The APSC CCE (Combined Competitive Examination), conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission, is Assam’s flagship state civil services exam, recruiting officers such as ACS (Assam Civil Service), APS (Assam Police Service), and other Group A/B officers through a UPSC-style Prelims → Mains → Interview process. Unlike OPSC, APSC Mains has no qualifying-only language paper and no Optional Subject — all six Mains papers count fully toward merit, including a dedicated Assam-specific paper. This guide covers the complete APSC syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility, salary, key posts, and preparation strategy.
What Is APSC CCE Exam?
APSC’s Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) recruits Group A and Group B gazetted officers across Assam’s state government departments. Its three-stage structure — Preliminary Examination (screening) → Main Examination (merit) → Interview — mirrors UPSC CSE, but with a simpler Mains paper lineup than CGPSC or OPSC: six General Studies-style papers, all counted toward merit, with no separate qualifying language hurdle and no optional subject to choose. If you’re comparing APSC against other states, see our State PSC Exams in India guide for a full side-by-side comparison.
APSC Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| General/Unreserved | 21 years | 38 years |
| OBC/MOBC | 21 years | 41 years (+3 years) |
| SC/ST/STH | 21 years | 43 years (+5 years) |
| Persons with Benchmark Disability | 21 years | 48 years (+10 years) |
| Ex-Servicemen (Unreserved) | 21 years | 50 years |
| Ex-Servicemen (SC/ST) | 21 years | 55 years |
Age relaxation amounts and cut-off dates are specified per notification — always confirm against the official notification on apsc.nic.in.
Educational Qualification
Candidates need a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university or institute in India (foreign degrees require Government of India recognition). Final-year students may apply if results are declared before the Mains examination. APSC also carries a distinctive local-language proficiency requirement — candidates must be proficient in Assamese, another official language of Assam, or a recognized tribal language of the state, alongside Assam domicile/residency status.
Number of Attempts
Like CGPSC and JPSC, and unlike OPSC’s category-wise attempt caps, APSC does not cap the number of attempts — candidates may apply repeatedly as long as they meet the applicable age and eligibility criteria for that year’s notification.
APSC Exam Pattern
Preliminary Examination (Screening Only)
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper II | CSAT (Aptitude) | 200 | 2 hours |
Total Prelims marks: 400 across 4 hours. Negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer — the lowest negative-marking rate of any State PSC guide on this site so far (compare to CGPSC and TSPSC/APPSC’s 1/3rd, or OPSC’s 0.33). Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying only within Prelims, requiring a minimum 33% to advance. Prelims marks are used only to shortlist for Mains and do not count toward final merit.
Main Examination
APSC Mains has six descriptive papers of 250 marks each — all six count fully toward merit, with no qualifying-only language paper and no Optional Subject:
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Essay | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Studies I (History, Culture & Geography) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies II (Governance, Polity & International Relations) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | General Studies III (Economy, Technology, Environment & Security) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude) | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VI | Assam-Specific Paper (History, Geography, Governance, Economy & Environment) | 250 | 3 hours |
Total Mains marks: 1,500 across all six papers. Interview: 180 marks — an unusual figure compared to the round 100/250 numbers most other State PSCs use. Final selection merit = 1,500 (Mains) + 180 (Interview) = 1,680 marks. Prelims marks are not added at any stage beyond shortlisting for Mains. Paper structure and exact marks distribution are occasionally revised between cycles — always verify against the current notification.
APSC Syllabus (Detailed)
Prelims Paper I: General Studies
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India, with roughly 30-35% Assam-specific weightage
- Geography of India and Assam (physical, economic and social)
- Indian polity and governance
- Economic and social development
- Environment and ecology
- General science
Prelims Paper II: CSAT
- Comprehension
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy and data interpretation
Mains Syllabus, Paper by Paper
- Paper I (Essay): Essay writing on contemporary and general topics, testing structured thinking and expression.
- Paper II (GS I — History, Culture & Geography): Indian history from the mid-18th century onward, India’s cultural heritage, and the physical, economic, and social geography of India and Assam.
- Paper III (GS II — Governance, Polity & International Relations): Constitutional framework, federal structure, governance bodies and institutions, social justice schemes, and India’s international relations.
- Paper IV (GS III — Economy, Technology, Environment & Security): Economic development, agriculture, infrastructure, science and technology applications, environmental conservation, and internal security management.
- Paper V (GS IV — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude): Ethical dimensions of public service, integrity, values in governance, emotional intelligence, and case-study-based ethical dilemmas.
- Paper VI (Assam-Specific Paper): A comprehensive, standalone paper covering Assam’s history, geography, governance, economy, environment, and disaster management — the single biggest differentiator from a generic State PSC Mains paper lineup, since most other states weave their state-specific content into GS papers rather than giving it a full dedicated paper.
Papers II-V overlap significantly with UPSC CSE and other State PSC syllabi, so preparation transfers well — but Paper VI’s dedicated Assam-specific content needs standalone preparation with no substitute, since it isn’t just a section within a broader paper the way it is for most other states.
Key Posts Under APSC CCE
- Assam Civil Service (ACS)
- Assam Police Service (APS)
- Assam Finance Service
- Various other Group A and Group B administrative posts
Posts like APS carry additional physical standards (height/chest measurements) — check the specific post’s requirement in the notification.
APSC Salary & Pay Scale
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Starting Basic Pay | ₹43,300/month |
| Pay Scale Range | ₹30,000 – ₹1,10,000 |
| Grade Pay (varies by seniority/post) | ₹9,100 – ₹13,300 |
| Dearness Allowance | 46–53% of basic pay |
| House Rent Allowance | 8–40% of basic pay + DA (varies by posting location) |
Gross monthly pay at entry level runs approximately ₹68,000–₹70,000, with in-hand pay of roughly ₹61,000 after standard deductions (NPS, professional tax, insurance). ACS follows a 7th Pay Commission-based structure, though sources describe it using a blend of pay-scale and grade-pay terminology rather than the cleaner Level-based format seen in CGPSC, KAS, and OPSC — always verify the exact current-cycle terminology against the latest Assam Pay Commission orders. Officers also receive medical allowance (~₹600/month), travel allowance, government housing support where available, and pension/NPS benefits. Pay scales are revised periodically — verify current figures against official pay commission orders before relying on them for career planning.
How to Prepare for APSC
- Treat Paper VI as a full standalone subject, not an add-on — since Assam-specific content gets its own dedicated 250-mark paper rather than being folded into the GS papers, it deserves the same depth of preparation as any other Mains paper.
- Build your Assamese/tribal-language proficiency early if it isn’t already strong — this is a hard eligibility requirement, not just a scoring consideration.
- Leverage overlapping UPSC/State PSC preparation for Papers II-V (History, Polity, Economy, Ethics), then layer Assam-specific material on top for Paper VI.
- Don’t over-rely on negative-marking caution — at 0.25 marks per wrong answer, informed guessing carries less downside in APSC Prelims than in CGPSC or TSPSC/APPSC’s 1/3rd-mark penalty.
- Track the notification cycle on apsc.nic.in — since APSC has no attempt limit, sustained multi-cycle preparation is a realistic, low-risk strategy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating Assam-specific content as a minor add-on rather than a full 250-mark Mains paper in its own right — this is consistently where avoidable marks are lost.
- Confusing APSC’s all-merit, no-optional Mains structure with CGPSC’s (which has a standalone Maths paper) or OPSC’s (which has a full Optional Subject) — each state’s Mains strategy needs to be state-specific.
- Overlooking the local-language proficiency requirement until late in preparation, when it should be addressed as early as possible if not already strong.
- Not verifying the current cycle’s exact marks distribution before finalizing a study plan, since paper structure and the pay-scale format have both shifted across past cycles.
Related State PSC & UPSC Resources
- State PSC Exams in India: Complete List, Comparison & Guide — see how APSC compares with other states’ civil services exams.
- OPSC OCS Syllabus Guide — a neighbouring Eastern-Indian State PSC with a very different Mains structure (Optional Subject, category-wise attempt caps).
- JPSC Syllabus Guide, CGPSC Syllabus Guide, and UKPSC PCS Syllabus Guide — other unlimited-attempt (or attempt-cap-unconfirmed) State PSC exams without an Optional Subject.
- KPSC KAS Exam Guide and TSPSC & APPSC Group 1 Guide — other State PSC exams with a similar Prelims-Mains-Interview structure.
- Kerala PSC Syllabus Guide and TNPSC Group 1 Guide — other State PSC exams to compare against.
- UPSC Current Affairs Guide — a source-and-revision system that transfers well to APSC’s current-events section once you add an Assam-specific layer.
FAQs: APSC Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Disclaimer: APSC exam pattern, syllabus, marks distribution, and pay scales are revised periodically by the Assam Public Service Commission and the Government of Assam. This guide reflects the framework as of the 2025-26 cycle — always cross-check exact figures for the current cycle against the official notification and apsc.nic.in before relying on them.
