RPSC Sr Scientific Officer syllabus — subject and topic-wiseRPSC Sr Scientific Officer syllabus: 11 subjects, 133 topics. Exam — Conducted by: RPSC; Last held: 1 May 2025. 1,323 real previous-year questions are classified onto these topics.Updated 31 October 2026 — PYQ counts as of this dateFull RPSC Sr Scientific Officer syllabus — 11 subjects and 133 topics, each with how many past-year questions it has actually carried.Physics Division (Forensic) — 278 questions

Fibre, Tool Marks & Trace Evidence — 64 questions

Quantum Mechanics & Atomic Physics — 34 questions

Oscillations, Waves & Wave Optics — 31 questions

Solid State Physics — 27 questions

Classical Mechanics & Special Relativity — 24 questions

Electrostatics, EM Induction & Dielectric Optics — 23 questions

Building Materials & Soil Analysis — 21 questions

Forensic Physics: Glass & Paint Evidence — 20 questions

Audio-Video Forensics & Statistical Analysis — 17 questions

Circuit Theory & Electronics — 17 questions

Toxicology Division (Forensic) — 229 questions

Forensic Toxicology Fundamentals & Poisoning — 48 questions

Analytical Chemistry & Statistical Methods — 39 questions

Organic Chemistry & Biomolecules — 34 questions

Spectroscopic Techniques — 26 questions

Chromatography & Hyphenated Techniques — 24 questions

Poison/Drug Isolation & Analysis Methods — 16 questions

Forensic Science Basics, Crime & Law — 14 questions

Toxicokinetics & Report Interpretation — 10 questions

Biological Analysis & Microscopy — 9 questions

Crime Scene Investigation — 9 questions

Serology Division (Forensic) — 112 questions

Forensic DNA analysis — extraction, PCR, STR/Y-STR/mtDNA profiling & sequencing — 18 questions

Body-fluid identification & stain examination — blood, semen, saliva, urine, other secretions — 11 questions

Animal classification, human anatomy & physiology — 11 questions

Cell structure, biomolecules, enzymology & nucleic acid chemistry — 10 questions

Crime scene management — processing, evidence collection & preservation — 10 questions

Ecology, environment & microbiology — 9 questions

Wildlife forensics, entomology, narcotic plant identification & wildlife law — 9 questions

Blood grouping, immunology, serological techniques & clinical blood biochemistry — 7 questions

Spectroscopic & electrophoretic techniques in forensic biology — 7 questions

Genetics — Mendelian, molecular & chromosomal inheritance — 6 questions

Microscopy & tissue preparation techniques — sectioning & staining — 6 questions

Statistical methods & interpretation — hypothesis testing, RMP/LR — 4 questions

Diatoms, plankton & biological trace evidence — 2 questions

Forensic legal framework — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, Sakshya Act & Identification Act — 1 questions

Developmental biology, reproductive & endocrine physiology — 1 questions

Cyber Forensics Division — 107 questions

Computer networks, protocols & network forensics — 20 questions

Operating systems, file systems & storage artifacts — 17 questions

Computer architecture, programming & software engineering — 14 questions

Digital forensic process — imaging, hashing, tools & chain of custody — 11 questions

Cryptography & information security — 11 questions

Mobile, cloud & multimedia (image/audio/video) forensics — 11 questions

Databases, data structures & general computing — 10 questions

Malware analysis, sandboxing, virtualisation & steganography — 8 questions

Cyber law — IT Act, BNS/BSA & admissibility of evidence — 5 questions

DNA Division (Forensic) — 101 questions

Immunology — immune system, cells, antigens/antibodies & immune response — 14 questions

Wildlife forensics, forensic botany & entomology — 14 questions

Crime scene processing, evidence handling & preservation — 12 questions

Cell & molecular biology — organelles, DNA replication, gene expression & signaling — 8 questions

STR/Y-STR/X-STR & mtDNA profiling, statistical interpretation & forensic guidelines — 8 questions

DNA extraction, quantitation, real-time PCR & DNA sequencing (Sanger/NGS) — 7 questions

Biochemistry — biomolecules, enzymes, bioenergetics & metabolism — 7 questions

Instrumental techniques — microscopy, spectroscopy, electrophoresis & chromatography — 6 questions

Genetics, inheritance, population genetics & genome-level markers — 6 questions

Forensic law — BNS, BNSS, BSA & Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act — 4 questions

Microbiology — structure, growth, sterilization, pathogenesis & bioterrorism — 4 questions

Recombinant DNA technology — cloning, vectors, hybridization & genome editing — 4 questions

Bioinformatics — databases, sequence alignment & tools — 4 questions

Statistics & probability — 3 questions

Arson & Explosives Division (Forensic) — 99 questions

Organic chemistry & biomolecules — 38 questions

Chromatography & separation techniques — 12 questions

Petroleum products & petrochemical analysis — 11 questions

Inorganic & quantitative elemental analysis — 11 questions

Spectroscopy & spectrometry — 10 questions

Explosives — classification, analysis & post-blast residues — 8 questions

Statistical methods & error analysis — 5 questions

Fire, arson & accelerant/fire-debris analysis — 3 questions

Forensic science basics, crime scene & law — 1 questions

Chemistry Division (Forensic) — 98 questions

Analytical chemistry, titrimetry, GLP/QA-QC & statistical methods — 23 questions

Organic chemistry & biomolecules — proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, alkaloids — 23 questions

Forensic analysis of inks, polymers, fibers, paints, soil & precious metals — 17 questions

Chromatography & separation techniques (TLC, HPTLC, GC, HPLC, ion-exchange) — 10 questions

Forensic analysis of alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages — 9 questions

Spectroscopy & spectrometry — UV-Vis, IR, Raman, AAS, MS, ICP-MS, XRF, GC/LC-MS — 6 questions

Environmental chemistry & pollution — 5 questions

Biochemical analysis basics — pH/buffers, centrifugation & microscopy — 2 questions

Forensic chemistry — bribe trap cases & explosives analysis — 1 questions

Food adulteration & contamination analysis (BIS/FSSAI) — 1 questions

Inorganic & qualitative analysis — cations, anions, spot tests — 1 questions

Sample preparation & extraction techniques (LLE, SPE, Craig's CCD) — 0 questions

Petroleum products analysis, fire investigation & vitriolage — 0 questions

Forensic science basics, crime classification & court testimony — 0 questions

Crime scene investigation & evidence handling — 0 questions

Photo Division (Forensic) — 94 questions

Geometrical optics — mirrors, lenses & microscopy — 24 questions

Photography fundamentals — cameras, lenses & lighting — 19 questions

Films, filters, colour theory & darkroom processing — 14 questions

Wave optics — interference, diffraction & polarisation — 13 questions

Modern physics — photoelectric effect, quantum & atomic — 12 questions

Digital imaging, image formats & image processing — 6 questions

Electricity, magnetism & general physics — 6 questions

Forensic photography — crime scene, UV/IR & questioned documents — 0 questions

Forensic science basics, crime & law — 0 questions

Biology Division (Forensic) — 74 questions

Anatomy, osteology, dentition & forensic anthropology — 15 questions

Human histology, organ-system physiology & animal classification — 10 questions

Cell structure, biomolecules, enzymology & molecular biology — 8 questions

Microscopy, spectroscopy, tissue preparation & electrophoresis — 8 questions

Genetics, chromosomes & inheritance — 8 questions

Ecology, pollution & environmental biology — 6 questions

Microbiology, immunology & immunological techniques — 4 questions

Biostatistics — 3 questions

Body-fluid identification & forensic serology — 3 questions

Diatoms, plankton, forensic botany & wildlife forensics — 3 questions

Crime scene investigation, evidence handling & forensic law — 3 questions

Developmental biology, reproduction, nervous system & endocrinology — 2 questions

Blood biochemistry, hematology & clinical diagnostics — 1 questions

Forensic DNA analysis, STR profiling & sequencing — 0 questions

Forensic entomology & post-mortem interval estimation — 0 questions

Ballistics Division (Forensic) — 68 questions

Electricity, Magnetism & Atomic/Nuclear Physics (Physics optional) — 35 questions

Firearms Classification & Ammunition — 11 questions

Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics (Physics optional) — 10 questions

Waves, Sound & Wave Optics (Physics optional) — 6 questions

Internal/External/Terminal & Wound Ballistics — 3 questions

Evidence Collection, GSR & Tool Marks — 1 questions

Geometrical Optics & Microscopy (Physics optional) — 1 questions

Forensic Science Basics, Crime & Law — 1 questions

Differential Equations, Probability & Distributions (Maths optional) — 0 questions

Dynamics, Statics & Analytical Geometry (Maths optional) — 0 questions

Analytical Mechanics & Fluid Mechanics (Maths optional) — 0 questions

Spectroscopic & Thermal Analysis Techniques (Physics optional) — 0 questions

Crime Scene Investigation — 0 questions

Narcotics Division (Forensic) — 63 questions

Physical, inorganic & organic chemistry basics (hydrocarbons to nitro compounds) — 18 questions

Controlled substances, NDPS Act & clandestine drug laboratories — 9 questions

Electromagnetic radiation & spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, IR, Raman, AAS, AFS) — 8 questions

Narcotic drugs & plants of narcotic origin (opium, cannabis, coca) — 7 questions

Chromatography & classical separation techniques (TLC, HPTLC, GC, HPLC) — 7 questions

Alkaloid & psychotropic substance extraction, isolation & identification — 5 questions

Analytical chemistry principles, GLP/QA-QC & statistical analysis — 3 questions

Biomolecules & alkaloid classification (proteins, carbohydrates, fats & lipids) — 2 questions

Hyphenated & mass spectrometric techniques (GC-MS, LC-MS, ICP-MS, electrophoresis) — 2 questions

Environmental chemistry & pollution — 2 questions

Sample preparation & extraction techniques (LLE, SPE, microwave-assisted, Craig counter-current) — 0 questions

Biochemical analysis principles & microscopy (centrifugation, microscope types) — 0 questions

Crime scene investigation & evidence management — 0 questions

Forensic science basics, crime, law & court testimony — 0 questions

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