I cleared the Punjab Police Sub Inspector exam with Rank 2. The single biggest lesson from that preparation: know the pattern before you open a book. Everything below comes from the official Punjab Police Constable 2026 notification, so you can prepare from the real thing.
Official notification: Download the Punjab Police Constable 2026 notification (PDF, 17 pages)
Punjab Police Constable 2027: the next recruitment
Punjab Police has been recruiting constables every year: 1,746 posts in each of the 2024 and 2025 cycles, then 3,297 posts in 2026. The next constable recruitment is expected in 2027.
- Status: no official 2027 notification yet
- What to expect: the notification usually comes early in the year, with the CBT a few months later
- What to do now: if you are aiming for 2027, start now. The 2026 pattern below is the one to prepare for until the 2027 notification says otherwise.
We will update this page as soon as the 2027 notification is published. Join our Telegram channel for the alert.
The 2026 recruitment at a glance
- Posts: 3,297 tentative vacancies: 2,522 in District Police Cadre and 775 in Armed Police Cadre (sports quota is filled separately)
- Notification: published 5 March 2026; online applications ran from 10 to 30 March 2026
- CBT: held between 1 and 30 July 2026; the provisional answer key came out on 5 August 2026
- Posting: selected constables can be posted anywhere in Punjab, India or abroad
Eligibility (2026 notification)
- Education: 10+2 or equivalent. Ex-servicemen need matriculation.
- Punjabi: matriculation with Punjabi as a compulsory or elective subject, or an equivalent Punjabi examination.
- Age: 18 to 28 years as on 1 January 2026. SC and BC candidates of Punjab get up to 5 years of relaxation (up to 33 years), and so do government employees. Ex-servicemen deduct their service period as per rules.
Selection process
- Stage I: Computer Based Test (CBT) - Paper I and Paper II
- Stage II: Physical Screening Test (PST) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
- Stage III: document scrutiny
The final merit is made strictly from Paper I marks after normalization. Paper II, PST and PMT are qualifying only.
Exam pattern
Paper I: 100 questions, 1 mark each, 2 hours
| Section | Marks |
|---|---|
| General Awareness | 35 |
| Quantitative Aptitude & Numerical Skills | 20 |
| Mental Ability & Logical Reasoning | 20 |
| English Language Skills | 10 |
| Punjabi Language Skills | 10 |
| Digital Literacy & Awareness | 5 |
Paper II: a mandatory qualifying test of Punjabi language at matriculation standard. It has 50 questions of 1 mark each, takes 1 hour, and you need 50%. Its marks are not counted for merit.
No negative marking. The notification says so in plain words. Never leave a question blank.
Minimum marks to reach Stage II (after normalization):
- Paper I: 40% for General and other categories, 35% for SC, BC, EWS and ex-servicemen
- Paper II: 50% for everyone. Failing Paper II disqualifies you, whatever your Paper I score.
If two candidates tie on Paper I, the older candidate ranks higher. After that, the higher General Awareness score decides, then Quantitative Aptitude, then Reasoning. That is one more reason to make General Awareness your strongest section.
Official syllabus, section by section
General Awareness (35 marks)
- The Constitution and its features; Central and State legislature, executive, judicial institutions and local government institutions
- History, geography, culture and economy of Punjab
- Health and nutrition
- Current affairs
Quantitative Aptitude & Numerical Skills (20 marks)
- Simplification, average, decimals and fractions
- Ratio and proportion, percentages
- Profit and loss, simple interest, time and work
Mental Ability & Logical Reasoning (20 marks)
- Number and letter series, sequencing, pattern completion
- Statements and conclusions
- Order and ranking, direction and distances, relationship problems
English Language Skills (10 marks)
- Reading comprehension and Punjabi-to-English translation
- Sentence rearrangement and correction, error spotting
- Fill in the blanks, spelling correction
- Vocabulary: synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution
Punjabi Language Skills (10 marks)
- ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿਆਕਰਨ: grammar, vocabulary, idioms and comprehension at matriculation level
- See the notification for the full list of topics
Digital Literacy & Awareness (5 marks)
- Fundamentals of computers
- MS Office (Word, PowerPoint)
- Internet, World Wide Web and search engines
- Email communication
- Mobile phones (basic concepts)
These 5 marks are the easiest on the paper, so do not skip them.
Physical tests (qualifying)
PST events and minimum standards:
| Candidates | Events |
|---|---|
| Men (incl. ex-servicemen under 35) | 1,600 m race in 6 min 30 sec (1 chance); long jump 3.80 m and high jump 1.10 m (3 chances each) |
| Women (incl. ex-servicewomen under 35) | 800 m race in 4 min 30 sec (1 chance); long jump 3.00 m and high jump 0.95 m (3 chances each) |
| Ex-servicemen, male, over 35 | 1,400 m walk-and-run in 12 minutes; 10 full squats in 3 minutes |
| Ex-servicemen, female, over 35 | 800 m run in 6 minutes |
PMT (height): minimum 5 ft 7 in (170.2 cm) for men and 5 ft 2 in (157.5 cm) for women.
You must clear every event for your category; failing any one disqualifies you. Transgender candidates are treated at par with female candidates for PST and PMT.
A 90-day preparation plan
- Days 1-30, build the base. Cover the Constitution and Punjab history, geography, culture and economy daily. Do one reasoning and one maths topic every day. Finish the digital literacy basics in the first week.
- Days 31-60, practise topic-wise. After every chapter, attempt its MCQ set and note your mistakes. Read monthly current affairs, and do one comprehension and one translation daily.
- Days 61-90, revise and test. Take one full mock every two days. Revise your mistake notebook, and practise Paper II Punjabi twice a week; 50% is compulsory.
Start running now. Physical tests come soon after the result, and the 1,600 m in 6:30 needs weeks of training.
Free practice sets on House of Aspirants
General Awareness
Reasoning
Digital Literacy
Current affairs
Every set is free, in Punjabi and English, with an explanation for each answer. Sign in once and your score appears on the live leaderboard.