Are you a Law graduate aspiring for a prestigious government career in Bihar? The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has released an exciting notification for the Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) Recruitment 2026! This is an incredible opportunity for eligible Indian citizens, especially those from Bihar, to join the Home Department (Prosecution Directorate) in the esteemed prosecution service. A total of 300 vacancies are announced, promising a rewarding career path with excellent prospects.
This comprehensive guide provides all the critical details you need to know – from vacancy breakdown and eligibility criteria to the detailed selection process, salary structure, and application instructions. Read on to prepare your application and seize this golden Sarkari Naukri opportunity!
🎯 Quick Highlights
- Organization: Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC)
- Post Name: Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO)
- Total Vacancies: 300
- Salary: Pay Level 9 (Highly competitive as per 7th CPC)
- Application Start Date: 27 February 2026
- Last Date to Apply: 20 March 2026 (Don't miss this deadline! 📅)
- Official Website: www.bpsc.bihar.gov.in
📋 Vacancy Details
BPSC has announced 300 Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) posts. These vacancies include horizontal reservations for women (35%) and other categories as per Bihar Government rules. Please note that the number of vacancies mentioned is an estimate and may be subject to change by the recruiting department.
Post-wise & Category-wise Vacancy Breakdown:
| Category |
Total Posts |
Reserved for Women (35% Horizontal) |
| Unreserved (UR) |
129 |
41 |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) |
29 |
10 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) |
42 |
15 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) |
07 |
02 |
| Extremely Backward Class (EBC) |
64 |
22 |
| Backward Class (BC) |
25 |
09 |
| Backward Class Women (BCL) |
04 |
00 |
| Total |
300 |
99 |
Special Reservation Categories:
- Freedom Fighters' Descendants: 06 posts are horizontally reserved for the grandchildren of Freedom Fighters of Bihar, who are centrally pensioned.
- Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD - 4% Horizontal Reservation):
- Visually Impaired (VI): 03 posts
- Deaf and Dumb (DD): 03 posts
- Orthopaedically Handicapped (OH): 03 posts
- Multiple Disability (MD): 03 posts
- Total PwBD Posts: 12
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the BPSC APO Recruitment 2026, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Age Limit (as on 01.08.2026):
- Minimum Age: 21 years
- Maximum Age:
- Unreserved (General) Male: 37 years
- Backward Class (BC), Extremely Backward Class (EBC) (Male & Female), and Unreserved Female: 40 years
- Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) (Male & Female): 42 years
Age Relaxation Details:
- Bihar Government Employees: Up to 5 years of relaxation in the upper age limit. This relaxation is applicable for a maximum of 5 attempts in competitive exams held by BPSC, counted from 12.12.2022 onwards.
- Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD): 10 years relaxation in the upper age limit.
- Ex-Servicemen: 3 years plus the number of years served in defense, subject to a maximum age of 57 years.
- Candidates who were within the prescribed age limit as of 01.08.2020 but exceed it as of 01.08.2026 are also eligible, provided they fulfill all other eligibility conditions.
Educational Qualification:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB) from a university recognized by the Bar Council of India. Additionally, applicants must be registered as an advocate to practice in a court of law. This registration is a mandatory requirement for appointment. 🎓
💰 Salary & Benefits
Selected candidates for the BPSC APO post will be appointed at Pay Level 9. As per the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations, the basic pay at Level 9 typically starts from ₹53,100/-. In addition to the attractive basic pay, successful candidates will be entitled to various allowances and benefits as admissible to Bihar Government employees, which include:
- Dearness Allowance (DA)
- House Rent Allowance (HRA)
- Travel Allowance (TA)
- Medical facilities
- Pension benefits
- And other perks as per government rules.
This makes the BPSC APO position a highly lucrative and stable career option in the Bihar government sector. 📈
📝 Selection Process
The selection for BPSC Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) 2026 will involve three rigorous stages to ensure only the most deserving candidates are selected:
- Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (Qualifying)
- The Prelims will consist of two objective-type papers with multiple-choice questions. Both Hindi and English languages will be used for the questions.
- Each paper will have 100 questions and a duration of 2 hours.
- Paper 1: General Studies (सामान्य अध्ययन) - 100 Marks. Syllabus includes General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Science, Indian History & Culture, Indian Polity, and Geography.
- Paper 2: Law (विधि) - 150 Marks. Syllabus covers Indian Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Indian Evidence Act, 2023, Indian Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, Civil Procedure Code, 1908, and fundamental knowledge of the Indian Constitution.
- Qualifying Marks for Prelims:
- General Category: 40%
- Backward Class (BC): 36.5%
- Extremely Backward Class (EBC): 34%
- SC/ST/Women/PwBD: 32%
- Candidates will be shortlisted for the Main Examination based on their Prelims scores, approximately 10 times the total number of vacancies. Prelims marks will NOT be counted for the final merit list.
- Stage 2: Main Written Examination (Descriptive)
- The Mains exam will consist of 8 descriptive papers, each with a duration of 3 hours.
- Paper 1: General Studies (सामान्य अध्ययन) - 100 Marks. (Syllabus similar to Prelims but with descriptive nature).
- Paper 2: Hindi Language (हिन्दी भाषा) - 100 Marks. (Qualifying nature, 30% marks required; not added to merit).
- Paper 3: English Language (अंग्रेजी भाषा) - 100 Marks. (Qualifying nature, 30% marks required; not added to merit).
- Paper 4: Indian Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - 150 Marks.
- Paper 5: Indian Evidence Act, 2023 - 150 Marks.
- Paper 6: (i) Indian Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (75 Marks) & (ii) Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (75 Marks) - Total 150 Marks.
- Paper 7: Indian Constitutional Law - 150 Marks.
- Paper 8: Other Laws (अन्य विधि) - 150 Marks. This paper includes specific acts: Arms Act, 1959; Explosive Substances Act, 1908; NDPS Act, 1985; IT Act, 2000 (Chapter 11); Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 (Chapters VI & VIII) & Rules, 2021 & 2022; Bihar Police Act, 2007; Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989; POCSO Act, 2012.
- Candidates approximately 2.5 times the number of vacancies will be called for the interview based on their Mains exam scores (excluding qualifying papers).
- Stage 3: Interview (साक्षात्कार)
- A personality interview will be conducted for 100 marks.
- Candidates must appear for the interview to be considered for the final merit list.
Final Merit List: The final selection will be based on the combined marks obtained in the Main Written Examination and the Interview. In case of a tie in total marks, preference will be given to candidates with higher Mains exam marks. If Mains marks are also tied, older candidates will be preferred. If age is also tied, candidates will be ranked based on the alphabetical order of their names in Devanagari script.
💳 Application Fee
The application fee for the BPSC APO Recruitment 2026 is standard for all categories, with additional charges for biometric data if Aadhaar is not linked and standard bank charges:
| Category |
Application Fee |
Additional Biometric Fee (if Aadhaar not linked) |
| All Candidates |
₹100/- |
₹200/- |
Please note that banking charges will be extra and must be paid online during the application process. The fee is non-refundable. 💸
📅 Important Dates
Mark these crucial dates on your calendar to ensure a smooth application process for BPSC APO 2026:
| Event |
Date |
| Official Notification Release Date |
25 February 2026 |
| Online Application Start Date |
27 February 2026 |
| Online Application Last Date |
20 March 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment |
20 March 2026 |
| Admit Card Release Date |
To be announced |
| Preliminary Exam Date |
To be announced |
🔗 How to Apply Online
Applying for the BPSC APO Recruitment 2026 is an online-only process. Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to complete your application:
- Visit the Official BPSC Application Portal: Go to https://onlinebpsc.bihar.gov.in/.
- One Time Registration (OTR): If you are a new user, click on the "New user Registration" button. OTR is mandatory for all BPSC exams. If you have previously registered on an old portal, you must re-register.
- Profile Creation: Complete the OTR by providing personal details, address, other information, educational qualifications, experience (if any), and uploading your photo and signature. You might use your Digilocker account to upload documents easily.
- Login & Select Advertisement: After successful OTR, log in using your registered mobile number/email ID and password. Navigate to the "New Application" tab and find the BPSC APO Recruitment (Advt. No. 13/2026) advertisement.
- Fill Application Form: Click on the "Apply Online" link. Fill in all the required details in the application form accurately. Ensure all claims (e.g., reservation) are supported by valid certificates.
- Upload Documents: Upload scanned copies of necessary documents as specified in the notification. Ensure photo and signature meet the prescribed size and format (webcam capture for photo, scanned for signatures in Hindi & English).
- Pay Application Fee: Proceed to pay the application fee online (₹100 + bank charges). If Aadhaar is not linked during OTR, an additional ₹200 biometric fee will be applicable.
- Review and Submit: Carefully review all the entered information before final submission. No changes will be allowed after final submission.
- Print Application Form: After successful submission and payment, download and print at least two copies of your application form and keep them safe for future reference.
Important Note for Married Women Candidates from Bihar: For claiming reservation (Caste/EWS/Domicile), certificates must be issued from your father's name and permanent address, not your husband's. Also, reservation benefits are applicable only to permanent residents of Bihar. Candidates from other states will be treated as Unreserved (General) category. 📝
💡 Important Tips for BPSC APO Aspirants
- Read Notification Thoroughly: Before applying, meticulously go through the official notification PDF to understand all rules, eligibility, and instructions.
- Prepare Documents: Keep all required documents (educational certificates, caste/domicile/EWS certificates, photo ID, passport-size photographs) ready in digital format before starting the online application.
- Check Eligibility Carefully: Ensure you meet all age, educational, and advocate registration criteria for the APO post.
- Apply Early: Do not wait for the last date to apply to avoid any last-minute technical glitches or heavy server load.
- Accuracy is Key: Double-check every detail entered in the application form, especially name, date of birth, category, and educational qualifications, as no corrections will be allowed after submission.
- Syllabus Mastery: Begin your preparation by thoroughly understanding the detailed Prelims and Mains syllabus, focusing on both General Studies and Law papers.
- Practice Previous Year Papers: Solve past question papers to understand the exam pattern and question types.
