APSC Assistant Geologist & Other Posts Syllabus 2026 - Complete Details
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has released the syllabus for the Screening Test for recruitment to five posts under the Directorate of Geology and Mining, Assam: Assistant Geologist, Chemist, Drilling Engineer, Assistant Mining Engineer, and Geophysicist. All five posts share a common Paper-I (General Studies) and have separate subject-specific Paper-II syllabi. This article covers the complete syllabus and exam pattern.
APSC Syllabus 2026 - Overview
| Conducting Body | Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) |
| Department | Directorate of Geology and Mining, Assam |
| Posts | Assistant Geologist, Chemist, Drilling Engineer, Assistant Mining Engineer, Geophysicist |
| Test Name | Screening Test |
| Number of Papers | Paper-I (General Studies) and Paper-II (Post-specific Subject) |
| Total Marks | 100 marks per paper |
| Duration | 2 hours per paper |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (Objective) |
| Official Website | apsc.nic.in |
APSC Exam Pattern 2026
Paper-I Exam Pattern (Common for All Posts) - General Studies
| Subject | Marks | Duration | Question Type |
|---|
| General Studies | 100 | 2 hours | Objective (MCQ), 100 questions |
Paper-II Exam Pattern (Post-wise)
| Post | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|
| Assistant Geologist | Geology | 100 | 2 hours |
| Chemist | Chemistry | 100 | 2 hours |
| Drilling Engineer | Mechanical Engineering | 100 | 2 hours |
| Assistant Mining Engineer | Mining and Geology | 100 | 2 hours |
| Geophysicist | Geophysics | 100 | 2 hours |
APSC Subject-wise Syllabus 2026
Paper-I: General Studies (Common for All Five Posts)
- Constitution and Political System of India
- Current events of National and International Importance
- Indian Economy and Planning Process of India
- Geography of India, Assam and World
- Role of Science and Technology in India
- Culture and History of Assam, India and World
- Indian National Movement with special reference to Assam
Assistant Geologist - Paper-II: Geology
Structural Geology and Seismology: Stress and strain, ductile and brittle deformation, faults and folds, thrust systems, shear zones, earthquake terminology, seismic waves, magnitude scales.
Mineralogy, Crystal Chemistry and Thermodynamics: Chemical composition of minerals, X-ray crystallography, ionic bonding, mineral transformation, laws of thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy.
Geoinformatics, Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology: Remote sensing, photogrammetry, GIS, Quaternary Period, dating methods, stratigraphy.
Hydrogeology, Climatology and Oceanography: Hydrologic cycle, groundwater occurrence, Darcy law, well hydraulics, atmospheric composition, ocean classification.
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology: Magma generation, phase equilibria, IUGS classification, metamorphic textures, P-T-t paths, geothermometry.
Geochemistry, Isotope Geology and Engineering Geology: Crust-mantle systems, radiogenic isotopes, engineering properties of soil and rocks, dams and tunnels.
Economic Geology: Genesis of ore deposits, metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits of India, mineral prospecting and exploration.
Sedimentology, Surveying and Mapping: Sedimentary structures, depositional environments, GPS/GNSS, geologic surveying.
Stratigraphy and Geodynamics: Indian stratigraphy from Precambrian to Cenozoic, stratigraphy of Northeast India, plate tectonics, Himalayan tectonics.
Palaeontology and Fuel Geology: Micropalaeontology, foraminifers, coal petrography, petroleum exploration.
Fluvial System and Environmental Geology: Drainage basin evolution, fluvial processes, mining-related pollution, landslides, floods.
Chemist - Paper-II: Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry: Boranes, carboranes, fullerenes, silicates, zeolites, coordination compounds, organometallic chemistry
- Modern Methods of Analysis: IR, Raman, NMR, EPR, UV-visible, MS, TGA, DTA, XRD, GC, HPLC
- Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics, statistical thermodynamics, polymer chemistry
- Conductometric Titrations: Binary and ternary mixtures
- Spectroscopy: Rotational, vibrational, Raman, electronic spectroscopy
- Organic Chemistry: Oxidation and reduction reactions, qualitative analysis
- Catalysis Science: Zeolites, mesoporous materials, fuel cells
- X-ray Crystallography: Powder and single-crystal XRD
- Green Chemistry: Principles, metrics, sustainability
Drilling Engineer - Paper-II: Mechanical Engineering
- Statics and Dynamics: Equilibrium equations, equations of motion, work energy and power
- Theory of Machines: Links and mechanisms, gears, governors, balancing, vibration
- Mechanics of Solids: Stress-strain, bending moments, torsion of beams
- Manufacturing Science: Metal cutting, machining, casting, welding
- Production Management: Method study, break-even analysis, routing
- Thermodynamics: Laws, Carnot, Rankine, Otto and Diesel cycles
- Fluid Mechanics: Hydrostatics, Bernoulli theorem, laminar and turbulent flow
- Heat Transfer: Conduction, fins, heat exchangers
- Energy Conversion: Compressors, pumps, turbines, boilers
- Environmental Control: Refrigeration cycles, psychrometrics
Assistant Mining Engineer - Paper-II: Mining and Geology
- Basic Concepts: Mining terminology, mineral resources, Indian mineral deposits
- Mine Development: Access methods, drilling, explosives, mine surveying, GPS/DGPS
- Geomechanics: Rock properties, rock mass classification, pillar design, roof support
- Mining Methods: Surface and underground mining, bord and pillar, longwall
- Mining Machinery: Haulages, conveyors, hoisting, crushers
- Surface Environment: Pollution control, EIA, mine ventilation, underground hazards
- Mine Economics: Resource classification, DCF analysis, mine valuation, reserve estimation
- Mine Legislation: Mining Plan approval, Mineral Concession Rules, Mines Act 1952
Geophysicist - Paper-II: Geophysics
- Mathematics and Physics: Vector calculus, differential equations, Fourier analysis, electromagnetism
- General Geology: Physical geology, mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, plate tectonics
- Gravity and Magnetic Methods: Earths gravity and magnetic fields, anomalies, data processing
- Seismic Methods: Elastic wave theory, seismic refraction and reflection
- Electrical and EM Methods: Resistivity, self-potential, IP, TEM, borehole geophysics
- Radiometric and Thermal Methods: Natural radioactivity, gamma-ray surveys, geothermal studies
- Applied Geophysics: Mineral, coal, groundwater and oil exploration
- Remote Sensing and GIS: Principles, GIS applications, geophysical modeling
- Field Work: Geophysical instruments, survey techniques, report writing
How to Prepare for APSC Exam 2026
- Start with the official syllabus PDF and mark topics under each group
- Build a separate routine for current affairs and Assam-specific history and culture for Paper-I
- Break Paper-II preparation into sections and set weekly targets for each group
- Use standard postgraduate-level textbooks aligned to the specific topics listed in the syllabus
- Practice previous year APSC screening test question papers for technical posts
- Revise diagram-based and numerical topics separately as these are commonly tested
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