MPSC Introduces Major Exam Reforms: Preliminary Tests To Be Held Three Times A Year From 2027
MPSC Introduces Major Exam Reforms: Preliminary Tests To Be Held Three Times A Year From 2027
Mumbai, June 26, 2026: In a significant overhaul of its examination system, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has announced a series of major reforms aimed at reducing stress for aspirants and providing them with multiple opportunities to qualify for state civil services.
Under the revised pattern, which will come into effect from 2027, the Commission will conduct the Maharashtra Civil Services Group A & B Combined Preliminary Examination, Group B Preliminary Examination, and Group C Preliminary Examination up to three times a year, instead of the current once-a-year schedule.
The move is expected to benefit lakhs of competitive exam aspirants by ensuring that their chances are not determined by the outcome of a single examination.
Another major reform is the removal of optional subjects from the MPSC Main Examination. Candidates will no longer have to appear for two optional subject papers, creating a more uniform evaluation system and addressing a long-standing demand from aspirants.
The Commission has also decided to replace the traditional OMR-based pen-and-paper examinations with Computer-Based Tests (CBT). Officials said the online examination system will improve transparency and enable faster declaration of results.
As the preliminary examinations will be conducted in multiple sessions, MPSC will implement a normalisation process to ensure fairness in evaluating candidates across different exam sessions.
The Commission clarified that while the preliminary examination will be held multiple times each year, the Main Examination will continue to be conducted only once annually. Candidates qualifying in any of the preliminary examinations held during the year will be eligible to appear for that year’s Main Examination.
According to MPSC Examination Controller and Joint Secretary Sarita Bandekar-Deshmukh, the revised examination system will be implemented from the 2027 preliminary examinations, with detailed guidelines on the qualification process to be issued separately.
