BPSSC SI Special Branch Recruitment 2026: 150 Sub-Inspector Posts, No Running Test, Apply by 9 August
Lokesh Rathore
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This is a Bihar Daroga vacancy, but not the one most aspirants train for. BPSSC Advt 09/2026 fills 150 Sub-Inspector posts in the Special Branch, the intelligence wing of Bihar Police, and it breaks two habits candidates carry from the regular Daroga exam: there is no running or athletic test, and the fee is a flat 100 rupees for everyone. Applications run from 9 July to 9 August 2026, with the commission stating clearly that the deadline will not be extended.
BPSSC SI Special Branch 2026: The Numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Posts | 150 (Sub-Inspector, Special Branch, General Closed Cadre) |
| Advertisement | 09/2026, dated 3 July 2026 |
| Women’s share | 49 posts (35% horizontal, for Bihar-domicile women) |
| Qualification | Graduate in any discipline (as on 1 August 2025) |
| Age (as on 1 August 2025) | 20 to 37 (Gen male), 20 to 40 (Gen female, BC, EBC), 20 to 42 (SC/ST) |
| Fee | ₹100 flat for all categories and both genders |
| Apply window | 9 July to 9 August 2026 (no extension) |
| Pay | Pay Matrix Level 6 (starting basic ₹35,400) |
| Apply at | bpssc.bihar.gov.in (Bihar Police tab, Advt 09/2026) |
The category split of the 150 posts is: 60 Unreserved, 27 EBC, 24 SC, 18 BC, 15 EWS, 4 BC-Women and 2 ST. A separate 2% horizontal quota (3 posts) is reserved for grandchildren of Bihar freedom fighters. One rule to note early: all reservation benefits, including the 35% women reservation, apply only to original residents of Bihar. Candidates from other states are treated as Unreserved.
What “Special Branch” and “Closed Cadre” Actually Mean
These two phrases change the nature of the job, so understand them before you apply. The Special Branch is the intelligence and internal-security wing of Bihar Police, not the uniformed district force you see at a police station. A Sub-Inspector here works on intelligence gathering and security duties under the Deputy Inspector General (Special Branch). “General Closed Cadre” means the post is self-contained within the Special Branch: you are recruited into this cadre, and your promotions and postings stay inside it rather than rotating through the transferable district civil or armed police cadre. In plain terms, this is an intelligence-side policing career, governed by the Bihar Police Special Branch Sub-Inspector (General Closed Cadre) Rules, 2024, and it is distinct from the regular Bihar Daroga role.
No Running Test: The Physical Stage Is Only Measurement
This is the single biggest departure from the regular Bihar SI exam, and candidates repeatedly get it wrong. There is no running event, no high jump, no long jump and no shot put in this recruitment. The physical stage checks only body standards, and it is qualifying, not scored:
| Standard | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Height (Gen/BC) | 165 cm | 155 cm (all categories) |
| Height (EBC/SC/ST) | 160 cm | 155 cm (all categories) |
| Chest (Gen/BC/EBC men) | 81 cm, expanding to 86 cm | Not measured |
| Chest (SC/ST men) | 79 cm, expanding to 84 cm | Not measured |
| Weight | Not specified | Minimum 48 kg |
Men must show a minimum 5 cm chest expansion. Because there is no timed running event, this recruitment rewards exam preparation over athletic training, which is unusual for a police job and works in favour of candidates who are strong on paper but not sprinters. Do not carry over the running standards of the general district Daroga exam; they do not apply here.
Two Written Stages, and Only the Second One Counts
Selection runs through a preliminary screen, a main exam that decides merit, then the physical and medical checks:
- Preliminary exam (screening only): one objective paper, 100 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours, with 2 marks per correct answer and no negative marking. You must score at least 30% to move ahead, and these marks do not count towards the final merit. Candidates are shortlisted for the main exam at up to 10 times the vacancies, category-wise.
- Main exam, Paper 1 (objective): 200 questions for 200 marks in 3 hours, covering General Studies and current affairs (50), Mathematics and quantitative aptitude (40), Reasoning (40), English (20), Hindi (20) and General Knowledge of Bihar (30). This paper has negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer.
- Main exam, Paper 2 (descriptive): 50 marks in 1 hour, with a Hindi essay, an English essay, an English precis and a Hindi-to-English translation. A minimum of 30% is required in both main papers.
The final merit list is built only from the main exam marks. After the main exam, the top candidates at three times the vacancies are called for the physical measurement, followed by a medical examination that checks vision, hearing, colour blindness and speech, among other standards.
Pay Level 6 and the Salary the Notification Does Not Print
The notification places the post in Pay Matrix Level 6 and prints no rupee figure beyond that. Level 6 under the 7th Pay Commission starts at a basic of ₹35,400 and runs to ₹1,12,400. Once Bihar dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other components are added to the basic, an entry SI’s gross typically lands in the region of ₹49,000 to ₹54,000 a month, but treat that as our estimate built from the pay matrix, not a BPSSC figure. What the commission commits to officially is only the pay level.
How to Apply on the BPSSC Portal
- Open bpssc.bihar.gov.in, go to the Bihar Police tab and select the Advt 09/2026 Sub-Inspector link.
- Register and fill the form. Upload your photo and signature as a JPG of 15 to 25 KB on a white background, with the photo taken within the last two months.
- Pay the flat ₹100 fee online through net banking, card or UPI; bank charges are extra and borne by you.
- Review carefully before final submission. There is no edit window after you confirm: to change anything you must cancel the registration and re-apply with a fresh fee.
- Submit before 9 August 2026. The commission has stated the date will not be extended.
This adds to our Bihar coverage alongside every Bihar job and the police jobs we track.
Is It Worth Applying?
For a graduate who wants a policing career but is stronger in the exam hall than on a running track, this is an unusually good fit: a Level 6 government post with no athletic test and a token ₹100 fee. The trade-off is the nature of the work, since the Special Branch closed cadre keeps you on the intelligence side rather than in visible district policing. The two dates that matter are the form deadline of 9 August and the fact that the eligibility cut-off is 1 August 2025, so measure your age and degree against that date, not today.
BPSSC SI Special Branch 2026: Your Questions
What is the last date for BPSSC SI Advt 09/2026?
9 August 2026 for the online application. The commission has stated there will be no extension, and there is no post-submission correction window.
Is there a running or physical efficiency test?
No. Unlike the regular Bihar Daroga exam, this Special Branch recruitment has no running, jumping or shot put events. The physical stage only verifies height, chest and weight standards, and it is qualifying.
How many posts are there and how many are for women?
150 posts in total, of which 49 (35%) are horizontally reserved for Bihar-domicile women across categories.
What is the fee for BPSSC SI 2026?
A flat ₹100 for all categories and both genders, paid online. Any site listing a ₹700 tier is confusing this with a different Bihar exam; this notification says ₹100 for everyone.
What is the qualification and age limit?
A graduate degree in any discipline as on 1 August 2025. Age on that date is 20 to 37 for general males, 20 to 40 for general females and BC/EBC candidates, and 20 to 42 for SC/ST.
What is the BPSSC SI Special Branch exam pattern?
A qualifying preliminary paper (100 questions, 200 marks, no negative marking), then a main exam with an objective Paper 1 (200 questions, 200 marks, 0.25 negative) and a descriptive Paper 2 (50 marks). Only the main exam decides merit.
