Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 for Prelims & Mains: Subject-Wise details & Important Topics

The Bihar APO syllabus 2026 has two objective papers in Prelims (General Studies and Law) and eight descriptive papers in Mains.

The law part includes three new criminal codes, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), along with the Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure and a paper of special Acts.

The selection runs in three stages: Prelims, Mains and Interview.

• Prelims includes General Studies (100 marks) and Law (150 marks), both objective. The stage only screens candidates for Mains.
• Mains includes eight descriptive papers of three hours each. Hindi and English are qualifying; you need at least 30 marks in each.
• Interview consists of 100 marks

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) notified this syllabus under Advertisement No. 13/2026 for 300 Assistant Prosecution Officer posts in the Prosecution Directorate, Home Department, Bihar.

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Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 Highlights

BPSC conducts the Assistant Prosecution Officer examination to recruit prosecutors who represent the State in criminal courts across Bihar. The Bihar APO exam syllabus includes new criminal law, constitutional and civil procedure, Bihar-specific statutes and two language papers.

Particulars	Details
Examination	Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) Competitive Examination
Conducting body	Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC)
Post	Assistant Prosecution Officer (Pay Level 9)
Vacancies	300
Selection stages	Prelims, Mains and Interview
Prelims subjects	General Studies; Law (BNS, BSA, BNSS, CPC and basics of the Constitution)
Mains subjects	General Studies, Hindi, English, BNS, BSA, BNSS + CPC, Constitutional Law and Other Laws
State-specific laws	Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 and Rules; Bihar Police Act, 2007
Official website	bpsc.bihar.gov.in

Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link

The Bihar APO syllabus covers nine subjects between Prelims and Mains. Five subjects come in both stages.

Candidates can download the Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 official subject list from the link below.

Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link

Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 for Prelims

The Bihar APO syllabus for Prelims has two objective papers: General Studies and Law. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list; candidates only need to clear the category-wise qualifying marks to reach Mains.

• General Studies covers general science in everyday life, current affairs, Indian history and culture, Indian polity, and the geography of India and Bihar.
• Bihar gets separate attention in GS, especially its major rivers (Ganga, Kosi, Gandak and Son), its agriculture and its role in the freedom movement.
• The Law paper carries more weight than GS and is built on the three new criminal laws: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, all of 2023.
• The Law paper also covers the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the basics of the Constitution, such as Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and the Article 20–22 safeguards.
• The IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act are no longer in the syllabus, but knowing their old section numbers helps you place familiar rules in the new codes.
• All five law subjects and GS return as descriptive papers in Mains, so thorough Prelims preparation also gives you a head start for the next stage.

Prelims Paper I: General Studies

Prelims Paper I of General Studies covers general science, current affairs, Indian history and culture, Indian polity, and the geography of India and Bihar, with Bihar’s rivers, agriculture and role in the freedom movement.

No.	Subject	Important Topics
1	General Science	Physics, chemistry and biology in everyday life; health, diseases and nutrition; basic technology
2	Current Affairs	National and international events, government schemes, awards, appointments and recent legal developments
3	Indian History and Culture	Ancient, medieval and modern India; the freedom movement, with Bihar's role in it; art and culture
4	Indian Polity	Constitutional framework, Parliament, judiciary, panchayati raj and constitutional bodies
5	Geography of India and Bihar	Physical features, rivers (Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, Son), climate, agriculture and resources

Prelims Paper II: Law

Prelims Paper II of Law covers the three new criminal laws, civil procedure and the basics of the Constitution. It carries more weight than GS, and it overlaps almost completely with the Mains law papers.

No.	Subject	Important Topics
1	Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023	General exceptions, abetment, criminal conspiracy, offences against the body, women and children, property offences, organised crime and terrorist acts
2	Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023	Relevancy, admissions and confessions, electronic records, burden of proof, presumptions, examination of witnesses
3	Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023	Arrest, FIR and investigation, bail, charge, trial procedures, timelines for investigation and judgment, appeals and revision
4	Code of Civil Procedure, 1908	Jurisdiction, res judicata, institution of suits, pleadings, decree and execution, appeals, review and revision
5	Constitution of India (basics)	Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Article 20–22 safeguards, Union and State judiciary

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Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 for Mains

The Bihar APO syllabus for Mains has eight descriptive papers of three hours each. Six papers count towards merit; Hindi and English are qualifying papers set at Class 10 level. 

• Paper I is of General Studies covers the same topics as Prelims GS and answers in descriptive form.
• Paper II is of Hindi Language covers essay, grammar and syntax at the Bihar School Examination Board matriculation level.
• Paper III is of English Language covers essay, precis or summary, and letter writing in simple, correct English words.
• Paper IV is Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Paper V is Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
• Paper VI is of BNSS, 2023  and Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• Paper VII is of Constitutional Law of India, 150 marks.
• Paper VIII consists of Other Law subjects.

Paper	Subject	Syllabus
Paper I	General Studies	Current affairs, general science, history of India and Bihar, Indian polity and economy, geography of India and Bihar
Paper II	Hindi Language	Essay, grammar, syntax and correct expression in simple Hindi
Paper III	English Language	Essay, precis/summary and letter writing
Paper IV	Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023	Elements of crime, general exceptions, joint liability, abetment and conspiracy, offences against the body, women and children, property, public tranquillity and the State, punishments
Paper V	Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023	Relevancy, admissions, confessions, dying declarations, expert opinion, electronic evidence, burden of proof, presumptions, estoppel, witnesses and examination
Paper VI (i)	Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023	Police powers, arrest, FIR, investigation, search and seizure, bail, cognizance, charge, sessions and summary trials, plea bargaining, role of the Public Prosecutor, appeals
Paper VI (ii)	Code of Civil Procedure, 1908	Jurisdiction, res judicata, suits, pleadings, issues, interim orders, judgment and decree, execution, appeals, reference, review and revision
Paper VII	Constitutional Law of India	Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Fundamental Duties, Union and State executive and legislature, judiciary, writs, centre–state relations, emergency provisions, amendments
Paper VIII	Other Laws	Arms Act, 1959; Explosive Substances Act, 1908; NDPS Act, 1985; Information Technology Act, 2000 (Chapter XI); Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016; Bihar Police Act, 2007; Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989; POCSO Act, 2012

Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 for Interview

The Bihar APO Interview carries 100 marks and has no separately notified syllabus. BPSC calls candidates on the basis of Mains marks. The table lists the preparation areas.

Topics	Details
Core criminal law	Clear answers on BNS, BNSS and BSA provisions an APO uses daily: bail, remand, charge, admissibility
Recent judgments	Supreme Court and Patna High Court decisions on bail, evidence and the new criminal laws
Bihar awareness	Prohibition law, state institutions, crime and policing issues in Bihar
Role of a prosecutor	Duty to the court, fairness to the accused, relationship with police and victims
Situational questions	Hostile witness, weak chargesheet, pressure from a party: how you would respond
Background and motivation	Your LLB, internships, and why prosecution rather than judiciary or practice

Bihar APO Exam Pattern 2026

The Bihar APO exam pattern has two objective papers in Prelims, eight descriptive papers in Mains and a 100-mark Interview.

Particulars	Prelims	Mains	Interview
Type	Objective (MCQ)	Descriptive	Personality test
Papers	Two	Eight	Not applicable
Questions	100 per paper	As set in each paper	Not applicable
Maximum marks	250	850 merit + 200 qualifying	100
Duration	Two hours per paper	Three hours per paper	As scheduled
Medium	Hindi and English	As per BPSC instructions (language papers in their own language)	As per BPSC instructions
Qualifying marks	UR 40%, EBC 36.5%, BC and SC 34%, ST, women and PwBD 32%	Minimum 30 each in Hindi and English	Not applicable
Role in selection	Screening only	Counted in merit (except Hindi and English)	Counted in merit

Bihar APO Syllabus 2026 Marks Distribution

The Bihar APO final merit list adds six Mains papers to the Interview. Prelims and the two language papers do not count for merit list.

Stage	Paper / Subject	Marks
Prelims	General Studies	100
Prelims	Law	150
Mains	General Studies	100
Mains	Hindi Language (qualifying)	100
Mains	English Language (qualifying)	100
Mains	Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023	150
Mains	Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023	150
Mains	BNSS, 2023 + CPC, 1908	75 + 75
Mains	Constitutional Law of India	150
Mains	Other Laws	150
Interview	Personality test	100
Final merit	Mains merit papers plus Interview	950

How to Prepare for the Bihar APO Syllabus 2026

Candidates can start with the three criminal codes, because they carry 450 of the 850 Mains merit marks once you count BNS, BSA and the BNSS half of Paper VI, and they make up most of the Prelims Law paper. The steps below follow the order in which the syllabus rewards effort. For a month-by-month plan, see Bihar APO preparation guide.

1. Build a paper-wise tracker. List all eight Mains papers and both Prelims papers. Mark first reading, MCQ practice, answer writing and revision as separate columns.
2. Read the new codes as bare Acts first. Go through BNS, BNSS and BSA section by section. Mark definitions, exceptions, timelines (for example, investigation and judgment deadlines in BNSS) and punishments.
3. Keep an old-to-new section table. Write the IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act section next to its new number. It saves time in MCQs and helps when you cite older judgments in Mains answers.
4. Write answers from week one. After each topic, write one 15-mark answer: provision, ingredients, a leading case and a short illustration. Prosecutors are judged on structured argument; so are Mains answers.
5. Give Paper VIII its own slot. Read one special Act each week alongside your core papers. Nine statutes in the final month is too much to absorb well.
6. Practise both language papers fortnightly. Write one Hindi essay and one English precis every two weeks. The 30-mark bar is low, but a careless essay can still end your selection.
7. Use previous papers and the 2026 answer key. Solve past BPSC APO papers and check the 2026 Prelims key to see how BPSC frames questions on the new laws.

Best Books for Bihar APO Exam 2026

Candidates can start with current bare Acts for every statute in the syllabus, then add a commentary where a concept needs explaining. These are study suggestions, not an official BPSC book list. Check that each book is the latest edition covering the 2023 codes.

Bare Act / Book Name	Author or Publisher
BNS, BNSS and BSA bare Acts	Government of India / India Code
Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 and Rules	Government of Bihar
Bihar Police Act, 2007	Government of Bihar
Criminal Law (BNS edition)	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal
Law of Evidence (BSA edition)	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal
Lectures on Criminal Procedure (BNSS edition)	R. V. Kelkar
Civil Procedure	C. K. Takwani
Indian Constitutional Law	M. P. Jain
Introduction to the Constitution of India	D. D. Basu
Bihar General Knowledge	Any current-year Bihar GK guide

Candidates preparing for more than one state can use the state-wise judiciary syllabus guide to keep local Acts and language papers separate.The Bihar APO syllabus 2026 covers depth in criminal law subjects. 

If you want structured guidance, take a free demo class for Bihar APO or speak to a Judiciary Gold counsellor about the course.