5 questions about Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant)
CAPF (AC) stands for Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant). It is conducted by UPSC to recruit Group A officers (Assistant Commandant rank) for five forces: BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), and SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal). The starting pay is Level 10 (₹56,100–1,77,500) plus force-specific allowances.
CAPF has a lower competition ratio than IAS (approximately 1:50 vs 1:1000+), but the GS syllabus is nearly identical to UPSC Prelims. The key differences: CAPF has a physical fitness test (PET), Paper II is essay and comprehension (not CSAT), and the interview carries less weight. Many UPSC aspirants simultaneously prepare for CAPF as a backup since the GS overlap is 90%+.
Partially. You can indicate your preference for forces during the application. However, the final allocation depends on your merit rank, the number of vacancies in each force, and reservation quotas. Higher-ranked candidates are more likely to get their preferred force. BSF and CRPF typically have the most vacancies.
The PET includes: 100m dash (16s for men, 18s for women), 800m run for men (3 min 45s) or 400m for women (2 min 40s), long jump (3.5m men, 3.0m women), and shot put (4.5m with 7.26kg for men, 3.5m with 4kg for women). PET is qualifying — no marks are awarded, but failing any event means disqualification. Start training early, especially running endurance.
Since the syllabus mirrors UPSC Prelims GS, use the same preparation strategy: NCERTs (Class 6–12) for History, Geography, Polity, Economy, and Science. Add current affairs from newspapers and monthly compilations. Practice previous year CAPF and UPSC Prelims papers. If you're already preparing for UPSC CSE, you're 90% prepared for CAPF Paper I. Focus extra time on Paper II essay writing and physical fitness.