Under the Unified Examination System adopted by the Public Service Commission (Lok Sewa Aayog) for recruitment in organized institutions, candidates must now clear a Pre-Qualifying Examination before sitting the main exam. Students commonly call this the Pretest.

This article lays out the complete loksewa pretest syllabus for the (non-technical) Fourth Level / Assistant Level Second Class, Assistant Second or equivalent posts of organized institutions — unit by unit, with marks weightage and preparation strategy. Every syllabus topic below is given in both English and Nepali.

Syllabus approved date: 2082/02/27.

What is the Pretest Exam?

The Pretest is the Pre-Qualifying Examination conducted by the Public Service Commission. Key points:

It is mandatory for all Fourth Level / Assistant Level Second Class posts across organized institutions.
Only candidates selected through the Pretest are allowed to sit the Main Examination.
Candidates who pass receive a certificate valid for one year — so one pass covers every vacancy announced within that year.

Skipping the pretest syllabus and jumping straight into main-exam preparation is the most common mistake candidates make.

Pretest Examination Scheme

Detail	Information
Paper / Subject	General Awareness, Management, Mathematics & Service Related
Full Marks	100
Pass Marks	45
Exam Type	Objective — Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Questions × Marks	50 questions × 2 marks = 100 marks
Duration	45 minutes

Rules You Must Know

The question paper will be in Nepali or English or both.
Negative marking: 20% of the marks deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions get no marks and no deduction.
Calculators are not allowed in the examination.
Constitution, acts, rules and policies mentioned in the syllabus are counted as they stood three months before the exam date (including amendments, removals or additions).

50 questions in 45 minutes works out to roughly 54 seconds per question — so speed and accuracy matter as much as knowledge.

Pretest Syllabus Level 4 — Unit-wise Marks

No.	Unit	Marks
1	Geography, Environment and Population	10
2	History and Culture	10
3	Economic Aspects and Development	10
4	Governance and Constitution	10
5	International Affairs and International Organizations	10
6	Science Technology, Public Health and Current Affairs	10
7	Office and Public Management	10
8	Applied Mathematics	10
9	Public Enterprises	20
	Total	100

Note the imbalance: Public Enterprises alone carries 20 marks, double any other unit. This is exactly what sets the pretest syllabus apart from other Loksewa papers.

Detailed Loksewa Pretest Syllabus (English + Nepali)

1. Geography, Environment and Population — 10 Marks

१. भूगोल, वातावरण र जनसंख्या (१० अंक)

1.1 General knowledge about the geography of the world (continents, oceans, latitude, longitude, mountain ranges, rivers and lakes) विश्वको भूगोल (महादेश, महासागर, अक्षांश, देशान्तर, पर्वतशृंखला, नदी र ताल) सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान
1.2 Knowledge about the geography of Nepal (geographical location, topography, geographical structure, natural resources, climate and life) नेपालको भूगोल (भौगोलिक अवस्था, धरातलीय विशेषता, भौगोलिक स्वरूप, प्राकृतिक स्रोत र साधन, हावापानी र जनजीवन)
1.3 Environment, biodiversity, sustainable development, climate change, environmental management, population, urbanization, settlement पर्यावरण, जैविक विविधता, दिगो विकास, जलवायु परिवर्तन, वातावरण व्यवस्थापन, जनसंख्या, सहरीकरण, बसोबास

2. History and Culture — 10 Marks

२. इतिहास र संस्कृति (१० अंक)

2.1 General knowledge about important historical events of the world विश्वका महत्त्वपूर्ण ऐतिहासिक घटनाहरू सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान
2.2 Important events and social/cultural conditions in the history of Nepal (Kirat period, Lichchhavi period, Medieval period, Modern history) नेपालको इतिहास (किराँतकाल, लिच्छविकाल, मध्यकाल, आधुनिक इतिहास) का महत्त्वपूर्ण घटनाहरू, सामाजिक एवं सांस्कृतिक अवस्था
2.3 Nepal's social aspects including traditions, norms and values, religions, cultures, castes/ethnicities, languages, sports, arts and literature नेपालका सामाजिक पक्षहरू लगायत परम्परा, मूल्य र मान्यता, धर्म, संस्कृति, जात/जाति, भाषा, खेलकुद, कला र साहित्य

3. Economic Aspects and Development — 10 Marks

३. आर्थिक पक्ष र विकास (१० अंक)

3.1 Nepal's economic indicators (economic growth, gross domestic product, national income, per capita income, current account, balance of payment, remittance, foreign investment and foreign aid) नेपालका आर्थिक परिसूचकहरू (आर्थिक वृद्धि, कुल गार्हस्थ्य उत्पादन, राष्ट्रिय आय, प्रतिव्यक्ति आय, चालु खाता, भुक्तानी सन्तुलन, शोधनान्तर स्थिति, विप्रेषण, वैदेशिक लगानी र वैदेशिक सहयोग)
3.2 Present status of agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, transportation, communication, education, health, energy and infrastructure development in Nepal नेपालमा कृषि, उद्योग, व्यापार, पर्यटन, यातायात, संचार, शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, ऊर्जा र पूर्वाधार विकासको विद्यमान अवस्था
3.3 Planned development in Nepal and the long-term vision, goals, objectives and strategies of the current periodic plan नेपालमा योजनाबद्ध विकास र चालु आवधिक योजनाको दीर्घकालीन सोच, लक्ष्य, उद्देश्य र रणनीतिहरू

4. Governance and Constitution — 10 Marks

४. शासन पद्धति र संविधान (१० अंक)

4.1 Meaning, importance and sources of law कानूनको अर्थ, महत्त्व र कानूनका स्रोतहरू
4.2 Constitutional development of Nepal नेपालको संवैधानिक विकास
4.3 The Constitution of Nepal (Parts 1 to 5 and Schedules) नेपालको संविधान (भाग १ देखि ५ सम्म र अनुसूचीहरू)
4.4 Nepal's governance system and federal, provincial and local governments नेपालको शासन पद्धति तथा संघ, प्रदेश र स्थानीय सरकार
4.5 Democracy, human rights, periodic elections and adult franchise लोकतन्त्र, मानव अधिकार, आवधिक निर्वाचन र वालिग मताधिकार

5. International Affairs and International Organizations — 10 Marks

५. अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सम्बन्ध र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय संघ/संस्था (१० अंक)

5.1 Nepal's relations with India, China, Britain, America, Russia, France, Japan and other SAARC countries भारत, चीन, बेलायत, अमेरिका, रूस, फ्रान्स, जापान र अन्य सार्क मुलुकसँग नेपालको सम्बन्ध
5.2 United Nations (UNO): establishment, objectives, organs, specialized agencies and activities संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ (UNO): स्थापना, उद्देश्य, अंग, विशिष्टीकृत संस्था र गतिविधि
5.3 SAARC: establishment, objectives, organs and activities दक्षिण एसियाली क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन (SAARC): स्थापना, उद्देश्य, अंग र गतिविधि
5.4 BIMSTEC, ASEAN, European Union, World Bank, IMF, ADB, AIIB, SAFTA बिम्स्टेक, आसियान, युरोपियन युनियन, विश्व बैंक, अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मुद्रा कोष, एसियाली विकास बैंक, एसियाली पूर्वाधार लगानी बैंक, साफ्टा

6. Science Technology, Public Health and Current Affairs — 10 Marks

६. विज्ञान प्रविधि, जनस्वास्थ्य र समसामयिक गतिविधिहरू (१० अंक)

6.1 Scientific measurement, measurement systems and units वैज्ञानिक मापन, मापन पद्धति र एकाइ सम्बन्धी ज्ञान
6.2 Major scientific inventions and latest developments with direct impact on human life and society मानव जीवन र समाजमा प्रत्यक्ष प्रभाव पार्ने विज्ञानका प्रमुख आविष्कार र नवीनतम गतिविधि
6.3 Computer and its applications, information and communication technology कम्प्युटर र यसको प्रयोग, सूचना तथा संचार प्रविधि सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान
6.4 Public health, diseases, food, nutrition, sanitation, materials used in daily life (soaps, plastics, fibers, glass, fertilizers and pesticides) जनस्वास्थ्य, रोग, खाद्य, पोषण, सरसफाइ, दैनिक जीवनमा प्रयोग हुने वस्तुहरू (साबुन, प्लास्टिक, रेसा, काँच, मल र कीटनाशक औषधि)
6.5 Current events and activities of national and international importance राष्ट्रिय र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय महत्त्वका समसामयिक घटना एवं गतिविधि

7. Office and Public Management — 10 Marks

७. कार्यालय तथा सार्वजनिक व्यवस्थापन (१० अंक)

7.1 Office: introduction, importance, functions and types कार्यालय: परिचय, महत्त्व, कार्य र प्रकार
7.2 Importance, types and means of communication in the office कार्यालयमा संचारको महत्त्व, किसिम र साधन
7.3 Office procedure: correspondence, registration and dispatch, filing, circulars, orders and Tippani (memo) कार्यालय कार्यविधि: पत्र व्यवहार, दर्ता र चलानी, फाइलिङ, परिपत्र, टोक आदेश र टिप्पणी
7.4 Records management अभिलेख व्यवस्थापन
7.5 Directing, control, coordination, decision-making process, motivation and leadership in public management सार्वजनिक व्यवस्थापनमा निर्देशन, नियन्त्रण, समन्वय, निर्णय प्रक्रिया, उत्प्रेरणा र नेतृत्व
7.6 Meaning of public service delivery, service delivery bodies, methods and means सार्वजनिक सेवा प्रवाहको अर्थ, सेवा प्रवाह गर्ने निकाय, तरिका र माध्यमहरू
7.7 Public Charter: importance and necessity सार्वजनिक बडापत्र: महत्त्व र आवश्यकता
7.8 General introduction to the E-governance system विद्युतीय शासन प्रणालीको सामान्य परिचय
7.9 Human values and beliefs, civic rights, duties and responsibilities, and discipline मानवीय मूल्य र मान्यता, नागरिक अधिकार, कर्तव्य र दायित्व तथा अनुशासन

8. Applied Mathematics — 10 Marks

८. व्यावहारिक गणित (१० अंक)

8.1 Fundamental operations in mathematics, unitary method, fraction and decimal, percentage, ratio and proportion, profit and loss, tax and commission, simple interest and compound interest, average/mean, probability गणितका आधारभूत क्रियाहरू, ऐकिक नियम, भिन्न र दशमलव, प्रतिशत, अनुपात र समानुपात, नाफा र नोक्सान, कर र कमिशन, साधारण ब्याज र मिश्रित ब्याज, औसत/मध्यक, सम्भाव्यता

Since calculators are banned, mental math and shortcut techniques are essential for this unit.

9. Knowledge about Public Enterprises — 20 Marks ⭐

९. सार्वजनिक संस्थान सम्बन्धी ज्ञान (२० अंक)

9.1 Concept, development, objectives and importance of public enterprises सार्वजनिक संस्थानको अवधारणा, विकासक्रम, उद्देश्य र महत्त्व
9.2 Classification and sectoral concept of public enterprises in Nepal नेपालमा सार्वजनिक संस्थानको वर्गीकरण र क्षेत्रगत अवधारणा
9.3 Current status and activities of public enterprises सार्वजनिक संस्थानको विद्यमान अवस्था र गतिविधि
9.4 Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) संस्थागत सुशासन र संस्थागत सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्व
9.5 Role of public enterprises in economic development आर्थिक विकासमा सार्वजनिक संस्थानको भूमिका
9.6 Privatization and globalization of public enterprises सार्वजनिक संस्थानको निजीकरण र विश्वव्यापीकरण
9.7 Human resource management of public enterprises सार्वजनिक संस्थानको मानव संशाधन व्यवस्थापन सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान
9.8 Budget, accounting system, auditing and financial literacy बजेट, लेखा प्रणाली, लेखापरीक्षण र वित्तीय साक्षरता सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान
9.9 Financial regulatory authorities of Nepal (Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal Insurance Authority, Securities Board of Nepal) नेपालको वित्तीय नियामक निकाय (नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक, नेपाल बीमा प्राधिकरण र धितोपत्र बोर्ड) सम्बन्धी सामान्य ज्ञान

Download Full Syllabus : Click Here

5 Strategies for Pretest Preparation

1. Put Unit 9 first. Twenty marks is a fifth of the paper. Public Enterprises is thinly covered in most general Loksewa guidebooks, so build a separate note set for it.

2. Answer with negative marking in mind. One wrong answer costs 0.4 marks (20% of 2). Guess only when you can eliminate two options; leave a question blank when you have no idea.

3. Practise against the clock. Set a 45-minute timer and solve a full 50-question model set at least twice a week.

4. Keep laws and policies current. Amendments up to three months before the exam date count, so stay updated on the current periodic plan, the budget and regulatory bodies.

5. Drill mental math. Memorize formulas for percentage, interest, profit and loss, and averages, and practise solving them without a calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the pass marks for the pretest exam? A: 45 out of 100.

Q: How long is the pretest certificate valid? A: Candidates who pass receive a certificate valid for one year.

Q: Is there negative marking in the pretest? A: Yes — 20% of the marks are deducted for each wrong answer. No deduction for unanswered questions.

Q: Can I sit the main exam without passing the pretest? A: No. Only candidates selected through the Pre-Qualifying Examination are admitted to the Main Examination.

Q: What language is the question paper in? A: Nepali, English, or both.

Q: Are calculators allowed? A: No. Calculators of any kind are prohibited in MCQ-based examinations.

Prepare for the Pretest with Miras Academy

Miras Academy runs pretest preparation classes built directly around the loksewa pretest syllabus — syllabus-mapped lectures, weekly model tests, and dedicated notes for the 20-mark Public Enterprises unit. Available in hybrid mode (physical + online).

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Pretest Syllabus | Pretest Syllabus Level 4 — Full Breakdown