Union Public Service Commission CAPF AC

The UPSC CAPF AC exam is the Union Public Service Commission's recruitment test for Assistant Commandants (Group A) in the Central Armed Police Forces. It is the entry point for officers in the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal. The 2026 cycle was notified on 20 February 2026 for 349 posts, and the written examination was held on 19 July 2026.

This page gives you the full picture in one place: key dates, vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, the physical and medical stages, pay and a practical preparation plan. Figures below follow the official notification as reported by public sources. Always confirm the final details on the official UPSC website before you act on them.

Table of Contents

UPSC CAPF AC 2026

Notification overview

UPSC released the CAPF (Assistant Commandants) notice on 20 February 2026 and opened online applications the same day. The last date to apply was 12 March 2026. The notice carried 349 vacancies across the five forces.

Two points are worth knowing from this cycle:

• Same two-paper written format: Paper I is objective and Paper II is descriptive. The structure is unchanged from recent years, so older preparation material still helps.

• Result already out: The written result was declared in late August 2026. Qualified candidates had about 15 days to complete the detailed application (DAF) on the UPSC portal before moving to the physical stage.

The 2026 notice also covers vacancy distribution, reservation, medical standards and the fine print on certificates. Read it once in full, even if you rely on summaries for daily revision.

Important dates

Tentative dates come from the notification schedule and can change. Track the official UPSC examination pages and your registered email for the PST/PET and interview schedule.

Note that both Paper I and Paper II are held on the same day in this exam, so a single date covers the entire written stage.

Vacancy details

The 2026 notice lists 349 vacancies. The force-wise split reported from the notification is below. Treat it as indicative, because UPSC can revise vacancies later and category-wise numbers sit in the notice itself.

Your force allocation depends on your final rank, your stated preferences and the vacancies available at that point. A higher rank gives you more choice.

Eligibility

The full rules are on the UPSC CAPF AC eligibility page. The essentials are below.

Educational qualification

You need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification. Final-year students can apply, but they must produce proof of passing the degree by the date stated in the notice.

Age limit

The base age range is 20 to 25 years as on 1 August 2026. That means you should have been born between 2 August 2001 and 1 August 2006. Upper age relaxation is available for reserved and other notified categories.

Other conditions

Candidates must meet the prescribed nationality, physical and medical standards. There is no fixed cap on the number of attempts. You can keep applying until you cross the upper age limit.

Application fee and how to apply

The fee reported for this exam is Rs. 200. Women candidates and SC and ST candidates are exempt from paying it. Confirm the exact fee rule in the notification before you apply in a future cycle.

Applications are submitted online through the UPSC portal. The usual flow is:

1. Register: Complete one-time registration on the official portal if you have not done so.

2. Fill the form: Choose the CAPF (Assistant Commandants) examination and enter personal, educational and category details.

3. Upload documents: Add your photograph, signature and ID proof as per the size instructions on the form.

4. Pay the fee: Use net banking, a card or UPI if you are not exempt, then submit.

5. Keep a copy: Save the final submitted form. You will need a printed copy at the physical stage.

Common reasons for rejection include wrong category claims, unreadable uploads and missing certificates. Reservation claims need certificates issued on or before the closing date of that cycle's application.

Exam pattern

The written stage has two papers. The full breakdown is on the UPSC CAPF AC exam pattern page.

Paper I carries negative marking of one-third of the marks for each wrong answer. Paper II is evaluated only for candidates who clear the Paper I minimum, so Paper I works as the first gate.

What this means for you:

• Do not neglect writing: Paper II is 200 marks and decides your rank among Paper I qualifiers. Start essay and precis practice early.

• Guess with care: Each wrong answer in Paper I costs marks, so attempt only the questions where you can eliminate options.

• Plan for the language split: The essay can be written in English or Hindi, while the comprehension and precis part is in English.

Older pages may still show previous-year schedules, so follow the official notification for the current cycle.

Syllabus summary

UPSC publishes the broad areas of the syllabus, not a topic-by-topic list.

Selection process

Selection happens in stages, and you must clear each before moving ahead.

1. Written examination: Paper I and Paper II, 450 marks in total. Only candidates meeting the minimum marks in the papers go further.

2. Detailed application: Qualified candidates submit documents and force preferences on the UPSC portal within the stated window.

3. PST, PET and medical standards: Conducted by a nodal force. These are qualifying and carry no marks.

4. Interview (personality test): 150 marks, conducted by UPSC.

5. Final merit: Written plus interview marks, out of 600, decide the rank. Forces are allotted by rank, preference and vacancies.

Qualifying the written stage does not guarantee selection, and candidature remains provisional until all eligibility checks are complete.

Physical and medical standards

This stage eliminates many candidates, so begin fitness work well before the written result. The standards reported from the notification are below. Check the notice for relaxations that apply to some categories and regions.

Eyesight standards are also strict, with corrected distant vision of 6/6 or 6/9 in the better eye. Confirm every figure in the current notice, since the nodal force publishes the final schedule and instructions.

Salary and career growth

Assistant Commandants are paid at Level 10 of the pay matrix, which is reported as Rs. 56,100 to Rs. 1,77,500 per month in basic pay range. Allowances, risk and hardship benefits and postings add to this, and the in-hand amount varies by force and station. This is not an official take-home figure.

The career path runs from Assistant Commandant to Deputy Commandant, Second-in-Command, Commandant and onward to senior ranks, with promotion timelines set by each force's rules.

How to prepare

Preparation works best when you split your time across the three kinds of demand the exam makes: objective accuracy, descriptive writing and physical fitness.

Stage-wise plan

• Paper I: Build a base in polity, history, geography and economy from standard sources. Add a daily current affairs habit with short monthly notes, and revise reasoning and data interpretation weekly.

• Paper II: Write one essay and one precis every week, then compare your answers with a good model. Work on structure, brevity and clear English.

• Fitness: Train for the 100 metre and 800 metre runs and long jump from the start, not after the result.

• Interview: Read about internal security, border management and governance, and practise speaking your opinion clearly.

Use mock tests well

Timed practice shows you how many questions you can attempt safely under negative marking.

When your syllabus is clear, study notes for CAPF AC preparation help you revise faster in the last few weeks.

Cut-off reference

UPSC publishes the minimum qualifying marks after the final result, along with the marks of the last recommended candidate in each category. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants.