The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has announced that it will conduct preliminary examinations up to three times a year from 2027 and abolish optional subjects from the State Services Main Examination.
The reforms, aimed at reducing stress on aspirants and providing multiple opportunities to qualify, mark one of the most significant changes in the commission's examination pattern.
Under the new system, the Maharashtra Civil Services Gazetted Group A and Group B Combined Preliminary Examination, Maharashtra Group B Services Preliminary Examination, and Maharashtra Group C Services Preliminary Examination will be held two or more times a year, with the commission planning to conduct them three times annually. The move is expected to ensure that candidates are no longer dependent on the outcome of a single examination to secure a chance to appear for the mains.
Another key reform is the complete removal of optional subjects from the State Services Main Examination. Candidates will no longer be required to appear for two optional subject papers, a long-standing demand of MPSC aspirants. The commission said the change would create a more level playing field by eliminating disparities arising from the choice of optional subjects.
MPSC has also decided to replace the existing pen-and-paper, OMR sheet-based examination system with Computer-Based Tests (CBT). The shift to online examinations is expected to enhance transparency and enable faster declaration of results.
As the preliminary examinations will be conducted in multiple sessions, the commission will introduce a normalisation method to ensure fair evaluation of candidates across different exam sessions.
The commission clarified that although the preliminary examination will be conducted up to three times a year, the Main Examination will continue to be held only once annually. Candidates who qualify in any one of the preliminary examinations conducted during the year will be eligible to appear for that year's Main Examination.
According to MPSC Examination Controller and Joint Secretary Sarita Bandekar-Deshmukh, the revised examination system will come into effect from the 2027 preliminary examinations. The commission will soon issue a detailed notification explaining the eligibility process for candidates qualifying through multiple preliminary examination sessions.
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