CAPF Exam Pattern, Salary and Eligibility for Assistant Commandant

The CAPF exam pattern has four stages: two written papers, physical tests, an interview and a medical test. UPSC conducts this exam every year to select Assistant Commandants, the entry officer rank in five Central Armed Police Forces. If you are a graduate aged 20 to 25 who wants an officer's uniform and a life of command, this is one of the few direct routes open to you.

What is CAPF exam, and what does an Assistant Commandant do

The full name is the Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination. People call it the CAPF AC exam. It fills Group A officer posts in these forces:

• Border Security Force (BSF): guards the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): internal security, elections, counter-insurgency.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): airports, metro systems, ports, PSU plants.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): the China border, and the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

The CAPF job profile is that of a young commander. An Assistant Commandant usually leads a company of personnel in the field. You plan duties, lead patrols and operations, look after the welfare and discipline of your men and women, handle weapons and stores, and write reports. In CISF you may run security at an airport terminal. In BSF you may be posted at a border outpost far from any city. It is a field job first and an office job later.

Both men and women can apply. Your force is decided by your rank in the merit list and the force preferences you give in the form.

CAPF exam eligibility: qualification and age limit

The latest UPSC notification sets these basic conditions:

• Qualification: a graduation degree in any stream from a university recognised in India. Students in their last year may also fill the form, but they must show proof of passing within the time set by UPSC after the written result.
• Age: at least 20 and under 25 years on the cut-off date given in the notification (usually 1 August of the exam year).
• Nationality: Indian citizen.
• Physical and medical: you must meet the height, weight, eyesight and fitness standards given below.

An SC, ST or OBC candidate who is also a government servant or ex-serviceman can add both relaxations. NCC B or C certificates are not required, but they count as a plus at the interview. Use this tool to see if you fall inside the age band:

For other exams, see our age limit for govt jobs guide.

CAPF AC salary and pay level

An Assistant Commandant is a Group A gazetted officer. The CAPF AC salary under the 7th pay commission is at Level 10 of the pay matrix, with a starting basic pay of ₹56,100 a month. This is the same entry level as many officer posts filled through UPSC.

Your monthly pay is basic pay plus allowances:

• Basic pay: ₹56,100 at the start, rising about 3% every year.
• Dearness Allowance (DA): the government updates this rate in January and July to match prices, and it is paid on your basic.
• House Rent Allowance (HRA): depends on the city class of your posting (X, Y or Z). If you live in government quarters, HRA is not paid.
• Transport Allowance: paid each month for travel to duty, set by city class and pay level, with DA added to it.
• Force-specific allowances: hard area, risk and ration-type allowances apply in some postings. The rates depend on the posting and current government orders.
• Deductions: NPS contribution (10% of basic plus DA), income tax and small group insurance amounts.

For the current CAPF salary per month, see the salary box at the top of this page. It uses the latest DA rate. You can also try different cities and pay levels in the calculator:

To understand each allowance in detail, read salary allowances explained.

CAPF exam pattern: papers, marks and stages

The CAPF AC exam pattern has a written test of 450 marks and an interview of 150 marks. The final merit list is made out of 600.

Important rules:

• Paper I has negative marking: one third of the marks for a question is cut for each wrong answer. Blank answers lose nothing.
• Paper II is checked only if you cross the minimum marks in Paper I. So Paper I decides whether your essay is even read.
• Both papers are held on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Physical standards and physical test

The physical test is where many candidates who clear the written exam lose their seat. Start training early.

Weight must also match your height and age as per the chart in the notification. For eyesight, the corrected distant vision limit is 6/6 in the better eye and 6/12 in the worse eye (or 6/9 in both), and you must pass a colour vision test. Glasses and LASIK are allowed within the limits given in the notification.

CAPF exam syllabus

Paper I: General Ability and Intelligence

• General mental ability: logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation
• General science, including IT, biotechnology and environmental science
• Current events of national and international importance
• Indian polity and economy
• History of India, including the freedom movement
• Indian and world geography

Paper II: General Studies, Essay and Comprehension

• Part A: long essays in Hindi or English on areas like modern Indian history and the freedom struggle, geography, polity and economy, security and human rights, and analytical ability.
• Part B (English only): comprehension passages, precis writing, counter-arguments, simple grammar and other language skills.

Paper I overlaps a lot with the UPSC prelims, so many students prepare for both. See UPSC civil services to compare.

Training, posting and CAPF ranks and salary growth

After final selection and medical fitness, you join the training academy of your force for basic officer training. It covers drill, weapons, field craft, law, leadership and physical fitness. After that you are posted to a battalion or unit, often in a border, hilly or disturbed area for the first few years.

The officer ladder in most of these forces looks like this:

1. Assistant Commandant (entry, Level 10)
2. Deputy Commandant
3. Second-in-Command
4. Commandant (heads a battalion)
5. Deputy Inspector General
6. Inspector General
7. Additional Director General and above

Each step moves you to a higher pay level, so your basic pay grows with every promotion. Speed of promotion differs between forces and batches, so treat any fixed timeline you hear with caution.

A note on CAPF constable salary: constables in these forces are not recruited through this exam. They join through the SSC GD constable exam at Level 3 (starting basic ₹21,700). Sub-inspectors join through SSC CPO. The CAPF AC exam is only for officers.

How to prepare for the CAPF AC exam

Most students who clear it prepare for 8 to 12 months alongside running practice. A simple plan:

• Read the syllabus and old papers first. UPSC publishes the question papers on its website after each exam.
• Build basics with NCERT books for history, geography, polity, economy and science (class 6 to 12).
• Read one good newspaper daily and make short notes. Current affairs matter in both papers.
• Write one essay every week and one precis or comprehension every few days. Paper II is where ranks are made.
• Practise reasoning and maths 30 to 45 minutes a day. These marks are steady and score well.
• Run daily. Train for the 800 metre race and long jump from the start, not after the written result.
• Prepare for the interview by knowing your force preferences, your home state and current security issues.

If you also want other uniformed officer jobs, look at CDS for the armed forces and IPS through the civil services exam. Our jobs after graduation page lists more options.

Official website and how to apply

The notification, question papers and results are published on upsc.gov.in. You apply online only at upsconline.nic.in. The steps are:

1. Create your account and one-time registration on the UPSC portal.
2. Fill the common application form and the exam-specific form, with your force preferences.
3. Upload photo, signature and documents, and pay the fee. Women, SC and ST candidates do not pay a fee.
4. After the written result, update your details within the window given, or you can be dropped from later stages.

Form dates, number of posts and cut-off marks are different in each cycle. Always check the latest notification on the UPSC website. For other central police jobs, see our government exams list.