If you have an LLB degree and you're wondering what to do with it, BPSC APO is one of the best doors into Bihar's legal system without going through years of court practice. You get a government job, a prosecutor's badge, and a real say in criminal trials from day one.
This post covers everything about BPSC APO 2026 — the current notification, who's eligible, how the exam is structured, what to study, and what past cut-offs looked like. No guesswork on dates, and where something is still unconfirmed, we'll say so directly.
Quick Answer
BPSC APO 2026 notification is already out. BPSC released Advertisement No. 13/2026 on 25 February 2026 for 300 Assistant Prosecution Officer posts. The preliminary exam was conducted on 15 July 2026, and results plus the mains exam date are still awaited as of early August 2026. If you missed this cycle, keep this page bookmarked — the pattern and syllabus below will carry over to the next one too.
Latest Notification and Important Dates
The table below has the confirmed dates from the 2026 cycle. Anything not yet announced is marked tentative.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 25 February 2026 |
| Application start | 27 February 2026 |
| Application end | 20 March 2026 |
| Prelims exam | 15 July 2026 (conducted) |
| Prelims answer key / objections | Expected shortly after exam (check official site) |
| Prelims result | Awaited (tentative: August-September 2026) |
| Mains exam | Not announced yet (tentative: late 2026) |
| Interview | After mains result, date not fixed |
Since prelims is already over, if you're reading this now your best move is to track the official exam news page and BPSC's own portal for the result date, rather than waiting on rumours doing the rounds on Telegram groups.
What the Job Actually Is
An Assistant Prosecution Officer represents the state in criminal cases in Bihar's district and sessions courts. You're not a judge and you're not a defence lawyer — you argue the prosecution's side, work closely with the police investigation, examine witnesses, and push for convictions where the evidence supports it.
Day to day, this means reading case files, preparing arguments before hearings, appearing in court almost daily once you're posted, and coordinating with the Superintendent of Police and investigating officers on ongoing cases. Postings are typically at the district level and you can be transferred within the state as your career progresses. It's a fast-paced job if you're in a busy district — expect a real courtroom workload, not a desk job.
Vacancy Details
BPSC has notified 300 posts for APO in the 2026 cycle. Of these, 99 posts are reserved for women across categories. The break-up spans Unreserved (UR), EWS, SC, ST, EBC, and BC categories, following Bihar's standard reservation roster. The final category-wise number can shift slightly once BPSC publishes the detailed roster in the advertisement, so always cross-check the exact figure for your category on the official notification PDF before you plan your strategy around it.
300 vacancies is a solid number for a law-specific state exam — for comparison, many states don't run a dedicated prosecutor recruitment every year, so this is a real opportunity if you have an LLB.
Eligibility
You need a law degree and you need to fit the age window — here's the exact breakdown.
Educational Qualification
You must hold a Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB), either the 3-year course after a graduate degree or the 5-year integrated course, from a university recognised by the Bar Council of India. Final-year law students can usually apply provisionally, but you'll need the actual degree in hand by the time selection is completed — don't bank on "I'll finish it later."
Age Limit
Minimum age is 21 years for everyone. Maximum age depends on category and gender, as shown here.
| Category | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| General (Male) | 37 years |
| General (Female) | 40 years |
| OBC / EBC (Male & Female) | 40 years |
| SC / ST (Male & Female) | 42 years |
| PwD | 47 years |
Age is calculated as on 1 August of the relevant year (check the exact cut-off date mentioned in the official notification, since BPSC sometimes shifts this).
Domicile and Physical Standards
There's no domicile restriction — candidates from anywhere in India can apply, though you do need working knowledge of Hindi since court proceedings and much of the paperwork happen in Hindi. There's no physical standard (height, chest, etc.) for this post since it's not a uniformed or field role.
Application Process and Fee
Applications go through the BPSC online portal, and the process is fully digital — no postal applications accepted.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / Unreserved | ₹600 |
| SC / ST / Female (all categories) | ₹150 |
| PwD | ₹150 |
Steps to apply (for reference, and for the next cycle if you missed this one):
- Go to bpsconline.bihar.gov.in and register with your basic details.
- Fill in your educational qualification, category, and personal details.
- Upload your photo, signature, and required certificates.
- Pay the fee online (net banking, debit card, or UPI).
- Submit and save the printout of your confirmation page.
Don't leave the form for the last day. BPSC servers get overloaded near the deadline every single cycle, and a failed submission because of a server crash is not an excuse the commission accepts.
Exam Pattern
Selection happens in three stages: prelims (screening only), mains (counts for merit), and interview.
Preliminary Exam
Prelims is objective, offline (pen and paper), and only used to screen candidates for mains — the marks don't count toward final selection.
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Awareness | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| II | Law | 150 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Total | 250 | 200 | 4 hours |
Mains Exam
Mains is descriptive and this is where your actual rank is decided.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I | General Studies | 100 |
| II | Hindi (qualifying, 30 marks minimum) | 100 |
| III | English (qualifying, 30 marks minimum) | 100 |
| IV | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 | 150 |
| V | Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 | 150 |
| VI | Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 | 75 |
| VII | Civil Procedure Code, 1908 | 75 |
| VIII | Indian Constitutional Law | 150 |
| IX | Other Laws | 150 |
| Total (counted for merit) | 1050 |
Hindi and English papers are qualifying only — you need 30 marks to clear them, but those marks aren't added to your final score. Every other paper counts.
Interview
The interview carries 100 marks and checks your legal reasoning, communication, and general awareness of current affairs and administration. It's a viva-voce, usually 15-20 minutes, in front of a panel.
Final merit = Mains marks (1050) + Interview marks (100), out of 1150.
Detailed Syllabus
Prelims Paper I — General Awareness
Current national and international affairs, Indian history with focus on freedom movement, Indian polity and constitution basics, geography of India and Bihar specifically, general science applied to daily life, and Bihar-specific GK (culture, economy, government schemes). This paper rewards people who read the news regularly rather than those who cram static GK the week before.
Prelims Paper II — Law
Indian Constitution (fundamental rights, directive principles, structure of government), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (the criminal code that replaced IPC), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 (evidence law, replaced the old Evidence Act), and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (criminal procedure, replaced CrPC). If you studied law under the old codes, spend real time relearning the new sections and their renumbering — a lot of candidates lose marks purely by mixing up old IPC sections with new BNS ones.
Mains — Law Papers
- BNS 2023: General principles of criminal liability, offences against the body, property, state, and public tranquility, punishments and their gradation.
- BSA 2023: Relevancy of facts, examination of witnesses, burden of proof, documentary and oral evidence, presumptions.
- BNSS 2023: Arrest procedure, investigation, summons and warrants, bail, trial procedure, appeals and revisions.
- Civil Procedure Code 1908: Jurisdiction of courts, pleadings, suits, execution of decrees, appeals — asked at a working-lawyer level, not just theory.
- Constitutional Law: Fundamental rights and their limitations, writ jurisdiction, emergency provisions, centre-state relations.
- Other Laws: Arms Act 1959, Dowry Prohibition Act, Prevention of Corruption Act, POCSO Act, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act — these come up often in real prosecution work, so BPSC tests them directly.
Mains — Language Papers
Hindi and English papers are at a Class 10 level — grammar, essay writing, précis writing, and letter writing. Don't over-prepare for these at the cost of law papers; just make sure you comfortably clear the 30-mark qualifying bar.
Mains — General Studies
Standard GS covering history, geography, polity, economy, science, and current affairs, but expect a slight tilt toward governance and legal current affairs (new laws, court judgments, government schemes related to justice delivery).
For structured daily practice on GS and current affairs, Pareeksha's current affairs section is a good habit to build alongside your law reading. And if reasoning or quant ever shows up in a general paper, the reasoning guide and quantitative aptitude guide on Pareeksha cover the basics well.
Salary, Pay Scale and Career Growth
APO is placed in Pay Level 9 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix, with a basic pay range of ₹53,100 to ₹1,67,800. Add Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and other standard government allowances, and your in-hand salary typically works out somewhere in the ₹65,000 to ₹75,000 range depending on your posting location and current DA rates.
Career growth in the prosecution department follows a structured promotion path — from APO you can move up to Prosecuting Officer, and eventually to senior roles like Deputy Director or Director of Prosecution over the years, based on seniority and departmental exams. It's a stable, respected government legal career, not a dead-end desk job.
Previous Year Cut-off
BPSC APO doesn't run every single year, so cut-off data from the last completed cycle gives you the best reference point.
| Category | Prelims Cut-off (approx, last completed cycle) |
|---|---|
| General | 50-55% |
| EWS | Slightly below General |
| BC/EBC | 45-50% |
| SC/ST | 40-45% |
| PwD | Lower, category-relaxed |
These numbers are approximate and based on past-cycle trends since the 2026 prelims result isn't out yet. Once BPSC declares the 2026 result, treat these as reference only, not a guarantee — cut-offs move up or down depending on how tough the paper was and how many candidates appeared.
Best Books and Preparation Strategy
For prelims General Awareness, stick to standard NCERT-level books for history, polity, and geography, plus a Bihar-specific GK book — don't skip the state-specific portion, it's an easy scoring zone most outside candidates ignore.
For the law paper, get bare acts of BNS, BSA, and BNSS along with a good commentary — Ratanlal & Dhirajlal or PSA Pillai's Criminal Law are solid standard references used across law prep circles. For Constitution, M. Laxmikanth's polity book covers what you need at prelims level; for mains-level depth, go to a dedicated constitutional law textbook.
Rough month-wise plan if you have 4-5 months before mains (adjust based on actual dates once announced):
- Month 1-2: Build a strong base in BNS, BSA, BNSS — read the bare act first, then commentary. Parallel revise Constitution.
- Month 2-3: Start CPC and Other Laws (Arms Act, POCSO, SC/ST Act, Dowry Act, Prevention of Corruption Act). These are shorter acts, easier to finish fast.
- Month 3-4: Answer writing practice for mains — this is where most law graduates fall short. Writing a 150-mark descriptive law paper in the exam hall is a different skill from knowing the law.
- Month 4-5: Full-length mock tests, revision, and current affairs updates. Use free mock tests on Pareeksha to time yourself and get used to the exam pressure, and topic-wise practice sets to fix weak areas.
If you want a broader framework for planning your months, the study plan section on Pareeksha has templates you can adapt to this exam's timeline. You can also browse the Reading Room for free reference material while you build your book list.
Common Mistakes and Honest Advice
Most candidates who fail this exam don't fail because they don't know the law — they fail because they never practiced writing full-length descriptive answers under time pressure. Reading a bare act is not the same as writing a structured 150-mark answer in 3 hours. Start answer writing early, not in the last month.
Second mistake: ignoring the new codes. A lot of law graduates studied under IPC, CrPC, and the old Evidence Act during college. BNS, BNSS, and BSA changed section numbers, added new offences, and removed some old ones. If you keep referring to old sections out of habit, you will lose marks in mains directly.
Third: treating Hindi and English papers casually and then barely scraping through, or worse, failing the qualifying mark. It doesn't take much effort to clear 30 marks — don't let overconfidence cost you a wasted attempt.
And don't wait around anxiously for the mains date to be announced before you start preparing. The syllabus doesn't change while you wait. Use the gap between prelims and mains to build depth, not to relax.
Related reads on Pareeksha
If you're exploring other Bihar exams alongside APO, check out BPSC 72nd CCE guide, Bihar Police Constable recruitment, and browse the full Bihar and other state exam guides on Pareeksha for more options if law isn't your only track.
FAQ
Is BPSC APO 2026 notification out? Yes. BPSC released the notification on 25 February 2026 for 300 posts, and the preliminary exam was held on 15 July 2026.
How many vacancies are there in BPSC APO 2026? There are 300 total vacancies, with 99 posts reserved for women.
What is the qualification required for BPSC APO? You need a Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB), either the 3-year or 5-year course, from a university recognised by the Bar Council of India.
What is the age limit for BPSC APO? Minimum age is 21 years. Maximum is 37 for General male, 40 for General female and OBC/EBC candidates, 42 for SC/ST, and 47 for PwD candidates.
What is the salary of an Assistant Prosecution Officer in Bihar? The pay scale is Pay Level 9, with basic pay from ₹53,100 to ₹1,67,800, plus DA, HRA, and other allowances.
Do prelims marks count in the final BPSC APO merit? No. Prelims is only a qualifying stage. Final merit is based on mains (1050 marks) plus interview (100 marks).
When is the BPSC APO mains exam 2026? The mains exam date hasn't been announced yet as of August 2026. Keep checking the official BPSC site or Pareeksha's exam news page for updates.
What is the application fee for BPSC APO? ₹600 for General/OBC candidates, and ₹150 for SC/ST/Female/PwD candidates.
Is there a physical test in BPSC APO recruitment? No. There's no physical standard or physical test since this is not a uniformed post.
How many attempts are allowed for BPSC APO? BPSC doesn't fix a specific attempt limit for APO the way UPSC does for civil services — you can apply in any cycle as long as you meet the age criteria.
Final word
BPSC APO is one of the cleanest paths from an LLB degree to a stable government legal career in Bihar. The 2026 cycle is already past the prelims stage, so if you appeared, focus completely on mains prep now — don't wait idle for the result. If you're planning for the next cycle, use this time to build your law fundamentals properly, especially BNS, BSA, and BNSS, since these three codes are still new enough that solid preparation here gives you a real edge over candidates coasting on old IPC knowledge.
Official sources: BPSC official website | BPSC Online application portal
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