Food Corporation of India Assistant Grade 3
FCI Assistant Grade 3 is a recruitment exam conducted by Food Corporation of India for assistant-cadre recruitment, relevant to candidates preparing for recruitment at public sector undertakings and central institutions.
The FCI Assistant Grade 3 exam is the Food Corporation of India's recruitment route for Assistant Grade III (AG-III) posts in its General, Accounts, Technical, Depot and Hindi streams. FCI runs it as part of its Category III recruitment, which also covers Junior Engineer and Stenographer Grade II posts. Recruitment is zone-wise across the North, South, East, West and North-East zones.
As of 11 October 2026, FCI has not published a new Category III notification on its official website. The last official cycle is Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category-III, with 5,043 posts. This page uses that cycle as the reference for eligibility, fees, pattern and selection. Unofficial vacancy figures for the next cycle are circulating online, but FCI has not confirmed them, so treat them as speculation until the notification is out.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 at a Glance
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Conducting body | Food Corporation of India (FCI) |
Posts | Assistant Grade III: General, Accounts, Technical, Depot, Hindi |
Latest notification | No new notification as of 11 October 2026; last cycle Advt. No. 01/2022 |
Last cycle vacancies | 5,043 Category III posts, of which 4,907 were AG-III |
Qualification | Graduation; stream-specific degree for Accounts, Technical and Hindi |
Age limit (last cycle) | 18 to 27 years (28 for AG-III Hindi), with category relaxation |
Selection stages | Phase I online exam, Phase II online exam, document verification, medical |
Pay scale | Rs. 28,200 to Rs. 79,200 (IDA pattern) |
Official website | fci.gov.in |
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Notification
The 2022 advertisement opened online applications from 6 September 2022 to 5 October 2022. Eligibility, including age and qualification, was reckoned as on 1 August 2022. Candidates could apply in only one zone and for only one post code within that zone.
For the next cycle, expect FCI to fix a fresh eligibility reference date, a fresh vacancy table and possibly revised fees. Until the new notification is out, every 2026 date or vacancy figure you see elsewhere is an estimate.
Important Dates (2022 Cycle)
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Online application window | 6 September 2022 to 5 October 2022 |
Eligibility reference date | 1 August 2022 |
Phase I exam | 1, 7, 14 and 21 January 2023 (as reported) |
Phase I result | 28 February 2023 (as reported) |
Phase II exam | 5 March 2023 (as reported) |
Next cycle notification | Not announced as of 11 October 2026 |
The exam dates above are as reported at the time and are shown only to give a sense of the gap between stages. Track the recruitment section on the official FCI website and your registered email for the next schedule.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Vacancy Details (2022 Cycle)
Post | North | South | East | West | North-East | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AG-III (General) | 463 | 155 | 185 | 92 | 53 | 948 |
AG-III (Accounts) | 142 | 107 | 72 | 45 | 40 | 406 |
AG-III (Technical) | 611 | 257 | 194 | 296 | 48 | 1,406 |
AG-III (Depot) | 1,063 | 435 | 283 | 258 | 15 | 2,054 |
AG-III (Hindi) | 36 | 22 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 93 |
All Category III posts (incl. JE and Steno) | 2,388 | 989 | 768 | 713 | 185 | 5,043 |
These are the figures from the 2022 advertisement, which itself said vacancies could vary with FCI's requirements. They indicate how posts are spread across zones, not what the next cycle will offer.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Eligibility
Educational Qualification
AG-III (General) and AG-III (Depot): Graduation in any discipline, with proficiency in using computers.
AG-III (Accounts): B.Com, with proficiency in using computers.
AG-III (Technical): B.Sc. in Agriculture, or B.Sc. in Botany, Zoology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology or Food Science, or B.Tech/B.E. in Food Science, Food Science and Technology, Agricultural Engineering or Biotechnology, with computer proficiency.
AG-III (Hindi): Degree with Hindi as a main subject, proficiency in English, and a one-year translation diploma or certificate from Hindi to English and vice versa.
Age Limit
In the 2022 cycle, candidates had to be at least 18 years old. The upper limit was 27 years for AG-III General, Accounts, Technical and Depot, and 28 years for AG-III Hindi, as on 1 August 2022.
Category | Upper age relaxation |
|---|---|
SC/ST | 5 years |
OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
PwBD (General / OBC / SC-ST) | 10 / 13 / 15 years |
FCI departmental candidates | Up to 50 years |
Other Conditions
Candidates must be Indian citizens, or belong to the other nationality categories the notification lists with a Government of India eligibility certificate. Ex-Servicemen and widowed or divorced women get further relaxation as per the notification. Full details are on the FCI Assistant Grade 3 eligibility page.
Application Fee and How to Apply
Category | Fee (2022 cycle, including GST, excluding bank charges) |
|---|---|
General, OBC, EWS (male) | Rs. 500 |
SC, ST, PwBD, women, Ex-Servicemen, serving Defence personnel | Exempt |
Read the notification: Check the post codes, zone-wise vacancies and eligibility date before you register.
Register online: Use a working email and mobile number, since all updates come there.
Pick one zone and one post: Multiple applications are not allowed; FCI considers only the one with the higher registration number.
Upload documents: Photo, signature, left thumb impression and a handwritten declaration in the specified sizes.
Pay the fee and save the form: Keep a copy of the submitted form and fee receipt.
Document | Dimensions | File size |
|---|---|---|
Photograph | 200 x 230 pixels (preferred) | 20 KB to 50 KB |
Signature | 140 x 60 pixels (preferred) | 10 KB to 20 KB |
Left thumb impression | 240 x 240 pixels, 200 DPI | 20 KB to 50 KB |
Handwritten declaration | 800 x 400 pixels, 200 DPI | 50 KB to 100 KB |
Common reasons for rejection include applying in more than one zone, a blurred photo or signature, and not meeting the qualification on the reference date.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Exam Pattern
Phase I (Common for All Posts)
Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
English Language | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
Reasoning Ability | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
Numerical Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
General Studies | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Phase II
Paper | Who takes it | Questions / Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Paper I | All AG-III posts | 120 / 120 | 90 minutes |
Paper II | AG-III Accounts, Technical, Hindi | 60 / 120 | 60 minutes |
Each wrong answer costs one-fourth of the marks for that question in both phases. Blank answers are not penalised. Phase I marks are not counted in the final merit.
What this means for you:
Phase I is a filter: About 15 times the vacancies are called to Phase II, so aim to clear it comfortably, not to top it.
Phase II decides the rank: General and Depot candidates are ranked on Paper I alone, so General Studies, with 45 questions, carries real weight.
Sectional timing is fixed: You cannot move spare minutes between sections, so practise each section against its own clock.
Older pages may still show a single-stage exam or an interview, so follow the official notification. See the full FCI Assistant Grade 3 exam pattern for marks per section.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Syllabus Summary
Subject | Stage | Important topics |
|---|---|---|
English Language | Phase I and II | Reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting, fillers, para jumbles |
Reasoning Ability | Phase I and II | Puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations |
Numerical Aptitude | Phase I and II | Simplification, number series, data interpretation, percentage, profit and loss, time and work |
General Studies | Phase I and II | History, Geography, Economy, General Science up to Class 10, current affairs, computer awareness |
Accounts / Technical / Hindi | Phase II Paper II | Accounting, taxation, auditing; agriculture and science groups; translation and official language policy |
FCI gives section names and question counts for Paper I but no topic-wise list, so the topics above are drawn from the notification and previous papers. The FCI Assistant Grade 3 syllabus page has the full checklist.
Selection Process
Phase I online exam: Qualifying; marks are not counted in the final merit.
Phase II online exam: Merit for General and Depot is based on Paper I (120 marks). Merit for Accounts, Technical and Hindi is based on Paper I plus Paper II (240 marks).
Document verification: Shortlisted candidates submit original certificates.
Medical examination and verification: Appointment depends on medical fitness and verification of character and antecedents.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Salary and Career Growth
Component | Details |
|---|---|
Pay scale | Rs. 28,200 to Rs. 79,200 (IDA pattern), as per the 2022 notification |
Allowances | About 32% of basic pay, as stated in the 2022 notification |
Indicative starting gross | Roughly Rs. 37,000 a month before deductions (estimate) |
The starting gross is an estimate based on the notified basic pay plus about 32% allowances. It is not an official figure, and it varies with posting city and later revisions of dearness allowance. AG-III staff can move to higher grades through FCI's internal promotion and departmental exams.
How to Prepare for FCI Assistant Grade 3
Start with the common core: English, reasoning and numerical aptitude appear in both phases, so building them first serves the whole exam.
Give General Studies its due: It carries 45 of the 120 Paper I marks, which makes it the single largest section for General and Depot ranks.
Prepare Paper II early if it applies to you: Accounts, Technical and Hindi candidates should begin post-specific subjects alongside Phase I preparation.
Practise to the sectional clock: Use 15-minute sectional drills for Phase I and 20 to 30 minute drills for Phase II.
Mock Tests
For timed practice in the current pattern, you can attempt FCI Assistant Grade 3 online tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to plan your revision. Pair them with previous year papers to understand the real difficulty level.
FCI Assistant Grade 3 Cut-off Reference
Zone and post (2022 cycle, final) | UR | OBC | SC |
|---|---|---|---|
North, AG-III General (out of 120) | 72.00 | 64.25 | 58.50 |
North, AG-III Depot (out of 120) | 68.25 | 63.00 | 54.00 |
These figures are indicative. They are compiled from previously reported data, not from an official FCI cut-off notice. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so aim for a clear margin above them. More zones and categories are on the FCI Assistant Grade 3 cut-off page.
For official updates, check the Food Corporation of India website.