Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is responsible for conducting the Central Armed Police Force Assistant Commandant Exam (UPSC CAPF AC Exam) every year to recruit candidates for Grade A Officers (Assistant Commandants) posts in all Paramilitary Forces of India (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB).
Candidates who have a complete Bachelor’s Degree/Graduation and are under the age limit of 20 to 25 years are eligible to apply online for UPSC CAPF AC 2026. In this article, we have a detailed breakdown of the UPSC CAPF AC Eligibility Criteria 2026, which covers nationality, age limits, educational qualifications, physical standards, and medical requirements for Assistant Commandant posts.
UPSC CAPF AC Eligibility Criteria 2026
Both male & female candidates are eligible to apply for AC posts in various paramilitary forces of India. Candidates are advised to provide the right details about their eligibility along with valid proof while filling out their UPSC CAPF 2026 application form. Otherwise, it will lead to disqualification at the initial stage. The parameters that are taken into consideration by the Union Public Service Commission to evaluate a candidate’s eligibility for Assistant Commandant posts are specified below:
- Age Limit
- Educational Qualification
- Nationality
- Physical Standards
- Medical Standards
UPSC CAPF AC Age Limit 2026
The minimum age limit for UPSC CAPF AC posts is 20 years, and candidates must not be more than 25 years of age. Only those who fall within this prescribed age limit can apply for Assistant Commandant posts.
UPSC CAPF AC Age Relaxations
Apart from the prescribed age limit, candidates who belong to special reserved categories such as OBC, ST/SC. etc. gets age relaxation in the upper age limit. Those who belong to a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe receive 5 years of age relaxation in the prescribed maximum age limit.
| Categories | Age Relaxations |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 5 years |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| Civilian Central Government Servant | 5 years |
| Jammu & Kashmir Domiciled | 5 years |
| Ex-Servicemen Commissioned Officer | 5 years |
Required Educational Qualification for UPSC CAPF AC
The candidates must hold some minimum educational qualifications to become eligible for Assistant Commandant or AC posts. As per UPSC CAPF Eligibility Criteria 2026, candidates holding a bachelor’s degree from a government-recognised university, those having technical & professional degrees, etc. are eligible to apply.
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from any government-recognised university or any institution established by the Act of Legislature.
- Those who are waiting for their graduation examination results are eligible, but their admission to the UPSC CAPF examination is provisional until a valid proof of passing graduation is provided by the candidates.
- Degrees from universities founded by Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or under a Parliamentary Act are also recognised.
- Those who have obtained technical or professional degrees from recognised institutions are also eligible.
Note:- In certain cases, a candidate who does not meet any of the criteria mentioned above can still be considered provisionally qualified by UPSC if they have taken an exam conducted by one of the other Institutions whose standards validate UPSC CAPF eligibility.
UPSC CAPF Nationality
Those who want to appear for the Assistant Commandant examination must belong to certain nationalities as specified in the UPSC CAPF Eligibility Criteria 2026. Candidates who are Indian citizens are eligible to apply. Check below to get complete details about CAPF nationality requirements.
- Candidates who are citizens of India or hold Indian citizenship of India are eligible for AC posts.
- Those who belong to Bhutan & Nepal can also apply for the UPSC CAPF examination.
Note:- Any candidate who belongs to some other nationality can only appear for the CAPF examination with the consent of the Central Government.
Physical Standards Required for UPSC CAPF AC 2026 Exam
Along with other eligibility parameters, it is also important to fulfil physical standards for the UPSC CAPF examination. The physical standards consider mainly three factors i.e. height, weight & chest measurements.
Male candidates must be 167 cm tall with 50 kg weight, whereas female candidates must be 157 cm tall with 46 kg weight. Candidates must note that chest measurements of female candidates are not applicable for Assistant Commandant posts.
| Genders | Height Measurements | Weight Measurements | Chest Measurements (Unexpanded) |
| Male | 165 cm | 50 kg | 81 cm |
| Female | 157 cm | 46 kg | Not Applicable |
UPSC CAPF Physical Efficiency Tests (PET)
Written test qualified candidates who meet the prescribed Physical Standards test will be called to appear for the Physical Efficiency Test. PET will be done through the candidates’ performances per the following parameters. The PET test is qualifying in nature, and no marks will be awarded for the PET test.
| UPSC CAPF Physical Efficiency Tests (PET) | ||
| Tasks | Male | Female |
| 100 Meters race | 16 seconds | 18 seconds |
| 800 Meters race | 3 minutes 45 seconds | 4 minutes 45 seconds |
| Long Jump | 3.5 Meters (3 chances) | 3.0 meters (3 chances) |
| Shot Put (7.26 Kgs.) | 4.5 Meters (3 chances) | |
UPSC CAPF AC Medical Standards
Candidates must meet certain medical standards before they apply for UPSC CAPF, such as candidates must have a distant vision of 6/6 or 6/9 for better eyes and 6/12 or 6/9 for worse eyes. Along with eyesight standards, there are some other medical standards for Assistant Commandant (AC) posts, which are provided below.
| Body Parts | Medical Standards |
| Eyes | Near Vision: N9 for better eye & N6 for worse eye Distant Vision: 6/6 or 6/9 for better eye & 6/12 or 6/9 for worse eye Limits of Refractive Errors Permitted: -4.00 D Myopia, +4.00 D Hypermetropia for both better and worse eye |
| Teeth | The candidates must possess a sufficient number of healthy teeth to guarantee appropriate mastication. Also, candidates must not have severe pyorrhea. |
| Ear | The candidate should not have any degree of deafness or persistent ear discharge. Candidate should not have any other condition (congenital or acquired) like atresia of the meatus, exostosis, or neoplasm which is causing obstruction of ear passage and should not have a history of recurrent earache, tinnitus, and vertigo |
| Chronic Skin Disorder | Those candidates who do not have any skin disorders are eligible to apply. Chronic skin disorders such as Leprosy, chronic dermatitis, extensive Pityriasis Versicolor, psoriasis, SLE, etc should not be present in any candidate. |
| Carrying Angle | Male: 15 Degrees Female: 20 Degrees |
| Neck | The candidate should not have any symptoms of cervical or spinal vertebral disease, enlarged lymph nodes, thyroid, or other neck swellings, or problems completely extending the neck. |
| Nose | Those having DNS, atrophic rhinitis, tuberculous ulceration, or chronic sinusitis are not eligible to apply. |
| Veneral Disease | Candidates shouldn’t have a history of STIs. In addition, there shouldn’t be any clinical symptoms or indicators of an active sexually transmitted infection. |
| Important Links | |
| UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2026 | UPSC CAPF AC Previous Year Questions Paper |
| UPSC CAPF Salary Structure 2026 | UPSC CAPF AC Previous Year Cut Off |
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