Section Officer Exam Preparation: Syllabus, Mock Tests & Practice Questions
The Section Officer (Shakha Adhikrit) exam is the Public Service Commission's open competition for Gazetted Third Class posts in the Administration, Audit and Parliament services, with a separate Foreign Service track. It has three steps: a 100-mark aptitude test that screens candidates, three 100-mark subjective papers, then an IT skill test, group test and interview. The final result is out of 360 marks.
Official PSC Syllabus PDFs
Who Can Apply
Eligibility requirements
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university
Age Limit
21–35 years (general)
21–40 years for women and persons with disabilities
No upper age limit for permanent serving civil servants
When age is counted: Age is counted on the last date of application in the advertisement (not the double-fee deadline or the exam date), using your Bikram Sambat date of birth from your citizenship certificate. You must have completed 21 by that date, and a man who completes 35 on that day is no longer eligible (completed 40 for women and persons with disabilities).
- Ex-army and ex-police can apply up to 40 for designated posts only.
- Women with five or more years of continuous temporary service in a government development project have no age bar in open competition.
Citizenship
Nepali citizen with a valid citizenship certificate
Other Requirements
Good health; no criminal conviction; meet conduct requirements per Civil Service Act 2049
Exam Pattern
Section Officer marks breakdown and stage structure
| Stage | Type | Marks | Pass | Final score? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage IPreliminary Examination (Administrative Aptitude Test) | mcq | 100 | 45 | Screening only |
| Stage IIMain Examination | subjective | 300 | 120 | ✓ Yes |
| Final StageIT Skill Test, Group Test & Interview | practical | 60 | — | ✓ Yes |
| Final result | 360 | Stage II (300) + Final Stage (60) | ||
Stage I Syllabus — Preliminary Exam
100 MCQ questions · 1 mark each · −0.2 per wrong answer · 1 hour 30 minutes
Stage I is a screening test only. The 45 marks you need to pass do not carry into your final score, which is built from Stage II and the Final Stage. It is also the largest filter, so treat it as the exam within the exam. Calculators are not allowed. The paper has three parts: General Awareness (50), Aptitude Test (30) and English Language Competence (20). The English part is set at the level of an educated Class XII candidate.
Part A: General Awareness50 Q × 1 = 50 marks
Unit 1: Geography
- Physical, social and economic geography of Nepal and the world
Unit 2: History, Culture & Social System
- Major historical events of the world
- Political, economic and socio-cultural aspects of ancient, medieval and modern Nepali history
- People's movements for democracy in Nepal
- Prevalent religions, culture, ethnicity, languages, literature and art of Nepal
Unit 3: Polity & Governance
- Constitution, political system, rights-based issues and the evolution of Nepal's administrative system
Unit 4: Economic Development
- Infrastructure development in Nepal — agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, transportation, communication, education, health and electricity
- Nepal's economic issues: planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- Nepal's economic interaction with the world
Unit 5: Sustainable Development & Environment
- Sustainable development, ecology and ecological preservation, biodiversity, climate change, demography, urbanisation, settlement, pollution, and conservation of natural resources and national heritage
Unit 6: Science & Technology
- Major scientific discoveries and inventions, famous scientists and their contributions
- Impact of science and technology on human life and society
- General information on evolution, heredity, health and diseases
Unit 7: International Affairs & Institutions
- Nepal's relations with SAARC members and with China, the USA, the UK, Russia, France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan
- UN system, multilateral arrangements and Nepal
Unit 8: Current Affairs
- Major national and international events: political, social, cultural, economic, scientific, sports, books, prizes and rewards, arts, literature and music, plus noted personalities and thinkers
Part B: Aptitude Test30 Q × 1 = 30 marks
Unit 1: Verbal Reasoning(6 Q, 6 marks)
- Series, analogy, classification, coding-decoding, insert the missing character, common property, matrices, direction and distance sense, ranking order, assertion and reason, induction, deduction, courses of action
Unit 2: Non-verbal Reasoning(6 Q, 6 marks)
- Series, analogy, classification, Venn diagrams, matrices, construction of squares and triangles, figure formation and analysis, dot situation, water and mirror images, embedded figures
Unit 3: Quantitative Aptitude(6 Q, 6 marks)
- Arithmetical reasoning and operations, percentage, fraction, decimal, ratio, average, loss and profit, date and calendar, time and work
Unit 4: General Mental Ability(6 Q, 6 marks)
- General mental ability, logical reasoning and analytical ability
Unit 5: Data Interpretation(6 Q, 6 marks)
- Charts, graphs, tables and data sufficiency
Part C: English Language Competence Test20 Q × 1 = 20 marks
Unit 1: Comprehension(5 Q, 5 marks)
- Questions on a given passage: fact finding, inferential, core theme, true/false identification, issues raised and language-based questions
Unit 2: Vocabulary(7 Q, 7 marks)
- Meaning of words (literal, figurative, contextual), single word for expressions, synonyms and antonyms, derivatives, homonyms and homophones
Unit 3: Syntactic Ability(8 Q, 8 marks)
- Agreement, tense and aspect, parallel structures, clauses, modifiers, conditionals, phrasal expressions, shifts (tense, number, person), transformations, varieties, prepositions, conjunctions and parts of speech
Stage II Syllabus — Main Written Exam
3 papers · pass mark 120 marks total
Stage II has three subjective papers worth 100 marks each, and you must score at least 40 in every paper, not just 120 in total. Papers II and III are common to all services; Paper IV depends on your service group. Each paper has four sections, answered in separate answer books. Answers are written in Nepali, English or both. Plan for 10 questions in 3 hours: about 18 minutes per 10-mark answer.
Paper II: Governance Systems100 marks · pass: 40 · 180 min
10 questions × 10 marks, answered in a 3-hour subjective paper
Common for all services. Four sections: state and governance (30), constitution and law (20), public service and public management (30), and resource management and planning (20). Official sample questions ask you to define a concept and then discuss its Nepal-specific provisions or practice — practise answers that combine the two.
Section A — State and Governance (30 marks · 3 questions × 10)— 30 marks
- Fundamentals of governance: concept, context and characteristics
- Political and administrative structures of governance
- Right to information and transparency
- Nation building and state building
- Governance systems in Nepal
- National security management: concept, scope and existing provisions in Nepal
- Multi-level governance: informal, civil society, local, cooperative and corporate governance, and the United Nations
Section B — Constitution and Law (20 marks · 2 questions × 10)— 20 marks
- Constitutionalism and constitutional development in Nepal
- Present constitution of Nepal: salient features, executive, legislature and judiciary; fundamental rights, directive principles and policies of the State; functions and jurisdiction of constitutional and statutory bodies
- Human rights; civic sense, duties and responsibilities of people
- Sources of law and the law-making process in Nepal
- Rule of law, democratic values and norms, inclusion, proportional representation and affirmative action
Section C — Public Service and Public Management (30 marks · 3 questions × 10)— 30 marks
- Concept, functions, characteristics and role of public service; public service delivery
- Political neutrality, commitment, transparency and accountability
- Utilisation of public funds, ethics and morality
- Public management, civil service and bureaucracy
- Public policy: formulation process and analysis
- Public Service Charter
- E-governance
Section D — Resource Management and Planning (20 marks · 2 questions × 10)— 20 marks
- Human resource management: procurement, development, utilisation and maintenance
- Public financial management: planning and budgeting system in Nepal
- Government accounting and auditing system in Nepal; financial management and social accountability
- Development planning and the current periodic plan
- Participatory planning and development
Paper III: Contemporary Issues100 marks · pass: 40 · 180 min
10 questions × 10 marks, answered in a 3-hour subjective paper
Common for all services. Four sections: social issues (30), economic issues (20), developmental issues (30) and environmental issues (20). Questions usually ask for the causes, effects and your own view on current problems, so back each answer with examples from Nepal.
Section A — Social Issues (30 marks · 3 questions × 10)— 30 marks
- Social disputes and conflict; social justice and equality; social and cultural transformation
- Distributive justice of resources: disparities and marginalisation (regional, caste/ethnicity, gender, rural and urban)
- Social protection, social security and social responsibility
- Cultural diversity and social mobilisation
- Population: settlement, migration, urbanisation, ageing, refugees and displaced people
- Organised crime: cyber crime, trafficking, cartelling/monopoly, terrorism, corruption and money laundering
- Food sovereignty and security
Section B — Economic Issues (20 marks · 2 questions × 10)— 20 marks
- Economic growth and economic development
- Major aspects of economic development: agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, foreign employment and human resources
- Role of the public, private and cooperative sectors in economic development
- Foreign assistance and international co-operation; foreign investment (portfolio and direct)
- Technology transfer including intellectual property rights
- Trade, market and labour liberalisation; economic diplomacy
- Poverty and unemployment
Section C — Developmental Issues (30 marks · 3 questions × 10)— 30 marks
- Human development and infrastructure development
- Sustainable development: land, water and natural resources, carrying capacity and development policy
- Role of state and non-state actors in the development process
- Peace and conflict-sensitive development
- Decentralisation and local self-governance; citizen engagement in development
- Partnership development and community-based development
- Role of information and communication technology in development; globalisation and development
Section D — Environmental Issues (20 marks · 2 questions × 10)— 20 marks
- Ecosystem, biodiversity and conservation
- Climate change and carbon trade
- Environment degradation and deforestation
- Crisis and disaster management
- Environment and development; energy crisis and energy conservation
- Pollution and waste management
Paper IV: Service Group Subject100 marks · pass: 40 · 180 min
10 questions × 10 marks, answered in a 3-hour subjective paper
The syllabus below is for the Administration, Audit and Parliament services. Section C splits into government accounting (20) and auditing (10). Foreign Service candidates do not take this paper; they sit Extra Paper I (English Language) and Extra Paper II (Foreign Policy and International Relations) instead.
Section A — Public Management (30 marks)— 30 marks
- Introduction and scope of public management
- Personnel management: classification of civil service, recruitment, selection, appointment, placement, promotion, compensation, motivation, career development, performance appraisal and separation from service
- Organisation: concept, nature, type and organisational development
- Directing, controlling, hierarchy, decision-making, leadership, coordination, delegation and devolution of authority, supervision, monitoring and evaluation
- Evolution of Nepal's public administration: basic structure, features, reform efforts and challenges
- Management audit; professionalism, discipline and code of conduct
- Citizens' involvement in evaluating public sector performance: public hearing, social audit, public testing and third-party evaluation
- Innovative trends in public management; use of computers, the internet, social networking and ICT in public service delivery
Section B — Revenue Administration (20 marks)— 20 marks
- Financial procedures; concept and principles of revenue
- Public income, public expenditure and public debt
- Tax system in Nepal: current structure and implementation (VAT, income tax, excise duty, customs duty, local taxes and others)
- Intergovernmental financial transfer and revenue allocation
- Economic, financial and monetary policy
- Budget cycle: formulation, implementation and evaluation
Section C — Accounting, Reporting and Auditing (30 marks: accounting 20, auditing 10)— 30 marks
- Government financial transactions: features, transaction analysis, primary records, ledger posting and reporting
- Double-entry and cash/accrual-based accounting systems
- Chart of Accounts, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Revenue Management Information System (RMIS)
- Public assets, store/inventory and deposit accounting
- Nepal Public Sector Accounting Standards and legal provisions on financial procedures; public procurement management
- Auditing: purpose, types, principles; government and corporate auditing standards; irregularities and their settlement
- Audit of federal, provincial and local levels and state-owned enterprises; legal provisions on the Auditor General
- National and international auditing bodies (ICAN, INTOSAI, ASOSAI)
Section D — Parliamentary Process and Federal System (20 marks)— 20 marks
- Federal system and federalism in Nepal; legislative interrelation among federal, provincial and local levels
- Management procedures and the law-making process
- Interrelation between the House of Representatives and the National Assembly; among Parliament, parliamentary committees and constitutional bodies
- Role of parliamentary officials, parliamentary parties and the opposition
- Role of the Secretariat, the Conduction and Management Committee
- Jurisdictions and policy provisions on government services at federal, provincial and local levels
- Code of conduct, discipline, integrity and ethics of parliamentarians and elected representatives
Final Stage — Practical & Interview
60 marks total
The Final Stage carries 60 marks: an IT Skill Test (10), a Group Test (10) and an Interview (40). The IT test is practical and takes 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes each for Devanagari and English typing, then 10 minutes for word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and Windows tasks. The Group Test is a leaderless group discussion with an individual presentation. The interview is the biggest single factor — marks are holistic.
| Component | Marks | Time | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devanagari Typing | 2.5 | 5 min | Type a 150-word Devanagari text in 5 minutes. Graduated scoring: full 2.5 marks at 25 or more correct words per minute, partial marks from 5 (0.50) in 0.25-mark steps. Correct WPM = (words typed − wrong words) ÷ 5. |
| English Typing | 2.5 | 5 min | Type a 200-word English text in 5 minutes. Graduated scoring: full 2.5 marks at 30 or more correct words per minute, partial marks from 6 (0.50) in 0.25-mark steps. Correct WPM = (words typed − wrong words) ÷ 5. |
| Word Processing | 2 | — | Creating, saving and opening documents; typing in Devanagari and English; formatting text and paragraphs; bullets and numbering; tables, borders and shading; newspaper-style columns; header, footer, page number, pictures and symbols; page setup and printing; mail merge. Word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and Windows tasks share a 10-minute slot. |
| Presentation System | 1 | — | Creating, opening and saving slides; slide design, header and footer; slide show and animation; inserting pictures, tables, charts and graphs. |
| Electronic Spreadsheet | 1 | — | Cells, rows, columns, worksheets and workbooks; formatting cells, rows and columns; relative and absolute references; basic functions (IF, SUM, MAX, MIN, AVERAGE); sorting and filtering; header, footer and printing. |
| Windows, Email & Internet | 1 | — | Graphical user interface, antivirus, viruses and spam; files and folders; searching; web browsing; creating an email ID and using email; basic network troubleshooting. |
| Group Test | 10 | 30 min | Leaderless group discussion on a given topic (for example energy crisis, poverty alleviation, health insurance, food security or brain drain). Each candidate then gives an individual presentation. A three-member committee assesses communication, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork. |
| Interview | 40 | — | Oral interview by the Commission (40 marks; 50 for Foreign Service). Marks are holistic — no per-question breakdown. |
Typing score breakdown (graduated marking)
Devanagari Typing
| WPM | Marks |
|---|---|
| ≥ 25 | 2.5 |
| 22.5–24.99 | 2.25 |
| 20–22.49 | 2 |
| 17.5–19.99 | 1.75 |
| 15–17.49 | 1.5 |
| 12.5–14.99 | 1.25 |
| 10–12.49 | 1 |
| 7.5–9.99 | 0.75 |
| 5–7.49 | 0.5 |
| < 5 | 0 |
English Typing
| WPM | Marks |
|---|---|
| ≥ 30 | 2.5 |
| 27–29.99 | 2.25 |
| 24–26.99 | 2 |
| 21–23.99 | 1.75 |
| 18–20.99 | 1.5 |
| 15–17.99 | 1.25 |
| 12–14.99 | 1 |
| 9–11.99 | 0.75 |
| 6–8.99 | 0.5 |
| < 6 | 0 |
Salary & Benefits
Level 7 · Gazetted Third Class · FY 2083/84 pay scale (from Shrawan 1, 2083)
Basic Monthly Salary
Rs. 48,058
Level 7 · Gazetted Third Class · FY 2083/84 pay scale (from Shrawan 1, 2083)
Gross Monthly
Rs. 57,864
basic + allowances
Est. Take-Home
~Rs. 50,175
after PF and pension
- Basic salary (तलब)
- Rs. 48,058
- Incentive allowance (10% of scale)
- Rs. 4,806
- Dearness allowance (महँगी भत्ता)
- Rs. 5,000
- Gross monthly pay
- Rs. 57,864
- Provident fund, employee 10% (सञ्चय कोष)
- −Rs. 4,806
- Pension fund, employee 6%
- −Rs. 2,883
- Estimated income tax
- Rs. 0
- Estimated in-hand pay
- Rs. 50,175
Pay by years of service
One grade of Rs. 1,602 is added for each completed year, up to 10 grades.
| Grades | Basic + grade | Gross / month | In-hand (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (new) | 48,058 | 57,864 | 50,175 |
| 1 | 49,660 | 59,466 | 51,520 |
| 2 | 51,262 | 61,068 | 52,866 |
| 3 | 52,864 | 62,670 | 54,212 |
| 4 | 54,466 | 64,272 | 55,557 |
| 5 | 56,068 | 65,874 | 56,903 |
| 6 | 57,670 | 67,476 | 58,249 |
| 7 | 59,272 | 69,078 | 59,595 |
| 8 | 60,874 | 70,680 | 60,941 |
- Gazetted officer status
- Provident fund and pension: the government matches your monthly contributions
- Dashain allowance equal to one month's basic salary plus grade
- One grade (Rs. 1,602) added for each completed year, up to 8 grades
- Pension eligibility after 20 years of service
- Gratuity on voluntary retirement (minimum 7 years)
- 98-day maternity leave; 15-day paternity leave
- Medical expense reimbursement
- Life insurance cover
⚠ Estimates based on the FY 2083/84 government pay scale for Gazetted Third Class posts. Your office calculates the final tax (TDS). Verify current figures from the official Ministry of Finance circular before the advertisement.
Career Progression
From Kharidar to Secretary — the civil service ladder
- L5
Nayab Subba
entry path
- L7
Section Officer
You start hereGazetted
- L9
Under Secretary
~8–12 yrs
Gazetted
- L11
Joint Secretary
Gazetted
- L12
Secretary
Gazetted
What score do you need?
Merit list cutoff varies by vacancy cycle. Check the official PSC result notice for the cutoff of each specific advertisement.
Important Notes
- Candidates are chosen for Stage II only from Stage I results, and for the Final Stage only from Stage II results. The final result is published on Stage II plus Final Stage marks.
- Stage I carries negative marking: 20% of a question's marks is deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty. Calculators are not allowed in MCQ papers.
- The Foreign Service track is different: it adds Extra Paper I (English Language, 100 marks) and Extra Paper II (Foreign Policy & International Relations, 100 marks) in place of Paper IV, making Stage II 400 marks. Its interview is 50 marks, so the Final Stage is 70 and the total is 470. The two extra papers are written in English.
- Laws, acts and policies in the syllabus are considered as amended up to three months before the exam date.
- This syllabus was approved on 2081/03/20 and applies from the advertisements of fiscal year 2081/82. Confirm the details in the official vacancy notice.
Section Officer FAQs
Common questions about the exam pattern, syllabus and scoring
What are the stages of the Section Officer exam?
There are three: a 100-mark Administrative Aptitude Test (Stage I, screening only), a main written examination of three 100-mark subjective papers (Stage II), and a final stage of an IT skill test (10), a group test (10) and an interview (40). The final result is out of 360 marks, made up of Stage II (300) and the Final Stage (60).
Does Stage I count toward my final score?
No. Stage I is a screening test only. You need 45 of 100 to move on to Stage II, but those marks are not added to your final result.
What is the Stage I pattern?
One paper of 100 MCQs worth 1 mark each in 1 hour 30 minutes: General Awareness (50), Aptitude Test (30) and English Language Competence (20). Each wrong answer costs 20% of the question's mark (0.2), and calculators are not allowed.
What are Paper II, III and IV in Stage II?
Papers II (Governance Systems) and III (Contemporary Issues) are common to all services. Paper IV is the service group subject; for Administration, Audit and Parliament it covers public management, revenue, accounting and auditing, and the parliamentary process. Each paper is 100 marks, with 10 subjective questions of 10 marks in 3 hours. The pass mark is 40 per paper.
What qualification and age do I need?
A Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university. The age limit is 21–35 years for men and 21–40 years for women and persons with disabilities, counted on the last date of application in the advertisement. Permanent serving civil servants have no upper age limit.
What is tested in the IT skill test?
The 10 marks are split as Devanagari typing (2.5), English typing (2.5), word processing (2), presentation (1), spreadsheet (1) and Windows basics, email and internet (1). Typing is 5 minutes each with graduated marks by correct words per minute; the other four share a 10-minute practical slot.
What is the group test?
It is a 30-minute, 10-mark leaderless group discussion on a topic such as energy crisis or food security. Each candidate also gives an individual presentation. A three-member panel including a psychologist assesses communication, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork.
How is the Foreign Service track different?
Foreign Service candidates replace Paper IV with two extra papers, English Language and Foreign Policy & International Relations, which are written in English. Stage II is then 400 marks, the interview is 50 marks, and the total is 470.
What is the difference between Nayab Subba and Section Officer?
Nayab Subba is Non-Gazetted First Class and needs a Bachelor's degree, with a 240-mark result. Section Officer is the entry rank of Gazetted officers (Gazetted Third Class), has a 360-mark result, a different Stage II made of Governance Systems, Contemporary Issues and a service-group paper, and a higher salary scale.