The scheme and syllabus for Advertisement No. 22/2024 are confirmed in the detailed advertisement: a qualifying Bengali or Nepali paper, and a 200-question objective paper on English, Elementary Mathematics and Survey Engineering. The advertisement gives no chapter-wise list for Survey Engineering, and the exam date is not announced.
What the official syllabus says, and what it leaves out
The West Bengal Public Service Commission’s detailed advertisement is dated 14 October 2026, and the PDF went up on psc.wb.gov.in on 20 October. The Commission’s site blocks automated access, so I could not open the PDF. What follows comes from a portal’s section-by-section reproduction of it, which agrees with the scheme given by other portals. Check your own copy of the advertisement and its appendix, where the scheme and syllabus sit.
The official syllabus is short. Paper I covers letter writing, report drafting and grammar. Paper II English lists vocabulary, grammar, composition, synonyms, antonyms and correction of sentence structure. Elementary Mathematics lists arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and mensuration at Madhyamik standard. Survey Engineering is described only as the standard of a diploma examination in Survey Engineering. There is no topic list for it, which is why every portal’s version of that section is guesswork.
Exam pattern at a glance
| Paper | Content | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I (qualifying) | Bengali or Nepali, conventional | Descriptive | 50 (15 to qualify) | 1 hour |
| Paper II | English | 50 | 50 | 2 hr 30 min for the whole paper |
| Paper II | Elementary Mathematics | 50 | 50 | |
| Paper II | Survey Engineering | 100 | 100 | |
| Paper II total | MCQ | 200 | 200 |
Each correct answer in Paper II earns one mark and each wrong answer costs 0.25. Final merit comes from Paper II marks only. A candidate who scores under 30 per cent in Paper I has their Paper II marks ignored, and the Commission may also set a qualifying mark for Paper II. Equal marks go to the older candidate. No sectional time limits are mentioned in the summary I read, so the order in which you attempt the sections appears to be yours to choose.
Paper I: Bengali or Nepali
This paper is a gate, not a score. It asks for letter writing, report drafting and grammar at Madhyamik standard, in Bengali, or in Nepali for candidates whose mother tongue is Nepali. Because it is conventional, you must write, and an hour is short for two writing tasks and a grammar section.
The mark you need is 15 out of 50. That is not hard if you can write in correct, simple Bengali, but candidates who have studied mostly in English or Hindi should not leave it to the last week. Practise one formal letter (to an officer, about a land or survey matter, for example) and one short report each week, timed. The Commission can also cancel candidates whose Bengali proves inadequate, so this is more than a formality.
Paper II: English
Fifty questions at one mark each. The listed areas are vocabulary, grammar, composition, synonyms, antonyms and correction of sentence structure. The standard for English is not stated in the summary I read, so assume a level close to Madhyamik or Higher Secondary and prepare accordingly.
Grammar questions of this kind are usually quick if you know the rules: tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, narration and voice. Composition in an MCQ paper usually means sentence arrangement or choosing the best expression. Synonym and antonym questions reward a steady word list. This section is the easiest place to bank marks, so aim to finish it fast and accurately.
Paper II: Elementary Mathematics
Fifty questions on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and mensuration, at the Madhyamik standard stated in the advertisement. The syllabus text is brief, so use the Class IX and X textbooks of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education as your benchmark. Here is a sensible reading of each area, which is mine and unofficial:
- Arithmetic: percentages, ratio and proportion, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, averages, unit conversions
- Algebra: linear and quadratic equations, factorisation, simultaneous equations, indices
- Geometry: triangles and congruence, similarity, circles, parallel lines, basic theorems
- Trigonometry: ratios, identities, heights and distances
- Mensuration: areas and volumes of plane and solid figures
Trigonometry and mensuration deserve extra time, since surveying uses them directly. A candidate who is comfortable with right-angled triangle calculations will also find survey computations easier.
Paper II: Survey Engineering (100 marks)
This section is half the paper, and the advertisement describes it only as diploma standard. The topic map below is an unofficial guide, built from what a three-year diploma in Survey Engineering normally teaches and from the work of the Directorate of Land Records & Surveys. It is not from the notice. Use the diploma syllabus of the council that governs your course as your reference. The advertisement names the West Bengal State Council of Technical Education.
| Block | Topics to cover (unofficial) |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals | Classification of surveys, scales, plans and maps, units, errors and corrections |
| Chain and compass | Chain surveying, offsets, ranging, obstacles, bearings, local attraction |
| Plane table | Methods, orientation, two-point and three-point problems |
| Levelling | Types of levels, reduction by height of instrument and by rise and fall, contouring, reciprocal levelling |
| Theodolite | Measurement of angles, traversing, closing error, adjustment of a traverse |
| Tacheometry and curves | Stadia method, simple circular curves, setting out |
| Areas and volumes | Trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules, earthwork from cross sections |
| Modern surveying | Electronic distance measurement, total stations, GPS and DGPS, GNSS, GIS and remote sensing basics |
| Land records | Cadastral survey, mouza maps, plot numbering, settlement and survey operations |
The last two blocks are the ones to watch. The advertisement’s experience rule for ITI-route candidates names DGPS, electronic total stations, large-scale mapping and land records preparation. That suggests the Commission cares about modern methods, though the notice does not say the exam will stress them. Candidates who studied only chain and compass work should add total station and GPS topics to their plan.
What you can safely leave out
Several portals list General Knowledge, reasoning, current affairs or civil engineering in an “expected” syllabus. An older page that predates the advertisement says the exam would cover General Knowledge, arithmetic, reasoning and civil engineering, with technical sections. None of that appears in the scheme as reported from the detailed advertisement. Some pages also claim there will be a practical assessment or an interview. The reproduction I read lists only the two papers followed by document verification. If you have limited time, put your hours into the three Paper II sections and the Bengali paper, not into general studies.
Marks, guessing and time
The paper has 200 questions for 150 minutes, which averages 45 seconds a question. Survey Engineering is 100 marks, so a ten-question gain there is worth 10 marks, or 5 per cent of the paper.
A wrong answer costs 0.25, which means a guess pays when you are at least 20 per cent likely to be right. With four options, which the summary does not confirm, a blind guess has an expected score of 0.25 − 0.75 × 0.25, about +0.06 marks, and eliminating even one option makes guessing clearly worthwhile.
A suggested time split, which is my suggestion and not part of the notice: 25 minutes for English, 45 for Mathematics, 70 for Survey Engineering and 10 for review. English averages 30 seconds a question, Mathematics 54 and Survey Engineering 42. Calculation-heavy survey questions, such as traverse closing errors and curve data, take longer than definitions, so skip those first and come back.
A study plan when the exam date is unknown
The advertisement gives no exam date, so plan from the application deadline of 9 November and adjust once the Commission announces the schedule. A rough eight-week plan, which is a suggestion:
- Weeks 1 and 2: Survey Engineering fundamentals, chain, compass, plane table and levelling, with daily practice questions. Begin Bengali letter and report writing.
- Weeks 3 and 4: Theodolite, traversing, tacheometry, curves, areas and volumes. Revise arithmetic and algebra.
- Weeks 5 and 6: Modern surveying (total station, GPS and DGPS, GIS) and land records. Geometry, trigonometry and mensuration.
- Week 7: English grammar and vocabulary, plus timed sectional tests.
- Week 8: Full 200-question mock tests in 150 minutes with the negative marking applied, and a last round of Bengali writing.
ITI-route candidates should reverse some of the emphasis and spend the first weeks on diploma-level theory they may not have covered, particularly theodolite computations and curves.
Previous year papers and cut-off
I found no verified previous-year paper or cut-off for this recruitment, so none is given. A 2026 cut-off does not exist until the exam is held. Watch the Commission’s notices for any Paper II qualifying mark.
Important Links
| Details | Link |
|---|---|
| Sub-Surveyor syllabus PDF | Download Sub-Surveyor syllabus PDF |
| Advertisement No. 22/2024 (detailed) | Download Sub-Surveyor advertisement PDF |
| Official website | Visit WBPSC at psc.wb.gov.in |
| Vacancy and application details | Sub-Surveyor vacancy and application details |
FAQs
Is there General Knowledge or reasoning in the exam?
Not in the scheme as reported from the detailed advertisement. Paper I is Bengali or Nepali, and Paper II is English, Elementary Mathematics and Survey Engineering.
Does the advertisement list Survey Engineering chapters?
No. It states only the standard of a diploma examination in Survey Engineering, so any chapter list, including the one above, is unofficial.
Do Paper I marks count in the final ranking?
No. Paper I is qualifying, with 15 of 50 marks required, and rank is decided by Paper II marks alone.
Is there an interview or practical test?
Not in the reproduction I read. Some portals mention one, so confirm in the detailed advertisement.