Patna, July 8: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) civil services mains examination started today despite protests from a section of candidates who wanted the tests to be postponed.

There was, however, no report of any untoward incident at the 39 examination centres, all in Patna, where more than 25,000 students took the test.

The examinations will continue till July 30.

The district administration had deployed security personnel at all the examination centres apprehending trouble from the protesters who were demanding postponement of the exam saying they were left with little time to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) preliminary test, which is scheduled on August 7.

Patna district magistrate (DM) Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said: "The examinations went on without any untoward incident at any of the centres." He also visited some of the examination centres and said more than 80 per cent of the candidates took the test.

Santosh Kumar, a candidate who appeared for the test at Bankipore Girls Higher Secondary School, said: "We didn't have any option but to appear for the test as our demands for postponing the test fell on deaf ears."

The candidate, who had come to write the test from Buxar, said the demand was made because the exam patterns of the two tests were completely different.

The UPSC preliminary test consists of two papers, general studies and civil services aptitude test, and is objective in nature. On the other hand, BPSC mains are based on subjective questions. The candidates have to write two compulsory papers, Hindi and general studies, and opt for two optional subjects, which will have two papers each.