Punjab Police

Punjab Police recruitment is the main route into the state police force of Punjab, which works under the Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Government of Punjab. The department fills Constable posts in the District and Armed Police cadres through regular direct recruitment, and it is now moving direct officer-level entry from Sub-Inspector to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI).

The current cycle is the Punjab Police Constable recruitment 2026 (Advertisement No. 01 of 2026) for 3,298 posts. The computer-based test was held in July 2026, the written result came out in October 2026, and the physical tests are the active stage now. This page covers the posts on offer, important dates, vacancies, eligibility, fee, exam pattern, physical standards, salary and a stage-wise preparation plan, along with the ASI update.

Table of Contents

• Punjab Police Recruitment 2026 at a Glance

• Posts Recruited by Punjab Police

• Important Dates for Constable 2026

• Punjab Police Constable Vacancy 2026

• Eligibility Criteria

• Application Fee and How to Apply

• Punjab Police Exam Pattern

• Syllabus Summary

• Selection Process and Physical Standards

• Salary and Career Growth

• Punjab Police ASI Recruitment 2026 Update

• How to Prepare for Punjab Police Exams

• Cut-off and Result

Punjab Police Recruitment 2026 at a Glance

The table below sums up the live Constable cycle. Figures come from the 2026 notification and the official notices that followed it.

Posts Recruited by Punjab Police

Punjab Police does not run one fixed annual exam. Instead, it announces separate drives for different ranks and cadres, each with its own notification, eligibility and test. Knowing which post you are targeting decides what you study.

• Constable (District and Armed Police Cadre): The largest and most regular intake. It is open to 10+2 pass candidates, and the 2026 cycle is running now.

• Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI): From 2026, this becomes the direct entry point for officer-level posts. Direct recruitment to the Sub-Inspector rank has been stopped.

• Specialist and support posts: Earlier cycles have also covered cadres such as investigation, intelligence and technical support. These are notified separately when the department needs them.

Older pages may still describe direct Sub-Inspector recruitment as an active option. Follow the latest official notices instead, because the entry level has changed.

Important Dates for Constable 2026

Dates after the CBT come from official notices, but physical test schedules are issued in batches and can shift. Track the recruitment section on punjabpolice.gov.in and your registered email and phone for your own date and venue.

Punjab Police Constable Vacancy 2026

The 2026 notification lists 3,298 tentative posts. The final number can change at the department's discretion, so treat the split below as indicative.

Within each cadre, posts are further split across categories such as General, SC (Balmiki/Mazhbi Sikh and Ramdasia and others), Backward Classes, EWS, ex-servicemen, wards of police personnel and wards of freedom fighters. Check the category-wise table in the notification before you set expectations.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility is tested on a fixed cut-off date, which was 1 January 2026 for the current cycle.

Educational qualification

• General requirement: 10+2 or equivalent from a recognised board or institution.

• Ex-servicemen: Matriculation is the minimum.

• Punjabi requirement: Punjabi must be passed at matriculation level as a compulsory or elective subject, or through an equivalent Punjabi examination.

Age limit and relaxation

Candidates must be 18 to 28 years old as on 1 January 2026.

Physical standards and other conditions

• Minimum height: 5 feet 7 inches (170.2 cm) for men and 5 feet 2 inches (157.5 cm) for women.

• Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India.

• Cut-off date: All qualifications must be held on or before the date fixed in the notification.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee has two parts, an application fee and an examination fee, paid online. The figures below are as reported for the 2026 notification, so confirm them in the PDF before quoting them.

The 2026 window has closed. For the next cycle, the process usually follows these steps:

1. Open the recruitment link on punjabpolice.gov.in and register with your mobile number and email.

2. Fill in personal, category and education details exactly as they appear on your certificates.

3. Choose cadre preferences and, for the District Cadre, your district preferences.

4. Upload your photograph and signature in the size and format given in the notification.

5. Pay the fee online and download the submitted form for your records.

Most rejections come from mismatched names or dates of birth, a missing Punjabi qualification at matric level, or category claims without a valid certificate. Check these before you submit.

Punjab Police Exam Pattern

The Constable written stage is a single computer-based test with two papers, held in English and Punjabi. Full marking rules and normalisation are explained on the Punjab Police exam pattern page.

Paper I (merit paper)

Paper I has 100 questions to be completed in 2 hours.

Paper II (qualifying Punjabi paper)

Each question carries one mark, and no negative marking was announced for the 2026 CBT. Paper II needs at least 50 percent to qualify, but its marks do not count in the merit list. Paper I also has a category-wise minimum after normalisation, reported as 40 percent for the general category and 35 percent for reserved categories.

What this means for you:

• General Awareness decides merit: At 35 marks, it is over a third of Paper I, and Punjab-specific GK is a large part of it.

• Attempt every question: With no negative marking, a blank answer can only cost you. Use elimination on doubtful questions.

• Do not treat Paper II lightly: A strong Paper I score is wasted if you miss 25 out of 50 in the Punjabi paper.

• Time is generous but uneven: Two hours for 100 questions gives about 72 seconds each, so bank time on GK and languages for the maths and reasoning sets.

Syllabus Summary

The notification lists the topic areas for each section.

Selection Process and Physical Standards

1. Stage I, CBT: Paper I sets merit; Paper II is qualifying. Candidates are shortlisted for the next stage by merit and category.

2. Stage II, PST and PMT: A physical screening test and a height check. Both are qualifying and add no marks.

3. Stage III, document scrutiny: Original certificates are checked against the application.

4. Medical and verification: Selected candidates go through medical examination and character and antecedent verification before appointment.

The PST standards for candidates below 35 years (including ex-servicemen under 35) are listed below. Ex-servicemen aged 35 or more get relaxed, run-only standards given in the notification.

Because the run has only one attempt, train for it from the start of your preparation rather than after the written result.

Salary and Career Growth

As per the 2026 notification, a newly appointed Constable gets Rs. 19,900 per month for the first three years from the date of joining, in line with the Punjab Government policy for new recruits. After that, the regular pay scale and allowances under Punjab Government rules apply. In-hand pay varies with posting and allowances, so treat any monthly figure you see online as indicative.

Promotion runs through the ranks of Senior Constable, Head Constable and ASI, based on service, departmental courses and vacancies. With direct entry now at ASI level, graduates can also aim for the ASI drive directly once it is notified.

Punjab Police ASI Recruitment 2026 Update

On 21 July 2026, the Punjab Cabinet decided to stop direct recruitment to the Sub-Inspector rank. Direct hiring will now happen at ASI level, for about 30 percent of ASI posts in the District, Intelligence, Investigation and Technical cadres and 10 percent in the Armed Cadre.

On 24 September 2026, the Chief Minister approved direct recruitment of 450 ASIs. The notification, eligibility, exam pattern and dates have not been released yet. Until they are, any ASI syllabus or vacancy split you see is unofficial.

How to Prepare for Punjab Police Exams

The written test and the physical test need parallel preparation. Treat them as two tracks from day one.

Written test

• Build Punjab GK first: Cover Punjab's history, Sikh Gurus, geography, rivers, economy and culture, then add Indian polity and national current affairs.

• Keep maths to arithmetic: The listed topics are school-level arithmetic and simple data reading. Practise speed rather than advanced methods.

• Practise Punjabi daily: Spellings, idioms and translation appear in both papers, so 20 to 30 minutes a day covers two targets at once.

• Learn the basics of computers: Five easy marks come from MS Office, internet and email basics.

Physical test

• Run four to five days a week: Build distance first, then work on your 1,600 m or 800 m time.

• Practise jumps with technique: Approach run and take-off matter more than raw strength in long and high jump.

Teachers and coaching institutes preparing Punjab Police batches can also create and manage their own tests on Testkart and share them with students.

Cut-off and Result

The Constable 2026 written result and category-wise cut-off were released with the shortlist in October 2026 on the official website. Cut-offs change every cycle with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat past figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.