PSSSB · Group C · Syllabus guide

PSSSB Group C Common Syllabus: Subject-Wise Topics and How to Prepare Each One

Most PSSSB Group C exams share a common core of subjects. If you prepare this core once, properly, you can sit for Clerk, Clerk-cum-DEO, Senior Assistant, Patwari, Excise Inspector, Food Supply Inspector and similar exams with only small additions. This guide breaks the core into topics and tells you how to prepare each.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 6 min read · How we prepare guides

How the Group C paper is usually built

Recent Group C exams have followed a two-part structure: a Punjabi qualifying part (50% required) and a scoring part of general and post-related subjects, usually with negative marking. The scoring part is where the merit list is decided, and its subjects are remarkably similar across posts. The table below shows the common core and the posts that add something extra.

1. Punjab history, culture and geography

This is the subject that separates Punjab exams from all-India exams, and it is usually the highest-yield section.

• Sikh Gurus: the ten Gurus in order, their key contributions (Guru Nanak Dev — founder; Guru Angad Dev — Gurmukhi script; Guru Amar Das — langar and manji system; Guru Ram Das — founded Ramdaspur/Amritsar; Guru Arjan Dev — Adi Granth, Harmandir Sahib; Guru Hargobind — Akal Takht, miri-piri; Guru Har Rai; Guru Har Krishan; Guru Tegh Bahadur — martyrdom 1675; Guru Gobind Singh — Khalsa 1699).
• 18th and 19th centuries: Banda Singh Bahadur, misls, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Anglo-Sikh wars, annexation (1849).
• Freedom movement: Kuka movement, Ghadar Party (1913), Jallianwala Bagh (1919), Akali movement and the Gurdwara Act (1925), Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh.
• Post-1947: Partition, PEPSU merger (1956), reorganisation of Punjab (1 November 1966), Green Revolution.
• Culture: fairs and festivals, folk dances (Bhangra, Giddha, Jhumar, Luddi, Malwai Giddha), music, literature, famous poets (Waris Shah — Heer; Bulleh Shah; Shiv Kumar Batalvi; Amrita Pritam).
• Geography: rivers, doabs, regions, districts, headworks, wetlands, agriculture.

How to prepare: use a timeline notebook for history and a hand-drawn map for geography. Revise both weekly.

2. Indian polity

Preamble; citizenship; fundamental rights (Articles 12–35) and duties (Article 51A); DPSPs (Articles 36–51); President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; Parliament and the legislative process; Governor, Chief Minister and state legislature; Supreme Court and High Courts; Election Commission, CAG and other constitutional bodies; Panchayati Raj and municipalities (73rd and 74th Amendments); important amendments.

How to prepare: the NCERT political science books for Classes 9–11 give a clear base. Make one-page summaries of each topic with article numbers.

3. Economy and general science

• Economy: national income terms (GDP, GNP), inflation, RBI and monetary policy (repo rate), banking terms, budget and fiscal deficit, GST, major schemes (PM-KISAN, Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan, MUDRA).
• Science: human body and diseases, vitamins and deficiencies, basic physics (units, motion, electricity), everyday chemistry (acids and bases, common compounds), environment and ecology.

4. Current affairs

Cover the 12 months before the exam: national schemes, Punjab Government initiatives, appointments, awards, sports events, important days, summits, and reports and indices. Use one reliable monthly source plus official PIB releases for checking facts. Our current affairs revision method explains how to keep notes manageable.

5. Reasoning and mental ability

Series (number and letter), analogy, classification, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, syllogisms, statements and conclusions, calendar and clock, seating arrangement and non-verbal series. Practise each type as a timed set of 15 questions. See our reasoning strategy for methods.

6. Quantitative aptitude

Number system, simplification, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time-speed-distance, mensuration and basic data interpretation. Learn squares up to 30, cubes up to 15 and percentage–fraction equivalents (1/8 = 12.5%, 1/6 ≈ 16.67%) to save time.

7. English

Articles, prepositions, tenses, subject-verb agreement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, synonyms and antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms, spelling, error spotting and comprehension.

8. Punjabi (scoring part)

Grammar (ਨਾਂਵ, ਪੜਨਾਂਵ, ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ, ਕਿਰਿਆ, ਕਾਲ, ਲਿੰਗ, ਵਚਨ), vocabulary, ਮੁਹਾਵਰੇ and ਅਖਾਣ, correct spelling, Punjabi literature basics and comprehension. Our Punjabi preparation guide covers it in detail.

9. ICT and computer knowledge

Computer generations and components, input/output devices, memory units, operating systems, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, keyboard shortcuts, internet, email, networking basics, cyber security, digital payments and e-governance (for example, DigiLocker and Punjab's online citizen services).

A 12-week plan for the common core

Practice questions

1. Q1. Which Sikh Guru is credited with popularising the Gurmukhi script?

   • (a) Guru Nanak Dev
   • (b) Guru Angad Dev
   • (c) Guru Amar Das
   • (d) Guru Arjan Dev
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Guru Angad Dev — Guru Angad Dev standardised and popularised the Gurmukhi script.

2. Q2. Punjab was reorganised, with Haryana created as a separate state, on:

   • (a) 15 August 1947
   • (b) 26 January 1950
   • (c) 1 November 1956
   • (d) 1 November 1966
   Show answer

   Answer: (d) 1 November 1966 — The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 created Haryana, with effect from 1 November 1966.

3. Q3. Fundamental Duties are listed in which Article?

   • (a) Article 21
   • (b) Article 32
   • (c) Article 51A
   • (d) Article 356
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) Article 51A — Article 51A (Part IVA) lists the Fundamental Duties.

4. Q4. A shopkeeper marks an item 25% above cost and gives a 10% discount. What is the profit percentage?

   • (a) 10%
   • (b) 12.5%
   • (c) 15%
   • (d) 20%
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 12.5% — 1.25 × 0.90 = 1.125, so the profit is 12.5%.

5. Q5. Who wrote the Punjabi epic Heer?

   • (a) Bulleh Shah
   • (b) Waris Shah
   • (c) Shiv Kumar Batalvi
   • (d) Bhai Vir Singh
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Waris Shah — Waris Shah wrote Heer in the 18th century.

6. Q6. 1 kilobyte is equal to:

   • (a) 100 bytes
   • (b) 1,000 bits
   • (c) 1,024 bytes
   • (d) 1,024 bits
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) 1,024 bytes — In computing, 1 KB is conventionally 1,024 bytes.

7. Q7. Choose the correct passive form: "The clerk prepared the file."

   • (a) The file was prepared by the clerk.
   • (b) The file is prepared by the clerk.
   • (c) The file has prepared the clerk.
   • (d) The clerk was prepared by the file.
   Show answer

   Answer: (a) The file was prepared by the clerk. — Simple past active becomes "was + past participle" in the passive.

Frequently asked questions

Is the syllabus the same for all PSSSB Group C posts?

The general subjects are very similar, but each post has its own syllabus PDF. Some posts add office procedure, technical or department-specific topics, and some have skill tests.

Which subject should I prioritise first?

Start with Punjabi (because it is qualifying) and Punjab history and geography (because they are high-yield), while practising reasoning and maths daily.

How much current affairs should I cover?

Twelve months before the exam date is usually enough, with extra attention to Punjab Government schemes and events.

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