UPSC CAPF AC 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply

The Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination is how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruits Group A officers for the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the CAPF (ACs) Examination 2027 on Sunday 4 July 2027, with the notification on 17 February 2027 and the last date to apply on 9 March 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). This guide covers the dates, eligibility, the two papers, the physical and medical stages and a plan for the months ahead.

UPSC CAPF AC at a glance

UPSC CAPF AC 2027 exam date

From UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF), read on 20 October 2026:

In 2026 the written exam was on 19 July 2026, with Paper I from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and Paper II from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. UPSC says calendar dates can change, so confirm them in the 2027 notice and on the exam calendar page. Our CAPF AC exam-dates page has them too.

How to apply for UPSC CAPF AC 2027

Applications are online at upsconline.nic.in, the portal UPSC's notices name.

1. Create an account on the portal.
2. Get your Universal Registration Number (URN), made once and used for every UPSC exam.
3. Fill in the Common Application Form, with an uploaded photograph and a live photograph. UPSC advises Aadhaar as the ID document.
4. Between 17 February and 9 March 2027, fill in the CAPF examination form, give your preferences among the five forces, choose a centre and pay the fee unless exempt.

Keep ready: photo ID, scanned photograph and signature, date-of-birth proof, your degree or its expected result (in 2026, candidates who qualified the written exam had a 15-day window to upload proof of passing), and any category or NCC certificate.

Eligibility (2026 notice): a bachelor's degree, and age 20 to 25 on 1 August of the exam year, with the relaxations the notice lists. Candidates also have to meet physical and medical standards. Check the 2027 notice for the exact dates of birth.

UPSC CAPF AC exam pattern

How the stages work:

• Paper I is checked first. Paper II is evaluated only for candidates who reach Paper I's qualifying marks. Each paper has its own qualifying marks, fixed by UPSC.
• Negative marking: one-third of a question's marks (0.67 of 2) for a wrong answer in Paper I; marking two answers counts as wrong; a blank costs nothing.
• Physical tests: those who pass the written exam take Physical Standards and Physical Efficiency Tests: 100 m, 800 m, long jump and, for men, shot put.
• Final merit adds the written marks (450) and the interview (150), after which come the medical standards tests.

The 2026 notice listed 349 tentative vacancies across the five forces; the number changes every year.

UPSC CAPF AC syllabus

Paper I covers six areas, in one booklet with no sections:

• General mental ability: reasoning, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation
• General science, including everyday science, IT, biotechnology and environment
• Current events of national and international importance
• Indian polity and economy, including security and human rights
• History of India, from ancient times to the freedom movement
• Indian and world geography

Paper II: essays on modern Indian history, geography, polity and economy, security and human rights; then comprehension, précis, counter-arguments and grammar in English. See the CAPF AC syllabus page for the full list.

A plan for the 36 weeks to July 2027

From late October 2026 to 4 July 2027 is about 36 weeks, which is enough for a complete preparation if you start now.

• November to January: cover the Paper I subjects once: polity and economy first (security and human rights are a feature of this exam), then history, geography and science. Start running or fitness training now; the physical tests come soon after the written result.
• February: apply as soon as the form opens. Take your first full CAPF AC Paper I mock test, timed at two hours, to see where you stand.
• March to May: one Paper I mock a week, and one Paper II essay and one précis a week, written by hand in time. Paper II decides much of the written merit, and many candidates under-practise it.
• June: revise current affairs and security topics, take two full mocks at the real timings, and write one full three-hour Paper II.

Paper I has 125 questions in 120 minutes, under a minute each, so mark easy questions first and come back to the long reasoning ones. Our article on when to guess under negative marking shows when a guess is worth it.

Useful links

• Apply online: UPSC portal (upsconline.nic.in)
• CAPF (ACs) 2026 notice with the scheme and syllabus (PDF)
• UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF)
• Free UPSC CAPF AC mock tests
• UPSC CAPF AC syllabus
• UPSC CAPF AC exam dates
• How to analyse a mock test

Frequently asked questions

When is the UPSC CAPF AC 2027 exam date?

UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the exam on Sunday 4 July 2027, with applications from 17 February to 9 March 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). The calendar says dates can change.

Is there negative marking in UPSC CAPF?

Yes, in Paper I: a wrong answer loses one-third of that question's marks, 0.67 of 2. Paper II is descriptive and is marked by examiners.

What is the age limit for CAPF AC?

Under the 2026 notice, 20 to 25 years on 1 August of the exam year, with relaxations for the categories in the notice. Check the 2027 notice for the exact dates of birth.

Can women apply for CAPF Assistant Commandant?

Yes. The 2026 notice says both male and female candidates are eligible. The physical standards and efficiency tests differ between them, and shot put is for men only. Check the 2027 notice for the detailed standards.

What is the CAPF AC pass mark?

There is no fixed pass mark. UPSC sets minimum qualifying marks for each paper every year and does not publish them in advance.

Can I write CAPF Paper II in Hindi?

Part A, the essays, can be written in English or Hindi. Part B, comprehension and précis, is in English only.