# Chandigarh UT Civil Services Prelims (Chandigarh PCS) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for Chandigarh UT Civil Services Prelims, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS

## Exam pattern
- Category: STATE_LEVEL · state: CH
- Questions: 100 · Total marks: 100 · Marks per question: 1
- Duration: 120 minutes
- Negative marking: −0.25 per wrong answer
- Languages offered: EN

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Age: 21–32 years (before category relaxation: OBC +3, SC/ST +5)
- Education: Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university
- Approximate annual vacancies: 100
- Note: State Public Service Commission — general administrative posts; state domicile typically required.

## Key dates
- 2026-07-25 — Expected notification release
- 2026-08-01 — Typical application window opening period
- 2026-08-02 — Monitor official portal for notification
- 2026-08-02 — Review official gazette notifications
- 2026-08-09 — Probable application window opening
- 2026-08-15 — Expected Chandigarh Clerk/Steno combined recruitment notification
- 2026-08-15 — Expected application window (if announced)
- 2026-08-21 — UPSC CSE 2026 Mains exam (expected) (exam day)

## Syllabus outline
### General Studies (weight 1)
Current Events · International Affairs · National Affairs · Economic and Social Development · Development Indicators · Indian Economy · Poverty and Inclusion · Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change · Climate Change · Ecology and Biodiversity · Indian and World Geography · Geography of India · Physical Geography · World Geography · History of India and Indian National Movement · Ancient India · Indian National Movement · Medieval India · Modern India · Indian Polity and Governance · Constitution of India · Panchayati Raj and ULBs · Union and State Government · General Science · Basic Science · Science and Technology

### Chandigarh — Planning, Heritage and Administration (weight 1.5)
Chandigarh as a Union Territory · Municipal Corporation · No Legislative Assembly · Rajiv-Longowal Accord 1985 · Architecture and Heritage · High Court Building · Open Hand Monument · Rock Garden of Nek Chand · Secretariat and Assembly · Sukhna Lake · Capitol Complex (UNESCO Heritage) · Demography · Capital of Punjab and Haryana · Economy of Chandigarh · Education Hub · IT Park and Services · Tourism and Heritage · Area and Sectors · Green Cover and Environment · Location and Setting · Geography and Demography · Le Corbusier and Master Plan · Chandigarh City Planning · 7Vs Road Hierarchy · Human Body Analogy · Foundation of Chandigarh 1953 · Sector System · Pierre Jeanneret and Team · UT Governance Structure

### General Mental Ability and Aptitude (weight 0.6)
Analytical Ability · Data Interpretation · English Comprehension · Numerical Ability · Logical Reasoning

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected Cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 62-68 marks (62-68%) |
| EWS | 58-64 marks (58-64%) |
| OBC | 56-62 marks (56-62%) |
| SC | 50-56 marks (50-56%) |
| ST | 48-54 marks (48-54%) |
| PwD | 45-52 marks (45-52%) |

**Guidance:**

- **Category differential**: General cutoffs typically run 6-10 marks above OBC and 12-18 marks above SC/ST categories. EWS cutoffs usually settle 3-5 marks below General.
- **Year-to-year shifts**: Cutoffs fluctuate based on vacancy count (small UT cadre means higher volatility), paper difficulty (particularly General Studies weighting), and candidate pool strength. A 4-8 mark swing across years is common.
- **Qualifying vs. merit**: These cutoffs represent Prelims qualification thresholds; final selection depends on Mains+Interview performance. Competitive candidates typically score 5-10 marks above minimum cutoffs to secure favorable Mains positions.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/CH_CHANDIGARH_PCS/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

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