Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has released the notification for Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive Examination 2025 commonly known as RAS/RTS exam. This is the most prestigious state level civil services examination in Rajasthan equivalent to IAS at state level. RAS officers work as Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and can become District Collector after promotions. This is the dream job for lakhs of Rajasthan youth as it provides power, prestige and excellent career growth within Rajasthan government. ## Vacancy Breakdown Rajasthan Administrative Service RAS has 248 posts. These officers work as SDMs and later become Collectors. Rajasthan Police Service RPS has 85 posts for police administration. Rajasthan Accounts Service has 42 posts for financial management. Rajasthan Sales Tax Service has 76 posts for revenue collection. Rajasthan Co-operative Service has 55 posts. Rajasthan Employment Service has 45 posts. Other state services combined have 354 posts making total 905 vacancies. ## Educational Qualification Candidates must possess a Bachelor Degree in any subject from a recognized University. There is no minimum percentage requirement but graduation should be from UGC recognized university. Even final year graduation students can apply if they complete their degree before the interview stage. ## Age Limit Details For General and Unreserved category candidates the age limit is 21 to 40 years as on 1st January 2025. For OBC candidates of Rajasthan the upper age limit is extended to 43 years. For SC and ST candidates of Rajasthan the upper age limit is 45 years. For widow and divorced women the upper age limit is 45 years. Persons with Disability get additional 10 years age relaxation. Ex-servicemen get age relaxation as per government rules. ## Domicile Requirement Most posts require Rajasthan domicile. Candidates should be residents of Rajasthan. However some posts are open for all India candidates. Details will be mentioned in the official notification for each service. ## Selection Process Stages The selection process has three stages. First is Preliminary Examination which is an objective type screening test. It consists of General Knowledge and General Science paper with 150 questions for 200 marks in 3 hours duration. There is negative marking of one third mark for wrong answers. Second stage is Main Examination which is descriptive type. It has four papers - Paper 1 is General Studies I covering History Art Culture Geography and Economy for 200 marks in 3 hours. Paper 2 is General Studies II covering Polity Mental Ability and Reasoning for 200 marks in 3 hours. Paper 3 is General Studies III covering Technology Environment and Current Events for 200 marks. Paper 4 is General Hindi and General English for 200 marks. Total main exam is of 800 marks. Third stage is Personality Test or Interview of 100 marks. Final merit is prepared on basis of Main Exam marks 800 plus Interview marks 100 totaling 900 marks. Preliminary exam is only qualifying and its marks are not counted in final merit. ## Salary and Benefits RAS Officer starts as Sub Divisional Magistrate with Pay Level 12 which means basic pay of Rs 56,100 per month. With Dearness Allowance HRA Transport Allowance and other benefits the total in hand salary comes to around Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month. RAS officers get official residence or HRA, official vehicle for touring, medical facilities for family, and all other government benefits. Career growth is excellent. SDM can become Additional District Collector then District Collector which is Pay Level 14. Further promotions lead to Commissioner and Secretary level posts in Rajasthan government with salary reaching Rs 2 lakh plus per month at senior levels. ## Application Process Candidates need to visit the official RPSC website rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in and register themselves with email ID and mobile number. After registration fill the online application form carefully with personal details, educational qualifications, category, exam center preference etc. Upload scanned photograph and signature in prescribed format and size. Pay the application fee online through debit card credit card or net banking. Submit the form and take printout of the application for future reference. ## Application Fee Structure For General OBC and EWS category candidates the application fee is Rs 350. For SC ST candidates belonging to Rajasthan the fee is Rs 150. Female candidates of Rajasthan also pay Rs 150. Payment is accepted through online mode only via debit card credit card net banking or UPI. ## Preparation Strategy For Preliminary exam focus on Rajasthan specific General Knowledge including History of Rajasthan, Art and Culture, Geography, Economy, Polity, and current affairs of Rajasthan. Read NCERT books from class 6 to 12 for basic concepts. Follow daily newspaper especially Rajasthan edition of Dainik Bhaskar or Rajasthan Patrika. For Mains exam deep study is required. Read standard books on Indian History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science and Technology. For Rajasthan specific preparation read books by Rajasthan authors like L.R. Gurjar. Practice answer writing regularly. Write at least one full paper every week to improve speed and presentation. For Interview stage read about Rajasthan administrative structure, major schemes of state government, national issues, international affairs and develop opinion on contemporary topics. Work on communication skills and personality development. Read about RAS officers role and responsibilities. ## Important Points Preliminary exam qualifying marks are 40 percent for general category and 32 percent for reserved categories. Candidates should note that marks of prelims are not added in final merit. Only mains and interview marks count for final selection. There is negative marking in prelims but no negative marking in mains. Candidates can attempt exam in Hindi or English medium as per their choice. RPSC conducts RAS exam once a year usually. Entire process from notification to final result takes about 12 to 15 months. Selected candidates undergo training at Administrative Training Institute before joining as probationers. After successful completion of two years probation they are confirmed as RAS officers.