UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

Paper I: General Ability and Intelligence, 250 marks, 2 hours

Paper II: General Studies, Essay and Comprehension, 200 marks, 3 hours

Descriptive, with no negative marking. Two parts:

• Part A, Essay questions, in English or Hindi, on modern Indian history, freedom struggle, polity, economy, security and human rights, and analysis of current events.
• Part B, Comprehension, precis writing, developing counter-arguments, simple grammar and other language testing, in English only.

Candidates who plan to write the whole paper in Hindi tend to find out about Part B in the hall.

Written total: 450 marks. You must clear both papers.

Both papers on one day

Paper I runs from 10:00 to 12:00 and Paper II from 14:00 to 17:00. Use a black ball point pen on the OMR sheet; pens of any other colour, pencils and ink pens are all prohibited, and answers marked with them can be voided.

Physical Efficiency Test and Medical Standards Test

After the written exam and before the interview. The PET is timed running, long jump and shot put, with different standards for men and women. It's qualifying and carries no marks.

Interview / Personality Test

150 marks. Final merit = 450 (written) + 150 (interview) = 600 marks.

Paper I: General Ability and Intelligence

General Mental Ability: logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude including numerical ability, and data interpretation.

General Science: general awareness and scientific temper, comprehension and appreciation of scientific phenomena in everyday life, and developments in information technology, biotechnology and environmental science.

Current Events of National and International Importance: culture, music, arts, literature, sports, governance, societal and developmental issues, industry, business, globalisation, and the interplay among nations.

Indian Polity and Economy: the country's political system and the Constitution, social systems and public administration, economic development, and regional and international security issues and human rights including its indicators.

History of India: with emphasis on culture, freedom movement and nationalism.

Indian and World Geography: physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.

Paper II, Part A: Essay

Modern Indian history with special reference to the freedom struggle, geography, polity and economy, knowledge of security and human rights issues, and analysis of current events.

Paper II, Part B: Comprehension and language (English only)

Comprehension passages, precis writing, developing counter-arguments, simple grammar and other aspects of language testing.

Educational qualification

A bachelor's degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification. Final-year students may apply if they produce proof by the prescribed date.

Age

Broadly 20 to 25 years on the date given in the notification, with relaxation of 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC, and the prescribed relaxations for other categories including certain government servants.

Nationality

A citizen of India. Both men and women are eligible; the notification says so explicitly.

Physical standards

Height, chest and weight standards are eliminating at the Physical Standards Test, with relaxations for Scheduled Tribes and specified hill and north-eastern communities. Standards differ for men and women. Height and chest can't be trained, so check them against yourself before applying.

Medical standards

Prescribed and eliminating, including vision. Candidates declared unfit may ask for a review medical examination.

1. Written examination: Paper I (250, objective) and Paper II (200, descriptive), 450 marks in all. Both must be cleared.
2. Physical Efficiency Test, Physical Standards Test and Medical Standards Test: qualifying.
3. Interview / Personality Test: 150 marks.

Final merit = 600 marks. Your force (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP or SSB) follows from your rank and the preference order you gave.

Level 10 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix, the same entry grade as an IAS or IPS officer. Dearness, house rent and transport allowances come on top.

Uniformed service also brings ration, accommodation, free medical treatment for the officer and dependants, and allowances for field, high-altitude and counter-insurgency postings. Those postings are the norm in this service, not the exception.

Fee

PwBD candidates are not exempt here, though they are for the Civil Services exam. Check the exemption in the notification you're applying under.

Pay by net banking, Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, credit or debit card, or UPI.

No withdrawal

Apply on upsconline.gov.in. The link is disabled at 18:00 on the closing date, and once submitted an application can't be withdrawn. There is no correction window.

Log in again after the written result

If you qualify for the physical tests, you must log in to upsconline.nic.in within the stated window and update your educational qualification with documentary proof. Skip it and you're not admitted to the physical tests, whatever your written marks.

Five forces recruit through this exam, all under the Ministry of Home Affairs:

10% of the total is earmarked for ex-servicemen. The figures are liable to change, and the split between forces moves a lot from year to year.

The five do very different work in very different terrain. Find out what each one does before you set your preference order.

The written exam is held at centres across India, chosen when you apply. Centres are allotted first come, first served and close once full, so a late application means less choice.

The physical tests are held separately, at centres arranged after the written result. The interview is at the Commission's office in New Delhi.

Mobile phones, pagers and other electronic devices are banned on the premises, even switched off. Just having one is an offence.

CAPF (AC) is held once a year. UPSC fixes the notification and exam dates in its annual examination calendar, published well in advance.

For 2026, applications closed on 12 March 2026 at 18:00. Dates and the force-wise vacancy split change every cycle, so take them from the current notification.

UPSC issues an e-Admit Card on upsconline.nic.in. Nothing is sent by post or email.

It's released on the last working day of the week before the exam. If you changed your scribe within seven days of the exam, you get it three days before instead.

Bring it with the photo ID you named in the application, and a black ball point pen. Keep your registered email working all cycle; it's the channel UPSC uses to contact you.

Merit is the two written papers plus the interview, out of 600. The physical and medical stages are pass or fail.

Ties

The notification lists tie-breaking rules in order. If a tie survives all of them, the Commission decides it at its discretion.

What UPSC publishes afterwards

Category-wise cut-offs for each stage, marks of recommended candidates, and marks for candidates who weren't recommended, all on upsc.gov.in.

UPSC publishes category-wise cut-off marks for each stage after the cycle closes, on its cut-off marks page. A cut-off is specific to one year, category and stage, so use the official table for the year you're comparing.

The physical tests have no cut-off. They're pass or fail, and a comfortable written score doesn't get you past them.

1. Write, don't just tick. Paper II is 200 of the 450 written marks, and essay, precis and counter-argument are writing skills that objective practice doesn't build.
2. Plan for English in Part B. Only Part A can be written in Hindi.
3. Prepare security and human rights properly: internal security, the forces themselves, border management, human rights frameworks. They're examined subjects here, and few candidates take them seriously.
4. Start physical training early. A failed PET wastes a cleared written exam.
5. Mind the one-third penalty in Paper I; Paper II has none.
6. Practise on the real papers. UPSC's previous question papers are the place to start, and read the specimen answer booklet once before Paper II, because precis and comprehension are marked on presentation as well as content.
7. Take the interview seriously. It's 150 of 600, a quarter of the final merit, and it probes why you want the forces in particular.

UPSC publishes the real papers. Past CAPF (AC) papers are in its previous question papers archive, and the current cycle's two papers usually appear on the exam's page within weeks of the test.

Official answer keys follow once the whole cycle is over. For Paper II there's also a specimen question cum answer booklet.

UPSC: upsc.gov.in

Online application: upsconline.gov.in

2026 notification (PDF): CAPF (AC) Examination, 2026

Examination calendar: UPSC exam calendar

Ministry of Home Affairs (the forces' administrative ministry): mha.gov.in

Which forces does CAPF AC recruit for?

BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB, as Assistant Commandant, the entry-level Group A gazetted officer post.

Is Paper II descriptive?

Yes. 200 marks of essay, comprehension, precis and language, with no negative marking.

Can I write Paper II in Hindi?

Part A (essay) yes. Part B must be in English.

When does the physical test happen?

After the written exam and before the interview.

What is the age limit?

Broadly 20 to 25 years, with 5 years' relaxation for SC and ST and 3 for OBC.

Do the physical tests carry marks?

No. PET, PST and the medical are qualifying. Merit comes from the written papers and the interview.

Can I withdraw my application?

No. Once submitted, it can't be withdrawn.