CAPF Head Constable (Ministerial) and ASI Steno

Typing letters, noting and orders. Taking dictation and transcribing it (ASI Steno). Keeping service records, leave and pay files. Working on office computers. Supporting officers in a force headquarters, range office or unit. These are uniformed posts inside a force, so fitness and discipline matter.

A day in the work
You reach the office in uniform and check what came in overnight. Then you type letters, orders and reports, or update service and leave records. An ASI (Steno) sits with an officer, takes dictation and types it out neatly and fast. Some days you help with an inspection or a meeting, and the force's fitness routine and parades still apply. Transfers can send you to a different state, so family life needs planning.

1. Step 1 · Class 10–12Study in any stream. Start typing practice early, in English or Hindi. If you like shorthand, try it too. The skill test is a pass-or-fail stage.
2. Step 2 · Class 12Pass Class 12. Both posts need this and nothing higher. The CRPF notices of 2022 and 2023 list 10+2 as the qualification.
3. Step 3 · When the notice comesApply online when a force or the BSF recruitment directorate announces vacancies. These notices do not come every year. In the latest cycle, applications ran from 9 June to 8 July 2024. The age limit was 18–25 years, with relaxations for reserved categories (reported). Apply only on the official recruitment portals. (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · Physical testsIn the 2024 cycle, the physical standard test (height and chest) and the physical efficiency test came first, and both were qualifying (reported). Men needed 165 cm height and a 1.6 km run in 6 min 30 sec. Women needed 155 cm and an 800 m run in 4 min 45 sec. Relaxations apply for ST candidates and for people from some hill and north-eastern regions. The order of stages can differ by force and year: CRPF's 2022 exam took the CBT first. (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · Computer Based TestA 100-mark objective test of about 100 minutes (reported). It has five parts of 20 marks each: Hindi/English language, general intelligence, numerical aptitude, clerical aptitude and basic computer knowledge. For the 2024 cycle, the CBT was held in September 2026 and the result was still awaited in late October 2026 (reported). That is more than two years after applications closed. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · Skill test, documents, medicalTyping test for Head Constable (Ministerial) at 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Hindi. Shorthand for ASI (Steno) at 80 wpm for 10 minutes, followed by a timed transcription on computer (reported). Then document verification and a detailed medical examination. CRPF's own notices list the skill test, PST, documents and medical as stages after the CBT.
7. Step 7 · Training and postingSelected candidates join their force for basic training, then get posted to offices and units across India. Training length and probation rules differ by force. We could not confirm them from an official page, so check the force's notice. (reported — check with the official body)

• Open direct recruitmentWho: Class 12 pass candidates from outside the force Apply to the combined CAPF notice (2024 cycle, run by BSF) or to a force's own notice (CRPF, 2022–23). Then go through the CBT, skill test, physical tests and medical.
• Limited Departmental Competitive Exam (LDCE)Who: Serving personnel of a force, such as CRPF CRPF held an LDCE in 2023 for ASI (Steno) and Head Constable (Ministerial). Eligible serving staff, such as constables and head constables, could apply for a CBT and skill test. It is not open to outsiders.
• Compassionate-ground driveWho: Dependants of force personnel, in special cases CRPF's recruitment page lists a special drive for Head Constable (Ministerial) on compassionate grounds (July 2024). It is not a regular way in.

Fees from: CRPF recruitment portal: archive of ASI (Steno) and HC (Ministerial) notices. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay follows a fixed government scale, so it grows with years of service, promotions and allowances, and the allowances change with where you are posted.

Women can apply: CRPF's notices say women are encouraged to apply, and the 2024 notice reportedly gives a lower height standard and a shorter 800 m run for women. It also reportedly lowers height and chest for ST candidates and for people from some hill and north-eastern regions (reported). Everyone must pass the medical. We could not confirm any special rules for candidates with disabilities from an official page.

• Class 7–9Spend 15 minutes a day on free touch-typing practice. Learn to type without looking at the keys, in English first and then Hindi.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12Run or jog a few days a week to build stamina for the 1.6 km (boys) or 800 m (girls) test. Also check the My Bharat portal (age 15+) for volunteering you can do near you.Open link ↗
• College or afterRead an old official CRPF notice for these posts. Note the eligibility, stages and skill-test speeds so you know what to prepare for. Then watch for the next official notice.Open link ↗

• The 2024 combined notice reportedly advertised 1,526 posts. Later reports say 1,752 (1,496 Head Constable and 256 ASI Steno). The numbers differ between sources, so read the official notice.
• These posts are uniformed and carry physical tests, so a desk-job label can mislead you. Women can apply too.
• Vacancies are shared across several forces, each with its own category-wise numbers. You may be posted to any state, including remote or border regions.
• Recruitment is irregular and slow. The 2024 cycle was still running in late 2026. Keep Class 12 results and a back-up plan ready.