A Madhya Pradesh Sports Officer works under the Sports and Youth Welfare Department and is responsible for organising state-level sports competitions, managing sports infrastructure including stadiums and gymnasiums, implementing government sports schemes, and identifying and supporting talented athletes. Officers also coordinate with schools and colleges for sports promotion, manage sports equipment procurement, and liaise with SAI for Khelo India Centre activities in the state. The role involves both administrative and field-level sports development work.

The exam has 100 objective-type questions in 90 minutes covering four sections: General Studies (current affairs, MP GK, Indian polity, economy), Hindi (grammar, comprehension, language skills), Physical Education (theory, history, methods, sports science fundamentals), and Sports Laws & Regulations (rules of major sports like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Athletics, Badminton, Kabaddi, and Wrestling, as well as national sports policy). Negative marking applies at 0.25 marks per wrong answer. A physical fitness test may also be required at the state's discretion.

The Sports Laws and Regulations section covers the official rules of Cricket (BCCI/ICC), Football (AIFF/FIFA), Hockey (Hockey India/FIH), Athletics (AFI/World Athletics), Badminton (BAI/BWF), Wrestling (WFI/UWW), Boxing (BFI/IBA), Kabaddi (AKFI), and Volleyball (VFI/FIVB). Questions test knowledge of scoring systems, foul definitions, equipment specifications, court/field dimensions, and umpiring/refereeing principles. Candidates should also know the structure of national sports federations and their relationship with international bodies.

Madhya Pradesh has several state-level sports promotion initiatives including the Mukhyamantri Khiladi Samman Yojana, which provides financial assistance to outstanding sportspersons, and the Khel Pratibha Khoj Yojana for talent identification. The exam's General Studies section frequently includes questions on these state schemes, sports budget allocations, famous sports persons from MP (such as wrestler Bajrang Punia's training connections), and the history of sports development in the state. Staying updated on state sports news and government press releases is very helpful.

While the primary selection is written exam based, some recruitment cycles include a Physical Efficiency Test (PET) that tests candidates on running (1500m for men, 800m for women), long jump, shot put, and basic flexibility and strength assessments. Cut-off times and distances are prescribed by the department and are generally achievable with moderate fitness levels. Candidates are advised to check the current recruitment notification for the exact PET criteria as these vary between recruitment cycles.