CAPF Exam Pattern In Detail

CAPF or Central Armed Police Force do everything to ensure that the country’s security needs are not compromised. Whether it is conducting free and fair elections and patrolling at the border to tackling a security situation anywhere in the country, CAPF personnel are among the first to react. To be a part of CAPF is extremely demanding but equally rewarding too. The CAPF is an umbrella term that is used to refer to the security forces falling under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It includes Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Border Security Force(BSF), Assam Rifles, and National Security Guards (NSG). With each type tasked with different duties, a range of opportunities is available after qualifying the exam. But to score well in this, one needs to be familiar with the syllabus and pattern thoroughly. Thus, In this blog, we will cover the CAPF exam pattern in detail. 

Also read: Career in Airforce

CAPF Exam Pattern: Overview

CAPF exam is conducted every year by Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) to fill the vacancies for numerous posts like Assistant Commandant in the aforementioned security forces of India. The application process for the exam is completely online and a candidate can apply on the official UPSC website by paying 200 INR as application fee. The CAPF exam pattern involves a written test, medical fitness test, and personal interview. Further, the written exam is bifurcated into two sections: Paper-I and Paper-II. 

Also read: Government Exams after 12th Science

Eligibility 

Before we understand the CAPF exam pattern, it is important to understand the eligibility criteria of it. To be eligible for the exam, the candidates need to satisfy some prerequisites set by UPSC, some of which have been listed below: 

• The primary requirement for the exam is that you need to be a citizen of India and must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• It is to be noted that the subjects of Bhutan and Nepal along with Tibetan refugees are also eligible for the exam.
• Those who have appeared for the final year exams of their undergraduate degrees and their results are pending can also apply but their admission will be considered provisional until they produce qualification certificate.
• Both males and females can apply for the position of Assistant Commandant through the exam.
• The minimum age for the exam is 20 while the maximum is 25 years. However, in the case of students belonging to SC/ST, the criteria can be relaxed. 

Also read: How to Prepare for Competitive Exams?

CAPF Exam Pattern

The CAPF exam is conducted in three stages; Written exam, Physical Test, and Personal Interview. Since each stage has a different marking scheme and structure, here is a comprehensive overview of the CAPF exam pattern. 

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Stage 1: Written Examination

Like any other competitive exam, the CAPF exam pattern tests your writing and understanding ability on basic general knowledge in this phase. The written test includes Paper-I and Paper-II carrying 550 marks in total. Further, the students have the option to either give the exam in English or Hindi medium. 

Paper-I

Paper-I, which carries 250 marks, tests your general ability and intelligence. The 125 multiple-choice questions have to be completed within 2 hours. For every incorrect answer, negative marking is applied and  ⅓ marks are deducted. 

Paper-II

This part of the CAPF exam pattern is descriptive and is aimed at evaluating the comprehension, essay writing and other communication skills of the candidates. A total of 6 questions carrying 200 marks are asked which has to be completed within 3 hours. The essay and comprehension section of the paper needs to be written in the English language only while the option for Hindi is available for other sections of the paper. 

Note: The Paper-2 is evaluated only after qualifying Paper-1

Stage 2: Physical Efficiency Test

After qualifying the written examination, a candidate has to go through a physical efficiency test which is a crucial component of the CAPF exam pattern. The objective of this is to evaluate your ability on various grounds including medical fitness. The activities in the test are presented below in the tabular form: 

Type of Test	Criteria for Males	Criteria for Females
100 Meters Race	16 Seconds	18 Seconds
800 Meters Race	3.45 Minutes	4.45 Minutes
Long Jump	3.5 Meters	3 Meters
Shot Put (7.26 Kgs)	4.5 Meters	Not Required

Stage 3: Personal Interview

The candidates after qualifying written and medical fitness tests are called for an interview which forms the third stage of the CAPF exam pattern and is conducted by UPSC. The interview carries 150 marks where the experts gauge through your personality by testing your confidence, your ability to handle situations, leadership qualities and other parameters. The final selection of a candidate is based on the score obtained in all three tests. 

Also read: How to crack a personal interview

We hope that the blog gave you a brief overview of the CAPF exam pattern. A career in defense is adventurous and offers a plethora of opportunities in various fields. A matter of greater responsibility and dedication, the career option demands seriousness and adaptability. If you are preparing for such competitive exams but are not sure about how to get started with it then the experts at Leverage Edu will assist you in devising the perfect strategy to ace the exam. You can also book a 30 minutes free career counseling session with the mentors to get complete guidance on your career.