UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern, Check Syllabus Topics

Central Armed Police Force Assistant Commandant Exam (UPSC CAPF AC Exam) is conducted annually to recruit eligible candidates for Grade A Officers (Assistant Commandants) for the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB. Candidates must understand the detailed UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 to excel in the UPSC CAPF AC Exam. Knowing the syllabus helps candidates plan their preparation effectively and focus on the important topics. Check the topic-wise syllabus below to know the subject-wise weightage, marks distribution, and official exam pattern.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

UPSC CAPF AC Notification 2026 PDF will be released in February 2026, and UPSC CAPF 2026 will be conducted on 19th July 2026. The UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus comprises two papers. Papers 1 from General Ability and Intelligence and Papers 2 from General Studies, Essay, and Comprehension. Knowing the Syllabus is the first step to begin preparation for the exam and plan a proper exam strategy for the examination. 

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2026
Examination	Central Armed Police Force Assistant Commandant Exam (UPSC CAPF AC Exam)
Organisation	Union Public Service Commission
UPSC CAPF AC Exam Date 2026	19th July 2026
Selection	Three rounds
First Round	Paper-I based on General Ability and Intelligence (Objective)Paper-II based on General Studies, Essay and Comprehension (descriptive)
Negative Marking	Only for Paper-I of first-round; (0.33) marks deducts for each wrong answer
Second round	Physical Ability Test
Third round	Interview/Personality Test

UPSC CAPF Notification 2026 Out for 349 Vacancies – Click to Check

UPSC CAPF AC Selection Process 2026

The selection process includes written exams, physical standards/physical efficiency tests, medical standards tests, and interview/personality tests. The final selection will be based on marks obtained by the written exam and interview/personality test. 

• Written Examination 
• Physical test
• Interview

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern 2026

The UPSC CAPF 2026 written exam is the first stage for the selection of candidates for the next round. The exam is conducted to shortlist candidates for the Physical & Medical Standards Test. The exam is held based on the exam pattern, which is notified by the UPSC in the official notification.

1. Papers I & II will be in bilingual language & English, excluding the English paper
2. Paper I is of 2 hours duration, and Paper II is of 3 Hours duration
3. Paper- I will consist of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with a negative marking of 1/3rd marks for each wrong answer
4. Paper II is in a descriptive format
5. Paper-I is a qualifying stage; Paper-II will only be checked for those candidates who clear the Paper I

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern 2026
Paper Name	Time Duration	Marks
Paper- I  General and Mental Ability	2 hours	250 marks
Paper-II  General Studies, Essay and Comprehension	3 Hours	200 marks
Total		450 marks

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern 2026
Particulars	Paper-I	Paper-II
Name of Paper	General Ability and Intelligence	General StudiesEssayComprehensive
Total Marks	250	200
Duration of exam	2 hours	3 hours
Number of Questions	125	7
Marks for each correct answer	2	50
Negative Marking	1/3	–
Type of Paper	Objective	Descriptive format

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2026 for Paper 1

UPSC CAPF AC exam has two papers. The UPSC CAPF Paper-I includes General Ability & Intelligence, and Paper-II includes General Studies, Essay & Comprehension. Where total marks for both papers are a maximum of 550. In this section, questions will be asked on the below-mentioned topics. Let’s now have a look at the detailed Syllabus of Paper-1 and Paper-2 of the UPSC CAPF 2026 Exam:

Paper 1: General Ability & Intelligence

UPSC CAPF Paper 1 consists of questions from General Mental Ability, General Science, Current Affairs, Indian Polity, Indian History, and India & World Geography. Check the section-wise UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 from here and prepare accordingly for the examination. 

General Mental Ability

The UPSC CAPF Paper-I will have a written test that covers the following important General Ability topics and subjects, including General Mental Ability.

1. Logical Reasoning
2. Quantitative Aptitude
3. Numerical ability
4. Data Interpretation

General Science

1. General Awareness
2. Scientific Temper
3. Comprehension & Appreciation of Scientific Phenomena
4. Information Technology
5. Biotechnology
6. Environmental Science

Current Affairs

Questions will be from Current Affairs of national and international importance in areas of:

1. Culture
2. Music
3. Arts
4. Literature
5. Sports
6. Governance
7. Societal and Developmental Issues
8. Industry
9. Business
10. Globalisation

Indian Polity

Questions will be asked from:

1. Indian political system
2. Constitution of India
3. Social systems and public administration
4. Economic development in India
5. Regional and international security issues
6. Human rights & its indicators

Indian History

Questions will be asked to test candidates’ knowledge of the growth of nationalism in India and the freedom movement.

1. Indian History, Culture and Civilisation
2. Freedom Movement in India
3. Indian Constitution and Administration
4. Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India
5. Panchayati Raj
6. Co-operatives and Community Development
7. Forces shaping Modern India
8. Renaissance
9. Exploration and Discovery

India & World Geography

1. Earth
2. Latitudes and Longitudes
3. Concept of time
4. International Date Line
5. Movements of Earth and their effects
6. Origin of Earth
7. Rocks and their classification
8. Weathering
9. Earthquakes and Volcanoes
10. Ocean Currents and Tides
11. The atmosphere and its composition
12. Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure
13. Planetary Winds
14. Cyclones and Anti-cyclones
15. Humidity
16. Condensation and Precipitation
17. Types of Climate
18. Major Natural Regions of the World
19. Regional Geography of India
20. Mineral and Power resources
21. Imports and Exports of India
22. World Geography

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 for Paper 2

This paper has General Studies, Essays, and Comprehensions as descriptive question-answer. In Paper II 2nd part is Essay Writing and Comprehension, for Essay Writing in this part candidates have two options of writing the Essay component in English or Hindi. But in addition, the other part is Comprehension has to be written in English medium only. The question will be asked related to English language and Grammar skills.

Part A (80 Marks): Essay

The topics of essay questions could be on:

1. Modern Indian History
2. Freedom Struggle
3. Geography
4. Polity
5. Economy
6. Security
7. Human Rights
8. Analytical Ability

Part B (120 Marks)

1. Comprehensions
2. Précis writing
3. Communications/language skills
4. Developing counter arguments
5. Simple grammar
6. Other aspects

UPSC CAPF Selection Process 2026

Some of the basic information related to the exam pattern of the UPSC CAPF exam is tabulated below. The candidate has to go through the following stages to get selected for Assistant Commandant vacancies:

• Written Examination – The UPSC CAPF written exam comprises two papers. Paper 1 includes the topics from General Ability and Intelligence and Paper 2 from General Studies, Essays, and Comprehension. The questions will consist of objective-type multiple-choice questions. Questions will be set in English as well as Hindi.
• Physical Test – Candidates who are declared qualified in the written examination will be called to appear for PST/PET and Medical Standards Tests.
• Interview/ Personality Tests – Candidates declared qualified in the Medical Standards Tests, will be called for Interview/Personality Test. The Interview exam will carry 150 Marks. The final merit list of candidates will be based on the marks obtained by the candidates in the written exam and Interview.

UPSC CAPF Physical Standards Test (PST)

Candidates who declared qualified in the written examination will be called for physical standards tests. Those candidates who meet the prescribed PST will be called to appear for the Physical Efficiency Test. 

Category of Candidates	Men	Women
Height	165 cm	157 cm
Chest	81 cm unexpanded – with 5 cm minimum expansion	NA
Weight	50 kg.	46 kg.

UPSC CAPF Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

After clearing the online exam which is conducted in written type, the candidate who clears that exam and PST exam will be called for the Physical Efficiency Test for further evaluation. The candidates who meet the specified Physical Standards by UPSC CAPF will be evaluated through the Physical Efficiency Tests as given below:

Particulars	Male	Female
100 Meter Race	16 Seconds	18 Seconds
800 Meter Race	3 Minutes 45 Seconds	4 Minutes 45 Seconds
Long Jump	3.5 Meters (3 Chances)	3.0 Meters (3 Chances)
Shot Put (7.26 Kgs.)	4.5 Meters	–

UPSC CAPF Interview / Personality Test

Candidates who are declared qualified in the Medical Standards Tests will be called for the next phase of the selection process an Interview/Personality Test. The Interview exam will carry 150 marks. : The merit list will be based on marks obtained by the candidates in the Written Examination and Interview/Personality Test. 

Tips for Preparing for the UPSC CAPF AC Exam

• Prepare Yourself: Before starting your preparation for the UPSC CAPF Exam 2026, it is essential to prepare yourself for the journey. This includes mentally and physically preparing yourself for the examination. Set goals for yourself and allocate your time effectively to achieve them.
• Understand the Exam: It is important to create a well-structured study plan that covers all the subjects and topics mentioned in the syllabus. Divide your time between different subjects wisely and allocate specific study hours each day. Set realistic goals and deadlines for completing topics.
•  Get all the details about the UPSC CAPF syllabus: Candidates must go through the detailed syllabus to understand which subjects or concepts are covered in each syllabus and which ones are given more weight or significance.
• Stay updated with current affairs: Regularly read newspapers, watch the news, and subscribe to reputable current affairs magazines or websites to stay updated on current events.
•  Create a Timetable for UPSC CAPF Preparation: You should create a comfortable and structured study schedule to help streamline your preparation. A timetable can help plan academic activities and produce positive outcomes.
• Solve previous year’s question papers: The best and most efficient way to understand the exam format and syllabus is to solve the previous year’s test questions. This helps you in answering every question that might be asked during the exam.

UPSC CAPF Subject Wise Weightage

UPSC CAPF AC Paper 1 consists of objective-type questions on the topics of General Ability and Intelligence and Paper 2 consists of General Studies, Essay, and Comprehension and is a subjective type. The UPSC CAPF Subject Wise weightage helps the candidates to analyze the number of questions asked about each topic and prepare accordingly. The UPSC CAPF Subject Wise Weightage is tabulated below in the table.

Subjects	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Physics	09	08	07	01	08
Chemistry	10	08	07	09	08
Biology	09	10	07	04	04
Environment	04	04	04	12	03
Indian Geography	06	05	08	11	07
World Geography	09	15	11	09	09
Ancient	07	01	06	03	01
Medieval	05	04	00	03	00
Modern	05	15	12	15	19
CA	09	10	11	18	26
Art Culture	03	00	02	02	01
Micro Economics	04	08	02	00	00

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026: FAQs