The Medical Standards Test for CAPF (AC): vision and colour vision, weight-for-height and BMI, hearing, common disqualifying conditions, and the review/appeal medical board
The Medical Standards Test (MST) is the stage after a candidate clears the PST and PET (see pst pet standards). It is conducted by a CAPF medical board and decides whether the candidate is medically fit for a Group A field role in the Central Armed Police Forces. Like the physical stages, the MST is qualifying, not scoring: see Index. A candidate must be declared fit (at the first board or on review/appeal) to proceed to the Interview / Personality Test.
The categories below (vision, colour vision, weight-for-height, hearing, and the listed disqualifying conditions) form the durable structure of the CAPF medical standard. The precise numeric thresholds (the exact visual acuity figures, BMI band edges, and so on) vary by notification and are periodically revised, and some standards differ for the Border Security Force, CISF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB. The figures here are commonly published indicative values and are labelled as such. Verify the current standards against the live UPSC CAPF (AC) notification and its medical appendix on upsc.gov.in before relying on any number.
The MST is a full physical examination. The principal heads are vision, colour vision, weight against height, hearing, the limbs and spine, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and a general check for any condition that would impair field duty. The aim is a candidate fit for arduous outdoor service, often at altitude, in border terrain, or in continuous operational deployment.
Eyesight is one of the most common reasons for rejection, so the structure matters. Vision is assessed as distant and near acuity, with separate limits for the better eye and the worse eye, and limits on the correcting power (the degree of spectacle correction allowed). The broad indicative structure is:
| Parameter | Indicative requirement |
|---|---|
| Distant vision (corrected) | better eye 6/6 or 6/9, worse eye 6/12 or 6/9 |
| Near vision (corrected) | better eye N6, worse eye N9 (reading types) |
| Refraction limit | myopia and hypermetropia limited to a prescribed maximum (for example up to about ± 4.00 dioptres, per the notification) |
| Other | no squint, no colour blindness, binocular vision and a normal field of vision |
Candidates who have undergone refractive surgery (such as LASIK) are subject to specific conditions in the notification (for example a minimum period since surgery and a satisfactory post-operative assessment). Confirm the exact acuity figures, the dioptre cap, and the refractive-surgery rule against the current notification.
Defective colour vision is a disqualification. The forces require a candidate to distinguish signal colours (red and green in particular) reliably, since this matters for field signalling, map and instrument reading, and operations. Colour perception is tested (commonly with Ishihara plates) and a defective result is disqualifying. This is a fixed structural requirement; the candidate either has normal colour vision or is rejected on this head.
Weight must be proportionate to height (and age). Rather than a single absolute weight, the standard uses a weight-for-height table and/or a body mass index (BMI) band. The principle:
The exact table and BMI cut edges are in the notification's medical appendix. Treat any specific band as indicative and verify.
Hearing must be adequate in both ears. A candidate should be able to hear a forced whisper at a prescribed distance in each ear, and audiometry may be used. Significant hearing loss, chronic ear discharge, or a perforated ear drum are grounds for rejection.
The notification lists conditions that render a candidate unfit. The frequently encountered ones at CAPF boards are:
| Condition | Why it disqualifies |
|---|---|
| Knock knees (genu valgum) | Affects gait, running and prolonged marching; a gap beyond the prescribed limit between the ankles when knees touch is rejected |
| Flat foot (pes planus) | Impairs sustained marching and load carriage; a flat arch without normal spring is rejected |
| Varicose veins | Indicate venous insufficiency; aggravated by standing and field duty; rejected |
| Defective colour vision | As above, signal-colour recognition is essential |
| Squint or sub-standard vision | Below the prescribed acuity or with squint |
| Hydrocele, hernia, piles | Surgical conditions impairing field fitness |
| Significant deformity of limbs or spine, restricted joint movement | Impairs arduous duty |
| High or low blood pressure outside the normal range, cardiac or respiratory disease | Cardiovascular / respiratory unfitness |
| Otorrhoea, perforated ear drum, significant hearing loss | Hearing unfitness |
This list is illustrative of the common heads, not exhaustive. The authoritative list is the medical standards appendix in the notification.
A first-board rejection is not necessarily final. The CAPF medical scheme provides a structured review:
Because the review and appeal windows are short and time-bound, a candidate who disagrees with a rejection should act immediately and follow the exact procedure and timeline in the notification and the rejection communication.