HPAS Mains Exam [ Criteria ]

• The main examination shall include compulsory subjects and one optional subject. The candidate shall specify in his / her application form the optional subject he/she desires to take. He / She may intimate any change of his / her intention to the Secretary of the Commission not later than the last date prescribed for the payment of the examination fee.
• No candidate shall be considered to have qualified the written examination unless he/she obtains atleast 40% marks in compulsory papers of Hindi and English and 45% marks in the aggregate (excluding compulsory papers of Hindi & English).
• The marks obtained in the Compulsory Papers of English and Hindi will not be counted for overall ranking.
• The total number of candidates to be called for interview / personality test on the basis of written examination shall not exceed three (3) times the number of the vacancies notified for recruitment through that examination; Provided that in case there is a tie between or amongst the candidates on account of having obtained equal minimum qualifying marks on the basis of written examination, all such candidates obtaining equal minimum marks shall be called for interview / personality test.
• The marks obtained by the candidates in the main examination (written part as well as interview / personality test) shall determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted various services / posts keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preference expressed by them for the various services and posts.
• The compulsory and optional subjects and maximum marks fixed for each subject shall be as below:-

• The standards and contents of papers in general (excluding compulsory papers of English and Hindi) shall be similar to those of the Degree level, i.e. B.A. or B.Sc. etc. examinations of a recognized University. The standards and contents of compulsory papers of English and Hindi shall be of 10+2 level.
• All Papers shall be of three hours duration.
• Knowledge of customs, manners and dialects of Himachal Pradesh and suitability for appointment in peculiar conditions prevailing in Himachal Pradesh shall be considered as “desirable qualifications”.
• The marks obtained in the Compulsory Papers of English and Hindi will not be counted for overall ranking though it would be necessary to obtain 40% marks in each of these papers to qualify.
• Marks and ranking will be decided on the basis of marks obtained in all other compulsory and optional papers (excluding marks of English and Hindi Papers of Compulsory Papers).
• Credit will be given for good English / Hindi including orderly, effective and exact expression combined with the economy of words, in all subjects of the examination.
• The names of candidates who are called for interview/personality test shall be arranged in order of merit on the basis of the aggregate marks obtained in the examination.
• In the event of a tie, order of merit shall be determined in accordance with highest marks secured in the interview / personality test and if the marks in the interview / personality test are also equal, then the order of merit shall be decided in accordance with the highest marks obtained by such candidates in the aggregate of the compulsory subjects (excluding English and Hindi papers) and if the marks in the aggregate of the compulsory subjects are also equal, then the order of merit shall be decided in accordance with the highest marks obtained by such candidates in the essay paper and in case there is still a tie then the elder candidate shall be placed higher in the merit.