The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has introduced major changes in the BPSC Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.0 selection process and examination pattern under Advertisement No. 14/2026. The revised selection process replaces the earlier single-stage written examination structure with a two-tier examination comprising Preliminary and Mains examinations.

Along with the revised selection process, BPSC has introduced 1/3 negative marking, a mandatory Option 'E' rule for skipped questions, and an increase in permissible attempts to 5. The Preliminary Examination serves as a common screening test, while the Mains examination is designed for specific teaching levels to prepare final merit lists.

These changes are important for candidates preparing for TRE 4.0, as the marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination will not be counted towards the final merit list.

BPSC TRE 4.0 2026: Major Changes by the Commission

The BPSC TRE 4.0 recruitment 2026 introduces several important changes compared with the previous teacher recruitment examinations. The key revisions include a new two-stage written examination, changes in the marking scheme, the mandatory Option E rule, and an increase in the maximum number of attempts. The major changes are summarised below.

Feature	TRE 3.0 Pattern	TRE 4.0 Revised Pattern
Exam Stages	Single Written Examination	Preliminary Examination (screening) + Mains Examination
Negative Marking	No negative marking	1/3 mark deducted for each incorrect answer
Unanswered Questions	Unmarked questions were ignored	Option ‘E’ must be marked for an unanswered question
Interview	No interview	No interview
Prelims Score Weightage	Not applicable	For Screening only (Marks not counted in final merit)
Maximum Attempts	3 attempts	Up to 5 attempts

BPSC TRE 4.0 New Selection Process 2026

The most significant change in TRE 4.0 is the introduction of a two-stage written examination. Candidates will first appear for the Preliminary Examination, which will act as a screening test. Candidates qualifying for the Preliminary stage will then be eligible to appear for the Mains Examination.

The revised selection process has been explained below:

BPSC TRE 4.0 Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

The BPSC TRE 4.0 Preliminary Examination will be a common screening test for candidates applying for the different teaching levels.

The Preliminary Examination will carry 150 questions for 150 marks and will have a duration of 2 hours. The paper will cover General Science, Current Affairs, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, and Mental Ability, with more focus on Bihar-related topics.
The Preliminary Examination will be used only for shortlisting candidates for the Mains Examination. Prelims marks will not be added to the final merit score.
BPSC will shortlist candidates for the next stage according to the prescribed vacancy-based ratio, which may range from 2.5 to 10 times the number of vacancies, as applicable.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Stage 2: Mains Examination

Candidates qualifying in the Preliminary Examination will have to appear for the Mains Written Examination.

The Mains paper will contain 150 objective questions carrying 150 marks, with a duration of 2 hours 30 minutes. The pattern will be different according to the teaching level selected by the candidates.
The Mains Examination will determine the merit position, subject to the prescribed qualifying requirements and subsequent document verification.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Stage 3: Document Verification

Candidates shortlisted based on the Mains Examination will proceed to the Document Verification (DV) round conducted with the Education Department of Bihar.

At this stage, candidates will have to produce the required documents supporting their educational qualifications, eligibility, category, and other details furnished during the recruitment process.
There will be no conventional interview round in the BPSC TRE 4.0 selection process.

BPSC TRE 4.0 New Exam Pattern 2026

The revised examination pattern consists of separate Preliminary and Mains examinations.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Preliminary Exam Pattern

The Preliminary Examination will serve as the common screening stage.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Prelims Structure
Exam Stage	Preliminary Examination
Nature	Screening Test
Total Questions	150
Total Marks	150
Duration	2 Hours
Question Type	Objective MCQs
Subjects	General Science, Current Affairs, History, Geography, Polity, Economy & Mental Ability
Marking Scheme	+1 for correct answer
Negative Marking	1/3 mark for incorrect answer
Role in Final Merit	Prelims marks are not counted

BPSC TRE 4.0 Mains Exam Pattern for Classes 1 to 5

For Primary Teacher posts for Classes 1 to 5, the Mains Examination will consist of two parts.

The Language section will be qualifying in nature, while the 120-mark General Studies section will determine merit for the Primary Teacher paper.
Candidates must secure the prescribed minimum marks in the Language section to remain eligible for further consideration.

Section	Subject	Questions	Marks	Nature
Part I	Language	30	30	Qualifying
Part II	General Studies	120	120	Merit
Total		150	150	–

BPSC TRE 4.0 Mains Pattern for Classes 6 to 12

For Middle School, Secondary and Higher Secondary Teacher posts, the Mains Examination will contain three sections:

Section	Subject	Questions	Marks	Nature
Part I	Language	30	30	Qualifying
Part II	General Studies	40	40	Merit
Part III	Concerned Subject	80	80	Merit
Total		150	150	–

Important: The Concerned Subject carries the highest weightage of 80 marks. Therefore, candidates applying for Classes 6 to 12 will need to give significant importance to their respective subject preparation.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Negative Marking & New Option ‘E’ Rule

Another major change in TRE 4.0 is the introduction of negative marking.

Marking Deduction: +1 mark is awarded for every correct answer, while 13 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer
Five Options per Question: Every question on the OMR sheet includes options A, B, C, D, and E.
Mandatory Option 'E' for Skipped Questions: If a candidate chooses not to attempt a question, they must bubble Option E.
Penalty on Blank Bubbles: Leaving all 5 options unmarked on the OMR sheet is treated as an invalid/incorrect attempt and will attract the 13 negative mark deduction

BPSC TRE 4.0 Minimum Qualifying Marks

Candidates must secure the minimum qualifying percentage in the written examination to remain eligible for consideration:

Category	Minimum Qualifying Marks
General/Unreserved	40%
Backward Class (BC)	36.5%
Extremely Backward Class (EBC)	34%
SC/ST, Female & PwBD Candidates of Bihar	32%

Note: Candidates must also independently score at least 30% marks (9 marks out of 30) in Part-I (Language) to qualify.

BPSC TRE 4.0 Attempts Increased to 5

The maximum number of attempts has been increased from 3 to 5 under the revised BPSC teacher recruitment framework. This change allows eligible candidates more opportunities to appear for the teacher recruitment examination and compete for the available teaching posts.

The revised attempt limit is an important change for aspirants who have already appeared in previous TRE recruitment cycles. Candidates should, however, ensure that they fulfil all other prescribed age, educational qualification and eligibility requirements for each recruitment cycle.

BPSC TRE 4.0 2026: Download Exam Pattern PDF

Candidates can check and download the detailed BPSC TRE 4.0 Exam Pattern and Selection Process 2026 PDF for quick reference. The document outlines the revised Preliminary and Mains examination structure, marking scheme, qualifying criteria, and selection stages.

For complete information on the recruitment drive, including important dates, eligibility, vacancy breakdown, application process, and syllabus, check the BPSC Bihar Teacher Vacancy Overview Page.

Other Important Links for Exam Preparation
Latest Current Affairs 2026 for Government Exams	International Current Affairs
National Current Affairs	State Current Affairs
Download Previous Year Question Papers	Daily Quiz for Competitive Exams
BPSC TRE Online Courses	BPSC TRE Online Test Series
BookShala - Order Books for Competitive Exams
Download Utkarsh Classes App