CRPF Assistant Commandant Syllabus, Exam Pattern

Paper II has an essay of 80 marks, which can be written in English or Hindi, and 120 marks of comprehension, precis and language work, in English only. Paper I is marked negatively for wrong answers; the notice does not give the deduction. Each paper has a minimum qualifying mark fixed by UPSC, and Paper II is checked only if Paper I is cleared. Written and interview marks together come to 600 and make up the merit list.

Ties are broken by written total, then Paper I marks, then age, with the older candidate ahead.

Physical efficiency test (qualifying)

Paper I

• General mental ability: logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude and data interpretation.
• General science, including information technology, biotechnology and environmental science.
• Current events of national and international importance.
• Indian polity and economy, including the Constitution, public administration, security issues and human rights.
• History of India, with the freedom movement.
• Indian and world geography.

Paper II

Part A is essay writing on topics such as modern Indian history and the freedom struggle, geography, polity, the economy, security and human rights. Part B tests comprehension passages, precis writing, counter-arguments and simple grammar.

• Age: 20 to 25 on 1 August 2026, meaning born between 2 August 2001 and 1 August 2006. Upper limit relaxed by 5 years for SC and ST, 3 for OBC, and up to 5 for civilian central government employees and ex-servicemen, capped at 5 in total for government service.
• Education: a bachelor's degree from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification. Final-year students can apply but must show proof of passing within the time the rules allow after the written result.
• Nationality: an Indian citizen, with Nepali and Bhutanese subjects also eligible.
• Gender: open to men and women.
• Earlier selection: anyone already finally selected as Assistant Commandant in any participating force through an earlier exam cannot sit again.
• NCC: an 'B' or 'C' certificate is desirable and counts only at the interview.

Physical standards

Eyesight needs 6/6 in the better eye and 6/12 in the other, or 6/9 in both, with correction. LASIK is allowed after six months under set criteria, and colour perception must be CP-III.

Candidates who clear the written paper are called for the physical standards and efficiency tests, run under a nodal authority named by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Those who pass go to the UPSC interview. A medical standards test then covers only the candidates who sat the interview, with an appeal to the Ministry's appellate authority within 24 hours of the result. Candidates who clear the written paper must also log in during a 15-day window after the result to update their details and upload proof of their qualification, or they are dropped from later stages.

Assistant Commandant is Pay Level 10 on the 7th Pay Commission matrix, with a basic pay of ₹56,100 and the usual allowances. This is the level CRPF's own Assistant Commandant notices quote; the UPSC notice does not state the pay.

Apply on upsconline.nic.in using a Universal Registration Number, the common application form and the exam-specific form. The fee was ₹200; women, SC and ST candidates pay nothing, and OBC and EWS candidates pay in full. Forms cannot be withdrawn or corrected after submission. A live photograph and a signature signed three times on white paper are uploaded with the form. The helpline during the window was 011-24041001.

The 2026 exam was offered at 57 centres, from Agartala to Visakhapatnam, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Leh. Centres were allotted first-apply-first-allot, with a cap everywhere except Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur, and a change of centre was not allowed once chosen.

In 2026 the notice came in February and the paper in July. UPSC announces the written result, the physical test call and the interview schedule under What's New.

The e-Admit Card goes on upsconline.nic.in on the last working day of the week before the exam. It is not sent by post or email, and the Commission asks anyone who has not received it by then to get in touch. Face authentication is done at the venue, and mobile phones and smart watches are banned.

UPSC posts the written result as roll numbers, then the physical test call, the interview schedule and, at the end, the final result with a reserve list. After the final result it publishes the marks of recommended candidates, as it did for the 2024 exam. Candidates who sat the interview but were not recommended can opt to have their details shared on the Pratibha Setu portal.

UPSC fixes minimum qualifying marks for each written paper but does not announce them in advance. Marks of recommended candidates are posted after the final result, which is where the real cut-off for each category can be worked out.

Paper II is checked only if Paper I clears its qualifying mark, so Paper I is the first hurdle. Practise timed essays and precis in English early. Train for the 100 m, 800 m, long jump and shot put before the written result, since a candidate who fails the PET is not called for the interview.

• UPSC website for notices, results and the exam calendar
• Online application portal
• UPSC previous question papers
• CRPF recruitment notices for the force's own postings
• CRPF career prospects

Does CRPF conduct the exam for Assistant Commandants?

No. UPSC conducts it for all five forces. The physical and medical tests run under a nodal authority named by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and CRPF is one of the forces you can be allotted to.

How many CRPF posts were in the 2026 notice?

106, out of 349 across the five forces.

What is the age limit?

20 to 25 years on 1 August of the exam year, with relaxation for SC, ST, OBC and government servants.

Is there a fee?

₹200, waived for women, SC and ST candidates.

Can serving CRPF officers take a shorter route?

Serving Sub-Inspectors and Inspectors can compete for some posts through the departmental exam described on the CRPF LDCE page.