CAPF (AC) Eligibility

Quick anchor

Eligibility for the CAPF (Assistant Commandants) Examination turns on nationality, age, educational qualification, and physical fitness. The broad structure is durable: an Indian national who holds a graduation degree and falls in roughly the 20 to 25 age band (with category relaxations) and meets the physical standards can apply. The exact age reference date, the precise relaxation slabs, fees, and any vacancy-linked conditions change every cycle, so confirm each as per the latest UPSC notification, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Nationality

A candidate must be one of the following:

• A citizen of India, or
• A subject of Nepal, or
• A subject of Bhutan, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling, or
• a person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries (such as Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and certain East African and other countries) with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Candidates other than citizens of India must hold a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Confirm the exact list and certificate requirement as per the latest UPSC notification, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Age

The durable band is 20 to 25 years, that is, a candidate must have attained 20 years and not have attained 25 years as on the reference date fixed in the notification.

• The reference date changes every cycle (commonly 1 August of the examination year, but verify each year), so this is a notification-dependent item, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Upper-age relaxations are available to specified categories. The typical relaxations are:

The exact relaxation slabs and the list of eligible special categories are notification-dependent. Confirm them as per the latest UPSC notification, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Educational qualification

A candidate must hold a bachelor's degree (graduation) from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification.

• Candidates in their final year of the qualifying degree are usually permitted to apply and appear, subject to producing proof of passing at a later stage specified in the notification.
• There is no specific subject or stream requirement for the degree; any recognised graduation qualifies.

Confirm the final-year provision and the proof-of-passing deadline as per the latest UPSC notification, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Number of attempts

The CAPF (AC) examination has no notification-prescribed cap on the number of attempts of the kind that the Civil Services Examination has. In practice, a candidate can attempt the examination as long as they remain within the age band (including any applicable relaxation). The age window therefore acts as the effective limit on attempts. Confirm any attempt-related condition as per the latest UPSC notification, verify on upsc.gov.in.

Physical eligibility pointers

Clearing the written examination is not enough; a candidate must also meet the physical standards (PST), pass the physical efficiency tests (PET), and be found fit in the Medical Standards Test. These are detailed in pst pet standards. The headline pointers, durable in structure, are:

• Minimum height and chest requirements, with relaxations for women, and for candidates from specified hill, tribal, and North-Eastern categories.
• Weight proportionate to height and age.
• Vision standards (uncorrected and corrected) and limits on certain eye conditions.
• A clean bill of health on the prescribed medical standards, with disqualifying conditions listed in the notification.

The exact height, chest, weight, vision, and timing standards (and the relaxations) are set out in the notification and are notification-dependent. Verify on upsc.gov.in.

Who can apply, in summary

A person who:

1. Meets the nationality condition (and holds the eligibility certificate if not an Indian citizen).
2. Falls within the 20 to 25 age band as on the reference date, with category relaxations.
3. Holds (or is in the final year of) a recognised graduation degree.
4. Can meet the physical and medical standards for the post and gender.

Both men and women are eligible to apply; vacancies are notified force-wise and gender-wise each cycle.

Verify-latest checklist (notification-dependent)

• Exact age reference date and the precise relaxation slabs.
• The full nationality list and eligibility-certificate requirement.
• Final-year applicability and proof-of-passing deadline.
• All physical and medical standards and their relaxations.
• Fees, exemptions, vacancy numbers, and gender-wise allocation.

All of the above change cycle to cycle; verify on upsc.gov.in.

Sources

• UPSC CAPF (AC) annual examination notification, upsc.gov.in.
• Ministry of Home Affairs.