CISF ASI Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

Two entirely different examinations sit behind the ASI rank in CISF, because two different bodies conduct them.

The three paramedical entries: one paper, 100 marks, two hours

CISF's 2026 notification describes it in a single paragraph, and this is the whole of it:

Written test will be for 100 Marks to be completed in two hour duration. The paper will be of objective type and OMR/CBT based to test their knowledge in their respective trades.

Three things follow. No general studies section is named: CISF says the paper tests the trade, so prepare pharmacy, laboratory technology or radiography while staying ready for a handful of general questions the notification does not rule out. No negative marking means no blank answers, since a blank is a guaranteed zero where a guess is a one in four chance. And two hours for 100 questions is 72 seconds each, so depth of trade knowledge is the binding constraint, not time.

Normalisation, and the objection window

If the paper runs in two or more shifts, CISF normalises the scores and uses the normalised figure for both the merit list and the cut-off for the next stage. After the examination it puts a tentative answer key on the portal and takes online objections for a stated period. Objections by any other route are not entertained, a panel of experts decides them, and that decision is final. There is no re-evaluation, re-checking or re-examination.

ASI (Stenographer): a different examination entirely

Conducted through the Border Security Force as nodal force, and built around a skill test rather than a trade paper:

Eighty words a minute is the standard central government stenographer speed and it is the whole difficulty of this entry. The longer Hindi transcription allowance, 65 minutes against 50, reflects the extra time Devanagari typing takes; it is not a concession on accuracy.

One inconsistency: for ASI (Stenographer) CISF lists the physical efficiency test as "Not Applicable" and then lists the first stage of the process as "PET and PST". Both lines are in the same entry. Read the notification for the cycle, not the summary page.

CISF publishes no topic list for the ASI written examination, only that the paper tests "their knowledge in their respective trades". The sections below work back from the diploma curriculum in each case; they are not a published CISF syllabus.

ASI (Pharmacist)

Eligibility is a Diploma or Degree in Pharmacy plus registration under the Pharmacy Act 1948, so the D.Pharm curriculum is the working syllabus.

Jurisprudence repays more time than its teaching hours suggest. The eligibility itself turns on registration under the Pharmacy Act, and acts and schedules are exactly what an objective paper can test cleanly.

ASI (Laboratory Technician)

Eligibility is 10+2 with Science plus a two year diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology.

• Clinical pathology: urine analysis, stool examination, body fluids, semen analysis
• Haematology: haemoglobin estimation, cell counts, differential count, ESR, PCV, blood indices, coagulation tests, blood cell morphology, anaemias and leukaemias
• Blood banking: ABO and Rh grouping, cross matching, coombs test, donor screening, storage and transfusion reactions
• Biochemistry: glucose, urea, creatinine, lipid profile, liver and renal function tests, electrolytes, enzymes; normal reference ranges; colorimetry and photometry
• Microbiology: staining methods including Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen, culture media and inoculation, antibiotic sensitivity, common pathogens, sterilisation and disinfection
• Serology and immunology: widal, VDRL, ELISA, rapid tests, antigen-antibody reactions
• Parasitology: malaria, filaria, intestinal parasites and their identification
• Histopathology and cytology: tissue processing, fixation, sectioning, staining
• Instruments and safety: microscope, centrifuge, autoclave, incubator, water bath, calibration, quality control, biomedical waste handling, universal precautions

ASI (X-Ray Technician)

Eligibility is 10+2 plus a two year diploma in Radiography.

• Radiation physics: production of X-rays, the X-ray tube, kVp, mA and exposure time, filtration, collimation, scatter and the grid
• Radiographic technique: standard positions and projections for skull, chest, abdomen, spine, pelvis and the extremities; portable and mobile radiography; paediatric and trauma radiography
• Image processing: film and screen, cassettes, dark room, automatic processing, computed and digital radiography, PACS, common image faults and their causes
• Radiation protection: ALARA, time, distance and shielding, lead aprons, personnel monitoring with TLD badges, dose limits, AERB requirements, protection of the patient and the pregnant patient
• Contrast studies: barium studies, IVU, contrast media types and reactions, emergency management of a contrast reaction
• Modalities in outline: CT, ultrasound and MRI principles, their indications and contraindications, especially MRI safety
• Anatomy and pathology for radiographers: normal radiographic anatomy, recognising common fractures and common chest findings

ASI (Stenographer)

A different recruitment, conducted through BSF as nodal force, built on speed rather than a body of knowledge: shorthand at 80 words per minute for 10 minutes in English or Hindi, then transcription on a computer, 50 minutes for English or 65 for Hindi. Practise on the software and keyboard layout you will be tested on, and in the standard Hindi layout rather than a phonetic one. For the computer based examination the closest published match is the SSC Stenographer Grade C and D paper: general intelligence and reasoning, general awareness, and English language and comprehension.

Because CISF neither publishes the paper nor states a section split, some general awareness may appear. A tenth of study time on current affairs, the Indian polity outline and the Force's own facts is proportionate: CISF came into existence in 1969, out of a Commission of Inquiry into the 1964 fire at Heavy Engineering Corporation, Ranchi; motto Protection and Security; the only Central Armed Police Force with a Fire Service Wing.

The figures below come from CISF's live Recruitment of Para Medical Staff 2026 notification for the three ASI entries CISF fills itself, and from its recruitment page for ASI (Stenographer).

Age

18 to 28 for ASI (Pharmacist), (X-Ray Technician) and (Laboratory Technician); 18 to 25 for ASI (Stenographer). Age is reckoned on the closing date for the online application, 7 July 2026 for the 2026 paramedical cycle. Relaxations:

• Five years for SC and ST candidates, three years for OBC candidates
• Departmental candidates of the central government: upper limit 40 years for General, EWS and OBC and 45 years for SC and ST, provided they have three years of continuous service, have completed probation satisfactorily, have a punishment free record and have been graded above Average throughout
• Ex-servicemen deduct military service from actual age, and the result must not exceed the maximum by more than three years

Educational qualification

The Pharmacy Act registration is the one candidates leave too late. It is separate from the diploma, it takes time with the state Pharmacy Council, and without it the candidate is ineligible. A certificate from a board other than a state or central board must come with a Government of India notification declaring it equivalent.

Physical standards, and only standards

There is no physical efficiency test at any ASI entry. What is measured is height, chest and weight.

Chest does not apply to women at any ASI entry. The relaxed hill and North-Eastern standards apply to every category, unreserved included, which CISF states expressly. For ASI (Stenographer) the standards are lower again, 165 cm for men and 155 cm for women with a 77 to 82 cm chest. Weight is measured at the physical standards test but judged at the medical, so nobody is eliminated on weight at the measuring stage.

A candidate rejected on height or chest may appeal, but only on the day:

Candidates who are declared not qualified in Physical Standards i.e. height and chest may prefer an appeal on same day, if they so desire, to the Appellate Authority nominated for the Centre through Presiding Officer.

The Appellate Authority's decision is final. Leave the ground and the remedy is gone.

Medical, and other conditions

The examination follows the MHA's Uniform Guidelines for Recruitment Medical Examination for Gazetted and Non-Gazetted Officers in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. No knock knees, flat foot, varicose vein or squint. A candidate is declared either fit or unfit, with no temporary category, and anyone declared unfit may take the review medical examination on written consent signed within 24 hours. Tattoos are permitted only as a religious symbol or figure or a name, only on the inner aspect of the left forearm or the back of the hand, and only smaller than a quarter of that part of the body.

• Indian citizenship.
• A bigamous marriage disqualifies, subject to a central government exemption where personal law permits it, and so does dismissal from government service.
• Persons with Disabilities are not eligible for the 2026 paramedical recruitment; CISF states this expressly in that notification.
• Ex-servicemen must have held the trade: a Naib Subedar in the Army or equivalent rank in the Navy or Air Force holding the trade of Pharmacist, X-Ray Technician or Laboratory Technician, character on discharge Exemplary or Very Good, medical category A or SHAPE-1.
• Probation is two years and may be extended, with basic training at a CISF training centre.

CISF's own ASI recruitment runs in five stages, and one of them has a name no other Central Armed Police Force uses.

CISF adds that "the sequence of the above stages may interchange at the discretion of CISF due to administrative reasons / prevailing circumstances."

One candidate in five reaches stage two

CISF publishes its shortlisting ratio, which few recruiters do: the number shortlisted "will be about 5 (five) times of the number of vacancies notified." Against 24 vacancies that is roughly 120 candidates called forward. The written examination is not a qualifying hurdle with a comfortable pass mark; it is the competition.

The Basic Vocational Aptitude Test

The stage candidates ask about most and the one CISF says least about. The whole of the notification's account is that after PST and documentation a BVAT of all qualified candidates "will be conducted to assess the suitability for the job" and "will be qualifier in nature". So: it assesses suitability, and it adds nothing to the merit list. What it can do is remove a candidate who is top of the written list. The only rational preparation is to be genuinely competent and current in the trade.

Documentation

A candidate who cannot produce the required original testimonials "will be eliminated from the recruitment process by giving rejection slip". The category certificate must be in CISF's own Appendix A, B or C format; a certificate in any other format, however genuine, is refused.

The medical, and the 24 hour clock

Fit or unfit, with no temporary category. A candidate declared unfit at the DME may take the review medical examination, but only on written consent signed and returned within 24 hours, with the review normally held the next day. Going home to think about it forfeits it.

The final select list

Drawn on the written examination alone, category-wise, equal to the vacancies notified, and published on the CISF recruitment portal. There is no waiting list. Ties go to age first, the older candidate preferred, then height, then the higher educational qualification, then alphabetical order.

ASI (Stenographer) runs differently. Conducted through BSF as nodal force, its stages are PET and PST, computer based examination, skill test on computer, document verification, medical examination, final merit list, offer of appointment. No ASI entry has a physical efficiency test, an interview, marks from any stage but the written examination, or a waiting list.

Assistant Sub-Inspector in CISF is Pay Level 5 in the 7th Central Pay Commission matrix, ₹29,200 to ₹92,300. CISF states the level and the band in the notification itself, which is more than most forces publish.

Entering at ASI rather than Constable is worth ₹7,500 a month in basic pay at entry, and more in practice because every percentage allowance is computed on the higher basic. For a candidate holding a pharmacy, laboratory or radiography diploma, the trade buys two ranks at entry.

On top of basic pay

CISF publishes no allowance schedule, so this is the standard structure rather than a quoted CISF figure: dearness allowance revised each January and July, house rent allowance by city class or government accommodation, transport allowance, ration money, risk and hardship allowance, and uniform and kit maintenance. Non-cash: unit accommodation, canteen, medical cover for the member and dependants, leave travel concession and group insurance.

Pension, probation and promotion

CISF's notification states that appointees come under the "Defined Contributory Pension system known as the National Pension System", applicable to everyone joining central government service on or after 1 January 2004: the employee contributes 10 per cent of basic pay and dearness allowance and the government 14 per cent, with gratuity and leave encashment separate.

Probation is two years, extendable, with basic training at a CISF training centre named in the offer of appointment. CISF says the posts, while "purely temporary in nature", are "likely to become permanent", and that service is liable to be terminated if a candidate is found unfit during probation.

From Level 5 the path runs to Sub-Inspector at Level 6 and Inspector at Level 7 within the trade cadre, on seniority and departmental promotion, with the Modified Assured Career Progression scheme providing financial upgradation where a promotion has not come. A paramedical ASI is promoted within the medical establishment, not across into executive command. Selected candidates are "liable to serve anywhere in Indian Territory and abroad".

Where the application goes depends on who conducts the recruitment, and for CISF that is not one answer. Its recruitment page names the conducting agency against each of the seventeen ranks it fills directly.

Register once, apply many times

CISF calls its one-time registration "a permanent database for candidate", and the registration ID and password are used for every examination CISF conducts. Register at cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in with a working mobile number and e-mail address, fill the application for the specific examination, then pay the fee if one is due. After submission nothing can be corrected: "After submission of the online application form, no change / correction / modification will be allowed under any circumstances." Requests by post, fax, e-mail or by hand are not entertained.

The fee

For its own recruitments CISF charges ₹100 from unreserved, EWS and OBC candidates. Exempt are every woman candidate, whatever her category, and candidates of the SC and ST communities and ex-servicemen eligible for reservation. Payment is by net banking, credit or debit card, RuPay or UPI, or in cash at a State Bank of India branch against a challan generated on the portal. A challan generated before the closing date can be paid in cash for two days after the online window shuts. The fee is not refunded and is not adjusted against another examination.

One application only

Where a notification covers several posts, CISF asks for one application; if more than one arrives, "first application only, so received, will be processed". The choice of post is irreversible in practice as well as in form.

Two disqualifications are easy to miss: a bigamous marriage, subject to a central government exemption where personal law permits it, and dismissal from government service. The paramedical notification also states that Persons with Disabilities are not eligible for that recruitment, so check the notification for the post you are applying for.

Twelve of the seventeen ranks are CISF's own, so a candidate watching only the Staff Selection Commission's calendar will never see most of this Force's openings. Recruitment helpline 011-24366431 and 011-24307933, 10:00 to 18:00 on working days.

The Central Industrial Security Force exists because of a fire. Its own account:

The Central Industrial Security Force came into existence in 1969 as the culmination of a Commission of Inquiry and legislation necessitated by the major fire incident of 1964 at HEC, Ranchi.

A fire at Heavy Engineering Corporation, Ranchi produced an inquiry, the inquiry produced the CISF Act, and the Act produced the Force. Raised to protect centrally owned industrial undertakings, later declared an Armed Force of the Union, it now also holds airport security, VIP security, and security and fire consultancy. Motto Protection and Security, ethos Abhedya Suraksha.

Where a CISF member is posted

Not at a border. CISF covers petroleum and natural gas, port trusts, thermal and hydro power plants, fertiliser and chemical industries, steel and mines, heavy industries, defence, science and technology, coal, security paper mills and currency printing presses, heritage monuments and museums, plus the major airports, the Parliament House complex and establishments of the Finance Ministry. A CISF posting is an industrial or aviation one, usually near a city or a plant, which is the clearest difference between choosing CISF and choosing BSF, the ITBP or the SSB.

CISF is also the only Central Armed Police Force with a full-fledged Fire Service Wing, and the only one with a dedicated fire safety consultancy wing. The wing covers 115 installations with 9,306 personnel. A Force born out of a fire inquiry kept firefighting as a core trade, which is why CISF recruits firemen when no other Central Armed Police Force does.

Training establishments

A selected candidate goes to one of these for basic training. Probation is two years, and completing basic training is a prerequisite for completing probation.

CISF organises its own recruitments by recruitment sector, not by state, and a candidate's sector is fixed by where they live.

Two groupings surprise people. Odisha and West Bengal are in North Eastern Sector 2, with Sikkim and the Andamans. And Delhi is not in the Northern Sector; it has its own NCR sector with Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The written examination is at a commercial test centre CISF allots, and a request to change the date or the centre "will not be considered under any circumstances". The physical, documentation and medical stages are at a CISF recruitment centre in the candidate's sector, which may be several hundred kilometres away. CISF asks candidates to "come duly prepared for 2-3 days stay under their own arrangements", with no travelling or daily allowance, and adds that a candidate is "applying for combat force" and is responsible for any accident during the process.

Carry, besides the admit card, four passport size colour photographs printed with the date they were taken, not more than three months old at the date of the notification, an original photo identity document showing date of birth, and for documentation the originals of the educational certificates, the matriculation certificate and the category certificate in CISF's prescribed Appendix format.

This recruitment has a live advertisement with published dates. CISF's Recruitment of Para Medical Staff in CISF 2026 covers all three ASI entries CISF fills itself.

The challan is the only part of that timetable with any slack: generate it on the last night and you still have two days to pay it in cash at an SBI counter.

The examination date is not published in advance. CISF says it "will be informed to candidates only through CISF recruitment website", and that a request to change the date or centre "will not be considered under any circumstances".

A second ASI recruitment is running elsewhere. For ASI (Stenographer) the conducting body is BSF as nodal force, for the "ASI/Steno - 2024" cycle, and a CISF notice of August 2026 still concerned the written examination for ASI (Stenographer) and Head Constable (Ministerial) of that 2024 examination. A cycle two years old, still live, and visible only to someone checking the portal.

CISF publishes no annual calendar. Its own recruitments appear when a cadre needs filling, and for small trade cadres that can be years apart. So complete the one-time registration at cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in now, get the Pharmacy Act registration if you want the pharmacist post, and get the category certificate in CISF's own Appendix format, which takes weeks to reissue.

Every admit card for a CISF-conducted recruitment comes from one place: cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in. CISF says so in every notification, in the same words: "Admit Card for any stage of examination will not be sent by post."

A candidate downloads several cards over one recruitment, each released only to those who cleared the stage before it: the written examination, for everyone whose application was accepted; then the physical standards test, documentation and the Basic Vocational Aptitude Test; then the medical. The order of those stages may be interchanged at the Force's discretion, so do not assume the written examination always comes first.

If the card will not download, contact CISF at least one week before the stage, not on the day, on 011-24366431 or 011-24307933. Quote the registration number, registered e-mail and mobile, name, date of birth and the examination; without them a communication "shall not be entertained".

Mobile phones, calculators and any other electronic device are barred from the hall, and the rule is possession, not use: "Possession of these items, whether in use or not, will be considered as 'Use of unfair means'", and the candidature is cancelled.

Results, answer keys and select lists for a CISF-conducted recruitment all appear at cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in.

After the written examination CISF puts a tentative answer key on the portal and invites online representations within a stated time. Objections sent by letter or any other route are not entertained, a panel of experts scrutinises them, and "the decision of the experts in this regard will be final". There is no re-evaluation, no re-checking and no re-conduct of the paper. Where the examination runs in two or more shifts, marks are normalised and the normalised score draws both the merit list and the cut-off.

Merit is drawn category-wise for UR, SC, ST, OBC, EWS and ex-servicemen. A reserved-category candidate who makes the unreserved merit without using any relaxed standard counts against the unreserved vacancies. Ties resolve on age, then height, then the higher qualification, then alphabetical order.

And there is no waiting list: "No waiting list will be kept / maintained." The select list is drawn equal to the vacancies notified, and a candidate outside it applies again next cycle.

CISF publishes no cut-off marks for the recruitments it conducts itself, and has not done so in any past cycle. Nothing is released after a recruitment closes.

The structure is published instead. The select list is drawn on the written examination alone, equal to the vacancies notified; every other stage is pass or fail. With roughly five candidates shortlisted per vacancy, the paper is the whole competition.

Cut-offs do exist for the three CISF ranks the Staff Selection Commission fills, Constable (General Duty), SI (Executive) and SI (Fire). SSC publishes them category-wise and state-wise after each cycle at ssc.gov.in under Results.

1. Understand the size of what you are applying for

Twenty four posts across the country, of which one is the whole X-Ray Technician intake. A good score does not get a candidate through here; for that post you need to be first. That shifts preparation from broad coverage to depth in the trade.

2. Prepare the trade, not a general studies book

CISF sets the paper "to test their knowledge in their respective trades". The commonest mistake is buying a Central Armed Police Force general studies guide and grinding reasoning and arithmetic for a paper about pharmacy, laboratory technology or radiography. Work from your own diploma curriculum.

3. Mark every question

There is no negative marking. A blank is a certain zero; a guess is a one in four chance. With 100 questions in two hours there is time for all of them, and leaving twelve blank throws away the three marks a random guess would statistically have produced. In a 24 post recruitment, three marks is a rank.

4. Go at the part of your trade an objective paper likes

Pharmacists: jurisprudence. The Pharmacy Act 1948, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and its schedules, the NDPS Act, labelling rules and professional obligations are what an objective paper tests cleanly, and what most candidates revise last. Laboratory technicians: the reference ranges, plus staining methods, ABO and Rh grouping and biomedical waste colour coding. Radiographers: radiation protection, ALARA, shielding, TLD badges, dose limits, AERB requirements, the pregnant patient and MRI safety, plus standard projections and the causes of common image faults.

5. Get the registration and certificates before you apply

Pharmacy Act registration, the diploma certificate, the matriculation certificate for date of birth, and the category certificate in CISF's own Appendix format. Documentation eliminates candidates on the spot for a missing original or a certificate in the wrong format, and neither can be fixed on the day.

6. Know the height rule, and carry the paper that changes it

The relaxed standards of 165 cm for men and 155 cm for women apply to Garhwali, Kumaoni, Gorkha, Dogra, Maratha and Sikkimese candidates and to candidates from ten named states, and they apply to every category including unreserved, but only on production of the Appendix D or domicile certificate. Arrive without it and you are measured against the ordinary standard. If you fail the measurement, appeal through the Presiding Officer the same day; the remedy is lost by leaving the ground.

7. Treat the BVAT as real, and plan three days

The Basic Vocational Aptitude Test is qualifying, so it cannot improve a rank, but it can end a candidacy. CISF says only that it assesses "the suitability for the job", so be current in the work, not only in the textbook. And CISF asks candidates to come prepared for a two to three day stay under their own arrangements, with no travelling or daily allowance, at a sector recruitment centre that may be a long way off. If the medical goes against you, consent to the review in writing within 24 hours.

8. Stenographer candidates: speed is the whole examination

Eighty words a minute for ten minutes of dictation, then transcription on a computer in 50 minutes for English or 65 for Hindi. Practise above the required speed, on a computer rather than on paper, and in the standard Hindi layout. And watch the BSF portal, not CISF's.

CISF releases no previous question papers. There is no archive on its recruitment portal and no sample paper against any rank it recruits itself. Anything sold as a CISF previous year paper is a reconstruction.

What the Force does release, after each of its own written examinations, is a tentative answer key open to online objection for a short window at cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in. It comes down again once the key is finalised, so take a copy while it is up.

For practice, the closest published material is the diploma curriculum itself, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Technology or Radiography, together with the published previous papers of ESIC, AIIMS and railway paramedical recruitments. The notification for the cycle is the only place the current marks, duration and section split are stated, so check it against any practice set before trusting the set's weights.

Contacts

• Recruitment helpline 011-24366431, 011-24307933, 10:00 to 18:00 on working days
• To report anyone demanding money for a CISF selection: ac-rectt@cisf.gov.in, or the Presiding Officer of the recruitment board and the DIG of the recruitment centre
• CISF Force Headquarters, Block 13, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

CISF prints the same warning at the foot of every notification: "Beware of touts. No money is charged for recruitment in CISF. If you have paid or promised to pay money to any one you are being cheated and you are losing money." The Force's information site is cisf.gov.in and its recruitment portal is cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in, both on .gov.in. A site off that domain is not CISF, whatever it calls itself.

Who conducts the CISF ASI recruitment?

It depends on the entry. CISF itself conducts ASI (Pharmacist), (Laboratory Technician) and (X-Ray Technician), through cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in. ASI (Stenographer) goes through the Border Security Force as nodal force, so watching only CISF's portal means missing it.

Is there a live CISF ASI vacancy?

Yes. CISF's Recruitment of Para Medical Staff 2026 opened on 8 June 2026 and closed on 7 July 2026, for 24 posts in total: ASI (Pharmacist) 18, ASI (Laboratory Technician) 5 and ASI (X-Ray Technician) 1. The written examination date is announced only on the CISF recruitment portal.

What is the salary of a CISF Assistant Sub-Inspector?

Pay Level 5, ₹29,200 to ₹92,300, which CISF states in the notification itself, plus the usual central government allowances. That is two levels and ₹7,500 a month in basic pay above a CISF constable at entry.

Is there a physical efficiency test?

No. CISF records the physical efficiency test as "Not applicable" for every ASI entry. There is a physical standards test, which measures height, chest and weight, and weight is judged at the medical rather than at the measurement.

What is the exam pattern?

100 marks, two hours, objective, OMR or computer based, bilingual, no negative marking. CISF publishes no section split and no qualifying percentage, and describes the paper as testing the candidate's own trade. Scores are normalised across shifts.

What is the BVAT in CISF recruitment?

The Basic Vocational Aptitude Test, held after the physical standards test and documentation, assessing "the suitability for the job" and qualifier in nature. It contributes no marks but it can eliminate a candidate, and CISF publishes nothing further about its content.

How is the final merit decided?

On the written examination alone: the select list is drawn "based on the performance of candidates in Written Examination (OMR/CBT) equal to the vacancies notified", and every other stage is pass or fail. CISF shortlists about five times the number of vacancies after the paper, roughly 120 candidates against 24 posts. Ties go to age first, older preferred, then height, then the higher educational qualification, then alphabetical order.

What is the application fee?

₹100 from unreserved, EWS and OBC candidates. Female candidates of every category are exempt, as are SC, ST and eligible ex-servicemen candidates. A challan generated before the closing date can be paid in cash for two days afterwards.

Do I need registration under the Pharmacy Act?

Yes, for ASI (Pharmacist), on top of 10+2 and the Pharmacy diploma or degree. It is a separate step, it takes time at the state Pharmacy Council, and it cannot be arranged during an application window.

What are the height requirements?

170 cm for men and 157 cm for women in the general case, male chest 80 to 85 cm. 165 cm and 155 cm for Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas and Sikkimese and for candidates from ten named states, on the Appendix D or domicile certificate, and these relaxed figures apply to all categories including unreserved. 162.5 cm and 154 cm for Scheduled Tribe candidates. Chest does not apply to women.

Can I appeal if I am rejected on height or chest?

Yes, and it must be the same day, to the Appellate Authority nominated for the centre, through the Presiding Officer. Its decision is final and no further representation is entertained.

What happens if I am declared medically unfit?

You are allowed a review medical examination on written consent, signed and submitted within 24 hours, with the review normally held the next day. There is no temporary unfit category.

Is there a waiting list?

No. "No waiting list will be kept / maintained." The select list is drawn equal to the vacancies notified, and a candidate outside it has to apply again in the next cycle.