Calendar 2026 was officially released on 20th February 2026 (an earlier calendar covering some posts had also been released on 8th January 2026), listing a total of 329 tentative vacancies across various posts, with exams scheduled to be conducted across June, July, August, October, and December 2026. As per this calendar, notifications for the listed posts are typically released between the 1st and 5th of each respective month.
For the flagship GPSC Class 1 & 2 Examination 2026 specifically: the notification was released on 2nd April 2026, announcing 71 vacancies across various Class 1 and Class 2 posts, including Government Labour Officer, Assistant District Registrar, Chief Officer, and Gujarat Administrative Service (Junior Scale) roles. The online application window ran from 2nd to 16th April 2026. The call letter (admit card) for the Preliminary Examination was released ahead of the exam, and the Preliminary Examination was conducted on 7th June 2026.
Separately, GPSC has been actively running several other recruitment cycles in parallel this year - the GPSC State Tax Inspector (STI) Result 2026 was declared on 9th February 2026, and the GPSC Assistant Engineer (AE) Result 2026was declared on 22nd January 2026 - giving a useful, real sense of how actively and continuously GPSC's broader recruitment machinery operates across the year, well beyond just the flagship Class 1 & 2 exam.
The GPSC Exam Calendar is genuinely one of the most useful planning resources for any serious GPSC aspirant, since the Commission conducts a large number of distinct examinations throughout the year, each with its own notification and exam schedule.
Key facts about the GPSC Exam Calendar 2026:
Important caveat: the figures in the Exam Calendar are explicitly tentative - final, confirmed vacancy numbers and exact dates are only locked in once GPSC releases the detailed notification for each specific post or exam. Treat the calendar as a planning and anticipation tool, not the final word on any individual exam's details.
Each individual GPSC exam - Class 1 & 2, State Tax Inspector, Assistant Engineer, and so on - receives its own dedicated notification, released according to the broader Exam Calendar. Every GPSC notification, regardless of which specific exam it covers, typically includes:
You can access every GPSC notification directly through the official website, gpsc.gujarat.gov.in, or the dedicated recruitment application portal, gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in. Given how many parallel exams GPSC runs throughout the year, it's genuinely important to track the specific notification relevant to your target post rather than assuming all GPSC recruitment news applies uniformly across every exam.
Before investing months of serious preparation, make sure you genuinely satisfy the GPSC eligibility criteria for your target exam.
You must be a citizen of India. Candidates from any state can generally apply for most GPSC exams, though specific reservation and age relaxation benefits remain tied to Gujarat-specific category certificates and domicile status where applicable.
GPSC does not specify a fixed maximum number of attempts for its Class 1 & 2 examination - candidates can continue applying across cycles as long as they remain within the prescribed upper age limit for that specific notification.
The GPSC age limit for the Class 1 & 2 Examination is generally set between 20 and 35 years for General/EWS/Unreserved category candidates, calculated as of the reference date specified in the official notification.
|
Category |
Relaxation |
Effective Upper Age Limit |
|
OBC / SEBC |
5 additional years |
Up to 40 years |
|
SC |
5 additional years |
Up to 40 years |
|
ST |
5 additional years |
Up to 40 years |
Additional relaxation provisions typically apply for Ex-servicemen, PwBD candidates, and certain other specified categories, as per standard Gujarat Government norms detailed in the official notification for each cycle.
The minimum GPSC qualification for Class 1 & 2 posts is a Bachelor's Degree from a recognised university, in any academic discipline - there's no restriction tying eligibility to a specific stream for the core administrative posts like Deputy Collector, Mamlatdar, or DSP.
Specific posts may carry additional qualification requirements - for instance, certain technical or specialised roles within the broader Class 1 & 2 notification, or separate GPSC exams like Assistant Engineer, naturally require relevant engineering or technical degrees. Always verify the qualification column specific to your target post within the official notification, since the "any graduate" rule applies broadly to the core administrative posts but not universally across every GPSC exam.
The GPSC Class 1 & 2 vacancy 2026 figure stands at 71 posts, spread across various Class 1 and Class 2 roles, including Government Labour Officer, Assistant District Registrar, Chief Officer, and Gujarat Administrative Service (Junior Scale) positions.
Looking at the broader picture, GPSC's overall Exam Calendar 2026 lists a total of 329 tentative vacancies across all its various exams for the year - though this figure, as noted earlier, remains subject to revision once individual, detailed notifications are released for each specific exam. Historically, the GPSC Class 1 & 2 exam has seen vacancy counts ranging anywhere from roughly 70 to 270 posts depending on the specific cycle and the State Government's evolving administrative requirements, so the current 71-vacancy figure should be understood within that broader, naturally fluctuating range.
The GPSC application form is submitted entirely online through the dedicated recruitment portal, gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in (often referred to simply as the OJAS portal, Gujarat's broader official government recruitment platform).
Application process essentials:
A genuinely important, distinctive procedural detail specific to GPSC: if your call letter (admit card) fails to generate due to an incomplete consent form, deposit, or fee payment, GPSC provides an "Unblock Call Letter" facility on the OJAS portal, which involves selecting your advertisement, entering your confirmation number and date of birth, and paying an online processing charge of ₹500 to resolve the issue - a feature worth knowing about in advance, since ultimately failing to download your call letter in time can cost you your attempt entirely.
Here's the step-by-step process for GPSC apply online, exactly as it works through the official OJAS portal.
Go to gpsc.gujarat.gov.in or directly to gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in.
Find the specific advertisement for the exam you wish to apply for (for instance, "GPSC Class 1 & 2 Recruitment 2026") and read the complete notification carefully.
First-time applicants need to register with basic personal details; returning candidates can log in with their existing OJAS credentials.
Complete your application with accurate personal information, educational qualification, category, and contact details.
Ensure these meet the prescribed format and size requirements.
For advertisements that require it, make sure you complete this step - skipping it can render you ineligible to sit for the exam even after submitting your basic application.
Complete your fee payment through the available online payment modes.
Once submitted, download and save your confirmation page and any confirmation number provided, since you'll need these details later for your admit card/call letter.
A genuinely useful reminder: don't wait until the final day to apply, and specifically double-check whether your target advertisement requires a separate consent form or deposit - this is a distinctly GPSC-specific procedural step that candidates coming from other state PSC exams sometimes overlook entirely.
Here's a clean, consolidated snapshot of the confirmed GPSC Class 1 & 2 2026 exam date details:
|
Event |
Date |
|
GPSC Exam Calendar Released |
20th February 2026 |
|
Class 1 & 2 Notification Released |
2nd April 2026 |
|
Application Window Opens |
2nd April 2026 |
|
Application Window Closes |
16th April 2026 |
|
Prelims Call Letter Released |
Ahead of the Prelims exam |
|
Preliminary Examination |
7th June 2026 |
|
Main Examination |
To be announced post-Prelims result |
|
Interview / Personality Test |
To be announced post-Mains result |
With the Preliminary Examination already conducted, candidates currently in this cycle should be shifting their full preparation focus toward the Mains stage, which - based on the typical multi-month gap GPSC has followed in past cycles between Prelims and Mains - is likely to be scheduled several months out, giving a genuinely useful window for sustained answer-writing practice.
The GPSC Class 1 & 2 exam pattern unfolds across three stages - Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview/Personality Test.
|
Stage |
Nature |
Marks |
|
Preliminary Examination |
Objective (MCQ), single paper - screening only |
100–200 (varies by post category) |
|
Main Examination |
Descriptive (9 papers) |
950 (900 Mains + qualifying papers separate) |
|
Interview / Personality Test |
Oral |
50 |
A crucial structural point: the Preliminary Examination is purely qualifying - marks scored here are not added to your final merit. Your actual rank is determined entirely by your Mains marks (900, from merit-counting papers) plus Interview marks (50) - a combined total of 950 marks deciding your final selection.
Negative marking: GPSC applies a negative marking penalty of 1/3rd of a mark for every incorrect answer in the objective Preliminary Examination, consistent with the broader pattern seen across most major civil services exams.
The GPSC Prelims for Class 1 & 2 typically consists of a General Studies paper, objective in nature, designed purely as a screening test to shortlist candidates for Mains. For certain posts within the broader GPSC exam family (those numbered 5 to 18 in a given cycle's exam calendar, for instance), this is structured as a 100-mark General Studies paper.
GPSC Prelims General Studies Syllabus covers a genuinely broad spread including: Gujarat's current affairs(covering the Chief Minister, Governor, and key state government decisions), General Science (basics of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry), Mental Ability, Logical Reasoning, and Data Interpretation, Sports, Awards, International Days, and Persons in the News, and - distinctively - substantial Gujarat-specific content, including state government schemes, wildlife and conservation topics, census data, and specific regional geography covering areas like the Dangs and Kutch regions.
Important note on merit: since Prelims is purely qualifying, your specific Prelims score doesn't carry forward into your final ranking - it only determines whether you're shortlisted to attempt the Mains examination.
The GPSC Mains examination is entirely descriptive and is the stage that genuinely decides your final merit, comprising a substantial nine papers in total, of which two are qualifying only and seven contribute to your merit score.
|
Paper |
Subject |
Marks |
Nature |
|
- |
Gujarati Language |
300 |
Qualifying only (minimum 30%, i.e., 90/300) |
|
- |
English Language |
300 |
Qualifying only (minimum 30%, i.e., 90/300) |
|
Paper 1 |
Essay |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Paper 2 |
General Studies I |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Paper 3 |
General Studies II |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Paper 4 |
General Studies III |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Paper 5 |
General Studies IV |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Paper 6 |
Optional Subject |
150 |
Merit-counting |
|
Total (Merit) |
900 |
The two qualifying papers - Gujarati Language and English Language, each worth 300 marks - do not count toward your final merit ranking; candidates simply need to clear the 30% qualifying threshold (90 out of 300) in each. Your actual merit-deciding score comes from the Essay, GS I–IV, and your chosen Optional Subject - 900 marks total, combined with your Interview score (50 marks) for a grand total of 950 marks deciding your final selection.
GS I–IV Syllabus broadly covers Indian and Gujarat History, Indian and Gujarat Geography, Indian Polity and Governance, the Indian and Gujarat Economy, Science and Technology, Environment, Ethics and Integrity, and Current Affairs - with dedicated Gujarat-specific content woven throughout each paper, similar in spirit to how other state PSC exams structure their GS papers around a national-plus-state dual focus.
Optional Subject: candidates choose one optional subject from a list of disciplines specified in the official notification, contributing 150 marks toward the final merit - a structural feature that distinguishes GPSC from several other state PSC exams (like MPPSC and HPSC) that have recently removed optional subjects entirely from their own Mains patterns.
The complete GPSC selection process for Class 1 & 2 unfolds across three sequential, qualifying stages.
A single objective General Studies paper, purely a screening stage to shortlist candidates for Mains.
Nine total papers - two qualifying language papers (Gujarati and English) plus seven merit-counting papers (Essay, GS I–IV, and Optional Subject) - conducted offline in pen-and-paper, descriptive format.
Worth 50 marks, conducted for candidates shortlisted based on their Mains performance, evaluating personality, communication skills, decision-making ability, and overall suitability for administrative roles.
Your final GPSC rank is determined by adding your merit-counting Mains marks (900) plus Interview marks (50) - a combined total of 950 marks deciding your final selection, post allocation, and rank within the merit list. Prelims marks and your qualifying-paper scores (Gujarati and English) are not part of this final calculation, beyond needing to clear their respective qualifying thresholds.
The GPSC Class 1 and Class 2 posts list spans a genuinely wide range of senior administrative, police, and revenue roles within Gujarat's state government.
Both Class 1 and Class 2 posts are recruited through the same combined examination, with final post allocation based on overall merit rank and candidate preference, alongside applicable category-wise reservation norms.
The GPSC admit card - referred to as the call letter - is released separately for Prelims and Mains on the official OJAS portal.
Step 1: Visit gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in.
Step 2: Locate the call letter download section for your specific exam and stage.
Step 3: Log in using your registration/confirmation credentials.
Step 4: Download and print your call letter, checking your exam centre, roll number, and reporting time carefully.
A genuinely important, distinctive GPSC procedural note: candidates who were required to submit a prior consent form and deposit for a specific advertisement but failed to do so are not eligible to download their call letter or sit for the examination. If your call letter fails to generate for other reasons (an incomplete fee payment, for instance), use the "Unblock Call Letter" facility on the OJAS portal, paying the ₹500 processing fee and verifying your payment status before the call letter becomes available.
GPSC results are announced in stages, matching the exam structure - first the Prelims result (candidates shortlisted for Mains), then the Mains result (candidates shortlisted for Interview), and finally the comprehensive final selection list after Interview.
Visit the official GPSC website, navigate to the results section, and check using your roll number or registration details. Results are published as roll-number-based PDF lists. For context on how recently and actively GPSC has been declaring results across its various parallel exams: the GPSC State Tax Inspector (STI) Result 2026 was declared on 9th February 2026, and the GPSC Assistant Engineer (AE) Result 2026 was declared on 22nd January 2026 - both giving a useful, real sense of GPSC's typical result-declaration timelines across its broader exam ecosystem.
GPSC Answer Key: Released after the Prelims (and subsequently Mains, where applicable) examination, allowing candidates to estimate their probable performance before the official result is declared, alongside category-wise cut-off marks and the final merit list PDF.
The GPSC cut off is released by the Commission after the completion of each respective stage - separately for Prelims (the qualifying threshold for Mains shortlisting) and, ultimately, the final merit cut-off after Interview.
The cut-off depends on several variable factors: the total number of vacancies in that specific cycle (71 for the current Class 1 & 2 notification), the overall difficulty level of the paper, and the number and category-wise distribution of candidates appearing. Until the official GPSC Class 1 & 2 2026 cut-off is released following the Prelims and subsequent stages, candidates can reasonably refer to previous cycles' cut-off marks as an approximate guide - though exact figures will naturally vary based on this cycle's specific applicant volume and paper difficulty.
Previous year papers remain genuinely valuable for GPSC preparation, particularly given the exam's heavy and consistent emphasis on Gujarat-specific content across both Prelims and Mains - an area where generic, nationally-oriented practice material often falls short.
Access archived Prelims and Mains question papers across recent GPSC Class 1 & 2 cycles, helping you build a genuinely accurate sense of GPSC's specific question style - particularly its distinctive emphasis on Gujarat's history, geography, wildlife, regional details (including areas like the Dangs and Kutch), and current state government schemes, which generic national-level practice material often under-represents.
For candidates who want full explanations alongside the original questions - genuinely valuable for both the Prelims General Studies paper and the Mains GS papers - solved previous year paper sets help you revise efficiently and understand exactly how GPSC frames its distinctly Gujarat-focused questions.
Make solving previous year papers a consistent, weekly habit through your preparation, paying specific attention to how Gujarat-specific current affairs and regional details get woven into otherwise standard General Studies question formats.
The GPSC salary structure is genuinely strong, reflecting the senior officer status that comes with Class 1 and Class 2 posts, based on the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix as adopted by the Gujarat state government.
|
Post Category |
Pay Level |
Basic Pay |
Approx. Gross Monthly Salary |
|
Class 1 (Deputy Collector, DSP) |
Level 14 |
₹56,100 |
₹90,000 – ₹1,05,000 |
|
Class 2 (Mamlatdar, DYSO) |
Level 10 |
₹39,900 |
₹65,000 – ₹78,000 |
Class 1 officers (Deputy Collector, DSP, and similar senior posts) start at a basic pay of ₹56,100 per month, with gross in-hand compensation - once Dearness Allowance (commonly cited around 42% in recent years), House Rent Allowance, and other applicable allowances are included - comfortably reaching the ₹90,000 to ₹1,05,000 range. Class 2 officers (Mamlatdar, DYSO, and similar posts) start at a basic pay of ₹39,900 per month, with gross compensation typically in the ₹65,000 to ₹78,000 range.
Beyond direct monetary compensation, GPSC officers receive standard government benefits - medical facilities, structured pension provisions, official accommodation for many senior posts, and a genuinely strong long-term career trajectory, with Class 1 officers in particular following a path that can extend toward senior state administrative leadership roles over a full career.
So, what does a genuinely effective GPSC preparation strategy look like, given the exam's distinctive structure and content emphasis?
Much of the GPSC Prelims and Mains GS syllabus overlaps substantially with UPSC's pattern - standard references like NCERT textbooks, Laxmikanth's Indian Polity for Polity and Governance, and a standard Quantitative Aptitude resource (R.S. Aggarwal is widely used) remain genuinely effective starting points.
This is genuinely the single biggest differentiator for GPSC success. Build dedicated study around Gujarat's history, its specific regional geography (including areas like the Dangs and Kutch), Gujarat's wildlife and conservation efforts, current state government schemes, and Gujarat-specific current affairs (tracking the Chief Minister's and Governor's key decisions, for instance) - generic, nationally-oriented preparation alone consistently falls short here.
Since Gujarati and English Language papers (300 marks each) require only a 30% qualifying threshold and don't contribute to your final merit, the smart strategic approach is to ensure comfortable, confident clearance of both, while directing the bulk of your remaining Mains preparation time toward the merit-counting Essay, GS I–IV, and Optional Subject papers.
Since GPSC retains an Optional Subject paper (unlike some other state PSCs that have removed it entirely), choosing a subject genuinely aligned with your academic background or natural strength - and preparing it with the same seriousness as your GS papers - can provide a meaningful, scoring-efficient edge in your final merit.
With seven merit-counting papers deciding 900 of your 950 total marks, structured, well-practised descriptive writing - clear, organised, and appropriately detailed, with relevant Gujarat-specific examples woven in wherever possible - genuinely separates strong scorers from average ones.
With 50 marks directly added to your final merit, a strong interview can meaningfully influence your final rank. Start building genuine awareness of Gujarat's current administrative and policy landscape well before your Mains result is even declared.
Choosing the right preparation material genuinely matters for GPSC, particularly because of its distinctive Gujarat-specific component, which most generic, nationally-oriented study material doesn't adequately cover.
A well-rounded GPSC preparation library typically includes:
Given GPSC's distinctive nine-paper Mains structure and its retained Optional Subject component, prioritise genuinely comprehensive coverage across both your chosen optional discipline and the broader GS syllabus, rather than over-indexing your preparation time on any single paper.
Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
