Candidates who clear all stages of the CAPF, get trained and become Assistant Commandants who are then posted throughout the country.
The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Exam is an all-India competitive exam conducted by the UPSC for recruitments into the BSF (Border Security Force), the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal), the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), and the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)
Exam Pattern
The CAPF Exam has three stages- a written exam (consisting of two papers), extensive medical testing and an interview. The two UPSC CAPF papers for the written exam are-
- General Ability and Intelligence (for 250 marks and two hours): question papers are given in Hindi and English. There are 125 MCQ questions for two marks each. One-third mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
- General Studies, Essay and Comprehension (for 200 marks and three hours): questions are only in English. The questions are all subjective. There are seven questions in total that have to be answered.
There are also strict guidelines for medical fitness in order to qualify for the post of Assistant Commandants). They have to undergo PET (Physical Efficiency Test) and PST (Physical Standard Test). The medical testing is followed by an interview process of 150 marks.
Also Read : UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant Salary: Decoding the CAPF- AC Exam
Topics for Paper I (General Ability and Intelligence)
- General Mental Ability- logical reasoning, quantitative analysis, data analysis
- General Science- environment, technology
- Current Events- important events in India and the world
- Indian Polity and Economy- Indian administration, India’s security threats
- Indian History- freedom struggle, socio-economic aspects of history
- India and World Geography- the impact of India’s geography on its people and policies
Topics for Paper-II (General Studies, Essay and Comprehension)
- Part A (80 marks)- essay type questions on Indian polity, geography, economy, India’s freedom movement, fundamental human rights, etc
- Part B (120 marks)- language skills, comprehension passages, précis writing, etc
Candidates need to thoroughly go through the UPSC CAPF previous year papers of the last five to six years in order to have a clear idea of the kind of questions to expect and the level of difficulty. Practice papers are also very useful in order to be able to perform well in the CAPF Exam.
CAPF Cut Offs
The cut-off score is decided by the UPSC and varies from year to year. Candidates need to secure the qualifying marks at each stage to move on to the next stage of the evaluation.
Out of the total of 600 marks (including the two written papers and interview), the cut-off in 2018 was 282 for general category candidates, it was 281 for OBC candidates, 255 for SC candidates, 251 for ST candidates and 169 for recommended candidates by ex-servicemen.
Eligibility Criterion for UPSC CAPF Exam
- Only Indian citizens are eligible for the CAPF exam unless there is a particular exemption made by the Central Government
- Both males and females are eligible to give the CAPF Exam
- Candidates must have a valid bachelor’s degree from any university recognized by the Government of India. Candidates can also apply if they completed their graduation but haven’t received the results yet.
- In that case, their recruitment will remain provisional till they furnish their final pass certificate (within the stipulated time).
- The candidates must be above 20 years of age and below 25 years. For aspirants from SC/ST category the upper age limit is relaxed by five years and for OBC candidates the upper limit is relaxed by three years.
UPSC CAPF Exam Dates 2021
The number of candidates who qualify for CAPF depends on the number of vacancies available each year. On an average, each year around 200-250 new vacancies open up.
The dates for CAPF Exam 2021 have not been released yet. But the online form fill-up will tentatively start in the fourth week of April 2021 and continue till the third week of May 2021.
Candidates will have to choose their preferred exam centres from 40 available centres all over the country. Admit cards will be issued tentatively in the third week of April 2021. The tentative date for the CAPF Exam 2021 is the second week of August 2021.
Aspirants hoping to crack the CAPF Exam will have to visit the official site of UPSC to find the online form and all other relevant information. They need to keep in handy and upload scanned copies of their academic and personal details.
There is an application fee of 200 INR. If a candidate qualifies for the interview process, he/she needs to fill up a Detailed Application Process (DAF) to be eligible for the interview.
For young graduates stepping out into the world, the CAPF Exam is a wonderful opportunity to find gainful employment.
Conclusion
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They help to improve in weak areas, solve doubts an, keep track of progress. They also provide the free demo class where one can experience the teaching methodology of UPSC Pathshala.
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Also Read : UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant Syllabus: Exam Pattern, Salary, and Benefits
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