Short answer: RAS Prelims 2026 has one objective paper, General Knowledge and General Science, with 150 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks in 3 hours. Each wrong answer costs one-third of that question's marks. RPSC has fixed the exam for Sunday, 6 December 2026.
This page separates three kinds of information: what the official 2026 scheme says, what the 2023 and 2024 question booklets said (a strong guide, but not a 2026 notice), and our own calculations.
RAS Prelims 2026 at a glance
| Item | RAS Prelims 2026 |
|---|---|
| Exam | Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2026 |
| Advertisement | Advt. No. 02/2026-27, released 27 May 2026, for 607 posts |
| Prelims date | 6 December 2026 (Sunday). It was first announced for 29 November 2026 and moved by the press note of 2 July 2026. |
| Mains dates | 1 and 2 May 2027 |
| Number of papers | One: General Knowledge and General Science |
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions carrying equal marks |
| Maximum marks | 200 |
| Time | 3 hours |
| Negative marking | 1/3 for each wrong answer |
| Standard | Bachelor's degree level |
| Role of the marks | Screening only. Prelims marks are not counted in the final order of merit. |
Sources: the RPSC scheme and syllabus of 9 January 2026 (paper, questions, marks, time, negative marking, standard, role of marks); RPSC press notes of 27 May and 2 July 2026 (dates); the RPSC exam dashboard (advertisement and posts). Links are at the end of this page.
The admit card had not been released when we checked the RPSC exam dashboard on 11 November 2026. RPSC publishes it on its website before the exam; check rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in rather than social media forwards.
Marks per question and the real cost of a wrong answer
RPSC gives 200 marks for 150 equal questions, so every question is worth 200 ÷ 150 = 1.33 marks. The scheme says one-third is deducted for each wrong answer. Read in the usual way, as one-third of the question's marks, a wrong answer costs about 0.44 marks.
| Response | Effect on your score |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1.33 |
| Wrong answer | −0.44 |
| "Question not attempted" (fifth option, as in 2023 and 2024) | 0 |
| No circle darkened at all (rule in the 2023 and 2024 booklets) | −0.44, and it counts towards the 10% limit below |
Worked example. Suppose you answer 120 questions, get 90 right and 30 wrong, and mark the fifth option for the other 30.
- Positive marks: 90 × 1.33 = 120.0
- Negative marks: 30 × 0.44 = 13.3
- Score: 106.7 out of 200
One more correct answer adds 1.33. One more wrong answer takes away 0.44. So three wrong guesses cancel one correct answer, and that ratio is the whole logic of guessing in this paper. Our guide to analysing your mock test score shows how to measure your own guessing accuracy.
The fifth option and the 10% blank rule
The 2026 scheme document says nothing about a fifth option. It covers only the number of questions, the marks, the time and the negative marking. The rules below come from the instructions printed in the 2023 and 2024 RAS Prelims question booklets, which we checked when preparing our previous-year paper analysis:
- Every question had a fifth option meaning "Question not attempted". A candidate who did not want to answer a question had to darken this option.
- A question with no circle darkened was treated like a wrong answer for negative marking.
- A candidate who left no circle darkened in more than 10% of the questions (more than 15 of 150) could be disqualified.
- Candidates got 10 extra minutes, after the 3 hours, to fill in the OMR sheet.
RPSC has used this system in its recent objective exams, so expect it in 2026. Still, follow the instructions printed on your 2026 admit card and question booklet. If they differ from this page, they win.
Practical rule: every one of the 150 rows on your OMR sheet should end with exactly one darkened circle, either your answer or option 5. Do the bubbling in batches, for example after every 25 questions, so you are never left with 40 empty rows in the last ten minutes.
Subjects in the paper
The official 2026 syllabus lists these areas: History, art, culture, literature, tradition and heritage of Rajasthan; Indian history; geography of the world, India and Rajasthan; the Indian Constitution, political system and governance; the political and administrative system of Rajasthan; economic concepts and the Indian economy; the economy of Rajasthan; science and technology; reasoning, mental ability and basic numeracy; and current affairs with special reference to Rajasthan. RPSC does not publish marks per subject.
The previous papers give a reliable picture of the weightage. In the 2021, 2023 and 2024 papers the number of questions per area stayed in a narrow range:
| Area | Questions per paper (2021 / 2023 / 2024) |
|---|---|
| History, art, culture and literature (India and Rajasthan) | 23 / 26 / 25 |
| Polity and governance (India and Rajasthan) | 23 / 23 / 24 |
| Economy (India and Rajasthan) | 22 / 22 / 21 |
| Geography (Rajasthan, India and world) | 21 / 19 / 20 |
| Science, technology and environment | 21 / 20 / 20 |
| Reasoning and basic numeracy | 20 / 20 / 20 |
| Current affairs | 20 / 20 / 20 |
These counts are our classification of the actual questions, so treat any single number as accurate within one or two questions. The syllabus itself was revised on 9 January 2026; the RAS Prelims Syllabus 2026 page lists the topics and the main changes.
Language of the paper
The 2023 and 2024 booklets printed every question in Hindi and English, and said that the English version would be treated as standard if there was any doubt. Many candidates read in Hindi and cross-check the English for technical terms, especially in polity, economy and science.
What the pattern means for your preparation
- Practise the full 3 hours, plus OMR time. Most candidates lose marks to time pressure in the last 30 questions, not to a lack of knowledge. Sit at least a few full-length papers in one go at the exam hour; our free full-length RAS mock tests use the same 150-question format.
- Decide your guessing rule in advance. With a 3:1 ratio, guessing pays only when you can genuinely eliminate options. Decide before the exam, not in the hall.
- Treat Prelims as a cut-off race. Prelims marks are not added to your final merit, so the only goal is to clear the cut-off for your category comfortably. Cut-offs vary by category and year; refer to RPSC's result notices for past figures rather than numbers circulating on social media.
- Start Mains-oriented study only after the Prelims revision is complete. Mains is in May 2027, so there is time after 6 December.
How our mock tests show the score
RASTestSeries.com is our own website, so here is exactly how its mock tests score. Each test has 150 questions with +1 for a correct answer and −1/3 for a wrong one, so the maximum score is 150 rather than 200. The proportions are identical to the real paper. To convert a mock score to the 200-mark scale, multiply it by 4/3 (a mock score of 81 equals 108 out of 200). Every question also has the fifth option, and the result page warns you if you left more than 15 questions completely blank.
Official sources
- RPSC: Scheme and Syllabus, Preliminary Examination (English), dated 9 January 2026
- RPSC press note of 2 July 2026 (revised exam dates)
- RPSC exam dashboard (advertisement, press notes, admit card)
Checked against the RPSC website on 11 November 2026. RASTestSeries.com is an independent preparation website, not affiliated with RPSC. If an RPSC notice differs from this page, follow the notice.