What the BCS examination is
The Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination is the single national competitive test that fills first class officer positions in the Bangladesh government. It is conducted by the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), the constitutional body that recruits into the civil service under Article 137 of the Constitution. A single BCS cycle feeds every general cadre (administration, foreign affairs, police, audit and accounts, taxation, customs, information) and every technical or professional cadre (health, education, agriculture, engineering, forest and others), so one examination decides entry into a very wide slice of the state.
The scale of the exam explains the intensity of preparation around it. For the most recent cycle, the 47th BCS, a total of 374,747 candidates sat the preliminary test on 19 September 2025, and only 10,644 were cleared through to the written stage. Those numbers are typical, not exceptional: BCS is the country’s most competitive graduate recruitment, and coaching, study circles and long form written practice are all built around its three stage rhythm.
Who conducts it and who can apply
BPSC frames the syllabus, publishes the circular, runs the application portal at bpsc.teletalk.com.bd, and holds each stage of the examination through the year. Applicants must be Bangladeshi citizens and hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. For the 47th BCS the general age range is 21 to 32 years, with the upper limit raised from 30 to 32 under a 2024 revision. Freedom fighter children and candidates with physical disabilities receive the relaxations specified in each circular. Technical cadres carry additional professional qualification requirements listed against each post in the notification.
The three stage process
BCS is a three stage examination.
The preliminary test is a 200 mark objective paper of 200 questions in two hours, with 0.5 marks deducted for a wrong answer. It screens candidates across Bangla, English, Bangladesh affairs, international affairs, geography and environment, general science, ICT, mathematical reasoning, mental ability, and ethics and good governance.
The written examination follows for candidates who clear preliminary. General cadre applicants sit 900 marks of descriptive papers across Bangla, English, Bangladesh affairs, international affairs, mathematical reasoning and general science and technology; technical cadre applicants sit an additional professional paper that raises the total to 1,100 marks. The 47th BCS written examination began on 27 November 2025.
The viva voce is the final stage, and following BPSC’s 2024 rule revision it now carries 100 marks instead of the earlier 200. Final merit is calculated from written plus viva scores, cadre by cadre.
How to apply and what the key dates look like
Applications for the 47th BCS opened on 29 December 2024 and closed on 30 January 2025 after an extension. The application fee was reduced to BDT 200 for general applicants and BDT 50 for candidates from disadvantaged groups, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. Every step happens through the BPSC Teletalk portal: registration, fee payment by Teletalk prepaid SIM, admit card download for each stage, and result checks.
Dates and vacancy counts change with every cycle, so the schedule and vacancies fields on this page carry the source and last verified date for each number, and any value that is not yet officially announced is left blank rather than guessed.