How to Become a Block Development Officer (BDO officer) 2025

Become a BDO officer (Block Development Officer): If you want to become a BDO officer, then I will provide you with all the details in this post and explain in detail what exam you have to sit for, and what is the procedure and syllabus. The full form of BDO is “Block Development Officer”. The position of Block Development Officer is under the state administration and it is, therefore, a government job.

Contents

What is a BDO (Block Development Officer)?Important Points to Become a BDO Officer.Qualification required to become a BDO officer?What is the age limit for appearing in a BDO Exam?The Relaxations Given in Age-Limits are as Follows:What Percentage of Marks do you Need to Fill the BDO Exam form?A BDO Exam is in the Following Three Stages:The Three Stages of the BDO Exam are Explained in detail below:1. Syllabus of the Preliminary Exam Questions asked in the General Studies Paper 1 are from the following syllabus:Questions asked in the General Studies Paper 2 are from the following syllabus:Syllabus of the Mains Exam Interview for Block Development Officer When are the BDO Exams Forms Filled?How Much Salary Does a BDO Get?

Every state in India is divided into blocks for administrative purposes and to clear the relevant exam and become a BDO is very tough. But, if you have decided to become a Block Development Officer—which is a very prestigious position—then you have to study very hard and with total dedication. Keep in mind that of the lakhs of aspirants who appear for the BDO exam, only a few can clear it and achieve their dreams.

To become a Block Development Officer, you have to keep many things in mind so that you can prepare properly for it. For example, you have to know what qualifications you need, what the exam pattern is, and how much a BDO earns. I am going to provide all this information in this post, please read it very carefully and also share it with your friends if you like it.

What is a BDO (Block Development Officer)?

A BDO in any state is responsible for the Block Development Officer to whom he is assigned. It is a BDO’s responsibility to ensure that all welfare schemes by both the central and state governments benefit the people in that block, and it is also his responsibility to ensure that the people of the block are aware of the benefits of all such welfare schemes. When the center of state government launches any welfare scheme, the BDO is responsible for implementing that scheme in his or her block.

Every block in a state receives funds to implement various welfare schemes. These funds are managed by the Block Development Officer, who has to ensure that the funds are not misused but are used to implement various welfare schemes, such as old-age pension schemes, disabled peoples’ pension schemes, MNREGA schemes, etc.

A BDO’s job, therefore, carries a lot of responsibility and the welfare and development of the block depend on how well he works.

If, for example, a road has to be constructed in an area, then the BDO’s permission is required. BDOs are selected just as IAS officers are selected, the difference is that IAS exams are conducted by UPSC, whereas state-level exams are conducted by the State-Level PSC (Public Service Commission). For example BPSC (Bihar Public Service Commission), UPPSC (Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission), WBPSC (West Bengal Public Service Commission), etc. All states have their PSCs for selecting BDOs.

Important Points to Become a BDO Officer.

Exam	STATE PCS
Conducting Body	State Public Service Commission
Exam Level	State Govt Job
Exam Mode	Offline
Language	English and Hindi
Selection Process	Prelims Mains Interview
Age Limit	21 years to 40 years (vary in another state)
Official Website	Check State Public Service Commission
Eligibility	Graduate from any recognized university

Qualification required to become a BDO officer?

To become a BDO, one has to be a graduate of a government-recognized college or university. Because a degree is mandatory, diploma students can’t appear for BDO exams. You can also fill out the BDO exam form if you are in your last year (or last semester) of graduation.

For filling out the BDO exam form, the graduation can be in any stream (science, arts, or commerce). For example, you can fill out the BDO exam form if you are a BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, Engineering graduate, Medical graduate, Hotel Management graduate, etc.

A very important point is that domicile is not required for filling out the BDO exam form. No matter what your domicile is, you can fill out the BDO exam form in any state in India. For example, if you are a graduate of Delhi University, you can still fill out the BPSC, UPPSC, or WBPSC BDO exam forms.

What is the age limit for appearing in a BDO Exam?

The age limit for filling out BDO exam forms is different for different categories. The minimum age required is 21 years and the maximum age is 40 years.

Many states give relaxations in this age limit for people who have that state’s domicile, but if you are filling the form in a state in which you do not have a domicile, you will not be given any relaxation. If you have the domicile of the state in which you are filling the BDO exam form, then OBC category applicants get a relaxation of 3 years, and SC/ST category applicants get a relaxation of 5 years in the age limit.

The Relaxations Given in Age-Limits are as Follows:

General – 21-40 years
OBC – 21-43 years
SC /ST -21-45 years

The age limit to appear for the BDO exams is different for different states. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, the upper age limit for appearing in the BDO exam is 37 years for the general category, 40 years for the OBC category, and 42 years for the SC/ST category. Similarly, in Bihar, the upper age limit is 40 years for the general category, 43 years for the OBC category, and 45 years for the SC/ST category.

To find out the age limit in the state you are filling out the BDO exam form, you have to refer to the notification issued by the state government.

What Percentage of Marks do you Need to Fill the BDO Exam form?

There is no minimum percentage of marks required in any state to appear for the BDO exam. The only condition is that your graduation has to be from a recognized college or university.

A BDO Exam is in the Following Three Stages:

The first stage is the Preliminary Exam
The second stage is the Mains Exam
The final stage is the interview, and on clearing the interview, you are appointed as BDO.

If you cannot clear any stage of the exam, you have to appear for all the stages again. For example, if you fail in the interview stage, the next time you appear for the test you have to again appear for all three stages: Preliminary; Mains; and, Interview.

The Three Stages of the BDO Exam are Explained in detail below:

1. Syllabus of the Preliminary Exam

To prepare for any exam, you have to know its syllabus. Here, I will provide you with the syllabus of all three stages of the BDO exam.

The Preliminary Exam is conducted by the state’s Public Service Commission and the preliminary stage has objective questions in it. The following are the two papers in the Preliminary Stage:

General Studies Paper 1)
General Studies Paper 2)

In General Studies Paper 1, there are 150 questions of 200 marks in total, and in General Studies Paper 2, there are 100 questions, of 200 marks in total.

Both General Studies Paper 1 and General Studies Paper 2 are of a duration of 2 hours each. ह

Paper	Total Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper-1 – General Studies I	150	200 marks	2 Hours
Paper-2 – General Studies II (CSAT)	100	200 marks	2 Hours

Questions asked in the General Studies Paper 1 are from the following syllabus:

General Awareness: National and general knowledge; Events that are of international importance; History of India; State’s geography and economy.
General Geography: State geography, which includes important rivers of the state; Administration and economy of India; Economy of the state after independence; National movements in India and the state’s contribution to those events.
Indian politics and administration: Political system of India; Constitution of India; Panchayati Raj; Public policies of India; Administrative issues of India
Environmental issues and conservation; Biodiversity; Changes in the Environment.

Questions asked in the General Studies Paper 2 are from the following syllabus:

General Studies Paper 2 is only a qualifying paper and its marks are not added to the total merit. But, you have to get at least 33 percent marks in this paper to qualify for the third stage.

Questions asked in General Studies Paper 2 are from the subjects: Maths; Reasoning; English; Hindi
Questions in the General Studies Paper 2 are of Class 10 level.

Also, remember that there is a negative marking, and 1/3 marks are deducted for every question you answer wrongly.
Questions asked in General Studies Paper 2 are from the Class 10 level:

Hindi;
mental ability;
Maths;
reasoning;
English.

You can appear for the mains exam only if you clear the Preliminary exam.

Syllabus of the Mains Exam

The Mains Exam of State PCS is very important because the marks that you get in Mains decide your merit in the BDO exam.

The main exam has a total of 8 papers, which are as follows:

Name of Paper	Total Marks	Time Duration
General Hindi	150	3 hours
Essay Writing	150	3 hours
General Studies– I	200	3 hours
General Studies – II	200	3 hours
General Studies – III	200	3 hours
General Studies – IV	200	3 hours
Optional Subject– Paper I	200	3 hours
Optional Subject– Paper II	200	3 hours

Interview for Block Development Officer

If you clear the Preliminaries and mains of the BDO exam, then you will be called for the third stage, which is the interview. The interview stage is of 200 marks and in it, you will be asked questions by PSC officers.

The questions generally asked are about the place you are from and the subjects in which you did your graduation. The purpose of the interview stage is to check your self-confidence and your decision-making ability. These determine whether you will be able to carry out your duties and responsibilities as a BDO, and therefore, the interview stage is very important. It is at the interview stage that the interviewer decides whether you are fit enough to be a BDO.

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The total marks that you get in the written papers and the interview are added to decide your position in the merit list, and your appointment and posting are based on this merit list.

When are the BDO Exams Forms Filled?

The forms for BDO exams of all states are filled at different times. To find out when the forms are released and filled, you have to keep checking the relevant state’s PSC website.

How Much Salary Does a BDO Get?

The salary of BDOs differs from state to state, but if we take an average, then a BDO’s entry-level monthly salary, according to the 7th pay commission, is from Rs 9300 to Rs34800, plus according to the grade pay break-up, a BDO also gets Rs 4800 per month.

As a BDO’s tenure of service increases, his salaries, benefits, and perks also keep on increasing.

For more detailed information on How to become a BDO Officer, watch the video below, and do not forget to subscribe to the VIJAY SHANKAR YouTube Channel for more such useful information.

We have given all the relevant information on how to become a BDO Officer, but if you still have any questions about the BDO Officer post, please ask them in the comments section and I will answer them as soon as possible.

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