PSSSB Patwari 2026 — Exam Pattern
Paper-wise structure, marks per section, duration, marking scheme and the full stage-by-stage selection process.
Mode
CBT (online)
Negative marking
−0.25
Since 2023 PSSSB has run Patwari as a single 150-question OMR paper in two parts: Part-A (Punjabi, qualifying) and Part-B (merit). The 2021 cycle used a two-stage test instead — a 120-question preliminary on 8 August 2021 and a 120-question SSSB (Main) test on 5 September 2021 — and the 2016 papers were 100 questions each. The 2023 plan is the one to prepare for unless the new advertisement says otherwise.
Scoring
Marking scheme
Correct answer
+1
Wrong answer
−0.25
Unattempted
0
No penalty
- No negative marking in Part-A (Punjabi).
- Questions dropped after objections are treated as per the final answer key notice — in 2023 one Part-B question (Set A Q95) was dropped.
Process
Selection process
Written test — Part-A Punjabi
Qualifying50 MCQs at Matriculation standard. A candidate must score at least 50% (25 marks) for Part-B to be evaluated. Marks do not count towards merit.
Written test — Part-B merit paper
Merit100 MCQs across six subject areas with 0.25 negative marking; the common merit list is prepared from this score alone.
Counselling and document verification
QualifyingCandidates are called category-wise in merit order to verify originals (degree, computer course, Punjabi, category, domicile). In 2023 the first counselling list was published on 28 June 2023.
Training
QualifyingAppointees complete one year at Patwar School and six months of field training on a stipend before regular posting.
At a glance
Key facts
Offline OMR test with four booklet sets (A–D) carrying the same questions in different order. PSSSB publishes provisional keys within days, invites online objections for about three days, then releases the final keys and the OMR sheets. Tie-breaks follow PSSSB's standard order: older candidate first, then higher marks in the qualifying degree, then in Matriculation.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the PSSSB Patwari exam pattern?
A single OMR paper of 150 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. Part-A is 50 Punjabi questions at Matric level, qualifying with a minimum of 25 marks and no negative marking. Part-B is 100 merit questions — GK & Current Affairs (25), Reasoning & Mental Ability (25), English (12), Punjabi (13), ICT (9) and Punjab History & Culture (16) — with 0.25 deducted per wrong answer.
Is there negative marking in the PSSSB Patwari exam?
Only in Part-B: one-fourth of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Part-A (Punjabi) has no negative marking, but scoring below 25 out of 50 in it means Part-B is not evaluated at all.
Know the pattern — now practise it
Free mock tests built on the exact PSSSB Patwari pattern — bilingual, real exam interface, detailed solutions.
Last verified: · MockSutra verifies exam information against official sources.