The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has revised the interview weightage for the State Service (Main) Examination-2027 and subsequent exams, cutting it to 175 marks from the earlier 275, following scrutiny over the balance between written and interview scores.
MPSC had earlier scrapped the optional subject papers from the main exam but kept interview marks unchanged at 275, raising concerns in competitive-exam circles that a subjective component would carry disproportionate weight in the final merit list. After the matter drew public attention, the commission revised its decision.
Under Wednesday’s circular, the optional papers are replaced by seven compulsory papers: qualifying Marathi and English language papers, one essay paper, and four General Studies papers. The two language papers are only qualifying and won’t count toward the final merit list, leaving 1,250 marks — from the essay and four General Studies papers — as the basis for ranking.
MPSC said the 175-mark interview weightage aligns with Supreme Court guidelines on maintaining a balanced ratio between written exam and interview marks. The revised exam scheme will be published separately on the commission’s website.
Experts note written exams exams rely on objective criteria while interviews are inherently subjective, making their relative weight significant for transparency and merit-based selection.
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