The RAS exam conducted by Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) is officially referred to as Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Examination. This exam is tremendously challenging and competitive, and the first step towards clearing it requires any student to go through the RAS exam pattern first.
The RAS Exam pattern is quite similar to that of the UPSC Exam pattern and the RAS Exam is conducted in three stages:
- RAS Pre Exam (Preliminary)
- RAS Mains Exams
- Personality Test, that is, Personal Interview
Let’s look at each stage individually. To know more about the exam and syllabus in detail, you can talk to our faculty at The Thought Tree (T3).
RAS Pre Exam Pattern
RAS Prelims is the first stage which is merely a screening test for shortlisting candidates for the Mains exam. Unlike UPSC Prelims, RAS Prelims has only one paper. RAS Pre Exam Pattern is pretty straightforward and the marks obtained are not counted towards the final merit list made after the Personal Interview.
| No. of Paper | One |
| Subjects | General Knowledge and General Science |
| No. of Questions | 150 |
| Nature of Questions | Objective-type (MCQs) |
| Maximum Marks | 200 |
| Duration | 3 Hours |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd marks deducted for every incorrect answer |
| Question Paper Standard | Graduation Degree Level |
As per the RAS exam pattern, only the candidates who clear the cut-off for the Prelims exam qualify for the Main exams. Also, the number of candidates qualifying for the Mains exam is approximately 15 times the vacancy.
Read More: Best RAS Coaching In Jaipur
RAS Mains Exam Pattern
According to the RAS exam new pattern, Maths based questions have been deleted from the syllabus of the RAS Mains Exam Pattern from 2018.
Unlike UPSC, there are no Optional Papers in the RPSC RAS Main exam pattern and it is mandatory for the candidates to appear in all the papers.
| Number of Papers | 4 |
| Subjects | General Studies IGeneral Studies IIGeneral Studies IIIGeneral Hindi and General English |
| Duration | 3 hours each |
| Maximum Marks | 200 marks each |
| Nature of Questions | Descriptive/Essay/Analytical in nature |
| Standard of Paper | GS-1,2 and 3 – Graduation Degree LevelGeneral Hindi and General English – Senior Secondary Level |
According to RAS Mains Exam Pattern 2018, each General Studies Paper will be divided into short, medium, and long answer questions.
| Nature of Questions | Marks & Word Limit | General Studies I | General Studies II | General Studies III |
| Short Answer Questions | Marks Per Question – 02 Word Limit – 15 | 25 Questions | 15 Questions | 25 Questions |
| Medium Answer Questions | Marks Per Question – 05 Word Limit – 50 | 16 Questions | 14 Questions | 16 Questions |
| Long Answer Questions | Marks Per Question – 10 Word Limit – 100 | 7 Questions | 10 Questions | 7 Questions |
RPSC RAS Interview
- RAS Exam Pattern entails that a candidate has to score above the cutoff in RAS Mains to be qualified for RAS Interview. Candidates will be called by the Commission for the personality test.
- RAS Interview is of 100 Marks and awarded on the basis of candidate’s personality, attitude, Rajasthani culture knowledge, and overall suitability for a career in administration.
- The Final Merit List of the successful candidates is prepared based on the total marks obtained in Mains and Interview.
After going through the RAS exam syllabus, you should focus on finding the Best RAS Coaching as it is the next important step for you.

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