Police Written Test Strategy: UP, Bihar, Delhi and More

Ask ten police aspirants what decides selection and nine will say "the running". Then ask how many candidates were dropped before they ever reached the ground. In most states the written paper is the gate. If you do not clear it, your 1600 metre time never gets measured. And in some states the written marks also feed into the final merit, so a weak paper can cost you the post even after a good physical.

This post is a cross-state strategy. It does not repeat the full guide for any one exam; Pareeksha already has separate posts for UP, Bihar, Delhi, MP, AP and SSC GD. Here we compare how the papers differ, how to split your time between sections, which topics repeat, how to blend physical and written preparation in 90 days, and how to choose which exam to aim at.

One rule before we start. Police recruitment boards change patterns, marking schemes and the role of written marks from one notification to the next. The figures below come from reputable coverage of recent cycles, and the official notice was not reachable while this was written. Treat them as a working guide and match every number against the latest notification before you plan around it.

Why the written paper deserves a bigger share of your day

Physical preparation feels productive because it is visible. You can see your run time drop. A reasoning set does not give you that feeling. This is exactly why many candidates under-invest in the paper.

Look at the structure of the exams. In Delhi Police Constable and SSC GD, the computer-based test comes first, and only shortlisted candidates are called for the physical stage. In Bihar's 2023 cycle, coverage reported that around 10.7 lakh candidates appeared in the written exam and about 1.07 lakh were called for the physical test. That is roughly one in ten advancing. Whatever the exact figure in your cycle, the written stage is where the crowd is thinned.

The second reason is that the written paper is the part you can improve most predictably. A 1600 metre time depends on your body and your starting point. A paper that tests Class 10 level maths, basic reasoning and general awareness can be improved by anyone who practises daily for three months.

How the written papers differ across states

The table below summarises the written stage for the exams you are most likely to be choosing between. The details come from recent coverage of each exam; please verify against the current notification.

Exam	Questions and marks	Time	Negative marking	Sections (as reported)
UP Police Constable	150 questions, 300 marks (2 marks each)	120 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer (reported)	General Knowledge, General Hindi, Numerical Ability, Reasoning (roughly equal weight)
UP Police SI	160 questions, 400 marks (2.5 each)	120 minutes	None reported	General Hindi, Law/Constitution and GK, Numerical and Mental Ability, Reasoning (40 questions each)
Bihar Police Constable (CSBC)	100 questions, 100 marks	120 minutes	None	Hindi, English, Maths, Science, Social Science, GK and Current Affairs
Delhi Police Constable (Executive)	100 questions, 100 marks	90 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer	GK/Current Affairs (50), Reasoning (25), Quantitative Aptitude (15), Computer Knowledge (10)
SSC GD Constable	80 questions, 160 marks (2 each)	60 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer	Reasoning, GK and Awareness, Elementary Maths, English or Hindi (20 each)
MP Police Constable (ESB)	100 questions, 100 marks	120 minutes	None reported	GK and Reasoning (40), Intellectual and Mental Ability (30), Science and Simple Arithmetic (30), as reported
AP Police Constable (prelims)	200 questions, 200 marks	180 minutes	None in prelims	English, Arithmetic, Reasoning, General Science, History, Culture, Geography, Polity, Economy, Current Events
Delhi Police SI / SSC CPO Paper 1	200 questions, 200 marks (50 per section)	120 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer	Reasoning, GK, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension

A few things stand out immediately.

• Language is not the same everywhere. UP asks General Hindi as a full section. SSC GD gives you a choice of English or Hindi. Delhi Constable has no language section at all but has Computer Knowledge. Bihar tests both Hindi and English inside a broad school-level syllabus.
• Negative marking splits the exams in two. Delhi, SSC GD and the SSC CPO paper punish wrong answers. Bihar and MP, as reported, do not. That changes how you treat doubtful questions, which we cover below.
• Time per question varies a lot. By simple division: SSC GD gives 45 seconds a question, UP Constable 48, UP SI 45, Delhi Constable 54, AP prelims 54, and Bihar and MP 72. The SSC CPO Paper 1 is stricter still, with a reported 30 minutes per 50-question section, about 36 seconds a question.
• Weight of the written marks differs. This is the most important difference and gets its own section.

What the written marks actually do in each state

Two candidates can score the same and have completely different futures, depending on how the board uses the paper. There are three broad models.

Model 1: the paper is a screen, the physical decides

Here the written exam only shortlists. Coverage of the Bihar constable 2023 cycle reported the written exam as qualifying, with the final merit built on physical test scores. The AP prelims is also qualifying in nature, with different qualifying percentages by category, and a second written stage follows. In this model, once you clear the cut you do not need a higher score, but you need to clear it safely.

Because boards sometimes change this, do not assume. In some Bihar write-ups the final merit is described as combining written and physical marks. Read the "selection process" paragraph of your notification before you decide how much to weight the paper.

Model 2: the paper is the merit

In many UP Police cycles, the written exam is the main merit-bearing stage and the physical tests are qualifying. If this holds in your cycle, then every extra mark moves you up a merit list that has lakhs of names. A good physical does not rescue a mediocre paper.

Model 3: both count

MP Police Constable has been reported as combining a 100-mark written exam with a 100-mark physical test for merit. Here the two halves are of equal value, and neglecting either one is a direct loss.

Put your exam of choice in one of these three boxes before you plan. It tells you whether your goal is to clear the paper or to top it.

Common building blocks across all papers

Despite the differences, almost every written test draws from the same four pools. This is good news: preparing once serves most exams.

• General awareness and GK (static and current): present in every exam in the table.
• Reasoning and mental ability: present in every exam.
• Numerical ability or elementary maths: present in every exam, at roughly Class 10 level for the constable posts.
• Language: Hindi, English or both, depending on the board.

Then there are the extras: Computer Knowledge (Delhi Constable), Law and Constitution (UP SI), Science (Bihar, MP, AP). Do not let the extras scare you into buying five new books. Handle them as small add-on modules in the last month.

Section-wise approach: General Knowledge and Awareness

This section is the biggest by weight in Delhi Constable (half the paper) and a major scoring area almost everywhere. It is also the section where aspirants waste the most time, because the syllabus feels endless.

Split it into three buckets

1. Static basics: Indian polity (Constitution, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, President, Parliament, Governor), Indian history (ancient, medieval and modern at a headline level, freedom movement), geography (Indian rivers, states and capitals, national parks, climate basics), economy basics, general science (everyday physics, chemistry and biology).
2. Current affairs: roughly the last six to twelve months, from news that touches government schemes, appointments, sports, awards, defence and summits.
3. State-specific GK: your own state's history, geography, culture, districts, rivers, fairs, schemes and personalities. State boards add this to a varying degree, so check your syllabus.

High-frequency areas to prioritise

• Constitution basics: articles on fundamental rights, who appoints whom, tenure and minimum age questions, amendments at a headline level.
• Freedom movement: movements and their leaders, key sessions and acts, and the order of events.
• Geography: Indian rivers and the states they pass through, major dams, national parks, mountain passes, and neighbouring countries.
• Science in daily life: vitamins and deficiency diseases, human body systems, simple physics units, common acids and bases, metals and alloys.
• Current affairs: recent schemes, appointments, awards, sports events, new laws and defence exercises.
• Your own state: capital, districts, major rivers, folk dances, festivals, and well-known freedom fighters.

This list reflects the type of content these papers draw on, rather than a count of past questions. Open the previous papers for your exam and tally the topics yourself in the first week. That tally is worth more than any generic list.

How to study it

• Make one-page notes per topic, not chapter-by-chapter summaries. Revise them on a fixed rhythm: after one day, one week and one month.
• Read current affairs from one monthly source and stick to it. Switching sources creates duplicate work.
• Practise in MCQ form. Recognising the right option is the skill the exam tests, and it is different from being able to write an essay on the topic.

Section-wise approach: Reasoning and Mental Ability

Reasoning is the section that rewards daily practice more than any other. It is also where candidates from non-science backgrounds often gain a quick edge over their expectations, because the topics are learnable patterns.

Topics that appear most reliably

• Series (number, letter and mixed) and analogy
• Coding-decoding and classification (odd one out)
• Blood relations and direction sense
• Ranking and order, and simple arrangement puzzles
• Syllogism and statement-conclusion at a basic level
• Venn diagrams, clock and calendar
• Non-verbal items: mirror and water images, counting figures, paper folding, in some papers

Method

1. Learn each type once with three to five solved examples, then move straight to timed sets.
2. Set a per-question limit. If a puzzle takes more than about a minute, mark it and move on.
3. Keep an error log with one line per mistake: type, reason (concept, speed, carelessness).

A worked example of the habit that saves marks. Take a series question: 3, 6, 12, 24, ?. Check the ratio first (each term doubles), then the difference (3, 6, 12). Either way, the answer is 48. Checking two relations in ten seconds becomes automatic with practice, and it handles most simple series in the constable papers.

Section-wise approach: Numerical Ability and Elementary Maths

For constable-level exams, the maths is mostly arithmetic at about Class 10 standard. SSC GD describes its maths as elementary, and Bihar draws on a school-level maths syllabus. SI exams run harder and more varied. The main enemy here is not difficulty but time.

Priority topics

• Percentage, ratio and proportion, average
• Profit and loss, simple and compound interest at a basic level
• Time and work, time, speed and distance
• Number system, HCF and LCM, simplification, square and cube roots
• Mensuration (area and volume of common shapes) and basic geometry
• Data interpretation in a few papers, as reported for the SI-level papers

Worked examples to build the habit

Percentage: A price rises from 200 to 250. The increase is 50 on a base of 200, which is 25 per cent. Always divide by the original value.

Average: The average of five numbers is 12, so the total is 60. If one number, 8, is removed, the remaining total is 52 across four numbers, giving an average of 13.

Speed: A person walks 6 km in 90 minutes. Ninety minutes is 1.5 hours, so the speed is 6 divided by 1.5, which is 4 km per hour.

Time and work: A can finish a job in 10 days and B in 15 days. In one day they complete one tenth plus one fifteenth, which is 3/30 plus 2/30, or 5/30, so together they take 6 days.

Notice that none of these needs advanced tricks. The marks come from clean arithmetic done quickly. Memorise squares up to 25, cubes up to 15 and common fraction-to-percentage values (for example 1/8 is 12.5 per cent), and you will save a surprising amount of time.

Section-wise approach: Hindi, English and language papers

This section is simple to prepare and easy to neglect. Candidates assume that because they speak the language they will score. The exam, however, tests grammar rules and vocabulary in a particular style.

General Hindi (UP and others)

• Sandhi, samas, upsarg and pratyay, paryayvachi, vilom, anekarthi and muhavare
• Vakya shuddhi (correcting sentences), shabd shuddhi (spelling) and one-word substitution
• Short passages in some papers

Make a notebook of words and rules you got wrong. In Hindi, a handful of rules and a few hundred frequent words give most of the marks.

English (SSC GD, SSC CPO and others)

• Spotting errors, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution
• Active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, and basic comprehension

The SSC CPO Sub-Inspector route adds a second paper that is heavily English-based (reported as 200 questions for 200 marks), so SI aspirants on that route need English preparation far beyond a constable's.

Law, Constitution and other add-on modules

Not every board asks these, but when they do they are scoring because the syllabus is narrow.

• Law and Constitution (UP SI): the UP SI paper has a combined section on Law/Constitution and GK. Cover the preamble, fundamental rights and duties, Directive Principles, the structure of the Union and the states, and the judiciary. For the legal side, check the current syllabus for what it names, including the criminal law codes. Criminal laws were revised in recent years, so use up-to-date material rather than old guidebooks.
• Computer Knowledge (Delhi Constable): 10 marks in the reported pattern. Cover computer basics, input and output devices, memory units, shortcut keys, MS Office basics and the internet. A week of focused revision is usually enough.
• Science (Bihar, MP, AP): school-level physics, chemistry and biology. Class 9 and 10 textbooks are the best source.

Time split inside the exam hall

Strategy on paper means little unless you can run it in a 60 to 120 minute window. Here is a suggested approach, labelled as a planning suggestion rather than an official rule.

Suggested order

1. Start with your strongest section. For most aspirants this is either reasoning or GK. It builds speed and confidence.
2. Do maths next while your mind is fresh, but skip any long calculation on the first pass.
3. Finish with language if it is a strength, or take it earlier if it is the quickest scorer for you.
4. Keep the last 10 per cent of the time for review and for the questions you skipped.

In exams with sectional timing (as reported for SSC CPO Paper 1), you cannot choose the order, so practise inside the fixed time for each section.

Approximate time budget for a 100-question, 90-minute paper like Delhi Constable

Section	Questions	Suggested time
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	50	about 25 minutes
Reasoning	25	about 25 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	15	about 20 minutes
Computer Knowledge	10	about 5 minutes
Review	-	about 15 minutes

GK questions are quick: you either know the answer or you do not, so spend little time there and bank the minutes for reasoning and maths. Adjust the figures after your first few mocks.

Negative marking: when to guess and when to skip

Where there is no negative marking (Bihar and MP as reported, UP SI as reported, AP prelims), the rule is simple: never leave a question blank. Mark an answer for every question before time runs out.

Where there is negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer, the maths still favours intelligent guessing. Take Delhi Constable, with 1 mark for a correct answer and 0.25 off for a wrong one.

• A blind guess among four options: the expected value is 0.25 x 1 minus 0.75 x 0.25, which is 0.25 minus 0.1875, or about plus 0.06 marks. Slightly positive, but not worth the variance.
• If you can eliminate one option, you have three left: 1/3 x 1 minus 2/3 x 0.25, which is about plus 0.17 marks. Worth attempting.
• If you can eliminate two, you have two left: 0.5 x 1 minus 0.5 x 0.25, which is plus 0.375 marks. Definitely attempt.

The rule that follows: attempt any question where you can strike out at least one option. Skip only questions you cannot make any sense of. In UP Constable, a correct answer is worth 2 marks against a 0.25 penalty, so the reward-to-penalty ratio is 8 to 1 and guessing is even more favourable. Always check the marking scheme of your own notification first.

Target-score logic (a planning suggestion)

Official cut-offs change every cycle and vary by category, state and shift, so no one can promise a safe score. What you can do is set targets for your mocks that leave a margin. These are suggestions for planning, not predictions.

• If the paper is only qualifying (for example Bihar's written paper, where the minimum is reported as 30 per cent): aim for your mock average to sit comfortably above that line, say 20 or more marks above, so a bad day does not end your attempt. Then give the saved time to the physical.
• If the paper is merit-bearing (for example UP Constable or UP SI): there is no ceiling worth stopping at. Push accuracy up first, then speed. Track your percentile among test-takers on mock platforms, not just your raw score.
• If there are sectional qualifying marks (the UP SI pattern is reported with a minimum per section and in aggregate, check the notice): never let one section fall to zero attention. Set a floor for each section and raise it first before polishing your strong ones.

A simple way to set your own target: take the highest-scoring candidates' pattern from your last cycle if the board published it, and aim for your mock average to match it by the final three weeks. If the cut-off was not published, check the latest notification and result notice rather than relying on rumours.

Blending physical and written preparation: a 90-day plan

The most common failure is doing the two in separate phases: three months of books, then three weeks of panic on the ground, or the reverse. Your body needs steady, small doses and your memory needs daily repetition. So run both at the same time, changing the mix as the exam approaches.

A realistic daily rhythm for a candidate with no job: physical training for about 1.5 to 2 hours (morning), and 4 to 6 hours of written study split in two blocks (late morning and evening). If you are working or studying, scale the blocks down but keep the daily contact with both. Rest one day a week from running, not from reading.

Days 1 to 30: foundation

• Written: go through the syllabus and last two or three years' papers for your exam. Tally topics. Start the notebooks (GK one-pagers, formulae, grammar rules, error log). Learn basic arithmetic shortcuts. Cover one reasoning type every two days.
• Physical: build base endurance with easy runs and walk-jog intervals. Add mobility work and basic strength (squats, push-ups, planks). Check the physical standards (height, chest, run, jumps, shot put) from your notification and test yourself once.
• Test: one sectional test per week, untimed review afterwards.

Days 31 to 60: build speed

• Written: move from concept learning to timed practice. Daily: 30 reasoning questions, 30 maths questions, 30 GK questions, all timed. Start monthly current affairs revision. Add language practice (Hindi or English as your exam needs).
• Physical: add pace work for the run (shorter repeats at target speed), practise long jump and shot put technique as per your exam, and keep strength sessions twice a week.
• Test: one full-length mock per week plus two sectional tests. Analyse every mock for an hour.

Days 61 to 90: sharpen and simulate

• Written: two full mocks a week in the exam's own time limit and language. Revise your notebooks, not new books. Take one section a day for rapid revision. Add the extra modules (Computer Knowledge, Law, Science) in the first ten days of this phase.
• Physical: do one full trial of the physical test (run plus events) every week, in the same order as the real test. Taper volume in the last week so you are fresh.
• Test: last week, no new topics. Revise error logs and sleep well.

If your exam is Model 2 (written decides merit), shift about 60 per cent of your effort to the paper. If your physical standard is the weak point (many candidates are in the running or the high jump), keep at least a third of the day on it. The right mix depends on your weakest link.

For the ground side in detail, Pareeksha has a separate 8-week training plan for the run, jumps and shot put, so this post does not repeat the drills.

Weekly template

Day	Morning (physical)	Written block 1	Written block 2
Monday	Easy run or intervals	Maths concepts and practice	Reasoning set
Tuesday	Strength and event practice	GK static topic	Language practice
Wednesday	Pace run	Reasoning concepts	Maths timed set
Thursday	Event technique, mobility	Current affairs	GK revision from notes
Friday	Tempo or interval run	Sectional test	Test analysis
Saturday	Long easy run or trial	Full mock (from Day 31)	Mock analysis
Sunday	Rest or light walk	Notebook revision, error log	Plan the next week

How to choose which state exam to prepare for

You can prepare for several exams at once because the core syllabus overlaps. The decision is about where to put the final push and which forms to fill.

Ask these questions

1. Domicile and eligibility. Some states reserve posts for residents or give them preference; check the domicile rules, age limit, education and physical standards for each notification. Your own state is usually the most reliable first choice.
2. Which model is it? If you are strong on the ground but average on paper, a Model 1 exam (written qualifying) may fit better. If you are strong on paper, a Model 2 exam rewards that.
3. Negative marking. If you are an accurate, steady solver, a negative-marking exam is fine. If you tend to rush and err, a no-negative-marking paper suits you.
4. Language and syllabus fit. A candidate who is comfortable in Hindi but weak in English will find UP's pattern friendlier than an English-heavy SI route. A candidate who is strong in school science may like the Bihar or MP mix.
5. Timing. Check which notifications are open or expected. Dates move, so look at the latest official notice rather than last year's calendar.

A sensible portfolio

• One primary target: your home state, where domicile helps.
• One or two secondary targets: a central exam such as SSC GD or Delhi Police, which share the reasoning, maths and GK core, and another neighbouring state if you are eligible.
• The SI track if you hold a graduation: the SI papers are harder and slower to prepare, so decide early whether you are doing constable and SI together. Their syllabus overlaps but SI needs more depth in maths, English or Hindi and law.

Do not spread across six exams in the last month. Switch your mock practice to the pattern of the exam that is nearest, and keep the others on light revision.

The mock-test schedule

Mocks are where preparation turns into marks. A suggested schedule:

• Weeks 1 to 4: one sectional test per week, no timer pressure at first.
• Weeks 5 to 8: one full-length mock a week plus two sectional tests.
• Weeks 9 to 12: two full-length mocks a week in the real time limit, in exam-day conditions, at the exam's real start time if you can.

The analysis matters more than the score. After every mock, sort errors into three buckets: did not know the concept, knew it but was slow, careless mistake. Fix each bucket differently: relearn, drill, or slow down and check. Also record how many questions you attempted and your accuracy, because accuracy and attempts together tell you whether to speed up or slow down.

Practise in the pattern's own format: the UP paper is an OMR test in some cycles and the Delhi and SSC papers are computer-based, so practise bubble-filling or screen navigation as appropriate. Check the latest notification for the mode of the exam.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the paper as an afterthought. The written stage is the gate in most exams, and in some it is the merit list itself.
• Reading the notification last. Pattern, marking scheme and selection stages decide your plan. Read them on day one.
• Collecting resources. Five books per subject and no revision produce nothing. One source, many revisions.
• Skipping current affairs and state GK because they feel endless. A steady half hour a day beats a weekend cram.
• Ignoring weak sections. In papers with sectional cut-offs a zero-attention section can sink you despite a high total.
• Not practising under time limits. Untimed solving builds knowledge but not exam speed.
• Using the wrong marking logic. Leaving questions blank in a no-negative paper, or guessing blindly in a negative one.
• Training hard and sleeping badly. Poor sleep hurts both the run and your recall. Protect seven hours.
• Overtraining in the last week. Injuries before the physical test undo months of work.
• Relying on rumours about cut-offs or paper difficulty. Use official notices and your own mock data.
• Forgetting documents and extras. Certificates, domicile or caste proof, a driving licence where required (Delhi Constable lists one for male candidates in the reported pattern) can block a selected candidate. Check the list early.

Frequently asked questions

Can I prepare for UP, Bihar and Delhi Police together? Yes for the core: GK, reasoning, maths and language overlap heavily. What changes is the extras (Computer Knowledge for Delhi, Hindi grammar depth for UP, science for Bihar) and the marking scheme. Pick one primary pattern for your mocks and adapt in the last month.

Is the written paper or the physical test more important? It depends on the exam. Check whether the written marks count towards final merit in your notification. Either way, the written paper is usually the first gate, so a weak paper ends the attempt before the physical begins.

Is there negative marking in police exams? It varies. Delhi Constable, SSC GD and the SSC CPO Paper 1 are reported with 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer. Bihar Constable and MP Constable are reported without it. Always confirm in the latest notice.

How much time do I get per question? It differs by exam. By simple division, SSC GD gives about 45 seconds per question, UP Constable about 48, Delhi Constable about 54, and Bihar and MP about 72. Practise inside the real limit for your target exam.

Which section should I start the exam with? Start with the section where you are fastest and most accurate, usually reasoning or GK. Where sections are timed separately you must follow the paper's order.

Do I need to study state-specific GK? If your syllabus lists it, yes. State boards often add questions on their own state's history, geography, culture and schemes. Check the syllabus section of your notification.

How many hours a day should I study? Many candidates manage around four to six hours of written study plus one and a half to two hours of physical training. If you have less time, keep the daily contact with both and cut volume, not consistency.

Are Hindi and English both compulsory? Not everywhere. UP has a General Hindi section, SSC GD lets you choose English or Hindi, Bihar tests both within a broad syllabus, and Delhi Constable has no language section in the reported pattern. Check your exam.

I am weak in maths. Can I still clear the paper? Yes. Constable-level maths is mostly arithmetic at about Class 10 standard. Focus on percentage, ratio, average, time and work, speed and simple mensuration, and practise timed sets daily for three months.

When should I start full-length mocks? Begin after the first month, once you have covered the basics, and move to two a week in the last four weeks. Spend as much time on analysis as on taking the test.

Closing thoughts

A police selection is two exams in one: a paper that tests your head and a physical test that tests your body. The aspirants who get through are rarely the ones who were best at one; they are the ones who kept both moving every day and learned the rules of their own notification. Read the pattern, pick your target, set up a daily routine, and let mock results tell you where to spend the next hour.

Practise with full-length mocks and sectional tests on Pareeksha to build speed, find weak sections early and get comfortable with the time pressure of the real paper. Combine them with your physical plan, and review the latest official notification before you finalise any decision.