UPSC CAPF (AC) syllabus

UPSC's graduate-level exam for Assistant Commandants in BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB: an objective General Ability paper and a descriptive General Studies, Essay and Comprehension paper on the same day.

Paper I: General Ability and Intelligence (objective)

General Mental Ability

About 30 of the 125 questions (2 marks each) · Part of the 2-hour paper

UPSC does not publish how many questions each area has; the share here is this site's estimate.

  • Logical reasoning: series, coding, analogies, blood relations, directions, ranking, syllogisms
  • Quantitative aptitude and numerical ability
  • Data interpretation from tables and charts

General Science

About 20 questions · Part of the 2-hour paper

Tests scientific temper and the understanding of everyday phenomena rather than textbook derivations.

  • Physics, chemistry and biology of everyday life
  • Information technology and biotechnology
  • Environmental science

Current Events of National and International Importance

About 10 questions · Part of the 2-hour paper

The practice questions here keep to stable facts (institutions, organisations, awards, events up to 2024).

  • Culture, music, arts and literature
  • Sports
  • Governance, society and development
  • Industry, business and globalisation
  • International organisations and relations between nations

Indian Polity and Economy

About 30 questions · Part of the 2-hour paper

Security and human rights questions are a feature of this exam, given the forces it recruits for.

  • The Constitution of India and the political system
  • Social systems and public administration
  • Economic development in India
  • Regional and international security
  • Human rights and their indicators

History of India

About 20 questions · Part of the 2-hour paper

  • Social, economic and political history of ancient and medieval India
  • Modern India
  • Growth of nationalism and the freedom movement

Indian and World Geography

About 15 questions · Part of the 2-hour paper

  • Physical geography of India and the world
  • Social and economic geography: population, agriculture, resources, industry

Paper II: General Studies, Essay and Comprehension (descriptive)

Part A: Essay

Essay questions, 80 marks · Part of the 3-hour paper

Written in English or Hindi; the medium must be stated on the attendance list and answer book, and no credit is given for an essay in another medium.

  • Long-form essays on modern Indian history (especially the freedom struggle), geography, polity and economy, security and human rights, and analytical ability

Part B: Comprehension, précis and language skills

120 marks · Part of the 3-hour paper

In English only.

  • Comprehension passages
  • Précis writing
  • Developing counter-arguments
  • Simple grammar and other aspects of language