CISF Exam Pattern 2026: Marks, Negative Marking and Stages

The CISF exam pattern depends on the post. General Duty constables are selected through the SSC Constable (GD) exam, while tradesmen, drivers, firemen, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors are recruited directly by the Central Industrial Security Force. The two routes differ in question count, marks and negative marking, and many online pages mix them up.

This guide separates the two, then walks through every stage after the written test: physical tests, trade or driving tests, typing and dictation, and the medical. Read it alongside the notification of the post you apply for, since the notification is the final word.

Contents

• CISF exam pattern at a glance

• Latest recruitment update

• Written exam pattern: Constable (GD) through SSC

• Written exam pattern: CISF direct recruitment

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Order of selection stages

• Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test

• Trade, driving, typing and dictation tests

• Medical examination and documents

• How the final merit is decided

• Time management and exam-day strategy

• Where to verify the latest pattern

CISF Exam Pattern at a Glance

Topic lists for each section are in the CISF syllabus guide.

Latest Recruitment Update

The most recent CISF notification we have verified is the Paramedical Staff notice of 2 June 2026, covering 24 ASI vacancies for Pharmacist, X-Ray Technician and Lab Technician. Online applications ran from 8 June to 7 July 2026, with an age range of 18 to 28 years as on 7 July 2026. Its selection scheme is stated in that notification and differs from the constable pattern below.

The SSC Constable (GD) exam for 2026, which fills CISF's General Duty constable posts, was notified on 1 December 2025. Watch both the SSC site and the CISF recruitment portal for the next cycle, because the paper details can change between notices.

Written Exam Pattern: Constable (GD) Through SSC

The computer based test is a single objective paper at matriculation level. Marks are normalised across shifts, and NCC certificate holders receive bonus marks as set in the SSC notice.

The duration is 60 minutes, and each question carries 2 marks. The SSC publishes the exact scheme in its notice on the official SSC website.

Written Exam Pattern: CISF Direct Recruitment

For Tradesman, Fireman, Head Constable (Ministerial) and ASI (Stenographer), recent notifications describe a 100 question paper with 25 questions in each section and one mark per question. The paper may be conducted on a computer or on an OMR sheet, and the notification states which.

Constable (Driver) papers have followed a similar 100 question, 100 mark layout, with general knowledge, mathematics, analytical aptitude and basic English or Hindi. Earlier driver papers were timed at 120 minutes. Confirm the duration in the notification for your cycle.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Negative marking is the biggest difference between the two routes.

Recent CISF notices for direct posts have not carried negative marking. Because rules can be restated every cycle, read the marking clause of your own notification before deciding how aggressively to guess.

What the Pattern Means for You

Cost of a wrong guess in SSC GD

A correct answer earns 2 marks and a wrong one costs 0.25. With four options, a blind guess has a 25 percent chance of being right, so its expected value is 0.25 x 2 minus 0.75 x 0.25, which is about +0.31 marks. Educated guesses, where you can remove one or two options, are clearly worth taking. Careless guessing across a whole section is not a plan, though, because accuracy is what lifts a score.

Worked example

Suppose you attempt 70 of 80 questions in the SSC GD paper and get 60 right and 10 wrong. Your raw score is 60 x 2 minus 10 x 0.25, which is 120 minus 2.5, or 117.5 out of 160. In a direct CISF paper with no negative marking, attempting 90 questions with 75 correct gives 75 out of 100.

Time per question

SSC GD gives 60 minutes for 80 questions, which is about 45 seconds each. Direct CISF papers give about 72 seconds per question over 2 hours. The SSC paper rewards speed, while the direct paper gives you room to check your work.

Order of Selection Stages

The sequence is not the same for every post, so check where the written test sits in your notification.

• GD through SSC: the computer based test comes first. Only those who qualify are called for the PET and PST, followed by the medical examination and document checks.

• Tradesman, Driver and Fireman: recent notices place the physical tests, document checks and the trade or driving test before the written exam. Candidates who do not clear these early stages are generally not called for the written test.

• Head Constable (Ministerial) and ASI (Stenographer): PST and document checks come first, then the written test, then the typing or dictation test, and finally the medical.

This order matters for planning. If the physical and practical stages come first, your fitness and skills need to be ready before the written test is even announced.

Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test

The PST and PET are qualifying stages. You must pass both to continue, and they carry no merit marks in the cases described below. The figures here come from recent notifications and should be treated as indicative, since standards and relaxations are set in each notice.

Because the PET is a timed run, start building stamina at least three months before the exam. Increase distance gradually and add strength and interval work.

Trade, Driving, Typing and Dictation Tests

These tests are easy to underestimate. A candidate with a high written score can still be dropped if the practical standard is missed.

Medical Examination and Documents

The medical examination is a qualifying stage conducted as per CISF guidelines. It checks general health, eyesight and fitness for service, and a candidate who fails it cannot be selected regardless of earlier marks. Document verification confirms age, education, category and any claimed relaxation.

• Keep originals ready: matriculation or Class 12 certificate, category certificate if applicable, identity proof and photographs.

• Match your application: names, dates of birth and categories must be identical across documents and the form you submitted.

• Check licence rules for drivers: the driving licence class named in the notification must be valid when documents are verified.

How the Final Merit Is Decided

For SSC Constable (GD), the normalised written score along with any NCC bonus marks decides merit and cut-off. The PET, PST and medical stages are qualifying.

For recent direct recruitment posts such as Fireman, the physical and medical stages are qualifying, and the written exam marks form the merit list among those who qualify. Documentation is checked along the way, so keep your certificates ready.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

1. Start with your strongest section. Bank quick marks first, then move to the sections that need more time.

2. Set a clock per section. In SSC GD, aim for about 12 minutes per section and keep the last 10 minutes for review. In a 2-hour direct paper, plan roughly 25 minutes per section.

3. Skip and return. If a question takes more than a minute, mark it and move on.

4. Check the negative marking rule on the day. It decides how you treat doubtful questions.

5. Keep documents and admit card ready for every stage. Rules about ID and photographs apply at each stage, not only at the written test.

Where to Verify the Latest Pattern

Pattern details can change between cycles, and older pages often carry outdated figures. Always check the live notification on the official CISF recruitment portal and the general information at the official CISF website. For the GD route, use the notice on the SSC website linked above.