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UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026, Check Detailed Papers 1 and Paper 2 Topics

Paulami Chandra

Feb 21, 2026

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 assesses candidates’ analytical ability, general awareness, and communication skills for the post of Assistant Commandant. The written exam consists of two papers, each carrying 250 and 200 marks, respectively. Paper 1 covers General Ability and Intelligence, focusing on reasoning, quantitative aptitude, general science, current affairs, polity, economy, history, and geography. Paper 2 includes General Studies, Essay, and Comprehension, testing essay writing, language skills, and comprehension abilities. In UPSC CAPF exam 2026, the syllabus evaluates both intellectual depth and effective expression.

UPSC CAPF Paper 1 Syllabus 2026

UPSC CAPF Paper 1 covers multiple-choice questions from:

  1. General Mental Ability: Logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, numerical ability, data interpretation.
  2. General Science: Awareness of scientific temper, everyday phenomena, IT, Biotechnology, and Environmental Science.
  3. Current Events (National & International): Culture, arts, music, literature, sports, governance, developmental issues, industry, business, globalization, and international relations.
  4. Indian Polity & Economy: Political system, Constitution, public administration, social systems, economic development, security issues, human rights.
  5. History of India: Social, economic, political aspects; nationalism and freedom movement.
  6. Indian & World Geography: Physical, social, and economic geography of India and the world.

UPSC CAPF Paper 2 Syllabus 2026

UPSC CAPF 2026 Paper 2 is descriptive and covers the following topics:

Part A: Long-form essays in Hindi or English:

  • Modern Indian history (esp. freedom struggle)
  • Geography, polity, and economy
  • Security and human rights issues
  • Analytical ability

Part B: Comprehension & Language: Only in English.

  • Comprehension passages
  • Précis writing
  • Counter-argument development
  • Simple grammar and language skills

UPSC CAPF 2026 Books

UPSC CAPF 2026 books for various subjects are listed in the table below:

Subject Books
Economics
  • Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri
  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  • NCERT XI, XII
History
  • Facts of Indian Culture – Spectrum
  • NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval)
  • NCERT XII (Modern Indian History)
  • India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra
Indian Polity
  • Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
  • NCERT IX-XII
Geography
  • World Atlas
  • NCERT VI – X (Old Syllabus)
  • NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus)
  • Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong
International Relations
  • NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics)
  • Current Affairs
Geography
  • Geography of India by Majid Husain
  • World Geography by Majid Husain
  • World Atlas
  • Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong
  • Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11,12
History, Indian Heritage & Culture
  • An Introduction to Indian Art Part 1: Textbook in Fine Arts for Class XI, XII
  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • India after Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • Ancient India by R.S Sharma
  • History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
Polity & International Relations
  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
  • India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
Economy
  • Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh
English Language
  • R. S. Agarwal
  • Wren and Martin

UPSC CAPF AC Previous Year Question Paper

Below is the table mentioning UPSC CAPF Previous Year Papers for candidates’ practice and question paper analysis:

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 tests candidates on reasoning, general knowledge, current affairs, history, polity, economy, geography, essay writing, and English skills, evaluating candidates’ analytical ability, awareness, and effective communication required for the Assistant Commandant role.

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 FAQs

Ques: How long is the duration for each paper in UPSC CAPF 2026?

Ans: Paper 1 is for 2 hours (objective), and Paper 2 is for 3 hours (descriptive), per UPSC CAPF exam pattern.

Ques: Do I need to prepare both India & World Geography in UPSC CAPF 2026?

Ans: Yes. UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026 requires knowledge of both physical, social, and economic aspects of geography in India and the world.

Ques: What “General Science” topics are included in UPSC CAPF 2026 syllabus?

Ans: General Science includes everyday scientific phenomena, environmental science, emerging areas like biotechnology and information technology, as well as scientific temperament and observations.

Ques: Do I need to study ancient or medieval Indian history for UPSC CAPF 2026 exam?

Ans: The syllabus focuses more on modern Indian history, particularly the freedom movement plus social, economic, political aspects. Ancient/medieval history is not explicitly emphasized in UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026.

Ques: Is there any optional subject in UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2026?

Ans: No optional subject is mentioned in the official syllabus as of CAPF Syllabus 2026. Both papers’ topics are fixed and prescribed in the notification.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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