Central Industrial Security Force ASI

The CISF ASI exam is the route into the post of Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Central Industrial Security Force, the armed force of the Government of India that guards airports, metro systems, nuclear and space installations, ports and other sensitive public sector units. ASI is a rank above Head Constable and below Sub-Inspector, with Pay Level 5 on the 7th Pay Commission matrix for the Stenographer post.

This page covers the two ways the ASI post is filled: direct recruitment for ASI (Stenographer) and the departmental Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for ASI (Executive). It explains who can apply, how the written test and later stages work, what to study and how to practise. It is built for first-time and repeat aspirants who want one clear picture before they open the official notice.

Table of Contents

• Scope of this page: which ASI posts it covers

• CISF ASI at a glance

• Notification status and what to expect

• Important dates

• Vacancy details

• Eligibility in brief

• Application process and documents

• Exam pattern and selection process

• Syllabus summary

• Physical standards

• Salary and career growth

• How to prepare for the CISF ASI exam

• Cut-off reference

Which ASI posts it covers

CISF fills ASI posts in more than one way, and search results often mix them up. Before you plan, know which one you are targeting.

This page is specific to ASI. The wider CISF exam overview covers the Constable, Tradesman, Fireman and Head Constable posts, which have different eligibility, pattern and physical tests.

CISF ASI at a glance

The figures above come from the last reported ASI cycles and from third-party summaries. We could not open the official recruitment site while preparing this page, so confirm every figure on the current notice before you rely on it.

Notification status and what to expect

At the time of writing, we could not find a current ASI (Stenographer) or ASI (Executive) notification on the official CISF website, and no reliable source reported one. The most recent cycles that sources describe are the ASI (Stenographer) recruitment of 2022, with an application window from 26 September to 25 October 2022, and the ASI (Executive) LDCE notified in January 2024.

CISF does not release ASI notifications on a fixed calendar. Sometimes direct recruitment and LDCE are announced in different months, and sometimes a year is skipped. So the sensible approach is to prepare on the stable pattern and syllabus now, and watch the official site for the notice.

What stays the same across cycles

• Eligibility structure: Class 12 and a young age band for direct recruitment; graduation and years of service for LDCE.

• Subjects: Reasoning, general awareness, mathematics and English or Hindi have been the core of the written test.

• Stages: a written test followed by physical, skill or medical checks.

Important dates

No dates for a new cycle are confirmed. The table shows the last reported windows, which are only a reference for planning.

Dates from earlier cycles are not predictions. Track the recruitment section of https://cisfrecruitment.gov.in/ and your registered email once you apply.

Vacancy details

Vacancy counts change every cycle and are announced only in the notification.

Treat these as indicative. They are not official figures from the current cycle, and they say nothing about how many posts the next notice will carry.

Eligibility in brief

ASI (Stenographer)

• Education: Class 12 (Intermediate or Senior Secondary) from a recognised board, passed by the closing date.

• Age: 18 to 25 years on the date stated in the notice. SC and ST candidates get 5 years of relaxation, OBC candidates 3 years, and ex-servicemen get relaxation after deducting military service.

• Skills: dictation at 80 words per minute for 10 minutes, and computer transcription in 50 minutes (English) or 65 minutes (Hindi).

ASI (Executive), LDCE

• Service: five years of regular service, including basic training, as Constable or Head Constable (GD) or Constable (Tradesman).

• Education: graduation from a recognised university.

• Age: up to 35 years on the cut-off date in the notice, with 5 years relaxation for SC and ST.

• Attempts: a limited number of chances, reported as three in the 2024 cycle.

Our CISF ASI eligibility guide goes through each rule, including physical standards and relaxations.

Application process and documents

Direct recruitment applications are made online on the CISF recruitment website. Departmental LDCE candidates apply through their unit, and the 2020 cycle was reported to be offline through the Zonal DIG office. Follow whichever mode the current notice states.

1. Read the full notification and check the age reference date and qualification deadline.

2. Register on the official recruitment portal and note your registration number and password. These are used later for your admit card.

3. Fill in personal, educational and category details exactly as on your certificates.

4. Upload the photograph, signature and documents in the sizes the notice specifies.

5. Pay the fee if the notice requires one, and save the confirmation page.

Keep these ready: Class 10 and Class 12 certificates, category or hilly-area certificates if you claim a relaxation, and for LDCE a graduation certificate and service details. Common reasons for rejection are a wrong date of birth, a mismatched name and an expired category certificate.

The application fee is set in each notice. We have not verified a current fee, so check it on the official site.

Exam pattern and selection process

ASI (Stenographer)

The reported pattern is one objective paper of 100 questions and 100 marks in 2 hours. It has four parts of 25 questions each: General Intelligence, General Knowledge and Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English or Hindi. The last reported notice had no negative marking, but verify this in the current one.

Candidates who clear the written test are called for the skill test in merit order. The skill test is qualifying, so it does not add marks to merit. The stages reported are the Physical Standard Test, document verification, written test, skill test and a detailed medical examination.

ASI (Executive), LDCE

The written paper is reported as 200 marks in 3 hours 30 minutes, divided equally into four sections of 50 marks: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness and Professional Knowledge, Numerical Ability, and Comprehension and Communication Skills (English). After the written test come the Physical Standard Test, Physical Efficiency Test and a detailed medical examination, followed by final merit.

What this means for you: the Steno paper is short and tests speed, so about 72 seconds per question is the budget. The LDCE paper is longer, with about 63 seconds per question, and the professional knowledge portion rewards service experience. Read our CISF ASI exam pattern guide for details on qualifying marks.

Older pages may still show a different pattern, so follow the official notification.

Syllabus summary

CISF has not published a detailed topic-wise syllabus for ASI that we could verify. The topics below come from the section names in the notices and from what coaching and exam-preparation sources describe, so use them as a working checklist.

The full list is on the CISF ASI syllabus page.

Physical standards

For ASI (Stenographer), the last reported Physical Standard Test asks for a minimum height of 165 cm for men and 155 cm for women, relaxable to 162.5 cm and 150 cm for certain groups and Scheduled Tribes. Men need a chest of 77 to 82 cm with at least 5 cm expansion (76 to 81 cm for Scheduled Tribes).

For ASI (Executive) LDCE, the standards reported for earlier cycles are higher: 170 cm for men and 157 cm for women in the unreserved category, with the 2020 Physical Efficiency Test including a 1.6 km run in 6 minutes 30 seconds for men and an 800 m run in 4 minutes for women. These are from earlier notices and not verified for the current cycle.

Salary and career growth

The Stenographer post is placed at Pay Level 5, with a pay range of Rs. 29,200 to Rs. 92,300 in the 7th Pay Commission matrix, as reported. Dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other allowances are added on top, and the in-hand salary varies by posting city. We have not verified the Executive pay level, so check the notice.

Career growth is through promotion to Sub-Inspector and above, based on service rules and departmental exams. Posting is across India, and duty can include airports, industrial plants and metro networks.

How to prepare for the CISF ASI exam

• Start with the pattern: know whether you are preparing for the 100-mark Steno paper or the 200-mark LDCE paper, then set section time limits.

• Build accuracy in reasoning and maths first: these are scoring when practised daily for 45 to 60 minutes.

• Read current affairs daily: keep monthly notes and revise them every weekend.

• Prepare the skill test early: Steno aspirants should practise shorthand dictation and typing from the start, because the skill test is qualifying.

• Train for fitness: begin running and basic conditioning months before the notice, since physical tests are stage-wise eliminators.

Practise with mock tests

Timed practice shows where marks are lost. You can attempt online tests for CISF ASI on Testkart, review section-wise analysis, and then repeat weak topics.

Cut-off reference

CISF does not appear to publish a category-wise numerical cut-off for ASI that we could verify. What is known are qualifying thresholds: for the Steno written test, 35% for UR, EWS and ex-servicemen and 33% for SC, ST and OBC were reported, and the 2020 LDCE notice reported 50% overall and 45% in each section with a 5% concession for SC and ST. These are minimum qualifying marks, not the marks needed to be selected. Selection depends on merit against vacancies, so aim well above them. See the CISF ASI cut-off page.

Candidates who prepare steadily, practise on Testkart and track weak sections will be ready whenever the notice comes. Official information, including the candidate login for admit cards and results, is on https://cisfrecruitment.gov.in/, and the force's main website is https://cisf.mha.gov.in/.