UPSC CAPF AC Recruitment 2026 Apply for 349 Assistant Commandant Posts

UPSC CAPF Recruitment 2026: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially announced the Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination, 2026. This recruitment drive aims to fill 349 Assistant Commandant (Group A) positions across various security forces, including BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB. Interested and eligible candidates can submit their applications online through the official UPSC portal before the deadline on March 12, 2026.

UPSC CAPF AC Recruitment 2026 Overview

UPSC CAPF AC 2026 Important Dates

UPSC CAPF AC 2026: Vacancy Details

The UPSC aims to recruit 349 Assistant Commandants across five major Central Armed Police Forces. The highest number of vacancies is allocated to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), ensuring robust reinforcement for national security deployments.

Note: 10% of the total vacancies are earmarked for Ex-servicemen.

Education Details

• Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament, or deemed to be a University under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.

• Candidates who have appeared in their final qualifying examination and are awaiting results are also eligible to apply, provided they submit proof of passing during the later stages of the selection process.

• Possession of an NCC ‘B’ or ‘C’ Certificate is considered a desirable qualification and will be given consideration during the Interview/Personality Test.

CAPF AC 2026: Physical Standards

Candidates must meet the following minimum physical requirements to be eligible for the Assistant Commandant posts:

Medical Standards

Candidates who clear the Interview/Personality Test will undergo a Medical Standards Test. Key medical requirements include:

• Vision: Distant vision should be 6/6 or 6/9 in the better eye, and 6/12 or 6/9 in the worse eye. The permitted limits of refractive errors are -4.00 D (Myopia) to +4.00 D (Hypermetropia). LASIK surgery is permitted subject to specific age and recovery criteria.

• Carrying Angle: The carrying angle should not exceed 15° for males and 20° for females.

• Hearing and ENT: Candidates must not have any degree of deafness, persistent ear discharge, DNS, or enlarged lymph nodes/thyroid.

• General Health: Candidates must not have knock knees, flat foot, varicose veins, stammering, or chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, bronchial asthma, or tuberculosis.

• Tattoos: Tattoos depicting religious symbols or figures are permitted. However, they must be located on traditional sites like the inner aspect of the left forearm (non-saluting limb) or dorsum of the hands, and the size must be less than 1/4 of the particular body part.

UPSC CAPF AC 2026 Salary

Candidates selected through this examination will be appointed as Assistant Commandants (Group A) in the Central Armed Police Forces. They will be entitled to a highly competitive Group A salary structure and allowances as per standard government norms.

UPSC CAPF AC Recruitment 2026 Age Limit

• Minimum Age: 20 years.

• Maximum Age: 25 years as of August 1, 2026.

• Candidates must have been born not earlier than August 2, 2001, and not later than August 1, 2006.

Age Relaxations:

• Up to 5 years for Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.
• Up to 3 years for Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates.
• Up to 5 years for Civilian Central Government Servants and Ex-Servicemen.

Selection Process

The selection procedure for the Assistant Commandant posts involves the following stages:

1. Written Examination: Comprises two papers (Paper-I: General Ability and Intelligence for 250 marks, and Paper-II: General Studies, Essay and Comprehension for 200 marks).
2. Physical Standards Tests (PST) / Physical Efficiency Tests (PET): Candidates must meet prescribed physical standards and clear efficiency tests including races, long jump, and shot put.
3. Interview/Personality Test: Carries 150 marks for candidates who clear the PST/PET.
4. Medical Standards Tests: Conducted for candidates who appear in the Interview round.
5. Final Selection/Merit: Based on the cumulative marks obtained in the Written Examination and the Interview/Personality Test.

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern

The written examination will be held on July 19, 2026, and consists of two papers. There will be a penalty (negative marking) of one-third (0.33) of the marks for each wrong answer in the objective-type Paper-I.

Application Fee

• General/OBC/EWS Candidates: Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two Hundred only).
• SC/ST/Female Candidates: Exempted from paying any application fee.

Fees can be paid via Net Banking, Visa/Master/RuPay/Credit/Debit Card, or UPI Payment.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official UPSC online application portal at https://upsconline.nic.in.
2. Complete the One-Time Registration (OTR) to generate your Universal Registration Number (URN) if you have not registered previously.
3. Fill out the Common Application Form (CAF) with your personal and educational details.
4. Upload a recent photograph, a live photograph captured during the application process, and a clear signature on a plain white paper.
5. Provide details of a valid Photo ID Card (like Aadhaar, Voter Card, PAN Card, etc.).
6. Proceed to the Examination Specific Module to select your examination center and pay the application fee.
7. Submit the application form by the March 12, 2026 deadline, and retain a printout for future reference.

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