The HPSC HCS Prelims exam will be conducted based on the revised HCS Prelims Exam pattern. The HPSC HCS 2021 exam notification was released on February 26. The HPSC HCS 2021 online application was started on March 3. The HCS 2021 notification was released for 156 vacancies. The number of vacancies for the HCS(Ex.Br.) was 48.
Earlier, the Haryana Government had approved the changes in the HPSC prelims exam 2021 and introduced the negative marking in the HCS prelims exam and made the CSAT paper qualifying only. After these changes, the HPSC HCS prelims exam will be akin to the IAS prelims exam. It will help the candidates to prepare simultaneously for both the exams. Under the new rules, the HPSC HCS Prelims CSAT paper(Paper-II) will be of qualifying in nature and the marks will not be considered for the prelims result. The candidates need to secure 33% marks in the CSAT paper to qualify it. The HPSC HCS 2021 prelims exam will be conducted as per the new exam pattern.
HPSC HCS exam is the most coveted exam of the state conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission(HPSC). The HPSC conducts the Haryana Civil Services (Exe.) branch exam every year to recruit candidates for the state civil services and the allied services. Recently, the Haryana Government changed the HCS prelims exam pattern and now it is similar to the IAS prelims exam. Haryana Public Service Commission(HPSC) conducts the Haryana Civil Service (HCS) exam to recruit candidates for various state government services. HCS exam is conducted for the following services:
- Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch)
- Deputy Superintendent of Police(D.S.P.)
- Excise and Taxation Officer
- District Food and Supplies Controller
- ‘A’ Class Tehsildar
- Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies
- Assistant Excise & Taxation Officer
- Block Development & Panchayat Officer
- Traffic Manager
- District Food & Supplies Officer
- Assistant Employment Officer
HCS exam recruits officers for the state government who are second only to the IAS officers posted in the state. It is the most prestigious exam for the Haryana Public Service Commission and the candidates belonging to Haryana.
HPSC HCS Exam Highlights
| Exam Name | Haryana Civil Services – HCS |
| Conducting Body | Haryana Public Service Commission |
| Geographical Scope of Exam | State-level – Haryana |
| Exam Frequency | Once in a year |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Exam Stages | Prelims + Mains + Interview / Personality Test |
| Exam Language | English and Hindi |
| Exam Helpdesk | 0172 – 2560755 |
| Official website | http://hpsc.gov.in/en-us/ |
HPSC HCS Eligibility Criteria
Haryana Civil Services eligibility criteria are defined in the HCS notification. The eligibility criteria for the HCS exam define three parameters that a candidate needs to meet before appearing in the HCS exam. These eligibility criteria are defined:
Educational Qualifications Required for HCS
A candidate must be a graduate in any discipline from a recognised university. The candidates appearing in the last year of their graduation degree course can apply but the date of the final year mark sheet or scoresheet should be before the HCS closing date. The degree certificate/ mark sheet should bear the date prior to the HCS closing date. The HCS application closes 30 days after the notification, so it is very difficult to gain the final year mark sheet in that date period. The candidates could be disqualified at a later stage because of this.
Age limit for HCS Exam
This is a unique feature of this exam because the upper age limit for the unreserved category candidates is 42 years except for D.S.P. posts). The lower age limit is 21 years. The age is counted from January 1 of the exam year. The upper age limit is further relaxed for the reserved categories:
| Category | Age relaxation in Upper Age Limit | Highest Age allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Backward Class A and B of Haryana only | 5 years | 47 years |
| SC/ST Category | 5 years | 47 years |
| Unmarried Females candidates (including divorced and separated females) | 3 years | 45 years |
| PH and PwD of Haryana | 10 years | 50 years |
| PH and PwD (belonging to SC/ST) | 15 years | 55 years |
Age Limit and Physical Standards for D.S.P
For the post of Haryana D.S.P, the lower age limit is 21 years, and the upper age limit for the unreserved category candidates is 27 years.
| Category | Height | Chest |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 5’7”(170.18 cm) | 33” |
| Female | 5’2”(157.50 cm) | N/A |
Men are required to have Chest with Expansion not less than 34.5”(87.63 cm). No such requirements for females.
HPSC HCS 2021 Tentative Dates
| Event | Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
| Haryana Civil Services Notification | 26 Feb 2021 | The HCS notification will be released |
| Haryana Civil Services online application commencement date | 3 Mar 2021 | The HCS 2021 window was activated for the candidates. |
| Haryana Civil Services online application end date | 2 Apr 2021 | The HCS online application will end on this day |
| HCS prelims exam | The HCS prelims exam will be conducted at various centres across Haryana. The HCS admit card will be issued three weeks before the exam.The exam was to be held on May 30, it has been postponed amid COVID-19 surge. | |
| HCS prelims result | Updated soon | The HCS prelims result will filter the candidates for the HCS main exam. |
| HCS main exam | Updated soon | The HCS main exam will be conducted in offline mode |
| HCS main exam result | Updated soon | The HCS result for the main exam |
| HCS Interview | Updated soon | The HCS interview will be conducted |
| HCS Result | Updated soon | The HCS final result will be declared. |
HPSC HCS 2021 Application
The HPSC HCS 2021 application can be filled online till April 2, 2021. The HPSC released the HCS 2021 notification on February 26 stating the instructions for filling up the HCS 2021 Application online. The candidates can fill the HCS application 2021 online through the official website.
HCS Application Fees
The Haryana Civil Service is the highest exam of the state and the application fee for the HCS application is different for the different candidates.
| Category | Application fee |
|---|---|
| 1.General category candidates male including Dependent Son of Ex-Serviceman of Haryana and2. For Male candidates of General Category and all reserved categories of other states | Rs 1000/- |
| 3. For all Females candidates of General category including Female Dependents of ESM of Haryana only4. For Female candidates of General category and all reserved categories of other States | Rs 250/- |
| 5. For Male & Female candidates of SC/ BC-A/ BC -B/ ESM categories of Haryana only. | Rs 250/- |
| 6. For all PwD i.e. Persons with Disabilities category candidates (with at least 40% disability) of Haryana only | NIL |
Scheme of Examination
The HCS exam is conducted in three stages and the candidates need to clear each exam stage to appear in the next stage. The HCS exam stages as given below.
- Preliminary Exam
- Main Exam
- Personality Test
Stage I: HCS Prelims Exam
HCS Prelims exam is an objective type question paper. This exam has two question papers. First is General Studies I and second is the CSAT. Both the papers carry 100 marks and 100 questions.
The time allotted for each paper is two hours. There is a provision of negative marking in the HCS Prelims exam. For each wrong answer, one fourth (0.25) marks will be deducted. Approximately 12 times the number of vacancies will be declared passed in the HCS Prelims result.
Stage II: HCS Main Exam
HCS Main exam is the second of the three-stage HCS exam process. The HCS main exam comprises 5 compulsory conventional essay type question papers. The name, marks and time allotted to each paper are given below.
| Subject Name | Marks Allotted | Time allotted |
|---|---|---|
| English and English Essay | 100 marks | 3 Hours |
| Hindi Including Hindi Essay in Devnagri Script | 100 marks | 3 Hours |
| General Studies | 100 marks | 3 Hours |
| Optional Subject 1 | 150 marks | 3 hours |
| Optional Subject 2 | 150 marks | 3 hours |
| Total = 600 Marks |
Stage III: HCS Personality Test
The interview is the last stage of the HCS exam. HCS personality test comprises 75 marks. The HCS interviews are conducted in Panchkula at the commission’s premises.
The final merit for Haryana HCS exam is prepared out of the total marks of 675. The candidates need to score in the HPSC HCS main written and interview. The marks of the HCS prelims is not counted for the final merit list.
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