Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services (HPAS) exam is annually conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). This exam is a gateway to prestigious Class 1 job posts in the Himachal Pradesh state. Check the detailed syllabus for the Prelims and Mains phases of the HPPSC exam for the year 2025.

HPPSC Syllabus 2025

HPPSC conducts HPAS and its Selection Process consists of three stages :- Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Each one paper of the Prelims is qualifying in nature. But the HPAS Mains exam consists of 9 papers, of which English and Hindi are qualifying in nature plus there is optional papers which depends on the candidate’s subject choice.

Exam Name	HPAS 2025
Exam Conducting Body	Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPS)
Post Vacancy	30
HPPSC HPAS Selection Process	3 phases :- Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test/Interview
Marking Scheme	Prelims – 400 marks Mains – 1100 marks
State Exam	Himachal Pradesh
Official Website	hppsc.hp.gov.in.

HPAS Prelims Syllabus and Pattern

Exam Pattern 2025

The HAS exam consists of two papers, both of which are objective type with multiple-choice questions. Here’s a detailed overview of the exam pattern:

Paper	Subject	Marks	Questions	Time                               Duration
Paper I	General Studies	200	100	2 Hours
Paper II	Aptitude Test     (Qualify)	200	100	2 Hours

Prelims Syllabus 2025

• Paper I: General Studies :- This paper shall be of 200 marks and there shall be 100 objective type (Multiple choice) questions from the syllabus given below –
  • History, Geography, Politics, Art & Culture, and Socio-economic Development of Himachal Pradesh: Detailed coverage of the state’s attributes.
  • Current Events of National and International Importance: Focus on significant global and national happenings.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement: Key historical milestones and movements.
  • Indian and World Geography: Emphasis on physical, social, and economic aspects of geography.
  • Indian Polity and Governance: Comprehensive study of the constitution, political systems, Panchayati Raj, public policy, and rights.
  • Economic and Social Development: Topics on sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, and social sector initiatives.
  • Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change: Issues that do not require specialised study.
  • General Science: Basic scientific principles and their applications.

• Paper II: Aptitude Test :- This paper shall be of 200 marks and in this paper there shall be 100 objective type (multiple choice) questions from the below –
  • Comprehension: Assessment of understanding and interpretation skills.
  • Interpersonal Skills Including Communication Skills: Evaluation of interaction and communication proficiency.
  • Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability: Analysis of logical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities.
  • Decision Making and Problem Solving: Examination of decision-making processes.
  • General Mental Ability and Basic Numeracy: Basic math skills and mental abilities (Class X level).
  • Data Interpretation: Ability to interpret data in various forms (Class X level).
  • English Language Comprehension Skills: English comprehension abilities (Class X level).
  • Note: The HPAS Preliminary Examination serves solely as a screening test for the subsequent stages. The marks obtained here will not contribute to the final merit list, which is determined based on the scores from the HAS Mains and the Interview stages.

It is further added that there will be provision for penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type questions papers.

S.No	Subject	No.of Question	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	General Studies	100	200	2 Hour
Paper 2	Aptitude Test	100	200	2 Hour
	Total	200	400	4 Hour

HPPSC Mains Pattern and Syllabus

Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Paper Number	Subject	Maximum Marks
Compulsary Papers
Paper I(Qualifying)	English	100 Marks
PaperII(Qualifying)	Hindi	100 Marks
Paper III	Essay	100 Marks
Paper IV	General Studies-I	200 Marks
Paper V	General Studies-II	200 Marks
Paper VI	General Studies III	200 Marks
Optional Subject Papers
Paper VII	Optional Paper I	100 Marks
Paper VIII	Optional Paper II	100 Marks

Note: The marks obtained in the Compulsory Papers of English and Hindi will not be counted for the overall ranking.

List of Optional Subjects in HAS Exam

There are two exams based on the optional subject in the HPAS Exam. The list of subjects from which you can make a choice for HPPSC Optional Mains Exam is given below:

Indian History	Statistics	Botany
Agriculture	Economics	English Literature
Political Science and International Relations	Commerce and Accountancy	Zoology
Mechanical Engineering	Chemistry	Psychology
Mathematics	Urdu	Philosophy
Electrical Engineering	Hindi	Geology
Civil Engineering	Sanskrit	Law
Physics	Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science	Public Admin
Sociology	Management	Forestry
Anthropology	Geography	Medical Sciences
Horticulture

Mains Syllabus 2025

There are total 6 compulsory papers in HAS Mains out of which Paper 1 and paper 2 are qualifying in nature. Detailed syllabus of each and every paper for HPPSC Mains exam is discussed below :-

• PAPER – I: English (100 MARKS)
  • English Grammar – (20 Marks)
  • Usage and vocabulary – (20 Marks)
  • English Composition Letter / Application / Report / Note writing – (20 Marks)
  • Comprehension of unseen passages – (20 Marks)
  • Precis Writing – (20 Marks)
• PAPER – II: Hindi in Devanagri Script (100 MARKS)
  • Translation of an English passage into Hindi.
  • Translation of Hindi passage into English.
  • Explanation of Hindi passage in Prose and Poetry in the same language.
  • Composition (Idioms, corrections etc.)
• PAPER – III: Essay (100 MARKS)
  • A fair choice of topics covering
  • Current affairs
  • Socio-political issues
  • Socioeconomic issues
  • Aspects of culture and history and
  • Reflective topics
    
    Essay will be given to test the candidates’ understanding of these issues and their flair for expressing themselves in English or in the Hindi language. The candidates are required to attempt 2 Essays, choosing one each from Section A and B in about 900 words each.

Paper IV, V, VI: General Studies (200 marks each) – There are a total of three General Studies exams in the HAS Mains exam. The basic overview of the syllabus for each exam is given in the table below –

• Paper – IV: General Studies-I (200 Marks)
  • Unit I: Historical and Cultural Perspectives, Modern Indian History, Industrial Revolution, World Wars, Decolonization, Nationalism, and Globalization.
  • Unit II: Disaster Management, Disaster Risk Reductions, and Disaster Management in India.
  • Unit III: Indian Society, Social Institutions, Women Empowerment, Social Justice, Public Service Values, and Gandhian Thought.
• Paper – V: General Studies-II (200 Marks)
  • Unit I: Indian Constitution, Parliament and Judiciary, Federal Structure, Representation of People’s Act.
  • Unit II: Governance, Public Service Delivery, Local Government, NGOs, and Social Welfare.
  • Unit III: Governance in Himachal Pradesh, Administrative Reforms, Implementation of Constitutional Amendments.
• Paper – VI: General Studies-III (200 Marks)
  • Unit I: Indian Economy, Monetary Policy, Foreign Trade, Economic Planning.
  • Unit II: Energy Sector, Non-Conventional Energy, Sustainable Development.
  • Unit III: Technology in Governance, Biodiversity, Environmental Policies, Tourism in Himachal Pradesh.
• Paper – VII: Optional Paper-I (100 Marks) – INDIAN HISTORY
  • Chalcolithic cultures: Indus civilization, patterns of settlements, economic and social organization. Recent debates on the decline of the Indus civilization.
  • Society and culture in the Vedas and Upanishads: textual and archaeological evidence.
  • Mahavira and Gautam Buddha: their teachings and popularity among contemporary Mahajanapadas.
  • The Mauryan Empire: sources and their chronology, Ashoka’s policy of Dhamma. The nature of the Mauryan state. Decline of the Mauryan empire.
  • Post-Mauryan period in Indian history: polity and society. Religion and culture.
    Urbanization and trade. Sangam texts and Tamil society. Shilppadikaram.
  • Emergence of classical patterns during the Gupta period. Evolution of art and architecture.
    Development of ideas in science and mathematics. Varahamihira’s Brihatsamhita.
  • Seventh century: major powers in the north and the south. Changes in political structure, economy, social structure and religion.
  • Early medieval India, AD 700-1200. Tripartite struggle in north India. The rise of the Cholas in the south. Debates on Indian feudalism. Village communities in the south. Typology of urban centres. The Arab conquest of Sind. Alberuni’s India: society and science. The emergence of temple as an institution.
  • The emergence of the Ghaznavide Empire. The Ghorian invasions and their impact.
    Causes of the success of the Ghorian Turks. The Delhi Sultanate: Balban. Alauddin Khalji and his agrarian and economic measures.
  • Fragmentation of the Sultanate, and the rise of provincial kingdoms: Bengal, Kashmir, Gujarat, Malwa and Bahmanids. The Vijayanagar empire. Evolution of Indo-Persian literature. Bhakti and Sufi movements in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
• Paper – VIII: Optional Paper-II (100 Marks) – INDIAN HISTORY
  • The Mughal Empire: early expansion under Babar and Humayun. Sher Shah’s administrative and revenue measures. Akbar and his India. Establishment of jagir and mansab systems. Akbar’s policy towards chieftains, especially Rajputs. Akbar’s religious policy. Abul Fazl’s Akbarnama. Mughal-Rajputs relations under Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. Debate on the nature of the Mughal state. Economy and Society. Urban centres. Trade with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies.
  • Culture during the Mughal court: literature, painting and architecture. Religious trends: Bhakti and Sufism.
  • The Eighteenth century debate. Decline of the Mughal empire. The emergence of the regional potentates in the Deccan, Bengal and Awadh. The rise of the Marathas, and the Afghans. India on the eve of the British conquest.
  • Factors behind British success against Indian regional powers: Mysore, Maratha power, and Bengal. Annexation of Panjab and Sind. The nature of residency system and ‘doctrine of lapse’. Structure of the British Raj up to 1857.
  • Indian resistance to the British rule: 1857—causes, course, nature and impact. Changes in British administrative and economic policies after 1858. Socio-cultural impact of colonial rule. Christian missionary activities. Social and religious reform movements in Bengal and other areas. Railways. Commercialisation of agriculture. Growth of modern industry. Trade and commerce: 1858-1939.
  • The rise of Indian Nationalism. The evolution of modern associations. Peasant and tribal uprisings. The emergence of the Indian National Congress. Collaboration and confrontation of the Moderates and Extremists. Partition of Bengal, 1905. Swadeshi and Home Rule Movements.
  • Gandhian methods of mass mobilization: Rowlett Satyagraha, Khilafat and Noncooperation. Civil disobedience movement. The Swarajist politics. Simon Commission and Nehru Report. From Dominion status to Purna Swaraj. Second civil disobedience. States People’s movement.
  • Act of 1935. Congress Ministeries, 1937-1939. The communal problem. India during the Second World War. The Cripps Mission. The Quit India Movement. Constitutional negotiations and the Transfer of Power.
  • Achievement of Freedom and Partition of India. Integration of Indian states. The democratic constitution, 1950. Planning and industrialization.
  • Towards Contemporary World: Some concepts Renaissance and its social roots. European State system. Industrial Revolution: Britain, Japan, China. The emergence of the nationalities, and the making of the Nation States. Two World Wars. United Nations Organisation.

For detailed information, you can download the official syllabus PDF issued by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission from the link below: HPPSC OFFICIAL SYLLABUS PDF

Mains Exam (Descriptive Type)

S.No	Subject	Marks		Duration
1	English	100 (Qualifying Only)		3 Hour
2	Hindi	100 (Qualifying Only)		3 Hour
3	Essay	100		3 Hour
4	GS – I	200		3 Hour
5	GS – II	200		3 Hour
6	GS – III	200		3 Hour
7	Optional SUbject Paper-I	100		3 Hour
8	Optional Subject Paper-II	100		3 Hour
	Total Marks	900

Interview/Personality Test

The last stage of the HPPSC Exam is the interview, which contributes 150 marks to the total of 1050 marks. The basic information about the pattern of the HAS Interview is given below:

• Interview Panel: The candidate will be interviewed by the Commission, who will have access to the candidate’s career record.
• Nature of Questions: Questions will be on general interest topics to assess suitability for the service.
• Purpose: The interview aims to evaluate the personal suitability of the candidate for the services they have applied for.
• Assessment Areas: The test judges the candidate’s mental caliber, including intellectual qualities and social traits.
• Focus Points:
  • Knowledge of Himachal Pradesh’s customs, manners, and dialects
  • Mental alertness and critical assimilation
  • Logical exposition and balance of judgments
  • Variety and depth of interests
  • Potential for social cohesion and leadership
  • Intellectual and moral integrity
• Marks Allotted: The interview is worth 150 marks.