Kharidar Syllabus: First Paper, GK and Basic Office Skills Explained

By Loksewa Hack · Updated November 2, 2026 · 5 min read

Checked: 2 November 2026. This guide covers the federal PSC open-competition Kharidar or equivalent syllabus listed as applicable from FY 2081/82 advertisements. It is not a new vacancy announcement.

The Kharidar syllabus should be selected by recruitment type and issuing authority before you start preparation. The federal Public Service Commission’s current catalogue contains both open and internal-competition documents, plus older versions. Downloading the first PDF found in a search result can therefore lead you to the wrong scheme.

For the open non-technical Kharidar or equivalent recruitment, the catalogue currently lists a syllabus entry dated 2081-04-10 BS, explicitly applicable from FY 2081/82 advertisements. The linked examination scheme states approval on 2081-03-20 BS. These are different dates with different meanings: the catalogue date should not be substituted for the document’s approval date.

Official Kharidar syllabus PDF links

• PSC syllabus catalogue — search for “खरिदार” and choose the open entry marked applicable from FY 2081/82.
• Official scheme, first-paper syllabus and computer-skill document — nine pages.
• Companion document linked by PSC under the same open syllabus entry — consult it when preparing the later written stage.

This article concentrates on Paper I: General Knowledge and Basic Office Skills Test. Use your advertisement and any subsequent amendment to confirm applicability. A provincial Kharidar syllabus, including Koshi’s Level 4 document, must be checked separately.

Kharidar first-paper exam format

The scheme treats this preliminary stage as a screening test. Its score is not added to the main-examination marks. Passing this stage is therefore one requirement in the process, not a final selection or appointment.

Section A: General Knowledge — 60 marks

The first-paper syllabus assigns 30 questions to GK. Its five units each carry six questions, equivalent to 12 marks per unit.

For changing facts, make a record of the reference year or date. A historical question naming a particular report needs that report’s answer; a question asking about the current position requires a fresh official check. Do not automatically replace a dated statistic in a past question with a newer figure.

Section B: Basic Office Skills Test — 40 marks

BOST contributes 20 questions. The published Nepali syllabus specifies two questions from each of ten units. This section assesses speed, accuracy and reasoning, rather than only memory of office-management definitions.

1. Verification: detect errors, similarities or differences in verbal and numerical records.
2. Completion: complete a logical sequence, pattern, blank or matrix.
3. Classification: identify a shared rule or the item that does not fit.
4. Analogy: recognise a relationship and apply it to another pair.
5. Filing aptitude: arrange items alphabetically, numerically or chronologically.
6. Following instructions: apply the given written rules exactly.
7. Numerical reasoning: select and perform the appropriate basic arithmetic.
8. Coding and matching: work with coded verbal or numerical information.
9. Analytical reasoning: use conditions and evidence to reach a logical conclusion.
10. Direction and distance: determine position, direction or distance from the stated movement.

A short original BOST example

An office files these numerical references in ascending order: 2083-104, 2083-014 and 2083-041. Which reference comes first?

A. 2083-104   B. 2083-041   C. 2083-014   D. All are equal

How to divide your revision time

A useful starting point is to give both sections regular attention rather than spending every session on GK. For example, in a 90-minute study session, use 40 minutes for a GK unit, 30 minutes for a timed BOST drill and 20 minutes to correct errors. This is a suggested study routine, not a PSC-prescribed timetable.

Track errors by type: a misread digit, an ignored instruction, a mistaken relationship, weak arithmetic or an outdated fact. Repeating a question without identifying the cause can make your score feel familiar without improving the underlying skill.

Is this the same as the Sangathit Sanstha Level 4 pretest?

No. Both linked schemes use 50 MCQs and 45 minutes, but their subject allocations differ. The Kharidar first paper has the GK/BOST split described above. The Sangathit Level 4 syllabus allocates a separate 20 marks to public enterprises and has its own nine-section map. A shared time limit does not make the syllabuses interchangeable.

Read our Sangathit Level 4 model-question guide to understand that separate track. Our Nijamati foundation practice currently covers shared foundations; it should not be treated as a complete Kharidar BOST bank or full mock.

Before using a downloaded syllabus

Check the issuing commission, open/internal route, service/group, applicability statement and any later amendment. Keep the original source link with your study plan. The fact that a PDF was approved earlier does not alone make it obsolete if the current official catalogue still lists it; equally, a coaching website calling something “new syllabus 2083” does not prove an official revision.