HPPSC HAS / HPAS Combined Exam 2026 Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026

Prelims — General Studies (Paper I)

• Current affairs of national and international importance
• Indian history, culture and civics
• Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world
• Socio-economic, political and cultural conditions of Himachal Pradesh
• Indian polity and governance — Constitution, Panchayati Raj, public policy
• General science and environmental knowledge

Prelims — Aptitude Test (Paper II)

• Basic numeracy — Class X level mathematics
• English language — comprehension and composition
• Logical and verbal reasoning
• Communication skills and general mental ability
• Data interpretation and elementary problem-solving

Mains — English (Qualifying)

• Comprehension of unseen passages — 20 marks
• Usage and vocabulary — 20 marks
• Composition, letter, application, note and report writing — 20 marks
• Precis writing — 20 marks
• English grammar — 20 marks

Mains — Hindi (Qualifying, Devanagari)

• Translation — English to Hindi and Hindi to English
• Explanation of passages in Hindi
• Composition writing, idioms and corrections
• Must qualify to have other Mains papers evaluated

Mains — Essay (Paper III)

• Two essays (~900 words each) from given choices
• Themes: societal, political, economic, cultural and historical issues
• HP-specific: tribal policies, rural administration, tourism, ecology, disaster management
• National issues: Constitution, governance, globalization, sustainable development

Mains — General Studies I

• Historical understanding of India and Himachal Pradesh
• Indian society, laws and rights; Gandhian thought
• Geographical knowledge of HP and India — Himalayas, rivers, climate
• Disaster management and tribal conditions in HP

Mains — General Studies II

• Indian Constitution, Parliament and governance policies
• Administration of regional and rural Himachal Pradesh
• India's relations with neighbouring countries
• Crime, law and order issues in Himachal Pradesh

Mains — General Studies III

• Indian economy, demography, poverty and unemployment
• Monetary policy, GDP, foreign trade and technology
• Tourism, IT and biotech industry in HP; hydropower and horticulture
• Ecology, climate change and sustainable development

Mains — Optional Subject (Papers VII & VIII)

• Choose one optional from 31 subjects (e.g. History, Geography, Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, Law, Mathematics)
• Two descriptive papers — 100 marks each at degree level
• Popular choices: Public Administration, History, Geography, Political Science
• Optional marks count toward Mains merit and final ranking

Personality Test / Interview

• HP current affairs — schemes, governance, socio-economic conditions
• Regional customs, culture and dialects of Himachal Pradesh
• National and international current events
• Leadership, communication skills, mental agility and critical understanding

Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS)

Senior administrative posts — district-level governance, revenue and development administration across 12 HP districts

Himachal Pradesh Police Service

Gazetted police officers (Deputy Superintendent cadre) in HP Police

Tehsildar / Revenue Service

Revenue administration, land records and tehsil-level executive magistracy

Allied Services

BDO, State Accounts Service, Forest Service (where notified) and other Class-I/II departmental posts