APSC JE PWD ELECTRICAL PAPER 2026 ANALYSIS

1. Topic Distribution (approximate)

• Electrical machines (~30 Qs): DC machines (Q27–28, 32–33, 36–41), transformers (Q34, 52–54, 58, 78), induction and single-phase motors (Q35, 59–61, 63–64), synchronous machines (Q55–57, 62, 71, 86), drives (Q90–91).
• Circuits and network theory (~20 Qs): Thevenin and Norton, node voltage, maximum power transfer, series resonance, three-phase power, power factor, mutual inductance, resistivity, and the unit and magnetic basics (Q1–15, 26, 29–31, 43–44, 47–50, 85).
• Measurements and instruments (~10 Qs): moving-iron and PMMC meters, voltmeter sensitivity and loading, potentiometer, wattmeter errors, Wien’s bridge, energy meter and 3-phase power measurement (Q16–25).
• Power systems and protection (~25 Qs): faults, short-line ABCD, corona, string efficiency, load, capacity and utilisation factors, relays, circuit breakers, Buchholz, DC transmission, distribution systems, hydro and peak-load plants, and clearances (Q51, 65–77, 79–84, 87–88, 92).
• Power electronics (~10 Qs): SCR turn-off, snubber, controlled rectifiers, displacement factor, MOSFET versus BJT, and thyristor properties (Q42, 89, 93–97).
• Basic electronics and digital (~5 Qs): diode circuits, ripple factor, doping, binary subtraction, and SOP form (Q45–46, 98–100).

2. Question-Style Trends

• Roughly 60% are conceptual one-liners (for example Q2, 3, 11, 21, 28, 62, 71, 82, 87, 89). These are quick, high-certainty marks.
• Roughly 35% are numerical, mostly short, single-step calculations with no long derivations. Examples are the choke-coil iron loss (Q79), plant capacity from load and capacity factors (Q77), and the DC motor stall current (Q41).
• Circuit-diagram questions are few (Q5–7, 43, 45).
• Negative framing is rare (“incorrect,” “not affected,” “not an advantage”).

3. Difficulty Profile

• Easy (~45%): unit, resistivity and material facts, Wien’s bridge, interpoles, relays, the CB choice, trivalent dopant, fastest switch, and V-curves.
• Moderate (~40%): machine and transformer calculations, load factor problems, series and parallel circuits, and rectifier averages.
• Hard or tricky (~15%): Q5 and Q6 (multi-source network reduction), Q22 (potentiometer versus voltmeter loading), Q46 (ripple factor with diode resistance), Q59 (single-phase motor field behaviour), Q67 (zero voltage regulation condition), and Q78 (V-V to Δ-Δ capacity change).

4. Key Trends

1. Machines plus power systems make up about 55% of the paper. This is where most marks sit.
2. Core fundamentals are tested more than advanced theory. Expect textbook definitions and direct formulas rather than analysis.
3. PWD-specific practical items appear, such as clearance from 11 kV lines (Q75), the choice of distribution system, and field testing of a transformer’s rated secondary voltage (Q52).
4. DC machines get unusually heavy coverage (about 12 questions), more than induction motors.
5. Power electronics is modest but recurring, focused on SCRs and controlled rectifiers.
6. Control systems, signals, analog electronics and microprocessors are absent