CISF Eligibility 2026: Age, Qualification and Physical Standards

CISF does not apply one eligibility rule to every candidate. Each notification fixes its own qualification, age limit, physical standards and trade conditions, and the rules for Constable (Fire) differ from those for Head Constable (Ministerial) or ASI (Stenographer). This guide to CISF eligibility 2026 puts those rules side by side so you can check where you stand before you apply.

The figures below come from CISF notifications of recent cycles and are marked indicative wherever a number can change. Before you pay a fee or collect documents, match every point against the notification of the post you want on cisfrectt.cisf.gov.in.

Contents

• CISF eligibility at a glance

• Nationality and other conditions

• Educational qualification by post

• Age limit and how age is counted

• Age relaxation by category

• Physical standards

• Medical standards

• Constable (GD) through SSC

• Who is not eligible

• Documents to keep ready

• Application fee

• How to check your own eligibility

• What to do once you are eligible

CISF Eligibility at a Glance

The age bands are the ones printed in earlier notifications. Your own band depends on the notice you apply under, so use the table to shortlist posts and the notification to confirm.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Citizenship: Only citizens of India can apply. A person of Indian origin living abroad is eligible only if they hold Indian citizenship.

• Attempts: No cap on the number of attempts has been reported for constable posts, so age is the practical limit.

• Experience: Direct posts do not ask for work experience. Departmental routes such as LDCE ask for service in the force.

• Gender: Constable (Fire) in recent notices was open to male candidates. Other posts may carry separate standards for women, so read the gender clause of your notice.

Educational Qualification by Post

The rule that catches most applicants is the deadline. You must hold the qualification on or before the last date for receipt of applications, not on the date of the exam. A candidate waiting for a result cannot apply on the strength of an expected pass.

Constable (Tradesman)

Class 10 from a recognised board, plus the skill the trade needs. Trades such as cook, barber, tailor, washerman, welder, cobbler or mason expect a working knowledge of the trade, and a trade certificate or ITI helps. The trade test checks this later, so apply only for a trade you can actually perform.

Constable (Fire)

The 2024 notice asked for Class 12 with Science subjects from a recognised board, passed by the closing date. Older fire notices printed Class 10 with Science, so do not rely on a number from an old page. Check the science requirement before you apply.

Constable (Driver) and Driver-cum-Pump Operator

Class 10 pass with a valid driving licence of the type the notice lists. Earlier driver notices also asked for a stated period of driving experience, so read that clause carefully.

Head Constable (Ministerial) and ASI (Stenographer)

Class 12 from a recognised board. Head Constable (Ministerial) also needs computer typing at 35 words per minute in English or 30 in Hindi. ASI (Stenographer) is tested on dictation at 80 words per minute for 10 minutes, followed by transcription on a computer, in 50 minutes for English or 65 for Hindi, as printed in the 2022 notice.

Age Limit and How Age Is Counted

The upper and lower limits are counted as on a date fixed in the notification, usually the closing date for applications. The 2024 fire notice, for example, counted age as on 30 September 2024 and allowed candidates born between 1 October 2001 and 30 September 2006. The next notice will use a different date, so the birth-year window moves every cycle.

Your age is taken from your Class 10 certificate. If the date on your certificate differs from the date you enter in the form, your candidature can be rejected at document verification.

A quick way to check yourself

1. Find the reference date: Note the date on which the notice counts age.

2. Work out the window: Subtract 23 years for the earliest birth date and 18 years for the latest, for an 18 to 23 band.

3. Compare: Check your certificate date against that window.

4. Add relaxation: If you belong to a relaxed category, extend the earliest date by the years allowed.

Age Relaxation by Category

Relaxation is added to the upper age limit only. The figures below are those reported for recent constable notices.

As a worked example, an OBC candidate applying for a post with a 23 year upper limit can apply up to 26, and an SC candidate up to 28. You will need the matching certificate in the prescribed format to claim any of these.

Physical Standards

Physical standards decide eligibility as much as marks do. A candidate who misses the height or chest standard is not called for the later stages. The table gives the standards reported for recent constable notices.

The chest figure for ST candidates is printed differently on different sources, so use the number in your notice. For Head Constable (Ministerial) and ASI (Stenographer), the 2022 notice printed lower height standards of 165 cm for men and 155 cm for women, which shows how much the standard varies by post.

Weight is not fixed as a number. It must be proportionate to your height and age as per CISF medical standards, and it is checked at the medical stage.

Medical Standards

Medical fitness is tested at the end of selection, so a candidate can clear every earlier stage and still be rejected. Do not wait for the final stage to discover a problem. A routine check-up of eyesight and general health before you apply costs little and tells you early whether any standard is a risk.

Constable (GD) Through SSC

CISF General Duty constables are selected through the SSC GD examination, so the conditions come from the SSC notice and not from CISF. The 2026 SSC GD notice counted age as on 1 January 2026, with a band of 18 to 23 years and Class 10 as the qualification. Physical standards for this route follow the SSC notice as well. Read it on the official SSC website before assuming the CISF rules above apply to you.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Short on qualification at the deadline: A pass that arrives after the closing date does not count.

• Outside the age window: One day over the limit on the reference date is enough for rejection.

• Below the physical standard: Height and chest are measured by a board, and there is no appeal on a shortfall.

• Wrong post for your profile: A female candidate cannot apply where the notice is limited to men, and a candidate without the trade or licence cannot apply for that trade.

• Mismatched records: A name or date of birth that differs across documents can cancel candidature at verification.

• Missing proof: Category, trade, typing or ex-servicemen claims without the right certificate are not accepted.

Documents to Keep Ready

• Age proof: Class 10 certificate or the equivalent.

• Education proof: Marksheet and certificate for the qualification the post needs.

• Category proof: SC, ST, OBC or EWS certificate in the prescribed format, if you claim reservation.

• Post-specific proof: Trade certificate or ITI, driving licence, or typing and dictation proof, as the notice asks.

• Service proof: Discharge book for ex-servicemen, and domicile certificate if you claim the Jammu and Kashmir relaxation.

• Identity and photograph: A government photo ID and recent photographs.

Application Fee

Earlier constable and head constable notices printed a fee of Rs. 100, with women, SC, ST and ex-servicemen exempt. Confirm the amount in your notice. Fee and the online steps are covered in the CISF recruitment overview.

How to Check Your Own Eligibility

1. Pick the post: Decide which cadre fits your qualification and your build.

2. Open the current notice: Note the age reference date, the qualification deadline and any trade or typing clause.

3. Test age: Use the birth-date window method above and add relaxation only if you hold the certificate.

4. Measure yourself: Check height and chest against the table, without shoes, and compare with your category.

5. Confirm skills: Trade, driving, typing or dictation should be practised to the notice standard before you apply.

6. Collect documents: Gather every certificate before the portal opens.