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100+ Free HPSC HCS Practice Questions

Pass your Haryana Civil Services (HCS) (Executive Branch) & Allied Services Examination exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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The chemical symbol 'Na' represents which element?

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Key Facts: HPSC HCS Exam

2 papers

Prelims Objective Papers (GS + CSAT)

HPSC

100 each

Marks/Questions per Paper

HPSC

33%

CSAT Qualifying Mark (Paper II)

HPSC

0.25

Negative Marks per Wrong Answer

HPSC / Drishti IAS

2 hours

Duration per Paper

HPSC

~12x

Vacancies Shortlisted for Mains

HPSC

The HPSC HCS Preliminary Examination has two objective MCQ papers of 100 marks each: Paper I General Studies and Paper II CSAT, with 2 hours per paper and 0.25 negative marking. CSAT is qualifying at 33%, and only General Studies marks decide the shortlisting merit. The offline bilingual exam shortlists roughly 12 times the vacancies for the Mains.

Sample HPSC HCS Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your HPSC HCS exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which Article of the Indian Constitution describes the procedure for the election of the President of India?
A.Article 54
B.Article 61
C.Article 72
D.Article 80
Explanation: Article 54 provides that the President is elected by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States and certain Union Territories. The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
2The Quit India Movement was launched by the Indian National Congress in which year?
A.1930
B.1942
C.1945
D.1920
Explanation: The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan) was launched on 8 August 1942 at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee, where Mahatma Gandhi gave the famous 'Do or Die' call. It was a mass civil disobedience movement demanding an end to British rule in India.
3Which river is known as the lifeline of Haryana and is the principal source of irrigation in the state?
A.Ghaggar
B.Yamuna
C.Markanda
D.Saraswati
Explanation: The Yamuna forms the eastern boundary of Haryana and is the most important river for the state, feeding major canal systems such as the Western Yamuna Canal that irrigate large parts of the state. Haryana is otherwise largely dependent on canal and tube-well irrigation as it has few perennial rivers.
4In the CSAT comprehension passage, a writer states: 'No policy can succeed unless those implementing it understand its purpose.' Which assumption underlies this statement?
A.Understanding the purpose of a policy influences how well it is implemented
B.All policies eventually fail
C.Implementers never read policies
D.Purpose is more important than resources
Explanation: The statement directly links the success of a policy to the implementers' understanding of its purpose, so the underlying assumption is that such understanding affects the quality of implementation. Identifying the logical assumption that a statement rests upon is a core CSAT reasoning skill.
5If the cost price of an article is Rs. 400 and it is sold at a profit of 25%, what is the selling price?
A.Rs. 425
B.Rs. 500
C.Rs. 480
D.Rs. 520
Explanation: Profit of 25% on a cost price of Rs. 400 equals 0.25 x 400 = Rs. 100. Therefore the selling price is 400 + 100 = Rs. 500. Such basic profit-and-loss numeracy at Class X level is a standard CSAT topic.
6Which of the following is a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A of the Indian Constitution?
A.Right to constitutional remedies
B.To protect and improve the natural environment
C.Right to freedom of religion
D.Right against exploitation
Explanation: Article 51A lists the Fundamental Duties of citizens, which include the duty to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976.
7The Battle of Panipat in 1526, which led to the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India, was fought near a town located in which present-day state?
A.Punjab
B.Haryana
C.Uttar Pradesh
D.Rajasthan
Explanation: Panipat is a historic city located in present-day Haryana. Three decisive battles were fought there: in 1526 (Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, founding the Mughal Empire), 1556 (Akbar's forces defeated Hemu), and 1761 (Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas). Panipat's strategic location on the route to Delhi made it a key battleground.
8Haryana was carved out as a separate state from Punjab on which date?
A.26 January 1950
B.1 November 1966
C.15 August 1947
D.1 May 1960
Explanation: Haryana came into existence as the 17th state of India on 1 November 1966, following the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Punjab on linguistic lines under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. The Hindi-speaking areas became Haryana while the Punjabi-speaking areas remained Punjab.
9Which gas, present in the atmosphere, is primarily responsible for absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun in the stratosphere?
A.Carbon dioxide
B.Ozone
C.Methane
D.Nitrogen
Explanation: Ozone (O3) concentrated in the stratospheric ozone layer absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet-B radiation, protecting living organisms on Earth. This is distinct from ground-level ozone, which is a pollutant. The depletion of stratospheric ozone by chlorofluorocarbons is a major environmental concern.
10A train travels 360 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed in kilometres per hour?
A.80 km/h
B.90 km/h
C.100 km/h
D.75 km/h
Explanation: Average speed equals total distance divided by total time, so 360 km / 4 hours = 90 km/h. Speed, distance, and time relationships are fundamental basic numeracy topics tested in the CSAT paper.

About the HPSC HCS Exam

The Haryana Civil Services (HCS) (Executive Branch) & Allied Services Examination is conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission to recruit officers for posts such as HCS (Executive Branch), DSP, Tehsildar, BDPO, ETO, and other allied services. Selection is a three-stage process: a Preliminary Examination, a Main written Examination, and a Personality Test (interview). The Preliminary stage has two objective MCQ papers of 100 marks each — Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (CSAT) — held offline in both English and Hindi, with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. CSAT is qualifying at 33%, while only Paper I (General Studies) marks are used to shortlist candidates for the Mains.

Questions

200 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours per paper (Paper I and Paper II)

Passing Score

CSAT Paper II qualifying at 33%; GS Paper I marks decide the shortlisting merit

Exam Fee

Rs. 1000 (General/EWS male); Rs. 250 (female and Haryana reserved categories); nil for Haryana PwD (Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Panchkula)

HPSC HCS Exam Content Outline

Paper I

History & Indian National Movement

History of India and the freedom struggle across ancient, medieval, and modern periods (Paper I General Studies)

Paper I

Indian & World Geography

Physical, social, and economic geography of India and the world (Paper I General Studies)

Paper I

Indian Polity & Economy

Constitution, governance, and Indian economy and social development (Paper I General Studies)

Paper I

General Science & Current Affairs

General science, environment, and current events of national and international importance (Paper I General Studies)

Paper I

Haryana GK

Haryana economy, people, institutions, language, history, geography, and culture (Paper I General Studies)

Paper II

CSAT (Qualifying, 33%)

Comprehension, reasoning, decision making, basic numeracy, and data interpretation at Class X level (Paper II)

How to Pass the HPSC HCS Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: CSAT Paper II qualifying at 33%; GS Paper I marks decide the shortlisting merit
  • Exam length: 200 questions
  • Time limit: 2 hours per paper (Paper I and Paper II)
  • Exam fee: Rs. 1000 (General/EWS male); Rs. 250 (female and Haryana reserved categories); nil for Haryana PwD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

HPSC HCS Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat General Studies (Paper I) as the scoring paper, since only its marks decide your shortlisting merit for the Mains.
2Do not neglect CSAT (Paper II) — many candidates fail simply by missing the 33% qualifying mark, so practise reasoning and numeracy regularly.
3Master Haryana GK thoroughly: history, geography, economy, culture, institutions, and state schemes are high-yield and frequently asked.
4Build a daily current-affairs habit covering national, international, and Haryana-specific developments for the year before the exam.
5Practise with negative marking in mind (0.25 per wrong answer); learn when to attempt and when to leave a question.
6Solve previous years' HCS prelims papers to understand the question style, difficulty, and repeated themes.
7Take full-length timed mock tests for both papers to build speed and accuracy within the 2-hour-per-paper limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the HPSC HCS examination?

The HPSC HCS examination is the Haryana Civil Services (Executive Branch) & Allied Services Examination conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission to recruit officers for posts such as HCS (Executive Branch), DSP, Tehsildar, and other allied services. It has three stages: Prelims, Mains, and an interview.

What is the pattern of the HCS Preliminary Examination?

The Prelims has two objective MCQ papers of 100 marks each: Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (CSAT). Each paper lasts 2 hours and is offered in both English and Hindi. There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.

Is the CSAT paper qualifying in HCS Prelims?

Yes. Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying in nature, requiring a minimum of 33% to clear it. Only the marks of Paper I (General Studies) are used to prepare the merit list for shortlisting candidates to the Mains examination.

Is there negative marking in HCS Prelims?

Yes. The HCS Preliminary Examination has negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer in both papers, so candidates should avoid blind guessing.

What is the application fee for HPSC HCS?

As per the HPSC notification, General and EWS male candidates pay around Rs. 1000, while female candidates and Haryana reserved categories (SC/BC-A/BC-B/ESM/EWS) pay about Rs. 250. Haryana PwD candidates are generally exempt. Check the latest notification for exact figures.

Who is eligible to apply for HPSC HCS?

Candidates must be Indian citizens holding a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university and must meet the prescribed age limits (generally 21-42 years for most posts, with category relaxations). The DSP post has a lower upper age limit.

How many candidates are shortlisted for the HCS Mains?

Approximately 12 times the number of advertised vacancies (plus candidates at the bracket cutoff) are shortlisted for the Main written Examination on the basis of General Studies (Paper I) marks.

Are the HCS Prelims marks counted in the final merit?

No. The Preliminary Examination is only a screening stage. Its marks are not added to the final merit list, which is based on the Mains written Examination and the interview (Personality Test).