UPSSSC PET 2026 Syllabus: 100 Questions, Subject-Wise Topics and Negative Marking

Who this syllabus page is for

This page is for candidates appearing in the UPSSSC Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) 2026. The exam is scheduled for 25 October, 30 October and 1 November 2026, with two shifts on each day according to the revised schedule. If you have less than two weeks, use this page as your plan. If you have more time, read the full PET notice summary first.

The subject list below combines what the most detailed coaching summaries report. Confirm the final list in the official notice on upsssc.gov.in.

Exam pattern

One source gives a different set of marks for the paper. Treat the notice as final.

Subject-wise topics

The most detailed summary lists 15 sections, about five questions each for the core subjects and ten questions each for current affairs, general awareness and the table and graph reading sections. The topics below follow that structure.

Indian History

• Ancient India: Indus Valley, Vedic period, Mauryan and Gupta empires
• Medieval India: Delhi Sultanate and Mughal administration
• Modern India: British expansion, revolts of 1857 and social reform movements

Indian National Movement

• Formation of the Indian National Congress
• Partition of Bengal, Swadeshi movement and Home Rule
• Gandhian phase: Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India
• Constitutional developments and the road to Independence

Geography

• Physical geography of India: relief, rivers, climate and soils
• Indian agriculture, minerals and industries
• Important places and states of Uttar Pradesh

Indian Economy

• Basic concepts: GDP, inflation, fiscal and monetary policy
• Five-year plans, NITI Aayog and government schemes
• Banking basics and financial inclusion

Indian Constitution and Public Administration

• Preamble, fundamental rights and duties, directive principles
• Union and state executive, legislature and judiciary
• Panchayati Raj and local self-government

General Science

• Physics: motion, force, electricity and light at school level
• Chemistry: elements, compounds, acids, bases and daily-life chemistry
• Biology: human body systems, diseases, plants and environment

Elementary Arithmetic

• Number system, percentage, profit and loss, ratio and proportion
• Simple and compound interest, averages and time and work
• Speed, distance and time, and mensuration

General Hindi and General English

• General Hindi: grammar, vocabulary, idioms, sentence correction
• General English: grammar, comprehension, vocabulary and error spotting
• Unseen passages in Hindi, as reported in one summary

Logic and Reasoning

• Series, analogies, coding-decoding and classification
• Blood relations, direction sense and seating arrangements
• Syllogisms and logical deduction

Current Affairs and General Awareness

• National and state news from the last six months
• Government schemes, awards, sports and important appointments
• Uttar Pradesh news and developments

Graph and table analysis

• Bar, line and pie charts
• Data tables with ratio, percentage and average questions

Ten-day plan

Days 1 and 2: Map the syllabus. Write down each subject and rate your confidence from one to five. Start with the lowest-rated subjects while your mind is fresh.

Days 3 and 4: Arithmetic and reasoning. These are the highest-scoring subjects for most candidates. Do 30 minutes of arithmetic and 30 minutes of reasoning every day. Track accuracy, not only speed.

Days 5 and 6: General English and General Hindi. Revise grammar rules quickly, then take two comprehension sets under time. Keep a list of error types you keep making.

Days 7 and 8: General Science, History, Geography and the Constitution. Read short notes, then answer 20 questions per subject. Mark anything you guessed as "weak", not as "correct".

Days 9 and 10: Current affairs and full mocks. Read a current-affairs digest every morning for ten minutes. Take one full 100-question paper in 2 hours on days 9 and 10, then analyse each wrong answer.

The timed practice set covers the same mix of question types, so you can test your pacing.

Marking strategy

The 0.25 penalty for each wrong answer is the most important detail on this syllabus. A simple rule:

• Answer any question you can solve or confidently eliminate to one answer.
• Skip a question if you can narrow it to two options and the guess would still be a coin toss.
• Keep a time budget of about 1 minute 10 seconds per question across the 2-hour paper, and leave the last 10 minutes for a quick review.

Accuracy above 70 percent is a strong target for this test. Any answers you attempt below that level cost more than they gain.

Before exam day

• Download your admit card from upsssc.gov.in. The 25 October exam card is live on the portal, checked on 21 October 2026.
• Confirm your exam centre and travel time. Reach at least 60 to 90 minutes early.
• Carry a printed admit card and a valid photo ID. Read the admit card instructions for anything else you must carry or leave behind.
• Sleep well the night before. The second shift can run late, so keep the schedule steady.

Frequently asked questions

Is the syllabus the same as UP police or other UPSSSC recruitment? No. PET has its own list of subjects and its own pattern. Use the notice as the final reference.

Is there a qualifying cut-off? The notice sets the qualifying rule. Check the PET notice on upsssc.gov.in for the cut-off method.

Should I study Hindi or English more? Both are scored. Keep your General English and General Hindi revision equal, unless one is clearly weaker.

Sources

Subject list and pattern as summarised by several exam portals in October 2026. The official UPSSSC PET notice is the final reference.