Border Security Force Head Constable
BSF Head Constable is a recruitment exam conducted by Border Security Force for the recruitment of Constables, relevant to candidates preparing for the armed forces and paramilitary recruitment.
BSF Head Constable recruitment fills Group C posts in the Border Security Force, and the current cycle covers two trades: Head Constable (Radio Operator), shortened to RO, and Head Constable (Radio Mechanic), shortened to RM. The Border Security Force conducts it through its recruitment portal, rectt.bsf.gov.in.
This page brings the main facts together: vacancies by trade, dates, eligibility, selection stages, the CBT pattern, syllabus, pay and preparation. Physical tests for this cycle have already been held, and the computer-based test is reported for 2 November 2026, so the focus for most candidates now is the written exam.
Table of Contents
BSF Head Constable RO/RM at a glance
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Conducting body | Border Security Force (BSF), Ministry of Home Affairs |
Posts | Head Constable (Radio Operator) and Head Constable (Radio Mechanic), Group C |
Total vacancies | 1,121 (910 RO and 211 RM) |
Qualification | 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (60% in PCM), or Matric with a 2-year ITI in a listed trade |
Age limit | 18 to 25 years as on 23 September 2025, with relaxation |
Stages | PST and PET, CBT, then document verification, dictation test (RO only) and medical examination |
Pay | Pay Level 4, Rs. 25,500 to Rs. 81,100 (7th CPC) |
Official website | rectt.bsf.gov.in |
Most of these figures are drawn from the 2025 notification as reported on multiple education sites. Always confirm the final details on the official portal before acting on them.
Vacancies by trade
The notification lists 1,121 posts. The split by trade and by recruitment route is shown below.
Trade | Direct | Departmental | Ex-servicemen | Compassionate appointment | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Head Constable (Radio Operator) | 584 | 227 | 65 | 34 | 910 |
Head Constable (Radio Mechanic) | 134 | 53 | 16 | 8 | 211 |
Category-wise figures for UR, OBC, SC, ST and EWS differ between third-party pages, so they are not reproduced here. Check the vacancy table in the official notification PDF for the category split. Vacancy numbers can be revised, so treat these as indicative.
Important dates
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Online registration starts | 24 August 2025 |
Last date to apply | 23 September 2025 |
PST and PET window (reported) | Late December 2025 to March 2026 |
CBT admit card (reported) | Around 21 to 22 October 2026 |
CBT date (reported) | 2 November 2026: RO 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, RM 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM |
Tentative dates come from the notification schedule and can change. Track the official notices on rectt.bsf.gov.in and your registered email, and check the shift and reporting time on your admit card.
Eligibility in brief
Educational qualification
Candidates need either 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as regular subjects and 60% aggregate in PCM, or Matriculation with a 2-year ITI certificate in an approved trade. Approved trades for RO and RM are not identical, and RM accepts a wider list, such as Electrician, Fitter and Network Technician.
Age limit and other conditions
The age limit is 18 to 25 years, counted as on 23 September 2025. OBC candidates get 3 years and SC/ST candidates 5 years of relaxation. Candidates must be Indian citizens and meet BSF physical and medical standards. The full rules, including trade lists, are on the BSF Head Constable eligibility page.
Application fee
The fee is Rs. 100 for male candidates in the Unreserved, OBC and EWS categories. SC/ST, female, ex-servicemen, compassionate appointment and BSF departmental candidates are exempt. Online payment charges, if any, are shown on the portal.
Selection process
The process runs in three phases, and the order matters for planning.
Phase 1, PST and PET: Physical standards and efficiency tests. They are qualifying in nature and carry no marks.
Phase 2, Computer-Based Test: 100 questions for 200 marks in English and Hindi.
Phase 3: Document verification, a dictation and paragraph reading test for RO only, and a detailed medical examination.
Final merit for RO is CBT (200) plus dictation (50), out of 250. For RM it is the CBT score out of 200. Sources also report that only a limited multiple of the vacancies is called for Phase 3, so a higher CBT score directly improves your chance.
Exam pattern
The CBT is a two-hour objective test at the 10+2 level.
Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Physics | 40 | 80 |
Chemistry | 20 | 40 |
Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
English and General Knowledge | 20 | 40 |
Total | 100 | 200 |
Each question carries 2 marks and each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. Physics alone is 40% of the paper, so it deserves the largest share of your time.
Syllabus summary
BSF does not publish a detailed topic-wise syllabus. Candidates treat the 10+2 CBSE and state board PCM syllabus as the base, plus basic English and general awareness.
Subject | Important topics |
|---|---|
Physics | Mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, thermodynamics, modern physics, electronics |
Chemistry | Physical, inorganic and organic basics, periodic table, bonding, equilibrium |
Mathematics | Algebra, trigonometry, coordinate geometry, calculus basics, mensuration, arithmetic |
English and GK | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, current affairs, static GK, general science |
Salary and career
The posts are in Pay Level 4 of the 7th Pay Commission, with a basic pay range of Rs. 25,500 to Rs. 81,100. Allowances such as DA, HRA and TA are paid on top, and the in-hand amount varies by posting and city. One third-party page shows a different pay level, so confirm the figure in the official notification. Appointment is reported as temporary with a possibility of becoming permanent.
How to prepare
With a PCM-heavy paper, preparation is mostly about concept clarity and calculation speed.
Start with Physics: It carries 80 marks. Cover mechanics, electricity and magnetism and optics first.
Use NCERT as the base: Class 11 and 12 NCERT books for all three science subjects, then practise numericals.
Keep English and GK steady: Spend a short slot daily on grammar and current affairs, since these 40 marks are easier to score.
Practise for RO dictation if you are an RO candidate: English typing or listening practice helps with the 50-mark dictation test.
Timed practice makes the biggest difference. You can attempt BSF Head Constable online tests on Testkart in the CBT format and use the section-wise analysis to decide where to revise. Pair them with previous year papers to understand the real difficulty level.
Cut-off reference
BSF sets minimum qualifying marks in the CBT: 38% for General, OBC and EWS, 33% for SC and ST, and 20% for the compassionate appointment category. A separate merit cut-off is not published in advance. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so aim for a clear margin above the qualifying line.