UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2025, Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the UPSC CAPF AC Notification PDF on 5th March 2025 to recruit eligible candidates for a total of 357 vacancies for grade A Officers (Assistant Commandants) for the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB. The candidates interested in said vacancies must buckle themselves and begin their preparation with the updated UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025. The syllabus assists candidates in understanding the exam format, topics asked in the exam, marking scheme, and so on. 

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025

The Central Armed Police Force Assistant Commandant Exam (UPSC CAPF AC Exam) will be held on 3rd August 2025 and will comprise two papers. Papers 1 from General Ability and Intelligence and Papers 2 from General Studies, Essay and Comprehension. The first step to begin preparation for the exam is that the candidates must know the complete UPSC CAPF 2025 Syllabus and Exam Pattern to plan a proper exam strategy for the examination. 

UPSC CAPF AC 2025 Notification Out for 357 Vacancies - Click to Check

UPSC CAPF AC Selection Process

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 2025

The UPSC CAPF 2025 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 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 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 AC Syllabus 2025 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 2025 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, India & World Geography. Check section-wise UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2025 from here and prepare accordingly for the examination. 

General Mental Ability

The UPSC CAPF Paper-I will have a written test that covered the following important General Ability topics and subjects that include 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 2025 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 2025

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. 

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:

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 2025, 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.

UPSC CAPF (AC) Previous Year Question Papers