About CAPF Exam
CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) exam is conducted every year by UPSC in order to recruit candidates for various positions in various armed forces across the country. The candidates who are selected through this exam can join the forces as Assistant Commandants (AC). Many young people opt for this exam as it guarantees a reputed career in the Indian armed forces. The role of the officers is primarily defined as the national interest against internal threats. The five security forces are as follows:
- Border Security Force (BSF)
- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
- Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
CAPF Exam Quick Highlights
| Details | Attribute |
| CAPF Full Form | Central Armed Police Forces |
| Post | Assistant Commandant |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Job Location | Throughout India |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Application Fees | General/OBC – INR 200 SC/ST/ Women – Exempted |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Selection Process | Written Test Physical Test/Medical Test Interview/Personality Test Final Selection |
| Language | English and Hindi |
Browse for more Competitive Entrance Exams:
- CLAT – Common Law Admission Test
- NDA – National Defence Academy
- SSC CGL – Staff Selection Commission – Combined Graduate Level Exam
- CA – Chartered Accountant
- GATE – Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
CAPF Eligibility
CAPF exam eligibility for Assistant Commandant is laid down by the UPSC and has particular criteria that candidates must follow. Both males and females are eligible to fill up the application form for the CAPF exam. Moreover, you must check the eligibility criteria before filling up the application form. As a result, in order to apply for the Assistant Commandant test, candidates must meet the CAPF AC qualifying requirements listed below in order to move on in the recruiting process without difficulty.
Nationality: The candidate who is applying for the exam must be a citizen of India
Physical Standards: The officials have set distinct physical criteria for male and female candidates. Men should be at least 165 cm tall and weigh 50 kg, while ladies should be at least 157 cm tall and weigh 46 kg.
Education Qualification: The candidate must have completed graduation in any discipline from a recognised university.
Age: As per the age limit criteria, the age of the candidate must be more than 20 years but less than 25 years. For those belonging to SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen Commissioned Officer, Civilian Central Government servants, and Jammu and Kashmir residents, there is a relaxation of 5 years over the upper age limit and for the OBC there is a relaxation of 3 years.
Browse for more Competitive Entrance Exams:
- ACET – Actuarial Common Entrance Test
- NID DAT – National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test
- UGC NET – University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test
- IES Exam – Indian Engineering Services
- XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test
CAPF Exam Pattern
CAPF exam pattern is not a very complicated exam, furthermore, one must still need to understand the exact paper pattern for the exam. The candidates need to be cognizant of the CAPF exam pattern in order to start the preparation accordingly. Go through the chart below:
| Exam | Type | Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
| Paper 1 | Objective | General Ability & Intelligence | 125 | 250 Marks | 120 Min |
| Paper 2 | Descriptive | General Studies, Essay & Comprehension | 6 | 200 Marks | 180 Min |
- Paper 1 comprises 125 objective type questions.
- Each right answer will add two points.
- In addition, for each incorrect response, one-third of the marks assigned to the question (i.e. 0.667) will be removed.
- However, Paper II is simply a qualifying exam and will not be reviewed until the Paper I cut-off has been met.
Want To Crack the Toughest Exam?
Reach to Gen-Z Careers Counselling Experts and get the exam clarity.
Contact Right Away!
CAPF Syllabus
Knowing the CAPF exam syllabus will help the applicants to focus on their preparation as well as help them save time by only preparing topics that will come in the exam. Let us discuss the paper pattern of the CAPF syllabus for papers 1 and 2.
CAPF Syllabus for Paper 1
| Subject | CAPF Syllabus |
| General Science | It consists of broad awareness, scientific temper, comprehension, and appreciation of everyday observations of scientific phenomena, including emerging fields such as information technology, biotechnology, and environmental science. |
| General Mental Ability | It consists of broad awareness, scientific temper, comprehension, and appreciation of everyday observations of scientific phenomena, including emerging fields such as information technology, biotechnology, and environmental science. |
| Current events of National and International Importance | This includes general awareness about current events of national and international importance in the significant fields of sports, governance, literature, culture, music, industry, issues of societal and development, globalisation and interplay between nations. |
| Indian & World Geography | This section will cover India and the world’s social, economic and physical aspects of geography. |
| Indian History | It includes the areas of movement for freedom and nationalism growth. |
| Indian Polity & Economy | This section includes India’s constitution and political system, social system and public administration, human rights, security issues, India’s economic development, etc. |
CAPF Syllabus for Paper 2
| Subjects | Topics |
| Essay | The topics are modern Indian history, in particular, freedom struggle, politics and economy, geography, knowledge about security issues and human rights, and analytical ability. |
| Comprehension & language skills | Reading comprehension, precise writing, creating counterarguments, elementary grammar, and other components of language testing are covered. |
Browse for more Competitive Entrance Exams:
- UPSC – Union Public Service Commission
- ISI – Indian Standards Institute
- JEE IIT – Joint Entrance Examination
- NEET-UG – National Eligibility Entrance Test
- CAT – Common Admission Test
CAPF Physical Efficiency Test
The PET or Physical Efficiency Test is taken as a part of the CAPF exam and is one of the most important stages when it comes to candidate selection. CAPF PET comprises of following tests:
| Test | Male | Female |
| 100 Metres Race | 16 Seconds | 18 Seconds |
| 800 Metres Race | 3 Min 45 Sec | 4 Min 45 Sec |
| Long Jump | 3.5 Metres (3 Chances) | 3.0 Metres (3 Chances) |
| Shot Put (7.26 Kgs) | 4.5 Metres |
After clearing the physical efficiency test, the candidate is shortlisted for medical examination. Once after passing the medical examination, the candidates are selected for a personal interview.
Interview/ Personality Test
The Union Public Service Commission will contact candidates who have qualified in the Medical Standard Tests to undertake an interview/personality test, which is the final stage of the UPSC CAPF AC exam 2022. Candidates who are medically unfit but allowed to appear before a “Review Medical Board” will be asked for CAPF interviews and personality tests. The Personality Test has a total weightage of 150 points.
CAPF AC Selection Process
Before applying for the CAPF exam, candidates need to first get themselves acquainted with the CAPF selection process. Knowing each and every stage will help the candidates to prepare them well in advance. The selection process for CAPF AC recruitment 2022 consists of the following stages:
- Stage I: Written Exam
- Stage II: Physical Efficiency Test
- Stage III: Medical Examination
- Stage IV: Interview/ Personality Test
- Stage V: Final Selection/ Merit List
Browse for more Competitive Entrance Exams:
- CDS – Combined Defence Exam
- IBPS RRB – Institute of Banking Personnel Selection – Regional Rural Bank
- AFCAT – Air Force Common Admission Test
- RBI Assistant Recruitment Examination