Start Here: UPSSSC PET and UP Exam Patterns

1. UPSSSC PET, the Main Exams and the UP Police Exam

The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) recruits staff for many Group C posts in the UP government. For most of these posts you must first pass a common screening test called the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET). This lesson explains the PET pattern, how PET leads to the main exam, and the outline of the UP Police Constable exam. Patterns can change, so always read the latest notification for your post.

UPSSSC PET: the basic pattern

• PET is an objective, pen-and-paper (OMR) test with 100 questions for 100 marks. The time allowed is 2 hours.
• Each correct answer gets 1 mark. For each wrong answer, one quarter (0.25) of a mark is deducted. A blank answer gets zero.
• The minimum educational qualification to sit for PET is Class 10 (High School) pass. Age limits and relaxations are given in the notification.
• PET 2025 was held in September 2025. The PET 2026 notification was issued on 1 August 2026, with online applications from 3 August to 1 September 2026.
• From the PET 2025 notification onwards, UPSSSC states that the PET score is valid for 3 years from the date of the result. Earlier it was valid for only 1 year. Confirm the validity clause in your own notification.
• PET is a screening test. It does not give you a job by itself. Your PET score is used to shortlist candidates for each post's main exam.

PET sections and marks

• 5 marks each: Indian History, Indian National Movement, Geography, Indian Economy, Indian Constitution and Public Administration, General Science.
• 5 marks each: Elementary Arithmetic, General Hindi, General English, and Logic and Reasoning.
• 10 marks each: Current Affairs and General Awareness.
• 10 marks: Graph interpretation (2 graphs with 5 questions each). 10 marks: Table interpretation (2 tables with 5 questions each).
• 10 marks: Hindi unseen passages (2 passages with 5 questions each).
• So 50 of the 100 marks come from Current Affairs, General Awareness, graphs, tables and Hindi passages. These sections reward practice more than memory.

Main exams after PET

• When UPSSSC advertises a post, only candidates with a valid PET score can apply. A set number of top PET scorers are called for the main exam.
• Lekhpal (Rajasva Lekhpal) main exam, as per the last pattern: 100 questions in 2 hours: General Hindi 25, Mathematics 25, General Knowledge 25, and Rural Society and Development 25.
• Junior Assistant (Kanishth Sahayak): a written main exam whose subjects are set in each advertisement, usually followed by a Hindi and English typing test. Read the syllabus in the current notification.
• Posts such as Village Development Officer (VDO, Gram Vikas Adhikari) and Gram Panchayat Adhikari also have separate main exams. Their syllabus is printed in each notification.
• UP general knowledge, rural development and Panchayati Raj appear in many of these main exams. Modules 2, 3 and 4 of this course cover them.
• The official website of UPSSSC is upsssc.gov.in. Notifications, admit cards, answer keys and results are published there.

UP Police Constable written exam (outline)

• Police constable recruitment is done by the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB). Its website is uppbpb.gov.in.
• The recruitment announced in 2026 was for 32,679 posts, with the written exam held from 8 to 10 June 2026.
• The written exam has 150 objective questions for 300 marks (2 marks each).
• It has four parts of about 37 to 38 questions each: General Knowledge, General Hindi, Numerical and Mental Ability, and Mental Aptitude, Intelligence and Reasoning.
• There is negative marking, and there are qualifying marks. Check the exact rule in the notification.
• After the written test come document verification, a physical standard test (height, chest) and a physical efficiency test (running).

💡 Do not stop studying after PET. Your PET score only opens the door. Start preparing for the main exam of your target post as soon as PET is over.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Preparation Plan and How This Course Maps to the Syllabus

The PET syllabus looks long, but each section has only 5 or 10 marks. A smart plan spends time where marks are easy to earn. This lesson maps this course to the syllabus, shows how to handle negative marking, and gives an 8-week plan.

How this course maps to the syllabus

• UP history, the 1857 revolt in UP, the freedom movement in UP and UP culture: the 'Uttar Pradesh: History and Culture' module.
• UP geography, rivers, wildlife and economy: the 'Uttar Pradesh: Geography and Economy' module.
• UP government, Panchayati Raj, schemes and current affairs: the 'Uttar Pradesh: Administration, Schemes and Current Affairs' module. This helps in General Awareness and Current Affairs.
• General Hindi and Hindi unseen passages: the 'General Hindi for UP Exams' module.
• Indian history, Constitution, economy, geography, science, arithmetic, reasoning, English and graph and table questions: the national modules included in this course.

Time and guessing in the exam hall

• PET has 100 questions in 120 minutes, so you get about 1 minute 12 seconds per question.
• Graph, table and passage questions take more time. Save about 25 minutes for these 30 questions.
• Four wrong answers cancel one right answer (4 x 0.25 = 1). Blind guessing among four options gives very little gain.
• If you can rule out one or two wrong options, guessing is usually worth it.
• Keep the last 10 minutes to check the OMR sheet. Fill bubbles fully and darkly with the pen allowed.

A simple 8-week plan

• Week 1: read the notification and finish this module. Attempt one previous PET paper to know your level.
• Weeks 2 and 3: UP history and culture, along with Indian history and the national movement.
• Weeks 4 and 5: UP geography, economy, administration and schemes, along with Indian polity and economy.
• Week 6: General Hindi and Hindi passages daily. Also practise 2 graphs and 2 tables every day.
• Weeks 7 and 8: current affairs of the last 12 to 18 months, full timed mock tests, and revision of weak areas.

💡 Keep one notebook only for UP facts: districts, rivers, tiger reserves, expressways, schemes and dates. Read it for 10 minutes every morning.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.