Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) follows a three-stage selection process to make recruitment to the posts of Assistant Commandants in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The three stages : (1) Written Examination, (2) Physical Efficiency Test & Medical Standards Test and (3) Interview cum Personality Test. Candidates aspiring to compete for these posts may refer to the following brief outline of all the three stages of the selection process.
1.Written Examination (450 marks) : Written examination comprises two papers (Paper I & Paper II) that are conducted on the same day.
Paper I - General Ability and Intelligence (Marks : 250, Time allotted : 2 hours) : It consists of 125 Objective Type (Multiple Choice Type) questions which are set in English as well as Hindi medium. The questions are designed to test the Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, General Awareness, Current Awareness about national & international events, General Science, Indian Polity & Governance, Indian Economy, Indian History, Geography of India & the World and contemporary issues related to Ecology & Environment.
*Negative Marking : Wrong answers carry penalty of 1/3rd of the marks allotted for a question.
Paper II - General Studies, Essay and Comprehension (Marks : 200, Time allotted : 3 hours) : This paper is of conventional essay type in which the candidates have to write answers in the form of essays / paragraphs as per instructions contained in the question paper. It has two parts : Part A (80 marks) & Part B(120 marks).
Part A (General Studies): It carries questions on General Studies, i.e. Indian History (especially Freedom Struggle), Geography, Indian Polity, Indian Economy, Issues related to security, human rights, ecology, environment and other such topics / issues that may requires careful reading & analysis. This part may be attempted by the candidates in the language of their choice (English / Hindi or any other language specified in the notification and chosen by the candidate).
Part B (Comprehension, Precis Writing and Communication / Language Skills): This part has to attempted only in English language and there is no choice of any other language. Questions in this part are based on Comprehension passage, précis writing, grammatical and vocabulary aspects of English language and other such topics that may require one to express opinion on argumentative issues.
2.Physical Efficiency Test & Medical Standards Test (Qualifying Type) : Working in Central Armed Police Forces require sound body physique and medical fitness so that day to day activities are performed efficiently. So, the candidates who qualify the written test have to undergo a qualifying type Physical Standard & Efficiency Test to ascertain their physical fitness. The candidates who qualify the Physical Standard & Efficiency Test, have to undergo simple medical standards test to ascertain their suitability and adaptability to work in diverse climatic conditions across the nation. Marks obtained in this stage of the selection process are not taken into consideration while preparing the final merit list, though it is mandatory to qualify the tests at this stage.
3.Interview cum Personality Test (150 marks) : Candidates declared qualified in Medical Standards Test have to undergo a personal interview conducted by the UPSC. This aims at judging the interpersonal skills, soft skills, personal disposition, mental alertness, leadership traits and other such qualities of the candidate that are desired for performance of job specific duties.