UPSC CAPF AC Eligibility 2026: Age, Education, Physical

The UPSC CAPF AC eligibility criteria decide who can apply for the Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for Group A officer posts in the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. To apply, you need Indian citizenship (or eligible Nepal or Bhutan nationality), a Bachelor's degree, and an age of 20 to 25 years on 1 August of the exam year, with relaxation for some categories.

Unlike most UPSC exams, meeting the age and degree conditions is not enough. You must also clear physical standards, a physical efficiency test and a detailed medical examination. This page covers every eligibility condition from the 2026 notification, including the exact date-of-birth window, relaxation rules, physical and vision standards, medical disqualifiers and the conditions that most often catch candidates out.

Table of Contents

• CAPF AC Eligibility at a Glance

• Nationality

• CAPF AC Age Limit

• Age Relaxation

• Educational Qualification

• Physical Standards

• Vision Standards

• Medical Standards and Tattoo Rules

• Other Conditions

• Who Is Not Eligible

• Application Fee and Documents

• Eligibility Self-Check Before You Apply

CAPF AC Eligibility at a Glance

CAPF AC Nationality Criteria

Candidates must be citizens of India. A subject of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan can also be appointed, but only with the consent of the Government of India. In practice, almost all applicants are Indian citizens, and Nepal or Bhutan nationals should read the notification conditions carefully before applying.

CAPF AC Age Limit

For the 2026 exam, a candidate must have reached 20 years of age and must not have reached 25 years on 1 August 2026. The reference date is 1 August of the exam year, not the date of the notification or the exam.

If UPSC keeps 1 August as the reference date, the window for the 2027 cycle would move forward by one year, to births between 2 August 2002 and 1 August 2007. This is a projection, not an official figure, so confirm it in the 2027 notification.

Which date of birth UPSC accepts

UPSC accepts only the date of birth recorded in your Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate, or in a certificate an Indian university recognises as equivalent. An extract from a university's Register of Matriculates, certified by the proper authority, is also accepted. Horoscopes, affidavits and birth certificates from local bodies are not accepted for this purpose.

Enter your date of birth exactly as it appears on that certificate. Once submitted, UPSC does not normally allow a change in the date of birth.

CAPF AC Age Relaxation

The upper age limit is relaxed for the categories below. The lower age limit of 20 years is not relaxed for anyone.

The maximum ages and dates in the last two columns are worked out from the notification's base window and relaxation rules. Use them as a quick check, and rely on the notification wording if there is any doubt.

Rules that affect relaxation

• Cumulative relaxation: SC, ST and OBC candidates who also fall under the civilian Central Government servant or ex-servicemen category can get cumulative relaxation under both, within the limits set in the notification.

• No age relaxation for EWS: EWS candidates get reservation in vacancies but no extra years. They follow the same 20 to 25 years limit as unreserved candidates.

• Ex-servicemen timing rule: Serving personnel can apply as ex-servicemen only if they will complete their prescribed period of Armed Forces service within one year from the last date of application.

• Certificates must be valid: Relaxation is given only if you hold the required caste, OBC non-creamy layer or service certificate in the format and within the dates the notification specifies.

CAPF AC Educational Qualification

Candidates need a Bachelor's degree from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or another institution recognised as a university, or an equivalent qualification. There is no restriction on stream and no minimum percentage. Arts, science, commerce, engineering and other graduates are all eligible.

Final-year students

Candidates who have appeared, or will appear, in their final degree examination can apply. If you clear the written exam, you must produce proof of passing within the time limit set in the Rules of Examination. Your candidature is provisional until then.

After the 2026 written result, UPSC opened a 15-day window for qualified candidates to update details such as educational qualification status, address and force preferences. If you are a final-year student, keep your marksheets and provisional degree ready so you can use this window.

Distance and open university degrees

A degree from a university or institution recognised as described above is acceptable, whatever the mode of study. If you studied through distance or open learning, check that your university and programme were recognised by the relevant authority for the years you studied.

CAPF AC Physical Standards

Physical standards are measured at the Physical Standards Test after the written exam. They are minimums, and falling short by even a fraction disqualifies you.

• Measurement precision: Height is recorded to one decimal place. A man measuring 164.9 cm does not meet the 165 cm standard.

• Weight tables: The notification includes height-and-age weight tables. The 50 kg and 46 kg figures are floors, and the acceptable weight for your height and age may be higher.

• PET is separate: Meeting these measurements only qualifies you for the Physical Efficiency Test.

CAPF AC Vision Standards

• Refractive error limit: Spectacle correction is allowed within -4.00 D to +4.00 D, including cylinder.

• LASIK and refractive surgery: Accepted if the surgery was done at least six months before the medical exam, at the age of 18 to 35, with a corneal thickness of at least 425 microns, subject to the other conditions in the notification.

If you wear glasses with a power close to the limit, get your eyes tested before applying. It is better to know now than to be declared unfit after clearing the written exam.

CAPF AC Medical Standards and Tattoo Rules

The medical examination checks your general fitness for field duties. Under the 2026 notification, a candidate should be free from conditions such as:

• Posture and limb defects: Knock knees, flat foot and varicose veins.

• Ear, nose and throat problems: Deafness, ear discharge, a deviated nasal septum or chronic sinusitis that needs treatment.

• Skin conditions: Active venereal disease, chronic dermatitis, psoriasis or leprosy.

• Surgical and abdominal conditions: Hernia and haemorrhoids.

• Heart and chronic illness: Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis, arthritis, and a resting pulse above 100 or below 50 beats per minute.

The notification also sets limits on the carrying angle of the elbow, which is a common reason for rejection that candidates rarely know about. Read the full medical annexure for every condition and its exceptions.

Tattoo rules

Tattoos are allowed only within set limits. Religious symbols, figures and names are permitted. A tattoo must be on the inner side of the left forearm or the back of the hand, and must cover less than one-fourth of that body part. Tattoos elsewhere on the body, or larger than this limit, can lead to rejection at the medical stage.

If you are declared unfit, you can appeal for a review medical examination within the time and procedure stated by the authorities. Keep the documents from any treatment or surgery with you.

Other CAPF AC Eligibility Conditions

• Women candidates: Women can apply for all five forces and follow separate physical standards and PET norms. A woman found pregnant at the PST/PET stage has her appointment held in abeyance until six weeks after confinement, after which she is examined again for fitness.

• Number of attempts: UPSC does not cap attempts for this exam. You can appear in every cycle while you are within the age limit.

• Government employees: Candidates already in government service, including permanent or temporary employees and workers in public undertakings, must inform their Head of Office or Department in writing that they have applied. If the employer withholds permission, the application can be rejected.

• NCC certificate: An NCC 'B' or 'C' certificate is a desirable qualification. It does not change eligibility and is considered only at the interview.

• Provisional candidature: An admit card does not mean UPSC has cleared your eligibility. Documents are verified later, and candidature can be cancelled at any stage if a condition is not met.

Who Is Not Eligible for CAPF AC

• Over-age candidates: Anyone born before the earliest permitted date for their category, even by one day.

• Under-age candidates: Anyone who will not be 20 on 1 August of the exam year.

• Candidates without a degree in time: Final-year students who cannot produce proof of passing within the prescribed time.

• Candidates below physical standards: Height, chest or weight even slightly below the minimum.

• Candidates with disqualifying medical conditions: Vision outside the limits, knock knees, flat foot, tattoos beyond the permitted size or place, or other listed conditions.

• Non-citizens: Persons who are not Indian citizens, other than eligible subjects of Nepal or Bhutan.

CAPF AC Application Fee and Documents

Keep these documents ready before you apply and again at the PST and interview stages:

• Age proof: Class 10 or equivalent certificate showing your date of birth.

• Education proof: Degree certificate and marksheets, or final-year marksheets if your result is pending.

• Category certificate: SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer) or EWS certificate in the prescribed format, if claiming reservation or relaxation.

• Service documents: Ex-servicemen or government-service proof, if claiming relaxation.

• Photo ID: The same ID you entered in the application.

Applications are filled on upsconline.nic.in after One Time Registration.

Eligibility Self-Check Before You Apply

1. Check your date of birth: Compare your Class 10 certificate with the window for your category in the relaxation table.

2. Confirm your degree status: Make sure your university is recognised and that your final result will be out within the prescribed time.

3. Measure yourself honestly: Get height, chest and weight measured at a clinic or sports ground, not at home.

4. Test your eyes: Know your spectacle power and whether it falls within -4.00 D to +4.00 D.

5. Review tattoos and posture: Check tattoo size and location, and see a doctor if you suspect flat foot or knock knees.

6. Start fitness training early: The 800 metre race is the event most candidates struggle with, so build up to it alongside your studies.

Always confirm the final conditions in the official notification on upsc.gov.in.