Assam Rifles Exam Pattern 2026: CBT, PET and Trade Test

Assam Rifles, the oldest central paramilitary force in India, recruits Riflemen, Havildars and Warrant Officers for its technical and tradesman posts through a recruitment rally followed by a computer-based test. The 2026 rally covers 354 Group C posts across 17 trades, with online applications open from 28 September to 28 October 2026 and the rally expected to begin around 23 November 2026.

This guide explains the Assam Rifles exam pattern 2026 stage by stage: physical tests, the CBT, the trade skill test, medical examination and how the final merit list is prepared. It also shows what changed from the last cycle, which details are confirmed and which are only reported, and how the pattern for Rifleman (General Duty) through SSC GD differs from the rally route.

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Assam Rifles Exam Pattern 2026

The selection process for the technical and tradesman posts has five stages. Only the computer-based test decides your merit position. Every other stage is qualifying, which means you must pass it, but your marks there do not add to your final score.

The rally is expected to be held at Jorhat and Diphu in Assam. The exact reporting date for each candidate is published on the official website, so keep checking your login after you apply.

Key Changes in the 2026 Cycle

Many pages still show the 2025 pattern or mix it with other Assam Rifles schemes. These are the points that matter for the 2026 rally:

• CBT before the trade test: In 2025, the trade test was listed before the written exam. In 2026, candidates who clear PST and PET take the CBT first, and the trade skill test follows for those shortlisted on CBT merit.

• Ladakh run timing: The 1.6 km run for Ladakh candidates is reported as 7 minutes in the 2026 notice. Older pages show 6 minutes 30 seconds, so follow the current notification.

• Male candidates only: All 354 posts in this cycle are for men. Standards for women shown on some pages belong to earlier rallies or to other schemes.

• New trade mix: Warrant Officer (Cipher) alone has 124 posts, and posts such as Pharmacist, Safai and Religious Teacher from the 2025 rally are not part of this cycle.

• All-India vacancies: The 2026 vacancies are on an all-India basis with no state-wise quota, which changes how merit is ranked compared with state-wise schemes.

Stage 1: Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test

The rally opens with an RFID-based Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET), along with initial documentation. RFID tags record your run time automatically, so there is no manual stopwatch dispute. Candidates who clear this stage are shortlisted for the CBT.

Physical Standard Test (PST)

Weight must be proportionate to height and age as per medical standards. The notification lists the exact communities and regions entitled to height relaxation, so check that you fall in the list before counting on the lower standard.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

The PET is purely qualifying. Finishing the 5 km in 19 minutes earns you nothing extra over a candidate who finishes in 23 minutes 50 seconds. What matters is finishing inside the limit on the day, often after a long wait and early reporting time.

A 5 km run in 24 minutes needs an average pace of under 4 minutes 48 seconds per kilometre. If your practice runs are close to that limit, build a margin of at least two minutes before the rally, because ground conditions and nerves usually slow candidates down.

Stage 2: Assam Rifles CBT Exam Pattern

The Computer Based Test is the only stage that decides your rank. The notification fixes the CBT at 100 marks with minimum qualifying marks for each category. Recruitment reports describe the section-wise structure as follows:

Marking scheme and qualifying marks

Assam Rifles states the total marks and qualifying percentages clearly, but the section split, duration and negative marking are taken from recruitment reports because the full scheme was not reproduced consistently. The instructions on your admit card and the official notification on the Assam Rifles website are final.

What this means for you

• Qualifying is not selecting: 35 marks only keeps you in the race. Selection depends on where you stand in your trade and category, and trades with few posts can see a high final score.

• Every question carries equal weight: A tricky arithmetic question and a quick synonym carry the same 1 mark. Clear the easy questions in every section first.

• Plan for both marking rules: Until the admit card confirms the rule, avoid blind guessing. If there is no penalty, mark every remaining question in the last five minutes.

• General Awareness is the quickest section: These questions take seconds if you know the answer, which frees time for Quantitative Aptitude.

Stage 3: Trade Skill Test

Candidates are shortlisted from the CBT merit for the trade skill test, at roughly four times the number of vacancies in each trade and category. The test is held in computer-based and practical formats and checks whether you can actually do the job your trade describes.

The trade skill test is qualifying only. No marks from it are added to your CBT score, but failing it ends your candidature even with a high CBT score. Assam Rifles does not publish a fixed test paper for each trade, so the table below shows what to expect in practice:

Keep revising your ITI or diploma practicals alongside CBT preparation. Many candidates spend months on aptitude and then lose out in a trade test they assumed would be easy.

Stage 4: Document Verification and Medical Examination

After the trade test, shortlisted candidates go through detailed document verification and the Detailed Medical Examination. Carry original and self-attested copies of your matriculation certificate, educational and trade certificates, domicile or Permanent Residential Certificate, caste or EWS certificate, driving licence for trades that need one, and experience certificates where the post requires them.

Only the name and date of birth on your matriculation certificate are accepted. A mismatch with your application is a common reason for rejection at this stage. Candidates declared unfit in the DME can appeal through the Review Medical Examination as per the notification.

How the Final Merit List Is Prepared

The final merit list is drawn up on the basis of CBT marks, separately for each trade and category, for candidates who have qualified every other stage. Vacancies are filled from the top of each list.

Here is how it works in practice. Two candidates apply for Rifleman (Vehicle Mechanic) in the UR category, which has 9 posts in 2026:

• Candidate A: Clears PST and PET, scores 61 in the CBT, passes the trade test and medical.

• Candidate B: Clears PST and PET, scores 68 in the CBT, but fails the practical trade test.

Candidate B is out despite the higher score. Candidate A is placed on the merit list at 61 and is selected only if no more than eight other UR candidates in that trade finish ahead with every stage cleared. Ex-Servicemen have a 10% horizontal reservation in specified trades, and unfilled Ex-Servicemen posts go to other candidates of the same category.

Exam Pattern for Other Assam Rifles Recruitment Routes

The technical and tradesman rally is not the only way into Assam Rifles. Make sure you are reading the pattern for the route you are applying through.

For Rifleman (GD), the CBT comes first and is conducted by SSC, so the order of stages is the reverse of the rally route.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

With 100 questions in a reported two hours, you have a little over a minute per question. That is generous compared with most competitive exams, so accuracy matters more than raw speed.

• First pass, 45 minutes: Attempt General Awareness and English first, answering only what you know. These sections reward recall, not calculation.

• Second pass, 50 minutes: Move to Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. Skip any question that will take more than two minutes.

• Final 25 minutes: Return to skipped questions, then review answers you marked for doubt.

• Rally fitness: Keep running at least four days a week until the PET is over. A strong CBT means nothing if you miss the run.

For timed practice in this pattern, you can attempt Assam Rifles online tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to see whether English, Reasoning, Quant or General Awareness is costing you marks. Pair them with Assam Rifles previous year papers to get a feel for the real difficulty level.