Surat Municipal Corporation has published the official examination syllabus for the Planning Assistant recruitment (Advertisement No. PRO/765/2025-26, notified 24/03/2026, 88 vacancies) directly on its website. If you applied during the April 1–15, 2026 window, this is the document that now defines exactly what you're being tested on — not a general town planning syllabus, but SMC's own published version.

Official source: suratmunicipal.gov.in — Recruitment News → PRO/765/2025-26 syllabus PDF.

This is worth pausing on, because it changes your prep priority right now.

What's Confirmed

  • Advertisement: PRO/765/2025-26, notified 24 March 2026
  • Post: Planning Assistant, Surat Municipal Corporation
  • Vacancies: 88 posts (3 reserved for PwD candidates)
  • Application window: 1 April 2026 – 15 April 2026 (closed)
  • Pay scale: Pay Matrix Level-6, ₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400
  • Eligibility: M.Arch / M.E.-Civil / B.Arch / B.E.-Civil plus a PG Degree/Diploma in City, Town or Regional Planning (or ITPI membership after passing its examination)
  • Age limit: Not more than 35 years as on the last date of application, with standard reserved-category relaxations
  • Exam format (per SMC's official FAQ document for this recruitment): offline, physical MCQ paper. 2 hours if the paper is pure MCQ; 3 hours if it includes a subjective/descriptive component. Negative marking of 1/3 mark per wrong answer. No penalty for unattempted questions.
  • Official syllabus document: now live on suratmunicipal.gov.in under Recruitment News

What's Still Pending

SMC has not yet announced the written exam date for PRO/765/2025-26 as of this update. Anything you see online stating a specific date for Planning Assistant should be treated as unconfirmed until it appears directly on the SMC Recruitment Dashboard. We'll update this page the moment SMC publishes the call letter notice.

Why This Matters More Than It Looks

Most candidates wait for the exam date before starting serious practice. That's the wrong instinct here. The syllabus is the actual constraint — the date is just a deadline. Once SMC posts the call letter, admit cards typically follow within days, which means the real prep window is now, between syllabus release and date announcement, not after.

How To Use This Window

  1. Read the official syllabus PDF first. Don't rely on secondhand summaries — go through SMC's own document so you know exactly what's in scope.
  2. Map it against core planning topics: land use and zoning, development plans, town planning schemes (original plot / final plot / reconstitution), Gujarat municipal and planning-authority structure, urban infrastructure, and GIS/survey basics. (Full topic-wise breakdown: SMC Planning Assistant Syllabus 2026 guide.)
  3. Start MCQ practice immediately — with a 2–3 hour offline paper and 1/3 negative marking, accuracy under time pressure matters as much as knowledge. This is exactly what the Town Planner Test Series Gujarat (480+ MCQs, topic-wise, GPSC + SMC pattern) is built for.
  4. Build the concept base in parallel if you're starting from scratch — the GPSC & SMC Town Planner Printed Notes (476+ pages, Part 1 & 2) cover the same planning-theory-to-Gujarat-law arc the syllabus draws from.
  5. If you're also open to GPSC Town Planner or SMC ATP/DTP, the broader GPSC Town Planner Online Course covers the full multi-post preparation path.

FAQs

Has SMC announced the Planning Assistant exam date?

No. As of this update, SMC has not published a written exam date for PRO/765/2025-26. Only trust a date you see directly on suratmunicipal.gov.in.

Where can I read the official syllabus?

On the SMC Recruitment News page, under the PRO/765/2025-26 entry — suratmunicipal.gov.in.

Is the exam MCQ-based?

Yes, per SMC's official FAQ for this recruitment: an offline physical paper, MCQ-based (with a possible subjective/descriptive section depending on cadre), with 1/3 negative marking per wrong answer.

What should I do while the date is pending?

Start topic-wise MCQ practice now rather than waiting. The gap between syllabus release and date announcement is your real preparation window.

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