How to prepare for the Loksewa exam

The usual age limits are a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 35, extended to 40 for women and candidates with disabilities; some posts set a higher minimum. Technical services — health, engineering, agriculture, forestry — have their own posts and qualifications. The notice for each advertisement is the authority: read its eligibility line before you apply.

The papers, marks and pass marks are set out in the syllabus for each post and are revised from time to time. Download the current one from the Commission’s website; do not rely on an old photocopy.

1. 1First stage — preliminary. An objective paper on general knowledge and aptitude. For Kharidar and Nayab Subba it is commonly 50 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes. It only decides who sits the next stage.
2. 2Second stage — main written papers. Subjective papers: contemporary affairs, governance and public management, and the subject of your service group. This is where the ranking is decided.
3. 3Final stage. A computer skills test for the non-gazetted posts, and the interview; officer-level candidates also face group tests.

1. 1Print the syllabus and turn every line into a checklist. Nothing outside it is worth your time; nothing inside it can be skipped.
2. 2Collect past papers for your post from the last five to ten years, and mark which syllabus topics repeat.
3. 3Months 1–3: cover the syllabus once, making your own short notes for each topic.
4. 4Months 4–6: second reading; answer one past subjective question by hand every day, to time.
5. 5Final months: weekly full mock tests, revision from your notes only, and daily current affairs.
6. 6Every day: one national daily newspaper, twenty objective questions, and one written answer.

• The Constitution of Nepal — structure of the state, fundamental rights, the three tiers of government.
• Governance and public administration — the civil service, good governance, public service delivery, accountability.
• Current law and policy — the Civil Service Act and rules, the periodic plan, the latest budget and economic survey.
• General knowledge — geography, history, economy and society of Nepal; the region and the world; science and technology.
• Aptitude — numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, basic maths, for the first paper.
• Current affairs — the last twelve months, national and international.
• Nepali and English writing — letters, memos (टिप्पणी), summaries and essays.
• Office and computer skills — typing in Nepali and English, word processing, spreadsheets.

• Read the question twice and answer what is asked — define, list, analyse or suggest.
• Open with a two-line introduction, give points with short explanations, and close with a conclusion.
• Use headings and numbered points. Examiners mark hundreds of papers.
• Bring in a fact, a provision or an example in each answer: an article of the Constitution, a figure from the budget.
• Divide your time by the marks and finish every question. An unanswered question is the commonest way to fail.
• Write legibly. Marks cannot be given for what cannot be read.

Applications are made online in the Commission’s system when a vacancy is announced, with your photo, signature, citizenship and certificates uploaded and the fee paid. Photos and signatures have size limits — the photo resizer brings them under a set number of kilobytes, on your own device.

This site’s Loksewa page tracks open advertisements and their closing dates.

Both work. A preparation class gives a timetable, notes and mock tests, and helps people who study better in a group. Self-study costs nothing but discipline, and many who pass never attended a class. Whichever you choose, the syllabus, past papers and daily writing practice are what decide the result.