State Civil Services · Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC)
RPSC RAS — Rajasthan Administrative Services Combined Competitive Examination
The complete RPSC RAS blueprint: tier-wise pattern, topic weightage from previous-year analyses, and free chapter-by-chapter study material.
3 stages — Prelims, Mains (4 descriptive papers), Interview800 Mains marks across four papers, plus a 100-mark interviewJan 2026 the first major syllabus and pattern revision since 2013 — this hub follows the revised units Free · tutor-verified
RPSC RAS at a glance
Conducted byRajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC)
CycleAnnual in intent, though cycles overlap: the 2024 recruitment ran its Prelims in February 2025 and Mains in mid-2025 (rescheduled amid protests, as reported) with results in October 2025 and interviews into January 2026, while a new 2026 recruitment was reported notified in May 2026 for about 600 posts, with Prelims scheduled for 29 November 2026 on published schedules. Confirm the live calendar on the Commission's site.
ModePrelims: OMR-based objective, 150 questions, 200 marks, 3 hours. Mains: pen-and-paper descriptive, four papers of 3 hours each, in Hindi or English (Paper IV in both languages). Interview: in-person personality and viva test.
EligibilityA bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Age is reckoned on a date fixed in each notification: about 21 to 40 with reservation-based relaxations. No cap on the number of attempts has been reported, so candidates may appear repeatedly within the age window. Confirm the reference date, relaxations and any attempt conditions on the current notification.
LanguagesHindi and English for the General Studies papers; Paper IV tests both languages and an essay in either
Selection intoRAS is the state's premier administrative service, with officers serving as Sub-Divisional Officers and rising to Additional Collectors and, through conferment, into the IAS. Published pay levels and in-hand figures differ across sources (some cite different Pay Levels of the 7th CPC matrix), so confirm the level from the notification and avoid relying on a cached figure.
Where RPSC RAS leads
Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) — Sub-Divisional Officer and district posts, with conferment into the IAS by promotionRajasthan Police Service (RPS) and other Rajasthan State Service postsSubordinate service posts recruited through the same combined examination (for example Tehsildar and accounts posts)The 2024 recruitment was notified for 733 posts (346 state service and 387 subordinate service), later reported increased to 1,096
⚡ What changed recently
- RPSC revised the RAS syllabus and pattern in January 2026, the first major overhaul since 2013, with around a quarter of the syllabus changing. Units are now defined (Unit I, II, III) in each paper, Sports and Yoga was dropped as a syllabus section, the Rajasthan Examination Act, 2022 was added, and law and management-related content was widened.
- Mains questions are now reported to be 5-mark (about 50 words) and 10-mark (about 150 words), with 2-mark questions removed. Paper IV was restructured as General Hindi (90 marks), General English (70) and an essay (40) on six themes.
- Paper III's law strand now names the new criminal codes (BNS and BNSS, in force from 1 July 2024), the Rajasthan Tenancy Act 1955 and Land Revenue Act 1956, and central statutes such as RTI, the IT Act and the protective Acts for women, children and seniors.
- Rajasthan's district map has changed twice in two years: 33 districts became 50 in 2023, and about 41 districts and seven divisions after nine new districts and three new divisions were dissolved in December 2024. Always quote the number with its year.
- Office-holders change, so this hub teaches Rajasthan's institutions, statutes and dates rather than naming a sitting Governor or Chief Minister. Confirm current names independently before the exam.
How RPSC RAS selection works
Know what each stage is for before you spend a single hour preparing.
SCREENING GATE ONLY
Prelims — one General Studies paper (150 questions, 200 marks)
A single objective paper on the revised Prelims syllabus, covering Rajasthan and Indian history, geography, polity, economy, science, reasoning, numerical ability and current events. Marks screen candidates into Mains and do not count toward the final merit list.
THE REAL SCORING STAGE
Mains — 4 written papers, 800 marks
General Studies I, II and III (200 each) plus Paper IV: General Hindi, General English and an essay (200). All four count toward merit.
FINAL 100 MARKS
Personality Test (Interview)
A board interview on administrative aptitude, knowledge of Rajasthan and general personality. Final merit is Mains 800 plus Interview 100, or 900 marks.
The exam pattern, tier by tier
Marks, timing and negative marking exactly as per the official notification.
Prelims — General Studies (single paper)
Screening — marks do not count toward the final merit list200 marks
3 hours · −1/3 of the marks for each wrong answer.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| History & Culture | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Geography | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Polity & Governance | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Economy | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Environment & Ecology | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Science & Technology | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Logical Reasoning & Mental Ability | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
| Basic Numerical Ability | — | — | Single Prelims paper (150 Qs · 200 marks) |
💡 150 objective questions, 200 marks. The syllabus lists twelve sections, from Rajasthan history, art and culture to Indian history, geography, polity, economy, science, reasoning, numerical ability and current events, with Rajasthan-specific sections for history, geography, polity, administration and economy. The 2026 revision removed the Sports and Yoga section and added the Rajasthan Examination Act, 2022.
Mains — General Studies I, II and III
Merit — 600 of your 800 Mains marks600 marks
3 hours per paper
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper I — History, Economics, Sociology, Management, Accounting | 5- and 10-mark answers | 200 | 3 hours |
| GS Paper II — Ethics, Science & Technology, Earth Science | 5- and 10-mark answers | 200 | 3 hours |
| GS Paper III — Polity, Public Administration, Behaviour & Law | 5- and 10-mark answers | 200 | 3 hours |
💡 Each paper has three units. Paper I: History (Rajasthan, India, world), Economics (India, world, Rajasthan) and Sociology, Management, Accounting and Auditing. Paper II: Administrative Ethics, General Science and Technology, and Earth Science. Paper III: Polity, Governance and International Affairs, Public Administration, and Behaviour and Law. The revised pattern uses 5-mark and 10-mark answers.
Mains — Paper IV: General Hindi, General English & Essay
Language paper — 200 marks, all counting toward merit200 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Hindi (not modelled here) | — | 90 | 3 hours |
| General English (not modelled here) | — | 70 | 3 hours |
| Essay (not modelled here) | 1 essay of about 600 words | 40 | 3 hours |
💡 General Hindi (90 marks), General English (70) and an essay (40, about 600 words on six themes) in the revised pattern. These are language-skill papers, outside this hub's chapter format. They still carry a quarter of the Mains marks, so practise them separately from the General Studies chapters.
Where your RAS score comes from
Prelims (150 objective questions, 200 marks) screens candidates into Mains and its marks do not count toward the final merit list. Mains is the scoring stage: four papers of 200 marks each and three hours each, all counting. Paper I covers History (Rajasthan, India and the world), Economics (India, the world and Rajasthan) and Sociology, Management, and Accounting and Auditing. Paper II covers Administrative Ethics, General Science and Technology, and Earth Science (world, India and Rajasthan). Paper III covers Polity, Governance and International Affairs, Public Administration, and Behaviour and Law. Paper IV is General Hindi, General English and an essay, a language paper outside this hub's chapter format. Every paper carries a Rajasthan strand, and RAS is distinctive for the amount of state content and for its non-UPSC subjects (management, accounting and auditing, behaviour, and law), which is why this hub has 13 state-specific chapters. The Commission publishes no unit-wise marks, so the marks shown are indicative. Click any block to open its chapters:
General Studies I-III600 marks · 66.7%
Two-thirds of the total, and the papers where the 13 state chapters of this hub carry the most weight: each paper has a Rajasthan strand and several subjects, such as management, accounting and law, that UPSC does not test.
Paper IV — Hindi, English & Essay200 marks · 22.2%
Language-skill papers outside this hub's chapter format. They count fully toward merit, so give them dedicated practice throughout preparation.
Interview100 marks · 11.1%
A board assessing administrative aptitude and knowledge of Rajasthan, which draws directly on the state chapters here.
Subjects in RPSC RAS
Chapter-by-chapter study material built to the exam's own blueprint.
Topic-wise weightage — what to study first
Question counts per topic, distilled from previous-year paper analyses. Click any topic with a link to open its full chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| History of Rajasthan: From Prehistory to Integration | ~25 | Very high |
🎯 The most distinctly Rajasthan block of the exam. Learn integration as one line of seven dates, pair every movement with its region, leader and outcome, and give dates for battles.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Architecture, Folk Culture, Fairs & Literature of Rajasthan | ~20 | Very high |
🎯 Mostly pairing questions: form with place, fair with deity, work with author. Always give the year for a UNESCO inscription, and note that Prithviraj Raso's reliability is debated.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient & Medieval Administration, Economy & Society | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. The Rajput states, Mughal relations and Rajasthan's own history are in the state history chapter; use this chapter for the all-India frame.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial Economy, Society & the Freedom Struggle | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. Rajasthan's 1857 outbreaks, peasant and tribal movements and Praja Mandals are in the state history chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Integration, Reorganisation & Nation-Building | ~4 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. Rajasthan's own seven-stage integration is in the state history chapter, and builds on this national account.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Art, Literature & Architecture | ~6 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. Pair it with the Rajasthan art and culture chapter for the state examples RAS asks.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| World History: Revolutions, Wars & Decolonisation | ~10 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. RAS limits world history to the period up to 1991, so read the chapter with that boundary in mind.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Write GS3 Mains Answers | ~11 | High |
| Growth, Development & Macroeconomic Policy | ~11 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3. Read Rajasthan's economy against the national picture, and cover WTO, the World Bank and the IMF from the international-relations chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Food Security & Farm Policy | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3. Rajasthan's crops, water and price policy are in the state economy chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Industry, Infrastructure & Investment Models | ~6 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Economy of Rajasthan: Agriculture, Water, Industry & Welfare | ~30 | Very high |
🎯 The most current-affairs-sensitive marks in Paper I. Label every projection as an estimate and every investment intent as an intent, and pair each crop, project and cluster with its place.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Write GS1 Mains Answers | ~6 | High |
| Indian Society: Diversity, Change & Social Issues | ~6 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. The Rajasthan focus (tribes, customs, women's issues) is in the state society chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Welfare Schemes, Social Sector & Vulnerable Sections | ~6 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Society, Tribes & Social Issues of Rajasthan | ~18 | Very high |
🎯 Quote figures with the 2011 Census, pair each social evil with its law, and keep the Bhanwari Devi to POSH chain (1992, 1997, 2013) as one memory line.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Management: Functions, Decision-Making, HRM & Strategy | ~20 | High |
🎯 This chapter is shared with MPPSC's GS IV Part B, so it is written to serve both syllabi. Cite the theorist and year for every theory, and use the marketing mix and SWOT explicitly, since RAS names them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Concepts, Financial Statements, GST Basics & Auditing | ~20 | Very high |
🎯 New to most candidates and expanded in the 2026 revision. Learn the debit-credit rules, three ratios and the audit-types table first, and separate financial, compliance and performance audit clearly.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Indian & Western Moral Thinkers | ~9 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Write GS4 Ethics Answers for Mains | ~5 | High |
| Ethics Fundamentals & Human Interface | ~5 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude, Structure & Emotional Intelligence | ~9 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Values for Civil Servants | ~9 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Public Service Values & Ethical Dilemmas | ~9 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Probity in Governance & Transparency | ~9 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Write Ethics Case Studies | ~5 | High |
| Worked Ethics Case Studies | ~5 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS4. RAS names non-factual case studies explicitly, so practise them in the short word limits RAS sets.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Science, Technology & Indigenous Innovation | ~50 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3. The syllabus is unusually broad, covering basic science, mRNA and CRISPR, cloud and blockchain, and space and defence, so read across the whole chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Science, Technology, Energy & Digital Governance in Rajasthan | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 One line of the syllabus names Rajasthan's science development; this chapter supplies the institutions, sites and platforms that answer it. Learn institution-place-function triples and the two Pokhran dates.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Geography, Resources & Geophysical Phenomena | ~26 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS1. RAS adds the Rajasthan strand in the two state chapters that follow.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Environment, Conservation & Climate Policy | ~10 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Geography of Rajasthan: Physiography, Drainage, Climate & Soils | ~20 | Very high |
🎯 Answer physiography region by region from west to east, group rivers by drainage system first, and pair every lake, soil and climate type with its region.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Minerals, Wildlife, Agriculture & Geo-heritage of Rajasthan | ~20 | Very high |
🎯 Minerals and protected areas are the most reliable pairings. Pair each mineral with its district and distinction, learn protected areas as place-species pairs, and date every count.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Write GS2 Mains Answers | ~6 | High |
| Constitutional Evolution, Features & Basic Structure | ~6 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Parliament, Legislatures & the Executive | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Judiciary, Judicial Review & Fundamental Rights | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2. The Rajasthan High Court (Jodhpur, with a Jaipur bench) is in the state polity chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Federalism, Devolution & Local Governance | ~10 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2. The Rajasthan structure of local government is in the state polity chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Security: Challenges & Institutions | ~8 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS3.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| India's Foreign Policy, Neighbourhood & Global Groupings | ~14 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2. RAS names the current groupings, so keep the latest summits and platforms up to date.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Political System, Local Government & Administration of Rajasthan | ~40 | Very high |
🎯 State numbers with their year (districts and divisions have changed), describe the Collector as revenue head, magistrate and development coordinator, and pair each reform statute with year and purpose.
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE's Public Administration optional, minus the optional-specific answer-writing chapter. RAS's unit is much lighter than the optional, so treat the theory chapters as the core and the rest as depth.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional, Statutory & Regulatory Bodies | ~10 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2. Add RPSC and the state's own bodies from the Rajasthan polity chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Governance, Transparency & the Civil Services | ~10 | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Mains GS2.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour at Work: Intelligences, Leadership, Communication & Occupational Stress | ~20 | Very high |
🎯 Six named topics, each answerable with a theorist and a clean structure. Give a public-administration example in every 10-mark answer and pair each problem with a remedy.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| RTI, IT Act, IPR & Protective Statutes for Women, Children and Seniors | ~22 | Very high |
🎯 Give each Act as year, purpose, key machinery and one limitation. Cite section numbers only where you are sure, and remember Section 66A was struck down in 2015.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 & Land Revenue Act, 1956 | ~12 | Very high |
🎯 Answer with principles, not memorised sections: the four land laws in order (1952, 1955, 1956, 1973), why transfer is restricted, and the revenue ladder from patwari to the Board of Revenue at Ajmer.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| New Criminal Laws: Selected BNS and BNSS Provisions for RAS | ~12 | Very high |
🎯 Give the new BNS or BNSS number first and the old IPC or CrPC number only as a bridge, and distinguish related offences by their defining element (unlawful assembly against rioting).
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack History for Prelims | — | High |
| Ancient India & the Indus Valley Civilisation | — | High |
| Medieval India — Sultanate to Mughals | — | High |
| Modern India — Company Rule to 1857 | — | High |
| Indian Freedom Struggle, 1885–1947 | — | High |
| Indian Art, Culture & Heritage | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims. Rajasthan history, art, culture and literature is the first section of the RAS Prelims, covered by the state history and culture chapters.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Geography for Prelims | — | High |
| Physical Geography & Geomorphology | — | High |
| Indian Geography & Natural Resources | — | High |
| World Geography & Map-Based Facts | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims. Add the two Rajasthan geography chapters for the state section.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Polity for Prelims | — | High |
| Constitution, Preamble & Schedules | — | High |
| Fundamental Rights, Duties & DPSPs | — | High |
| Union Executive & Parliament | — | High |
| State Executive & State Legislature | — | High |
| Judiciary & Constitutional Bodies | — | High |
| Local Governance & Panchayati Raj | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims. Add the state polity chapter for the Rajasthan political and administrative system.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Economy for Prelims | — | High |
| Economic Concepts & National Income | — | High |
| Money, Banking & Inflation | — | High |
| Fiscal Policy, Budget & Taxation | — | High |
| Economic Reforms & Sectors of the Economy | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims. Add the state economy chapter for the Rajasthan economy.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Environment for Prelims | — | High |
| Ecosystems, Biodiversity & Conservation | — | High |
| Climate Change & Environmental Policy | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Science & Tech for Prelims | — | High |
| Space Technology & Defence | — | High |
| Biotechnology, IT & Health | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims. Add the Rajasthan science chapter for state-linked facts.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Logical Reasoning for CSAT | — | High |
| Analytical Puzzles & Critical Reasoning | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims CSAT.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to Crack Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation for CSAT | — | High |
| Numeracy & Data Interpretation | — | High |
🎯 Shared with UPSC CSE Prelims CSAT.
RPSC RAS resources
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FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Roughly half of the General Studies syllabus is national and follows UPSC-style content, which is why this hub aliases those chapters. RAS differs in three ways: a Rajasthan strand runs through every paper, it tests subjects UPSC does not (management, accounting and auditing, behaviour, and specific state and central laws), and it uses shorter answers of about 50 and 150 words.
No. Prelims is a screening stage, and its marks are not added to the final merit list, which is Mains (800) plus Interview (100). Prelims does carry negative marking of one-third for each wrong answer.
About a quarter of the syllabus changed: units are now clearly defined, Sports and Yoga was dropped, the Rajasthan Examination Act 2022 was added, law and management content was widened, Mains questions moved to 5 and 10 marks, and Paper IV was restructured into Hindi, English and an essay. The state chapters in this hub follow the revised units.
Rajasthan had 33 districts, then 50 after 2023, and about 41 (with seven divisions) after December 2024 when several new districts and divisions were dissolved. Because the number has changed twice, always quote it with a year in your answer.
Office-holders change, and this content is written to stay accurate across those changes. The chapters teach the institutions, statutes and dates that carry the marks. Confirm current names from a live source close to your exam date.
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